Yesterday, on the Michael Medved show, there was a discussion about John McCain’s possible choices for a VP nominee. Condaleeza Rice’s name was mentioned and supported by Medved who has been a supporter of McCain this year. At one time, I thought she had real political potential, not as president just yet but, perhaps, as a California Senate nominee. Alas, she has gone off the rails in several diplomatic ventures. One is Turkey where, for reasons that don’t seem sufficient, she has supported a turn to Islamist extremism.
The other is in Israel where she has been pushing a useless peace initiative between Olmert , whose approval rating in Israel is about 10% and who would lose any election held now, and Abbas who lost the only election he has ever held. Olmert is in office only because he knows better than to schedule an election. He botched the Lebanon war and will soon be retired.
What is she thinking of ? I have already commented on Bush’s support of more negotiation at this time. And again here. Maybe Bush feels he has to make a gesture but Rice seems to be showing poor judgment in her enthusiasm for this mistaken policy. If she wants a political career someday, she could return to California after Bush finishes his term and redeem herself as a candidate for the Senate. Right now, she does not show up well as an astute Secretary of State.
If McCain wants to choose a black VP nominee, an ill-considered (and far too obvious) decision he is unlikely to make, Colin Powell would be a far more astute choice. I doubt Powell wants the office, although it would put him a heartbeat from the presidency behind a 72-year-old president, and he is probably too old anyway. I suspect McCain will chose a much younger governor, possibly Pawlenty of Minnesota or Crist of Florida.