Condoleezza Rice Would Consider VP Job
Condoleezza Rice Would Consider VP Job
Thursday, March 27, 2008 1:50 PM
(ABC News Photo)
By: Ronald Kessler
Despite saying she wants to return to Stanford University, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has let it be known in Republican circles that she would consider running for vice president if asked.
One source told Newsmax that she expressed interest in the possibility when Rudy Giuliani was running for president. Another source said she has more recently let her interest be known discreetly within top Republican circles, presumably including John McCain’s camp.
Fueling speculation that she would consider being on the ticket, Rice appeared for the first time this week at the so-called Wednesday meeting run by Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. Rice spoke for 20 minutes at the off-the-record meeting of conservative leaders, then took questions for 20 minutes.
Presidential candidates, White House aides, Cabinet officers, and members of Congress routinely speak to the group, but the talks generally are far shorter. In her talk, Rice stuck to foreign policy. When asked about her future, she said she plans to teach at Stanford, where she was once provost, and she plans to write a book.
Asked for comment, an aide to Rice said it was “not true” that she has expressed interest in a run and pointed to what she said at the Wednesday meeting about intending to return to Stanford.
“No one can accurately say she was encouraging it or that she expressed interest, as your two sources apparently told you,” the aide said. “That is wrong. Her answer [about being interested in running for vice president] was clearly and unambiguously negative.”
In general, possible vice presidential candidates never want to appear to be running for the job. What Rice has done is make it clear she would not shut the door on a possible candidacy.
“She would be a good vice presidential candidate because she would be a good president,” Norquist commented to Newsmax.
While conservatives generally like the idea of her running on a ticket with McCain, their only concern is her stand on abortion. In a 2005 interview with The Washington Times, Rice described herself as “mildly pro-choice” and a libertarian on the abortion issue.
“I’m a strong proponent of parental choice, of parental notification,” Rice said then. “I’m a strong proponent of a ban on late-term abortion. These are all things that I think unite people, and I think that that’s where we should be.”
Rice said she is “very comfortable with the president’s view that we have to respect and need to have a culture that respects life. This should be an issue pretty infrequently because we ought to have a culture that says Who wants to have an abortion? Who wants to see a daughter or a friend or, you know, a sibling go through something like that?”
Rice then said that we “have to respect the culture of life, and we have to try and bring people to have respect for it and make this as rare a circumstance as possible.”
She went on to say that she does not think the federal government should be “forcing its views on one side or the other. So, for instance, I’ve tended to agree with those who do not favor federal funding for abortion, because I believe that those who hold a strong moral view on the other side should not be forced to fund it.”
When the interviewer said it sounds as if she does not want to change the laws on abortion, Rice responded, “Well, I don’t spend my entire life thinking about these issues. You know, I spend my time really thinking about the foreign policy issues. But you know that I’m a deeply religious person and so, from my point of view, these extremely difficult moral issues where we have — where we’re facing issues with technology and the prolongation of life and the fact that very, very young babies are able to survive now . . . very small babies are able to survive . . . these are great moral issues.”
“I’m a minister’s daughter,” Rice once told me. “I [pray] 10 times a day. It’s the most natural thing in the world. Sometimes, I pray out loud when alone. I’ll say a quick prayer on my way to play piano.”
Ronald Kessler is chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com. View his previous reports and get his dispatches sent to you free via
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(http://www.newsmax.com/kessler/condoleezza_rice_vp/2008/03/27/83512.html)
March 27th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I admire Condoleezza Rice and maybe some would think she is a wise choice for the VP. But I wonder if she would attract the conservatives the way Romney would. I think the economy will begin to emerge as a big issue in this campaign and I think Romney could really be a strength to a republican ticket.
March 27th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I like George Bush, but I cannot help but wonder if she could boost or hurt the ticket being so affiliated with the GWB admin for so long. I have to wonder that. That being said, if there has to be a woman in there somewhere, I would much prefer her over just about any other woman that I can see out there in the public eye and political arena… mostly the one out there now… not at all a good choice to my way of thinking!
March 27th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Mit 10- I completely agree with all that you said.
