Buoyed by President Bush’s overwhelming 36% approval rating, Republican are searching for ways to reward current members of the Administration:
April 7, 2008 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been “campaigning” to be John McCain’s running mate, a former Bush administration aide said yesterday.
Rice has been courting the Republican elite, Dan Senor, a political strategist and former foreign-policy adviser to President Bush, said on ABC’s “This Week.”
“Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for this,” he said.
Let me be very clear about my opinion on this. It has nothing to do with Dr. Rice’s ability or performance as secretary of state but I think the Republicans would have to be absolutely daft even to raise a hint of a Bush third term. The farther that Sen. John McCain can distance himself from the Bush Administration, the greater his likelihood of election in November.
The very broaching of this subject makes me wonder if the national Republican Party doesn’t have the same urge to self-destruction as the Illinois GOP. Really.
On the other hand I think it would be extremely shrewd for McCain to select a black running mate. Good picks include Maryland’s Michael Steel or Okahoma’s J. C. Watts. But Secretary Rice’s fortunes will inevitably follow those of the president whom she serves.
What in the world can they be thinking?
from swimming freestyle:
“I sure wouldn’t be surprised if John McCain seriously considers Ms. Rice as a valuable asset to his presidential run: Condoleezza Rice enjoys popularity, not only with Republicans but Democrats as well.
We’ve become awful accepting of marginal performance. Shouldn’t we have higher expectations than that?”
http://swimmngfreestyle.typepad.com
I wonder if Condi would get the same reaction at a baseball game…
http://beta.flowgram.com/p/OYBJIRAUIOIOV8
How’s that for approval rating?!?
I’m skeptical that Sec Rice really promoted this. I think this is pretty much self-promotion on the part of Grover Norquist. I was happy to see that Richelieu over at the Weekly Standard pretty much agreed with me. I agree with you that I don’t think it’s a good idea, but I also don’t think it came from her.
While Michael Steele is certainly charismatic and a good campaigner, he’s served precisely one term as Lt. Gov. and has yet to be elected on his own. I think he needs a little more of a resume before he could be considered nationally.
I don’t think I’ve claimed the Sec. Rice has promoted it. I think that, if whoever is promoting it is a Republican, he or she has a death wish.
And my point on Steel is that a black Republican who a) isn’t part of the Bush Administration and b) has been elected to office would be a better pick than Dr. Rice.