Posted on 02/09/2005 5:28:52 AM PST by GaryL
As she tours the continent after her Senate confirmation, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is like a rock star her every movement, her every meeting covered by an adoring media.
Americas first black female secretary of state is doing in public what she has always done in private speaking frankly about Americas priorities and the realities of the post-Cold War world. As she jokes with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, loosening up his dogmatic anti-American policies, lectures Russia about freedom and warns Israel of tough decisions ahead, one thing is obvious: A star is being born.
Traveling without the entourage customary for secretaries of state, on time, mapping out in advance her first six months of travel, Rice is a new force in American politics.
As the Republican Party casts about for a viable presidential candidate in 2008 to keep Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) out of the White House, attention will inevitably focus on Rice, the woman who may stand between Clinton and the presidency.
Since Bushs success in Iraq has laid the basis for negotiation in the Middle East, there is every prospect that Rice may preside over a diplomatic triumph in catalyzing the discussions between Sharon and Abbas. The firm American stand in Iraq will also make more likely success in Korea and Iran, all of which would add to the prestige of Rice.
The political fact is that a Rice candidacy would destroy the electoral chances of the Democratic Party by undermining its demographic base. John Kerry got 54 percent of his vote from three groups that, together, account for about a third of the American electorate: African-Americans, Hispanics and single white women. Rice would cut deeply into any Democrats margin among these three groups and would, most especially, deny Clinton the strong support she would otherwise receive from each of them.
Rices credentials for a candidacy are extensive and will grow throughout her tenure at the State Department. As former chancellor of Stanford University, she would have much in common with the pre-political careers of Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower, presidents of Princeton and Columbia universities. Her service as national security adviser during a war and her current efforts as secretary of state demonstrate her ability to handle crises and to conduct herself with dignity and impact on the world stage.
As a social conservative and deeply religious person, she would face no bar in winning the votes of the Christian right, so crucial to winning the Republican nomination. Unlike former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani (R) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) both of whom could probably win in November she would be very attractive to the pro-life, anti-gun-control, anti-affirmative-action base of the GOP.
America longs to put the period on the disgraceful chapter in our nations history that began when the first slave arrived at Jamestown, Va., more than 400 years ago. We also want to send a message to every girl, and every African-American or Hispanic baby, that there is no ceiling and that you can rise as far as your ability will carry you. The day Condi Rice is sworn in as president, regardless of the fate of her administration, that message and the punctuation of our history of racism will be obvious.
Of course, she isnt running nor is there any indication that she is harboring thoughts of a candidacy. But as her visibility increases, so will her viability. It may just be possible to draft Condi into the race. A real presidential draft movement hasnt happened since 1952, when Republicans urged Eisenhower to get into the race. A draft-Condi movement seems almost antiquated in this era of ambitious and self-promoting candidates, but it may well fill a deep need in the electorate to vote for someone who is running in response to a genuine call of the people.
Condi Rice is a work in progress. Her rise has been impelled by her merits and achievements rather than any efforts on her part to curry favor in the media. She is still working and still progressing. But keep your eye on this political star. It is rising and may one day be ascendant.
Morris is the author of Rewriting History, a rebuttal of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clintons (D-N.Y.) memoir, Living History.
Couldn't disagree more. She is sincere and human...I love her and think she would be a great candidate.
See post #79. Bizzaro World.
Ah, finally somebody gets it.
Condi and George are two people who shouldn't have been where they are, by the lights of the chattering classes, but are because of each individaul's iron will, character, their intelligence. Before GW became Governor of Texas he had squat for "experience", save for watching his father's underlings destroy his father's Administration from the inside. Similarly, Condi learned from old man Bush and Bush the Younger the ins and outs of domestic politics while navigating the shoals of diplomacy and war. Similarly, her experience at managing a budget at Stanford, while small, was telling in that she was absolutely ruthless with the budgetary knife.
She pissed off the faculty liberals, especially the Black and Chicano studies crowd, by forcing them to justify tenure decisions and budgetary proposals. They didn't like her, which is all to the good, as so many of them had an inner Ward Churchill just waiting to bust out.
