Congratulations to Condi Rice as she is selected by the President for confirmation to be the next Secretary of State! This is a true milestone, and I certainly expect Ms. Rice to shine when compared to, say, Madeleine Albright. Dancing with dictators is undoubtedly off the agenda. Too bad the President didn't have a woman lined up to be Attorney General that would have compared favorably to Janet Reno. But, I digress.
Some have speculated about a 2008 matchup now between Ms. Rice and Senator Clinton in the race to be the 44th President of the United States. The biggest problem with this is the job that Ms. Rice will be taking on. As a practical matter, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to run for President, or Vice President for that matter, while acting as Secretary of State. On top of that, there is a long precedent for Secretaries of State to try and avoid domestic partisan politics as much as possible. So Ms. Rice taking the helm at Foggy Bottom and running in 2008 only makes sense if she expects to stay in her new job for less than two years.
Somehow, I don't think that this is what she or the President has in mind.
I also think some prejudice will come into play too. Besides the "black thing", I think there will be in the minds of the less enlightened that suspicion of an older never-married woman being "not straight".
Unfortunately, if she ever did try to run for President, the press would be looking under any rock it could find, and probably make stuff up (gasp!) to put pressure on her. I would not doubt that some of this has already happened, but the Presidential race is a different intensity of limelight.
From what I have seen I think she has the potential to be a good President, and I would support her if she got the nomination.
Posted by: MarcV at 03:50 PMDon't you find it at all troubling that GWB surrounds himself with yes-sayers, ousting everybody that argues against him, or asks questions at all, for that matter. Whether it's in his cabinet, or, in the Goss-led CIA.
Posted by: Anders at 02:21 PMAnders, you don't know what you are talking about. Leave the echo chamber while you still can or, perhaps, learn to observe reality and act thoughtfully upon what you see and here. But rather than waste any time trying to argue with you or educate you - you are banned.
Andrea, if you will exorcise this intellectual parsnip I will be most grateful.
well, after all, I belong to the "reality-based society".
But seriously. What kind of a discourse do you want. Yes-sayers here too or an argument that might enlighten us both?
Posted by: Anders Adlercreutz at 03:25 PMDescriptions of President Bush's cabinet meetings that I've read typically tell of GW's insistence that folks speak freely during the meetings. After the meeting is over, however, folks are expected not to leak confidential discussions and they are expected to sign on once the decisions has been made.
Sounds like prudent leadership and not surrounding oneself with yes sayers.
Posted by: Jon at 04:47 PMat least Richard Clarke's and Paul O'Neill's accounts suggest a different take on leadership....
Posted by: Anders at 05:10 PMShe has indicated in the past that she has no interest in the Presidency. Me, I want Rice/Rudy, as you've already mocked once.
I vaguely recall hearing somewhere that she was once involved with a professional football team's... manager? head coach? Anyone else hear this? Apart from minimizing the unmarried=lesbian thing, eh, football...
Posted by: Tanya at 08:02 PM