Monday, October 27, 2008

Condoleezza Rice as President?

I mistakenly read an article on MSNBC that had me thinking Condoleezza Rice would be running for the next presidential election, but it turns out she is only a candidate for the San Franciso 49ers team president.  But it got me thinking, if Condoleezza Rice ran for president, how successful would she be?
From one perspective, she would be the ultimate history maker.  Assuming Obama doesn't win and assuming that if McCain wins, he lives to serve out his term, she would be both the first black president and first woman president.  Transitively, she should have the combined success of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, (although we know it won't work like that).  She already passed the Katie Couric test that Sarah Palin miserably failed, successfully shooting back a respectable answer to every attempt Couric made to diminish her last year.  She already has enough foreign policy experience to wipe out any opponent who tries to take issue with her on that topic.  She carries herself in a very leaderly-like manner and speaks well.  She also carries the same tough personality Hillary Clinton has.  
An interesting topic would be to see who she would be endorsed by.  We would be able to see whether or not voters and celebrities would rush to her side due to the fact that she is black, a woman, or her policies are simply what they are looking for.  Would women support her from the Demoratic side? Would black democrats support her?  I don't think Condoleezza Rice would get more public support than Obama has for the fact that she is Republican and has ties, a very close relationship in fact, to President Bush.  But I also think Rice just happens to be on the wrong side is she was to run for President.  I have trouble seeing if red states down south would support her, but I don't see liberal states like New York or California supporting her either.  I also think that celebrities who have never endorsed a public figure before, but now endorse Obama would sit this one out.  It seems to me like leadership changes in the future presidents of America in terms of race and gender will only be successful coming from the Democratic side.  It's a shame because if Rice was Democratic she would be the ultimate symbol for cultural and gender integration and I'm sure all Democrats would vote for her.

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