Posted on 07/10/2006 9:10:59 AM PDT by xzins
'Condistas' Push Rice for President in '08 By JULIE CARR SMYTH ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -
The names are varied - Team Condi, Rice for America, Condistas - yet the goal is the same: Elect Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice president in 2008.
A disparate group of Internet gurus, political junkies and foes of Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is pushing a Rice candidacy even though President Bush's top diplomat has said repeatedly that she has no desire to be president.
But the Republican also has declined invitations to rule out a bid in 2008, spoken about the likelihood of a minority winning the White House in her lifetime and taken steps to soften her image - words and deeds that have provided a glimmer of hope to her fans.
Mick Wright, a webmaster in Memphis, Tenn., is one of more than a dozen people who registered draft-Rice Web sites in the year after Bush was re-elected.
"Once that was all over, you started thinking, what's going to happen in the next election?" said Wright, a co-founder of http://www.condipundit.com . "The first one to come to mind as a viable candidate was Condoleezza Rice."
Similar Web sites have cropped up in widely diverse cities, including Seattle; West Sand Lake, N.Y.; Magna, Utah; and Cedarville, Ohio. They are promoting Rice's credentials, soliciting donations and marketing T-shirts, bobblehead dolls and "I Like Rice" buttons.
The Miami-based Americans for Dr. Rice political action committee has established chapters in critical states, including Ohio and Florida. A second PAC, Rice for America, emerged in Greensboro, N.C., last July - though neither has yet reported any income or spending to the Federal Election Commission.
These activist groups declare their independence from the Republican Party, and from Rice herself. Yet political experts suggest party leaders must have a hand in Rice's rise as a potential candidate.
"Nothing happens by chance in politics. Absolutely zero," said Bruce Newman, a DePaul University professor and expert in political marketing. "Everything is driven by marketing, by polling, by market research and by very careful analysis of voters' preferences."
Newman, author of "The Marketing of the President: Political Marketing as Campaign Strategy," said the emergence of a grass-roots movement surrounding Rice will allow voters to feel they played a role in her candidacy - though he believes she is clearly being groomed as the political successor to Bush in light of Vice President Dick Cheney's health problems and unpopularity.
"The people running the Bush administration, and pushing for the geopolitical repositioning we're seeing take place around the world, would be happy to see that kind of person keep political power down the road," he said.
Backers like Rice for her intelligence, poise, self-reliance, values and ability to carry on Bush's international agenda. Recent polls show Rice more popular than other top members of the Bush administration: Almost six in 10 hold a favorable view of her compared with ratings in the 30s for Bush, Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
If Rice won, she would be the nation's first black president and its first female president.
While Rice's views on foreign policy are well-known, her positions on domestic issues are not. She has described her stand on abortion as "mildly pro-choice," putting her at odds with many conservative Republicans whose votes are decisive in the presidential primaries.
She recently avoided taking a stand on banning same-sex marriage, saying Americans should be sensitive about discussing issues that touch people's lives.
Greg Haas, an Ohio-based Democratic strategist, said Rice's image makeover is a telltale sign.
"The fact of the matter is when you see somebody revolutionize their style, their appearance and their speaking manner, that is not happening all by itself," said Haas, who ran Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign in Ohio. "She has clearly begun presenting a different image, moving from a harsh persona to one of a more warm public official."
Rice has showcased her talents as a pianist at the Kennedy Center, lifted weights for a local Washington TV news show and discussed her musical favorites, from Elton John to Aretha Franklin to Mozart, for a British newspaper. The latter was a favor to rock star Bono.
Newman is skeptical, however, that Rice is ready for a presidential run so soon. He believes it is more likely Republicans are grooming her as a vice presidential candidate. He said pairing her with Arizona Sen. John McCain, for example, could strengthen the GOP ticket against a run by Clinton.
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I think she'd be a slam dunk as a VP.
President CAN nominate Supreme Court justices who are pro-life.
Yes, you're right that your wrong. They did answer questions about abortion. Both of them addressed Roe and stare decisis.
Remember "super duper precedent?"
Not with McCain.
She'd be a has been.
If fact, I'd be willing to bet that she'd outpoll McCain in the primaries, if you'd give me 2:1.
McCain is not loved by the base.
I really wasn't addressing my remark to you but at the author. I believe Rice when she says she has no interest, if Hillary says it I do not believe her. I also believe that Hillary doesn't have a chance in the primary and if by some fluke she won it she would not win the general election.
I have already had my morning pot of coffee thanks and the last beer I had was 25 years and 3 days ago.
Just a little self back patting, I had my 25th A.A. anniversary 3 days ago.
"someone (like Hillary, Gore, or Kerry) who burns with blind ambition for the office yet could care less if they are really qualified."
Given our Liberal media that chews conservative people up in their biased attempt to make America more liberal, it's important to put forward a conservative who wont bend to media BS.
I want #1: A tough Conservative who is willing to be politically incorrect and stand up to the liberal media and slap it down when it disses conservative values or issues.
Such conservatives need a level of ambition to advance the conservative cause. Gingrich has it. So does Santorum. So does Mike Pence.
Mccain, Hagel and other MSM hounds do not have it; they've sold themselves for media plaudits.
Condi? I havent seen in her a desire or ability to take on biased media. She's no Bolton.
It certainly wouldn't be the first time that a Republican appointee turned out to be "not so conservative".
If she can ask the military to sacrifice, she should be willing to step forward and OFFER herself as a candidate, leaving it up to the American people to judge whether she is the right person to CONTINUE the policies in which so much blood and sacrifice has been invested.
She won't run. She is hoping for better things. She said she would probably go back to teaching.
I think she's ideally suited to be a senator. What state's she from?
I just gotta say it... and let me qualify this question by stating that to me it is an irrelevant matter. I think she would make an outstanding President.
But has anyone noticed she is an older woman who has never been married? She can get away with that as SOS. But the media will not leave that bit of info alone were she to run or be drafted into office. How will the evangelical/politically minded deal with that question?
Flame away....
My preferred list includes some who won't run:
1. Cheney
2. Jeb Bush
3. A Conservative Military: Franks, Ollie North
4. Allen or Tancredo or Frist or anyone with a conservative ACU rating of 80% or higher.
5. The Rinos: anyone with an ACU rating of 70% or lower.
> Both of them addressed Roe and stare decisis.
And both, as memory serves, said that they generally agree with upholding stare decisis. Which means that, for all intents and purposes, they are "pro-choice" in that they wouldn't overturn Row on a whim.
Queen Elizabeth I.
Was there a Mr Maggie Thatcher??? (If there was, that was one low-key dude.)
I disagree. I push her because she has been the biggest driving force behind our foreign policy over the last six years. She has stood strong against Islamo-facism and is one of the greatest foreign relations experts of our time.
That said, I will agree that we know very little about her domestic ideas, or her administrative skills.
I don't think that Alito said stare decisis was set in stone. He indicated that at the Scotus level it was not sacrosanct.
BTW, I still admire her, but more for the piano playing than the politics!.
- John
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