Condi Rice for Veep? No thanks
Posted 39 weeks 4 days ago byWith the Republican nomination all but sown up for John McCain, an easily bored pundocracy is turning to thoughts of the second spot on the ticket. Should McCain pick a solid conservative to placate a skeptical base? Should he pick a governor to balance his strengths as a senator? Should he pick a Bush administration veteran or look to someone from the outside?
The Nation's Nicholas von Hoffman worries that McCain will tap Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Don't make me laugh.
But, no, Hoffman appears serious. He writes:
With Rice on the ticket, the GOP would have somebody to get enthusiastic about. The Secretary of State is immensely popular with Republicans. For a party that up to now has been clueless about how to run against either a woman or a person of color, Condoleezza Rice is pure political gold.
Woe to any Democrat who thinks taking her on in a debate is a sure thing. The woman is tough, fast on her feet and able to give better than she gets. Anyone who has seen her in action testifying in front of a hostile House or Senate committee knows that she will be able to wipe up the floor with a plodding, ordinary pol of a Democratic vice-presidential candidate. Take Rice lightly at your peril.
In the ordinary course of things the ideal vice-presidential candidate is relied upon to carry his or her home state and keep out of trouble. With Condi the GOP gets a lot more. It gets a superstar to match the Democrats' superstars. If it comes to name recognition, glamour and magnetism for conservatives, Condi is dandy. Also, it is a plus for the GOP team that she is a snappy dresser.
Rice's presence on the ticket deprives the Democrats of the we-are-more-diverse-than-thou argument. It makes McCain -- whose ethnically diverse family includes an adopted daughter from Bangladesh -- an even more attractive candidate for a certain kind of independent voter.
I think Hoffman overstates the case. Trouble is, Rice isn't very good, and conservatives know it. She's hopelessly and naively wrong about the Middle East peace "process." She's foolishly wrong about Saudi Arabia. Rice is prone to overreact when she shouldn't and under-react when she should.
Daniel Larison at the American Conservative wouldn't agree with the hyperlinked reasoning above, but he's laughing, too: "It’s so ridiculous that I have to assume that it’s an elaborate joke, since everyone knows that Rice is politically radioactive to much of the population and to important constituencies within the Republican Party. It reminds me of suggestions that Tommy Franks should be considered as a running mate -- it’s not going to happen, or if it did somehow occur it would be a disaster."
But it's shaping up to be an unusual year, isn't it?
Thoughts
Condi As Veep
Submitted on February 17th, 2008 by Proud Texan1. Condi is a policy wonk. There is nothing uplifting, or motivating about her. You want to resurrect the Cold War, she's your girl. Deal with a ressurgent China, none better. Send chills down so third world dictator's spine, send in Condi. As a national security advisor, Sec of State, Sec of Def, Director of the CIA, she's perfect. Yes, she could destroy Hillary and Barack in a debate, with half her brain tied behind her back. She's Darth Vader. You send her on missions to destroy, threaten, coherce, etc... Yes, she is acceptable to the far right wing, deep conservatives. Yes, she can check off all the right boxes. She is a conservative's conservative. A Cold warrior, who knows where the bones are buried. Remember, she's is a Reaganite (She was Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs), A member of the CFR, and she has close ties to Bush senior. Scrowcroft is her mentor, as is James Baker. Again, she can check off all the right conservative boxes. Abortion views; check. Foriegn policy credentials; check. Border Security; check.
But the simple fact of the matter is, she should be in the administration as a Sec of Def, or State, not as a VP. Either Jeb Bush, or Dan Quayle should be asked. Yes, I said Dan Quayle.
Avoid Race, Even If It Hurts
Submitted on February 16th, 2008 by Chuck_JohnsonThe only reason to have Condi Rice be our VP is to appease the contingent of the population that is so obsessed with race and gender that they would vote for her.
Don't count on it. Condi is the wrong kind of black person for them and so they won't cast their ballots for her.
The GOP tried to play the racial politics in 2004 when it ran Alan Keyes against Barack Obama. It didn't turn out so well.
Re: Condi Rice for veep?
Submitted on February 15th, 2008 by Jim LakelyI was thinking about this the other day, too. What if McCain did pick Condi as his VP?
Hoffman is trying hard, and he makes some good points -- mostly on the style side. She is tough. She does give better than she gets -- see Jay Nordlinger's review of her speech (and it's reception) at Davos a couple of weeks back.
Yet tapping Condi would smack of me-too-ism on the racial diversity front, and would come off as a cynical ploy that would diminish any positive impact the move might have.
But she'd be a bad choice, anyway, for the reasons Ben ably details.