Karl Rove just got a promotion to Vice-chief of staff. Do you think for a moment that he wants to place his party-building project at the mercy of eight years of a Hillary Presidency? I don't. And I think that Rove is thinking what I'm thinking-that a Rice candidacy drives a stake into the demographic coalition that holds the Democratic party above water. Couldn't anyone see why the Dems and their media pimps went on a press orgy over Barak Obama? They need a viable black man to hold the coalition together! And they've settled on this guy from Illinois, this second-rater out of an Ayn Rand novel, who got to Washington because the Illinois Republican Party imploded. Rove knows this, as does Bush. Bush gained four points among black voters and succeeded like gangbusters among hispanics. Karl Rove's William McKinley is George W. Bush. Now he wants a Teddy Roosevelt, and I think he wants Condi.
That's why GW kept Condi in Washington and didn't let her go back to Stanford. He didn't have to do that. He could have found someone else from the Pubbie establishment to be SOS. But he wants Condi close to him, and I don't believe that it's just because he trusts her. I believe it's because Bush has placed her in the line of succession, which is why Condi is being so coquettishly dismissive of a 2008 run. From the David Frost interview of last Thursday:
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, first of all, congratulations.SECRETARY RICE: Thank you, very much.
QUESTION: And, going on from there, we were looking at a website of your supporters here and, lo and behold, on that it says "Condi for 2008".
SECRETARY RICE: Oh, my goodness.
QUESTION: But thats a bit premature .
SECRETARY RICE: I think no one should count on such things. [Laughter]
QUESTION: Particularly as you have only just started.
SECRETARY RICE: Thats right, thats right.
I am convinced beyond measure that Bush wants her as his successor. It's the only play that makes sense. Rudy has too many weaknesses, McCain is too damn old (besides, he gets the DOD job after Rumsfeld moves on...), and there's really no one else. Santorum is a one-trick pony with the gays issue, while I'm not really jazzed by George Allen quite yet. Jeb is simply poison. Great guy. Ready to be President tomorrow. Wrong family. Hillary would love to run against Jeb in '08.
Morris gets a lot of stuff wrong. "Draft Condi" is wrong. She's not about being drafted. This is all about positioning her for a campaign along about 2006-2007. You have to give her clear running room until then. If she becomes a player too soon, Hillary will send her flying monkeys in the MSM after her. In addition, Condi has to build up a coterie of loyalists at State who can protect her. It's still Albright's building; Hillary could start a cascade of damaging leaks anytime she wanted to from inside the building. As a matter of fact, expect that to happen over the next month to take the shine off Condi's media coverage.
But Dick Morris, God Bless his Sellout Soul, is right about One Big Thing: Hillary Clinton is scared to death of Condoleezza Rice. Rice is the one thing that she can't handle: a woman more capable than she and infinitely more ferocious. Hillary surrounds herself with a fawning media and obseqious aides. Her husband is her only ballast. Morris is right about another thing: without Bill, Hillary is an ingenue. Hillary needed a marriage deal to get power. Condi didn't need that to get where she is, and American women will smell out that difference in a New York minute.
There's no draft Condi movement, nor will there be. It won't be necessary. GW, Rove, and Condi won't leave anything to chance when it comes to the Presidency. Don't get me wrong; Condi will have to compete for the nomination. I think she can do that; and in the coming years, y'all are going to find out that she's not the "flavor of the month" that some think she is.
Barbara Boxer attacked Rice the way she did for a reason. Boxer is Hillary's in-law. Hillary knows what I know.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Nominating Condi in 2008 would be the political master-stroke of the century. The pros outweigh the cons by a long shot.
Bones
She make make up more than the difference with the African American vote.
Besides, I don't really think the south would be as against her as people may think.
Bones
Hillary v. Condi? I'd vote Condi in a heartbeat.
I believe you are correct. I am watching Mark Sanford, Gov of South Carolina.
Well said, and thought.
Good point!
Actually, I was quoting the last phrase of what poster 25 said in reference to Dick Morris's commentary. Just saying that the MSM has been caught out making things up as they go along (ie: Dan Rather making up the story about memo on Bush's guard service).
I don't remember Eisenhower having any "domesitc experience." Just as back then, we're living in an era when foreign policy experience trumps all. And she's the head of the class in that area.
Yeah...just like Eisenhower.
I think the correct step forward would be to put her on the bottom of the ticket as the first female vice president in history. It would only be a shame that she couldn't debate Hillary directly.
Just be up-front about it. Of course it's "political", that's why they call them politicians.
I suggest reading Condi Rice's biography, for more information.
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