Demagogue

This past weekend as my dear wife and I were driving back from a weekend getaway, we found ourselves discussing the political future of the newly minted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. We both agreed that clearly Condi is being groomed for the GOP's future-- but for what? Dick Morris thinks she'd make an excellent POTUS candidate. (I use the term "thinks" rather loosely.) But I happen to believe that the GOP would consider her a tad too risky-- a single, black, childless woman who has never held an elected public office for president?

But the other Ms. Kentucky pointed out the obvious, something that I hadn't thought too much about-- Vice President Rice.

It's a much safer role for, still very symbolic and historic, and it's rare for people to vote against a ticket soley because of the VP selection. I think she's probably onto something there. (shudder) Of course a more than a few republicans have already thought long and hard about this, most notably a group that lobbied for Bush/Rice 2004. They articulate exactly why she'd make such a good VP candidate, "she eradicates the gender gap, possibly the biggest liability for Republicans; and, she increases the chances of garnering more African-American votes for the ticket than Bush's scant 10% in 2000."

However, the other Ms. Kentucky-- who for years has worked in an all-black neighborhood in a business with all-black employees and all-black customers-- says that from the people she talks to that Condi is universally mistrusted and disliked by most African-Americans. She's never heard anyone say anything nice about her. So, at least anecdotally speaking, it'll be interesting to see what impact that would even have if she were a candidate.

Of course, Condi's political career could be sunk long before any of this matters.