Lost Cause
It's a wrap!
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2001
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Especially this one?
Why or why not?
Are you a single issue voter?
Bush national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, looking ahead to her political future, has "talked specifically" to high-level GOP insiders about the possibility of running for California governor in four years.
Rice, the former Stanford provost who rates highly with California voters in opinion polls, is "very much open" to a future gubernatorial run in the nation's most populous state, according to those high-level Republicans.
Mark Baldassare, pollster for the Public Policy Institute of California, said Rice is "a very visible figure in the Bush administration, very articulate, has roots at Stanford -- and would be taken very seriously."
"In a state where you have to look long and hard for elected officials outside the white male category on the Republican side, Condi Rice would certainly add a new dimension to GOP politics in California," Baldassare said. "It would help (Republicans) deal with what is becoming a stereotype -- that they don't have women and people of color."
Rice's office declined comment on the discussion of her political prospects.
The ambitions expressed by Rice -- who once said she dreamed about becoming the commissioner of the National Football League -- aren't surprising given her history, political observers said.
"I'm sure she aspires to political office because all of her moves have really led her in that direction," said Barbara O'Connor, professor of political communications at California State University at Sacramento. "She's smart and she's got management experience, certainly as much as anybody who runs for governor. Being (Stanford) provost is like running a large corporation -- and she's been tested and vetted in high circles."
But O'Connor said Rice still would face challenges in Democrat-leaning California. Some voters "may find her a bit strident and . . . be concerned about her really conservative leanings," she said. "In California, that hasn't proven to be an attractive set of values" for a candidate.
And there's already political day-dreaming about how she would do in a primary battle against Schwarzenegger. That would almost certainly pose headaches for the Democrats, but would excite California voters -- a sharp contrast to the 2002 election, in which voter turnout sank to record lows, with people expressing disgust with the major candidates.
"Talk about a bipolar election. It would be the most interesting thing in the world to watch," O'Connor said. "You couldn't have two more dissimilar people -- and it would provide voters with a great choice."
*I would vote for Condi in a NY minute, for Prez if she wanted to go for it.
Why or why not?
Are you a single issue voter?
Bush national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, looking ahead to her political future, has "talked specifically" to high-level GOP insiders about the possibility of running for California governor in four years.
Rice, the former Stanford provost who rates highly with California voters in opinion polls, is "very much open" to a future gubernatorial run in the nation's most populous state, according to those high-level Republicans.
Mark Baldassare, pollster for the Public Policy Institute of California, said Rice is "a very visible figure in the Bush administration, very articulate, has roots at Stanford -- and would be taken very seriously."
"In a state where you have to look long and hard for elected officials outside the white male category on the Republican side, Condi Rice would certainly add a new dimension to GOP politics in California," Baldassare said. "It would help (Republicans) deal with what is becoming a stereotype -- that they don't have women and people of color."
Rice's office declined comment on the discussion of her political prospects.
The ambitions expressed by Rice -- who once said she dreamed about becoming the commissioner of the National Football League -- aren't surprising given her history, political observers said.
"I'm sure she aspires to political office because all of her moves have really led her in that direction," said Barbara O'Connor, professor of political communications at California State University at Sacramento. "She's smart and she's got management experience, certainly as much as anybody who runs for governor. Being (Stanford) provost is like running a large corporation -- and she's been tested and vetted in high circles."
But O'Connor said Rice still would face challenges in Democrat-leaning California. Some voters "may find her a bit strident and . . . be concerned about her really conservative leanings," she said. "In California, that hasn't proven to be an attractive set of values" for a candidate.
And there's already political day-dreaming about how she would do in a primary battle against Schwarzenegger. That would almost certainly pose headaches for the Democrats, but would excite California voters -- a sharp contrast to the 2002 election, in which voter turnout sank to record lows, with people expressing disgust with the major candidates.
"Talk about a bipolar election. It would be the most interesting thing in the world to watch," O'Connor said. "You couldn't have two more dissimilar people -- and it would provide voters with a great choice."
*I would vote for Condi in a NY minute, for Prez if she wanted to go for it.