In addition, at a time when President Bush’s approval ratings are low, would Rice on the ticket really help McCain win, or would it remind skeptics of the current administration that the GOP is the party of Bush? This is something important to consider. With the Obama/Wright story and Hillary’s “misstatement”, McCain may just win the Presidency. It is my opinion that with Romney, McCain has an even better opportunity to win. McCain is already known to be strong on national security: the same base that Rice would play too. Romney better balances the ticket–plus gives McCain a shot at blue states Michigan and Massachusetts.While I admire Rice, I’m not sure she will draw the same support.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
No, no, NOOOOO to Rice. She has been a terrible disappointment at State.
March 27th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Condi’s a natural choice, given the fact that we will face an African-American or a woman in the fall.
But…..
Condi’s area of expertise is foriegn policy. Also considered McCain’s strong point. So, do we really need a Foriegn Policy/Foriegn Policy ticket, or do we need a Foriegn Policy/Economic ticket, or do we need a Maverick/Conservative ticket?
Haven’t decided what I think really. If only Condi was an economic guru with more bona-fide conservative credentials.
Still, she is widely liked! We could do worse
March 27th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Rice? NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
A highly respectable and intelligent woman - but a very poor choice for VP and heir apparent of the party.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Don’t worry. Binyamin Netanyahu will just appear on all the cable shows and say how he was mistreated by Condi Rice and has hurt Israel and she will be toast. No Israel supporter will back her. She will be radioactive.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Want some on with conservative credentials, black and a women who is strong somewhat on fiscal concerns. I think Angela McGlowan would be a better choice.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I also don’t think she has a problem with Israel.
March 28th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Condi is an articulate and intelligent woman, but she is just as unqualified and inexperienced in the ways of the world as Obama and Hillary. She certainly has mastered her niche, but it is a very narrow one.
Also, her connection to the Bush presidency and its foreign policy decisions will make it extremely hard for McCain to fight the charge of being labeled the Bush 3rd term. They are trying to get that argument to stick.
Another argument the other side is going with is McCain’s inexperience or ignorance as to economic issues and Condi does not help him in that regard at all.
Additionally, she is quite moderate to liberal when it comes to social issues and considers herself pro-choice. That won’t be too helpful either.
Also, sadly, we have to consider the fact that many of those dems who will cross over and vote for McCain will do so merely because of the color of Obama’s skin. Having Condi on our ticket may keep them at home (although who really wants those types anyway?).
Clearly, Mitt is the best choice for VP. If McCain doesn’t choose Mitt, part of me will hope McCain loses and then Mitt runs in 2012.
Do people think McCain’s VP — win or lose — will have the inside track to the nomination in 2012?
March 28th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
McCain’s VP winning or loosing in 2012 will be dependent of one thing and one thing only. How widely or wildly popular that person is.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
If we are going to have a VP with close ties to the Bush Administration, we might as well go with Jeb Bush.
March 29th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Rice has disappointed me greatly this year. As part of China’s “clean” Olympics image, the country has busted so many religious leaders — partly why Tibeon was in revolution, but those top monks were not the only leaders who were captured; many Christian pastors and their active members were too. The US Department of State have been absolutely silent on those arrests, even after many letters from the members of organizations like Family Research Council. A couple of Congressmen did ask Rice directly for her respond. She and her staff has been absolutely non-responsive. There was not a peep of word out of this department about the human rights Chinese government has violated so far this year. She is NOT A LEADER we could look up if she could not object to such a basic rights!!!
March 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Here is an sample of what Chinese government did last Christmas — here. The Dept of State has not say a word about this. There have been a few abominations since then, and the DoS still says nay a word.
Anyway, sorry, but no, I won’t vote for McCain/Rice, as they both lack greatly the moral leadership.
March 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
You know, you all make good points, yet how much of this is what Condi thinks or what Bush thinks. Remember that Condi gets her orders from Bush and has to ask him for things. It might be that she is blinded as much by Washington power as every other politician. I personaly like her. Hearing that she is not doing her duty really bugs me. I wouldn’t vote for a McCain/Rice ticket either. GO MITT FOR VP!