People here are conveniently forgetting just how unpopular George Bush was last year. Condi was popular, indeed, McCain did consider her as his running mate and went in to interview her. But she told him no, that the Bush legacy would drag him down. Condi was the only popular member of the Bush team.
Remember, Bush was at 28 percent because he was leeching Republicans on spending, borders, and the war. He had lost independents and the D's years before the campaign, after Katrina.
You do understand that she would have destroyed Joe Biden in a debate. It would have been much worse that what she did to that nice young man she had the conversation with in Roble Hall.
As this Administration continues to look feckless, it will continue down the path of McCarthyism. It almost can't help itself: it fears that if the U.S. is attacked, it must of needs be bring into disrepute those methods that might have forestalled such an attack prior to such an attack so that Obama might be held blameless. To that end, Holder is probably going to prosecute people or hold Show Trials. Obama will keep his hands clean, claiming he can't control his Attorney General without violating the law.
People like Rice will have to defend themselves, and do so publicly. It's when that happens that the Administration will run into a brick wall and a backlash from the public.
Best,
Chris
In retrospect, since it dragged him down anyway, Condi would have been a better gamble than the one he did make.