Posted on 08/30/2006 5:22:17 PM PDT by wagglebee
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice keeps trying, but she can't put those questions about presidential ambitions to rest.
Rice didn't appear to leave much wiggle room during interviews Tuesday with local newspapers and broadcasters in Salt Lake City.
"Will you run for president?" an interviewer from KUT asked Rice at the end of a brief interview on Iraq and other subjects.
"No," she replied. "That's an easy one."
The Salt Lake Tribune asked Rice what she makes of polls that place her among the top three potential Republican candidates for 2008.
"It's flattering but that's not for me," Rice said. "I know what my strengths are and I know what I want to do with my life and I'm hoping that in the last two and a half years as secretary of state that I can help to advance the president's vision for democracy."
President Bush will leave office after eight years in 2009. The potential Republican field includes governors and senators, although Rice is better known and better liked than most of the hopefuls. She is also sometimes mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick.
Rice was in Utah to address the American Legion's national convention. Her speech was part of a coordinated effort to reframe the Bush administration's campaign against Islamist terrorism five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, and to answer critics of the Iraq war ahead of midterm elections.
Polls show a majority of Americans no longer think Bush made the right decision in leading the Iraq invasion three years ago, and the Republican incumbent is at a low point in his popularity.
For all her protestations about a political bid, Rice sounded as much a politician as diplomat during portions of her American Legion speech and in the seven interviews she gave.
"I'm the chief diplomat, but I do believe I have a role at home too to talk about the policies, to discuss them, to debate them," Rice told the Deseret Morning News. "I have no problem encountering people who disagree and debate them."
Rice has given a string of recent speeches before foreign policy scholars that argue the world cannot afford to lose Iraq to chaos and terrorism, including one in April in Chicago.
She also is sitting for an unusual number of interviews with television stations and other news outlets outside Washington, in hopes of taking the case for perseverance in Iraq directly to local audiences.
The White House has long employed a similar strategy of bypassing the Washington media. It is a somewhat unusual choice for a secretary of state, whose primary duties concern U.S. goals and relations overseas.
Rice's interviews have touched on domestic U.S. politics and concerns, such as questions Tuesday about the political prospects for Utah's Republican governor and an April sit-down with a television station in Steubenville, Ohio, about the future of the steel industry.
Rice has said she intends to return to Stanford University, where she was a professor and provost before becoming Bush's first-term national security adviser. She took over the top diplomatic job last year.
Rice has allowed a rare window into her personal life in the past couple of months, reviving discussion of her political prospects.
The fit, 51-year-old diplomat ran through her daily workout for a series of television spots and allowed a New York Times reporter to sit in as she practiced piano at home with a group of friends.
She added another job possibility in the Tribune interview.
"Back to Stanford and teach and write or become president of the 49ers or something like that because I love sports," Rice said.
Rice missed a chance this year to pursue what she had considered a dream job as commissioner of the NFL, because she did not want to leave her current post so soon.
KTVX-TV asked the lifelong football fan if she has any regrets.
"Just came up a little too early," Rice said of the NFL job. "I had to let that ship come in and leave, I'm afraid. But there are other great sports jobs and after I'm done with this, we'll see what else is out there."
My guess is that she puts together a group of investors and buys a team.
(Sort of) NFL Ping
IDIOTS keep mentioning her for President when she doesn't WANT to run and WON'T run. At least that traitor Powell was coy and a leader-onner....Condi has FLATLY refused....thank God.....
Let's see Bryant Gumball talk trash about her....
Well said. The Affirmative Action wing of FR is constantly pushing Condi to run. Condi's a gifted, attractive woman but she shouldn't run for President and have her good name smeared by the leftists in Dims and media - simple as that. If Condi was a white male, speculation about her running for President would be moot.
Amen.
It really makes perfect sense for her not to run, but get picked for Veep. Then, she can get some real national campaign experience.
The Affirmative Action wing of FR is constantly pushing Condi to run.
Only a fool would call a 35 year veteran a traitor to his country. How many years did you serve, hero?
It's a 3 pointer! People on FR have been pushing Condi solely because she's a black female and they're dreaming of a Condi/Hillary matchup. This just cheapens her other qualifications and makes conservatives no better than libs. I was born at night but not last night, OK?
I consider her more capable, less of an opportunist, and more conservative on the issues that count most than ANY other realistic contender.
Sorry, she's not Presidential timber. She has no grasp of the issues or the political experience. She's a great advisor and is more than capable of being President or Chairwoman in the private sector of some organization. But being President of a nation is totally different.
Ain't gonna happen except in the minds of Hannity and others who tirelessly try to foist her upon conservatives like Rudy.
This wonderful and gifted human being should be an inspiration to every American. Her gifts and her humility seem to be in harmony. If anyone wants to see what a color blind society has to offer, look no further.
Of course, the Sharptons, Jacksons, Obamas and Mfumes will continue to be the darlings of the media and the democrats. I'll bet they pray every night to Bill and Hillary for her to convert to their religion.
Only about the 50th time Rice has said she won't run for president in 2008. Some can't accept it, and one of them is named Dick Morris.
He is slightly less RINO than Bloomberg, but not much.
The hero worship of Giuliani by people who saw some headlines and have no idea what the man actually did in office has got to stop.
I'm pretty sure EEE didn't say Rudy was a conservative, but that Rudy was foisted upon conservatives.....
I really doubt it.
She doesn't have anywhere near that type of career ambition.
Plus, she has also never had the chance to go out in the private sector and make big bucks (unlike Colin Powell, who left under Clinton, got handsomely paid, came back, and left again, and is now making even more money then ever).
Alot of these political folks do want to get out there, get a life and make some money, she seems like she wants to get a life of her of her own.
I think she will do the usual thing that everyone else does, i.e. board of directors, consulting, speech giving circuit, and maybe hook up with a bunch of investors in some kind of private venture.
I'd be absolutly stunned if she ever, ever, ventures near real politics ever again.
Why would Condi even WANT to be President? Why would any decent conservative or republican want to? It's gotten so dirty that I would think it would be hard for any good and decent person to want to run. Such a shame, too.
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