Drudge reported, the whole world reacted, the Romney campaign has already shot it down.
Rice was mostly fine as secretary of state and has a compelling personal narrative, but there’s the problem of her being “mildly pro-choice” and the probability that she actually voted for Barack Obama four years ago. She refused to explain who she was voting for at that time, which would open her up to questions now if she winds up on the ticket. She also does not seem comfortable in the attack dog role that running mates typically assume.
There is, in addition to the above, an additional reason Rice should not be considered for the GOP ticket. Her understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is highly problematic:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reportedly said in Annapolis this week that her childhood in the segregated South had helped her to understand the suffering on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “I know what its like to hear that you can’t use a certain road or pass through a checkpoint because you are a Palestinian. I know what it is like to feel discriminated against and powerless,” Rice told a closed meeting of Arab and Israeli representatives, according to the Dutch representative at the summit, Franz Timmermans. “Like Israelis, I understand what it’s like to go to sleep not knowing if you will be hurt in an explosion, the feeling of terror walking around your own neighborhood, or walking to your house of prayer,” Timmermans quoted Rice as saying, the Washington Post reported.
Moral equivalence, anyone? President Obama has done just about everything he can to offend the Jewish vote. Rice would help Romney offend them, too.
Throw in three more facts: Condoleezza Rice has absolutely no experience in a campaign setting, her presence on the ticket would make it too easy to paint Romney as a third Bush term (or fourth, whatever), and she brings no state and no vote constituency along with her. There are a whole lot of reasons not to hand her the vice presidential slot. “She gave a good speech” is not reason enough. The last four years should have taught us that.
Well Bryan, I do not know if I buy your point, but it sure is fun watching the Obama team trying to keep up with all that dirt slinging on whomever he chooses.
She’s probably a lesbian. She probably voted for Obama. She believes in Affirmative Action and ‘racial goals’.
She probably supports sending George Zimmerman to jail for simply defending himself.
She’s an establishment country-club Republican who has little sympathy for the Tea Party.
And absolutely the Democrats will portray her as ‘four more years of Bush’.
The answer is not just no, but Hell No.
And of course you have evidence to support all these allegations. Meanwhile, you don’t have the courage to use your own name. All those southern lynchmobs afforded lots of anonymity, too.
Condi Rice speaking of Obama’s victory in 2008 presidential election:
“This was an exercise in American democracy of which Americans across the political spectrum are justifiably proud,” she said.
“As an African-American, I’m especially proud,” said Rice, her eyes glistening with emotion, “because this is a country that’s been through a long journey, in terms of overcoming wounds and making race” less of a factor in life. “That work is not done, but yesterday was obviously an extraordinary step forward.”
Sounds like someone who voted for Obama to me. I would respond to your other insinuations, but I gotta run or I’ll be late to my KKK meeting. (sarc)
All the points against a Condi V.P. are 100% correct. She’d be the worst choice — for so many reasons — would be an absolutely foolish choice. She wouldn’t be much help, and would actually wind up losing him votes — aside from her giving bad advice.
Rice would be a major liability on the Romney ticket for all the reasons given by Bryan Preston. Romney needs to pick a fire-breathing Conservative such as Lt. Col. Allen West; someone who is not afraid to take the fight to the Øbamunists.
We Conservatives are suspicious enough of Romney as it is, what with his record in Massachusetts and the presence of Øbamacare-loving RINO Mike Leavitt and Eric “Etch-a-Sketch” Fehnstrom on his campaign staff. We need to contact the Romney campaign and urge him NOT to nominate Rice, encourage him to pick a solid Conservative fighter for his VP candidate and to purge his staff of RINOs. You can contact the campaign here: http://mittromney.com/forms/suggestions
The other danger is that Romney will “play it safe” and pick a Milquetoast such as Pawlenty or Portman. Romney needs to be as ruthless with the Øbamunists as he was to Santorum and Gingrich.
condi was the wuss in bush’s “w”
I quit wasting my votes on Libertarians some years ago, BUT, no way will I vote for
Condi, Christie, or any other phony Conservative. Hello, Gary Johnson!
