Sitting eating lunch at a food court near L.A. City Hall, I had little choice of table mates. I had been doing my best to tune out the discussion about Michael Jackson the heavy set thirty-something was having with her equally heavy set companion. They were ordinary L.A. hispanics -- generations removed from Mexico -- speaking english with no discernible accent.
I shoveled the lukewarm chinese food into my mouth with a plastic fork while burying my head into a newspaper some previous diner had discarded on the table. The comment about Powell got my attention, though. So it was that I heard the observations about Rice quite clearly.
"She's a very intelligent woman, but she scares me", the lady repeated, "I've actually met her and she just scares me."
So Colin Powell is okay but Condi Rice 'scares' this potential voter. (That she is 'scary' suits me fine --- particularly when she needs to face down some very evil enemies).
I myself would vote for Condi in a heartbeat and sensed my fellow angelena could be won over to vote for Dr. Rice, but had neither the time nor insight to address it. I folded up the paper and abandoned it on the table for someone else to read, and left.
Here is some free research for the Republican party (no charge). Perhaps FReepers can pitch in to help Dr. Rice be more of a known commodity to these average voters.
