Rice for President in 2008: Why Not?

USA Today ^ | March 11, 2005 | Stefani Carter

[starfed]

[Original source is USA Today, subject to Gannett restrictions]

[starfed]

We hold these truths to be self evident... Or do we? In 1999 or so I started saying that the first African American to be President would be a woman and a Republican. "After all" I quiped, "then we wouldn't have to do it again for another 100 years!"

There is one thing for certain. It is high time for the USA to live up to it's underlying creed. And if given the choice between Hillary and Condi...

[ShadowDancer]

Because this country is not ready to elect a female President.

[lawgirl]

because she is prochoice and will alienate the base. same with guiliani.

[stopem]

Besides McCain wants the job real, real bad ;)

[dc-zoo]

Because she said she wasn't interested?

[cripplecreek]

The fact that she has been pretty clear that she isn't running is one good why not.

[trubluolyguy]

Wouldn't it just drive the libnuts crazy if the first minority and/or woman President was a conservative? I am not making any judgements about Condi one way or the other and I am not one of those that believes "it takes a woman to beat a woman." I just would love to see my Mom, Dad and Brother go absolutely nuts when the first minority or woman POTUS is a conservative.

[pikachu]

An unmarried black female Republican would cause the Democrats to go into a very funny tailspin. Condi bumper stickers like 'No blue dress stainers in the White House' or 'Why make Hillary move the furniture back to the White House' or 'Let new York keep their two bitches as Senators' would make 'em appoplectic.

[ASA Vet]

Because this country is not ready to elect a female President.

Your choice in 2008 will be between two women.

[ShadowDancer]

I don't believe that for a minute.

[qlangley]

Believe me, we (in the UK) have been there. People will continue to ask if America is ready to elect its first woman President up until the right candidate comes along. Then everyone will be amazed that anyone ever thought it was an issue.

[Heartland Mom]

If McCain gets the nomination, I might have to vote libertarian.

[ASA Vet]

Because she said she wasn't interested?

Condi has said her parents told her she could be anything she wanted in life, including President.

She said, "I believed them."

[qlangley]

I thought she should have been running mate in 2004. It would have finally forced John Edwards to shut up about what a tough life he had growing up in the South.

[CAWats]

Because she's going to marry me.

[athanellen]

I am with this 100%. I think she would make a great president. I'd like to see Cheney step down and have her replace him.

[Toespi]

IF Hillary runs, you can be assured, Condi will run and we will have our first black woman President.

[G.Mason]

"Your choice in 2008 will be between two women."

You are so right!

Any Democrat, or Republican nominated will have such a low level of testosterone as to render the point moot.

[ASA Vet]

Then everyone will be amazed that anyone ever thought it was an issue.

It isn't a real issue here either. We have a few dinosaurs, but they have no influence except amongst themselves.

[HitmanLV]

That's a problem with the conservative ranks, as I see it.

For much of the post 911 political climate, our side has basically argued (among other things) that the other side should do the right thing in this time or national security crisis. Put the fringy stuff like same-sex marriage on the backburner. Look past their support for extreme examples of abortion debate - for partial birth abortion and against parental notification, for example. In the interest of the nation in a time of war, put this social stuff on the shelf for a while.

Now comes Rudy, who seems well suited to lead us in the next phase of the war on islamic terrorists. But now some on are side are unwilling to take the same advice they will have doled out to the dems for the period of 2001-2008. Some on OUR side now are unwilling, it appears, to put anything on the backburner.

I don't care if they make themselves look like idiots, but they make all of us look like idiots and phonies. If that has a residual effect of placing a poor leader in the White House during the next phase in the war on terror, singular-minded voters (who can't take their own advice) will have done far more harm than good.

Some will tell me they can at least sleep better at night with a clear conscience. Of course, that raises the question of why their sleeping habits should be important to the rest of us in crafting a positive consensus for leadership, and further specifically how they managed to get to adulthood with an otherwise clear conscience?