“Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right“- The Grateful Dead, “Scarlet Begonias”
Of the many things I hoped to write about when creating this space, it had never crossed my mind I’d be writing about a suggestion made by Van Jones, the former and resigned Obama advisor for “Green Jobs” and alleged 9/11 truther. Yet here I am, perhaps falling for some Democratic trap set for the national election, about to agree with Jones and make the case for his argument. On Sunday’s This Week, hosted by George Stephanopoulos, the subject of Republican Vice Presidential nominee arose. Though Republicans do not yet have an actual Presidential nominee, it can be argued Romney has all but sealed the deal. If so, then the next logical step – after planning a campaign strategy more inspiring to the people than hallow platitudes about American exceptionalism – is to create the “shortlist” for the Vice-Presidential nominee. At that point the usual names will fly across the wires: Governor Chris Christie, Senator Marco Rubio, etc. One name that has not gotten such attention yet as a slam dunk pick is the name suggested by Mr. Jones on Sunday: Condoleezza Rice.
Initially, this proposal may give Republicans pause considering the fact that Ms. Rice was a prominent member of the Bush administration. Though she was never as vilified as the triumvirate of President Bush, Vice-President Cheney and Sec. Rumsfeld, she served in the role of National Security Advisor and Secretary of State to an unpopular President who will be remembered for his Foreign Policy initiatives above all else. President Obama and his campaign team can immediately revert back to the “Bush’s fault” argument that they have intermittently (and cowardly) used to cover up his own problems in this first term. Now, there will be arguments created to link Mr. Romney to President Bush, no doubt with allusions to “the continuation of failed policies.” Having identified the only apparent drawback to Ms. Rice’s position on a national ticket, let us examine what she brings to the table.
Condoleezza Rice, pictured above advising President George W. Bush, would bring invaluable experience in foreign policy to a Republican Presidential ticket.
Credentials: When running for President, especially against an incumbent, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome for a first time candidate is the issue of Foreign Policy. You can be as learned, self-made and successful as Mr. Romney and still have little to no Foreign Policy experience in your background entering a presidential election unless you’re Dwight Eisenhower. Despite whatever faults he may have, Mr. Obama is at an advantage in this area simply by holding the title of President of the United States. Placing Ms. Rice on the ticket helps offset that advantage immediately. Condoleezza Rice is a credited Doctor of political science, who served as the first female National Security Advisor and the second female and African-American Secretary of State in our nation’s history. In the eight years of President Bush’s administration Ms. Rice became the most compassionate figure of his major advisors- an elegant face to an administration endlessly criticized by Democrats and the media for its crass approach to politics and governance. She could conceivably discard the traditional VP role as a master of ceremonies, and resume the expanded role Dick Cheney originally brought to the 2000 campaign ticket as a seasoned veteran of foreign affairs. Her self-reservation and erudition regarding foreign policy would be an asset on the campaign trail to Mr. Romney and his team.
Electoral Map: If Ms. Rice were to be nominated for Vice-President, it would be the first time in the nation’s history a political party had a woman on the national ticket in consecutive elections. Regardless of her faults as a candidate, Governor Sarah Palin provided a huge boost to a failing McCain campaign right out of the gate of the Republican convention in 2008. McCain’s approval rating skyrocketed, particularly amongst women, and arguably he could have pulled off the win in November save for the economic collapse under the sitting Republican president. Ms. Rice would provide such a boost serving as both a female and African-American. Her role as a woman on the ticket would help combat the false Democratic narrative that the GOP is waging a “War on Women” in the phony contraception debate. Her placement would also mark the first time in our nation’s history two African-Americans were on both party presidential tickets as well, helping dispute the (again) false Democratic narrative that Republicans disregard minorities in their policies. The race factor may also limit the Obama campaign team’s attacks on Ms. Rice’s role with the Bush administration, with David Axelrod and Plouffe hesitant to bring out the propaganda howitzers against an African-American woman as respected and accomplished as Ms. Rice. Granted, we have yet to see such restraint in the Obama Propaganda machine since January 2009, but there’s always the chance they actually emulate the civility they so often call for in the political arena.
Competition: As stated in this space before, the Republican bench is probably stronger and more popular than the four current candidates we have for President. Of the names kicked around by pundits the two most prominent figures have been Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ). While both have become heavyweights in the party, neither has the credentials of Ms. Rice to bring to the ticket. Rubio may be the best suited for helping in electoral victory as a Hispanic and Tea Party darling, but if the Tea Party and conservatives don’t rally around Romney before he picks his running mate, then Mr. Romney has much bigger problems than his running mate choice. Also, these two men serve in prominent and powerful positions as Republicans: Rubio, a strong and articulate leader in the Senate and Christie, the no-nonsense governor fighting destructive liberal policies in a failing liberal state. Both are examples of the successes of conservatism and will have their time for the national spotlight down the road; having both entered their respective offices in 2010, let them build up an impressive resume before either makes his move to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Rice has extensive experience in the White House and would serve as a senior advisor in her role as Vice-President, while both Rubio and Christie would simply serve as window dressing to a currently uninspiring Romney campaign.
In selecting Vice-Presidents, presidential nominees often have two choices: the electoral choice, where the second name on the ticket will help round out the respective candidates’ electoral map, or the experience choice, where the VP will serve as a balance to the ticket of a younger and/or outsider candidate. In Condoleezza Rice Romney gets both. Dr. Rice should receive substantial consideration from his campaign, and conservative commentators should do more to get her name out over the wires for the strategic reason of unpredictability. The Obama campaign team is crafting their attack plan as we speak; Rice’s selection would not only throw a curveball at them, but in the words of Van Jones drive them “crazy.” Perhaps it’s time in this election season a Republican presidential hopeful started doing that.
– John P. Burns
tammanyhalldotcom 