Enough with the "Condi '08" Fetish
Mercifully, the SecState has killed the cult phenomenon of her drafting for the next Republican presidential nomination.
Clearing up speculation that she was leaving the door open to a 2008 presidential run, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said flatly Sunday morning, "I won't do it."
"I don't have any desire to run for president," Dr. Rice told ABC's This Week. "I don't intend to. I won't do it."
Not that the Big Media mavens, salivating over the prospects of spending the better part of two years lynching the poor woman, were an easy sell on her denial.
"You will not run for president?" This Week host George Stephanopoulos pressed.
"I won't," Rice repeated.
On NBC's Meet the Press, host Tim Russert pressed Dr. Rice even harder.
"There was a great American named General William Sherman," he began. "And this is what he said: 'If nominated, I will not accept. If elected, I will not serve.' Will you issue a Shermanesque statement?"
"Tim, I don't want to run for president of the United States," Rice countered.
"I will not run"? Russert responded, putting words in her mouth.
"I do not intend to run for - no," Rice replied. "I will not run for president of the United States. How is that? I don't know how many ways to say 'no' in this town. I really don't."
"I think people who run are great," she added. "I don't want to run."
"That is a Shermanesque statement?" Russert asked. "You're done. You're out?"
"I'm done," declared Rice. "I won't run . . . All right? There you go."
Of course, the other reason for this pit-bull refusal to let go of the question is that if she were to change her mind at some point down the line, they would have these sound bites with which to bludgeon her embryonic campaign to a quick death in the political womb.
Still, I am more relieved by this than disappointed. Why? Simple - I do not take a Condoleezza Rice presidential candidacy seriously. Why? Because she's never run for, much less held, any elective office. Remember the adage that the presidency is not an entry-level job? Apparently a great many of my fellow conservatives don't, judging from all the "Condi44" web banners I see on the rightie sights I regularly frequent.
It reminds me of another curious right-wing fixation with a black Republican who was seemingly everybody's dream candidate, Colin Powell, in the run-up to 1996. But at least Powell had been a commanding general in wartime, which historically has been an avenue to the presidency, although only once since the nineteenth century. Condi, though an actual conservative (unlike Uncle Colin), is an academic, which didn't exactly do wonders for Adlai Stevenson, as I recall.
I'd like to think that ideological harmony and star power were the driving factors behind this "draft Condi" business and not race and gender consciousness. But none of those factors can overcome her complete absence of political experience.
That being said, I would love to see Secretary Rice challenge Barbara Boxer or, far better from a presidential resume standpoint, run for governor of California in 2010. I think she could win, and from there a "Rice '12" campaign would be a viable proposition that I could and would enthusiastically support.
But I would much prefer to see the pipe dreams of "Condi-Hillary" laid to rest once and for all. And, happily, Secretary Rice has done precisely that.
Even if Stephanopoulos and Russert won't take no for an answer.
Clearing up speculation that she was leaving the door open to a 2008 presidential run, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said flatly Sunday morning, "I won't do it."
"I don't have any desire to run for president," Dr. Rice told ABC's This Week. "I don't intend to. I won't do it."
Not that the Big Media mavens, salivating over the prospects of spending the better part of two years lynching the poor woman, were an easy sell on her denial.
"You will not run for president?" This Week host George Stephanopoulos pressed.
"I won't," Rice repeated.
On NBC's Meet the Press, host Tim Russert pressed Dr. Rice even harder.
"There was a great American named General William Sherman," he began. "And this is what he said: 'If nominated, I will not accept. If elected, I will not serve.' Will you issue a Shermanesque statement?"
"Tim, I don't want to run for president of the United States," Rice countered.
"I will not run"? Russert responded, putting words in her mouth.
"I do not intend to run for - no," Rice replied. "I will not run for president of the United States. How is that? I don't know how many ways to say 'no' in this town. I really don't."
"I think people who run are great," she added. "I don't want to run."
"That is a Shermanesque statement?" Russert asked. "You're done. You're out?"
"I'm done," declared Rice. "I won't run . . . All right? There you go."
Of course, the other reason for this pit-bull refusal to let go of the question is that if she were to change her mind at some point down the line, they would have these sound bites with which to bludgeon her embryonic campaign to a quick death in the political womb.
Still, I am more relieved by this than disappointed. Why? Simple - I do not take a Condoleezza Rice presidential candidacy seriously. Why? Because she's never run for, much less held, any elective office. Remember the adage that the presidency is not an entry-level job? Apparently a great many of my fellow conservatives don't, judging from all the "Condi44" web banners I see on the rightie sights I regularly frequent.
It reminds me of another curious right-wing fixation with a black Republican who was seemingly everybody's dream candidate, Colin Powell, in the run-up to 1996. But at least Powell had been a commanding general in wartime, which historically has been an avenue to the presidency, although only once since the nineteenth century. Condi, though an actual conservative (unlike Uncle Colin), is an academic, which didn't exactly do wonders for Adlai Stevenson, as I recall.
I'd like to think that ideological harmony and star power were the driving factors behind this "draft Condi" business and not race and gender consciousness. But none of those factors can overcome her complete absence of political experience.
That being said, I would love to see Secretary Rice challenge Barbara Boxer or, far better from a presidential resume standpoint, run for governor of California in 2010. I think she could win, and from there a "Rice '12" campaign would be a viable proposition that I could and would enthusiastically support.
But I would much prefer to see the pipe dreams of "Condi-Hillary" laid to rest once and for all. And, happily, Secretary Rice has done precisely that.
Even if Stephanopoulos and Russert won't take no for an answer.
posted by JASmius at 8:06 PM
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