With the mystery sucked out of the Republican side of the primary race by Senator McCain’s presumed lock on the nomination, speculation has turned early toward potential running mates for the GOP ticket. One intriguing option—as discussed in a recent Wall Street Journal article—is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
There are a few strategic reasons why Condi might make a good choice, aside from her well-known scholarly intellect, high profile, and ample experience as a high-level diplomat (not to mention awesome piano skills). Republican and Independent voters may feel that they are missing out on the excitement over the much celebrated “firsts” on the Democratic side; some may even hesitate to stand in the way of history by voting against the first major female or African American candidate. Adding Rice to the GOP ticket happens to offer an alternative history-making scenario, essentially neutralizing that Democratic advantage. Also, the WSJ article points out that Rice would gird McCain’s conservative credentials since she is a loyal, longtime Bush ally (whose reputation is largely intact despite the administration’s failures).
The WSJ article talks about a grassroots movement (www.thinkcondi.com) that has formed around the goal of getting Condi on the ticket. It seems to make sense in many ways. However, might Rice’s unmarried status make her a less viable option? A single President or Vice President is unheard of in modern politics—so does marital status matter to voters? Also, might Condi’s close ties to Bush prove instead to be a negative factor? Or does the foreign policy experience she has amassed during his administration constitute a certain advantage?
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/02/08/duo-urges-conservatives-to-think-condi/
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I think the addition of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the VP picture could be a very interesting twist on an otherwise boring GOP election. Although she served under the dreaded Bush Administration, she is a strong, independent woman, who has shown that she is very intelligent, despite the glaring weaknesses of the Bush Administration. Marital status could definitely be a concern, especially for Conservatives. The Republican Party prides itself on good moral and family values. Having a VP candidate who does not fit the traditional mold could be a problem for some Conservatives. I also think it could be a big benefit because of the disdain some of the more Conservative voters have for John McCain. Rice could serve as a good compromise considering her conservative nature. Her association to President Bush could be seen as a negative factor, but with the ultra conservatives, this may be a positive. Remember that there are still a portion of the population that supports the Bush Administration, and it might help McCain to have a conservative counterpart. There is going to be a lot of speculation about the VP position, but only time will tell.
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