Posted on 02/09/2005 10:48:10 AM PST by Hawk44
Dick Morris
To stop Hillary, draft Condi
As she tours the continent after her Senate confirmation, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is like a rock star — her every movement, her every meeting covered by an adoring media.
America’s first black female secretary of state is doing in public what she has always done in private — speaking frankly about America’s priorities and the realities of the post-Cold War world. As she jokes with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, loosening up his dogmatic anti-American policies, lectures Russia about freedom and warns Israel of tough decisions ahead, one thing is obvious: A star is being born.
Traveling without the entourage customary for secretaries of state, on time, mapping out in advance her first six months of travel, Rice is a new force in American politics.
As the Republican Party casts about for a viable presidential candidate in 2008 to keep Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) out of the White House, attention will inevitably focus on Rice, the woman who may stand between Clinton and the presidency.
Since Bush’s success in Iraq has laid the basis for negotiation in the Middle East, there is every prospect that Rice may preside over a diplomatic triumph in catalyzing the discussions between Sharon and Abbas. The firm American stand in Iraq will also make more likely success in Korea and Iran, all of which would add to the prestige of Rice.
The political fact is that a Rice candidacy would destroy the electoral chances of the Democratic Party by undermining its demographic base. John Kerry got 54 percent of his vote from three groups that, together, account for about a third of the American electorate: African-Americans, Hispanics and single white women. Rice would cut deeply into any Democrat’s margin among these three groups and would, most especially, deny Clinton the strong support she would otherwise receive from each of them.
Rice’s credentials for a candidacy are extensive and will grow throughout her tenure at the State Department. As former chancellor of Stanford University, she would have much in common with the pre-political careers of Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower, presidents of Princeton and Columbia universities. Her service as national security adviser during a war and her current efforts as secretary of state demonstrate her ability to handle crises and to conduct herself with dignity and impact on the world stage.
As a social conservative and deeply religious person, she would face no bar in winning the votes of the Christian right, so crucial to winning the Republican nomination. Unlike former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani (R) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — both of whom could probably win in November — she would be very attractive to the pro-life, anti-gun-control, anti-affirmative-action base of the GOP.
America longs to put the period on the disgraceful chapter in our nation’s history that began when the first slave arrived at Jamestown, Va., more than 400 years ago. We also want to send a message to every girl, and every African-American or Hispanic baby, that there is no ceiling and that you can rise as far as your ability will carry you. The day Condi Rice is sworn in as president, regardless of the fate of her administration, that message and the punctuation of our history of racism will be obvious.
Of course, she isn’t running — nor is there any indication that she is harboring thoughts of a candidacy. But as her visibility increases, so will her viability. It may just be possible to draft Condi into the race. A real presidential draft movement hasn’t happened since 1952, when Republicans urged Eisenhower to get into the race. A draft-Condi movement seems almost antiquated in this era of ambitious and self-promoting candidates, but it may well fill a deep need in the electorate to vote for someone who is running in response to a genuine call of the people.
Condi Rice is a work in progress. Her rise has been impelled by her merits and achievements rather than any efforts on her part to curry favor in the media. She is still working and still progressing. But keep your eye on this political star. It is rising and may one day be ascendant.
Morris is the author of Rewriting History, a rebuttal of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) memoir, Living History.
"Condi might get 20 at the top of the ticket"
I wouldn't bet the farm on that, Voting trends among all demographics take a LONG period of time to change.
And it's not like the Democrats will just sit around twiddling their thumbs and do nothing to keep their black vote on board.
If I have to choose between keeping the base on board by nominating a George Allen or Marc Sanford, OR risk alienating the base in a major uphill battle to get 20% of the black vote, I would prefer sticking with a George Allen.
Hillary will be lucky to survive 2006.
And even if she does, she is such a polarizing figure that, even she wins the RAT nomination for president in 2008, she would receive the biggest electoral spanking since Mon-dull.
She's a convenient boogie-man, but a lousy presidential candidate.
Hillary is overated.
People act like Hillary is Bill, but she is not as talented a politician and he is.
Is Condi pro-life and pro-gun?
a politician as he is
Why would you want your candidate to morph her beliefs in order to appeal to the base? Shouldn't she be honest even if her stance was against the party platform?
She's no conservative and she's not even close to being ready to head the leading nation of the free world.
Looks like most here are simply looking for an offset to Hillary and not someone who represents the vast majority of the party of Reagan.
She's a globalist who's got a bright future in the private sector.
She is proAbort and nobody has any idea what her policies are on guns, or even on taxes are.
It's MARK Sanford, your "lucky to get 8%" etc numbers are demonstrably wrong, and you're opinion regarding a black nominee getting 20% is, frankly, not worth much.
Unless conservatives decided to cut off their noses to spite their faces and vote for Hillary, Condi would win.
And anyway, who else are we gonna get?
Giulianni is the only other Pubbie with the name recognition and charisma to beat Hillary, and he is even more liberal than condi.
SO9
>Give me a break about Condi - if she were a bald white man Nobody on this board would be nominating her for anything.<
I'm not saying Rice is the best candidate. A lot of this Rice discussion stems from fear of Sen. Rodham. But whom do you prefer? And don't forget, Rodham would go down in history as the first female U.S. president if Rodham, God forbid, wins. If Rice is the nominee, I want it to happen because she is the best GOP candidate. Or the best candidate for VP. But I also don't want her excluded for some murky reason.
>And guess what *CONDI WILL STILL LOSE THE BLACK VOTE 90%-8%!!!*<
so you're saying Secy. Rice would attract *fewer* African American votes than President Bush? (Who got 11 percent). Yeah, that tracks.
-George
First of all, you obviously don't know what you are talking about on her positions, but second, GWB got 11% of the black vote. I seriously doubt Condi would get less then that.
But anyhow, I think this is all kinda silly. Morris is oddly obsessed with both Hillary and Condi. I don't think Hillary is the biggest threat, and I don't think that Condi is the only person capable of beating her.
Thanks for enforcing my point.
She will not pick up any state that consistently goes blue, which some pipe dreamers here think will happen, and she will lose some of the south based on her waffling social views and tremendous lack of experience.
If the Dems wake up and a so-called moderate like Evan Bayh gets the nod, she's becomes an after thought.
If you want to put your muscle behind a 'world community' pro-choice candidate, she's your meal ticket.
I always ask WWRD - and he would not subscribe to her view on US/global citizenship or life. Good enough for me to vote against her.
Agree that he is apparently more liberal than her. (We know this because he's actually been elected to something; run for something; and he's had to answer policy questions. She is completely untested politically or on domestic policy.)
But the assertion that no one else has what it takes to win is baloney.
You better hope you're wrong, because the Republican nominating electorate is NOT going to pick a 'pro-choice' candidate!
Again you're acting like Hillary is invincible - she is NOT.
She actually is a weak candidate, with limited charisma, no accomplishments, with a liberal record that can be easily be exploited, and is vehementaly hated by at least 45% of the electorate.
But she will get the nomination no matter what because the Clinton's run all of the party machinery.
A Conservative male republican could mop the floor with her.
Your next president will be Newt Gingrich.
Reagan got 15% of the black vote in 84, and that didn't change the black vote long term.
>A Conservative male republican could mop the floor with (Sen. Rodham) her<
Who?
-George
George Allen, Marc Sanford, Bill Owens.
You Rice boosters act like we have no bench for 08 when in fact we do.
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