My initial reaction was that the only reason Mrs. Rice has even been brought up is her demographic. Otherwise she in no way, shape, or form would be considered, for to date she has not otherwise displayed the kind of firepower or results that would make one think of her for the choice***. And since this kind of “affirmation” is something that has been sticking in my craw recently, I was in agreement with just about everyone else about Ms. Rice, esp. given the war. Just more so.
But then it occurred to me that if Ms. Rice is selected, it will be because, yes, she is a woman, but even more so because she is black. But since that apparently is the main criteria the Democrats are using these days when it comes to Presidential elections, I reconsidered, and am in enthusiastic full favor of her selection, for I do not see how they can raise any objection. Especially given the resume their 2008 candidate had at the time (which Ms. Rice easily exceeds)
If Democrats can choose someone solely because of their skin, why can’t we? What argument are they going to make? And thus, I think we should.
***this is not to mean I think she would be a bad Veep/accidental President. Quite the contrary.
Basically, I see the arguments around the water coolers going like this–”yes, she was picked just because she’s black. The same way you guys picked and elected Obama in 2008, for the exact same reason. Deal with it.” Being blunt about it is the best possible policy.
Go for it. I heartily endorse.
And regarding competence–my attitude has always been that there are a lot of people who could do the job well to a certain level of competence, just like there are a lot of people who could keep an already existing business running. What keeps them from doing so, from mounting the top rung, is usually lack of ambition, but it doesn’t mean they couldn’t do the job if appointed. Rice is probably in that number.
If you want more than that, some level of genius–well, have we been getting some sort of steady supply I need to become aware of?
I want to go a little bit farther. I think we should do this, for many reasons, not the least of which is that I think the black community, in this case, should be thrown a bone. We of necessity are going to have to defeat their first President, and we are eventually going to have to change a lot of things that many in that community take as “if you love me you’ll do this” deals. Now, there should be no doubt we need to put a lot of those things on the ash-heap of history (esp. the current President). But it is, at the end of the day, without a doubt, on the whole, a noble group, and I would think it nice for it to keep some group pride, and to be affirmed, once and for all, as part of the American family, in full, so that the next time something originating or pertaining to this group must be rejected by the whole, it can be done with the understanding that it is because the idea is stupid, impractical, unwise, or foolish, and not because it is by or for blacks. I think that far more than anything acceptance is desired, and that is theirs by right, so think we need to keep that in mind. We have a unique chance with Ms. Rice go render acceptance in rendering rejection, and we should not pass it up easily.
Let us finally end this part of the American beginning, the one that began in 1619, and move onto the next phase. And this will only happen when a black person has been elected from both parties, so that it may become unrearkable and we can move onto other things, an election, incidentally, that would serve as a marker for all groups in America that all is possible. So, it seems that we have a candidate; she certainly seems as if she could do the job as well or as poorly as anyone else; a great good *could* be realized solely due to her race that would not really put in jeopardy any other great principles that need protecting (for if we select based upon state, why not just this time choose based upon race?); would make the bitter pill of defeat go down easier for a group that historically hasn’t been able to win due to the sin of others (whilst costing us nothing that can’t be paid for, made more noble by the fact that we expect no electoral reward from the group we have chosen to consider the feelings solely because a demonstration of fondness and affection should be made to a group uncertain of such and, as I said, costing us essentially nothing to do so); would perforce cause our side to have to admit to failures of execution in Iraq (for no other strategy will scour, and it is an issue that would need to be addressed, and thus we simply need to lead with lessons learned, for I do believe such will be accepted by the people if we come to the table with them first) which would be a good for both party and nation; will absolutely either remove two weapons (sexism, racism) from the hands of those people who would use them or will cause their hypocrisy to shine through–either way, preventing great damage to the nation–in short, much good can be accomplished uniquely by the selection of this woman, that I thus encourage it and would be astounded at the opportunity missed if passed on by.
As a matter of leadership you can’t show favoritism. As a matter of leadership you can’t ignore hurt feelings from good people when you’ve had to put your foot down, have won the day, and now need to put the team back together, and making it clear the person is still wanted is the goal. Therefore, pick the black gal, solely because she is black, because it’s the last time we do it that way and she’s actually not unworthy.
Ask yourself this: all else being equal, if she were a white male, would she be under serious consideration?
Condi is a-ok. She won’t be VP. There is no reason to treat her worse than Joe Biden.