[jude24]

Dr. Rice will be the next best fit.

If Cheney isnt the VP in '04, I don't think it will be Rice-- she's not ready for the #2 position yet.Don't get me wrong: I think Rice is great as NSA, but what else has she done? She's not ready for the jump to VP. Perhaps SecState or Senate first? She's got a good future in the long-term, but in '04, I don't think she has the history to be ready to be VP.

My choice right now would be Guiliani. Being mayor of NYC is perhaps larger than being governor of a small midwestern state (say, Arkansas???). He's got cross-over appeal: in NY, Democrats outnumber Republicans significantly (2-1 in NY state, I think). Furthermore, post-9/11, his stock has risen considerably -- across the nation. How many people has he campaigned for this year? A lot of Republicans remember the favors he did for them-- and he's got a lot of capital. He and the White House were in close coordination.

Just my two cents worth.

[Cool Guy]

But he might be not conservative enough. Read, Pro-Life, Pro-2A , etc..

[bobluvs]

Guliani would be great, but he would be the frontrunner for pres in 08, which would ace out Jeb. They're going to want to have the option of running Jeb. SO if Cheney's health declines further in the next year, we're going to see Rummy.

[votelife]

Guiliani would never fly in fly-over land...issues like guns, abortion, gays...he's just too left. In NYC he can get away with this. But in the general, if Bush is seen trying to set up a Rockefeller Repub for '08, he's in big trouble.