Condi Rice On The VP Slot: Thanks, But No Thanks

July 15, 2012

Comments

With Thursday’s Dru dge rumor still stubbornly refusing to die despite its utter absurdity, Condolezza Rice once again made clear that she’s not interested in being anyone’s running mate:

Despite the Drudge Report’s article Thursday night reporting that Condoleezza Rice is the new frontrunner to be Mitt Romney’s running mate, a spokesperson for the former secretary of state tells ABC News she is still not interested in the job.

In an email the spokesperson said that Rice, who is on vacation, has no plans to comment specifically on the Drudge Report article, but that all of her previous statements denying interest in being Romney’s vice presidential pick “still stand.”

The Romney campaign has not commented on the report. Drudge has long appeared supportive of the Romney campaign and there are ties between the site’s founder, Matt Drudge, and Romney staffers.

(…)

For her part Rice has repeatedly and consistently maintained that she not only doesn’t want to be VP, she doesn’t want to run for any elected office.

A sample of those denials came in an interview with CBS News on June 26.

“There is no way I would do this.”

“I didn’t run for student council president. I don’t see myself in any way in elected office. I love policy. I’m not particularly fond of politics.”

I think Rice has made herself eminently clear on this issue both in the past and recently. She’s always resisted any effort to pull her into the political world in the past, and there’s simple no reason to believe that she’s changed her mind now. Moreover, all the things I mentioned on Thursday — her lack of elective experience, her stated position on abortion, and her ties to a Bush Administration that Romney likely wants people to mostly forget about — still apply. Rice is no doubt a smart woman and it’d be fun to see her go head-to-head with Joe Biden in a debate, but she’s not going to be the VP nominee. The Drudge rumor, whether it came directly from the Romney campaign or someone close to the campaign, was obviously intended as a diversion for the media and, to some extent at least, it worked.

H/T Jazz Shaw

5 responses to “Condi Rice On The VP Slot: Thanks, But No Thanks”

Herb

July 15, 2012 at 10:13 am

The Drudge rumor, whether it came directly from the Romney campaign or someone close to the campaign, was obviously intended as a diversion for the media and, to some extent at least, it worked.

Ah yes, all the hallmarks of a reputable news source….Helping a campaign to throw some disinformation into the news cycle.

Of course, it’s possible Drudge wasn’t actually working with the Romney camp. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t working for them.
Tsar Nicholas

July 15, 2012 at 10:23 am

Hell, if every absurd rumor on Drudge quickly died out then the Drudge site would be bereft of content and the addled demographic that actually believes that sort of fluff would need stronger doses of Adderall and Paxil to get through their days.

In any event, on a separate but related topic, the veep pick IMO will tell us quite a great deal about Team Romney. Already we know they’re not nearly at the same level as Team Obama. But that was expected and truth be told not all that relevant. Basically it goes without saying that a GOP prez campaign will not be as skilled nor as ruthless as a Democrat prez campaign. What still remains unknown is whether Team Romney possesses the bare modicum of strategic sense even to be within the same ballpark as Team Obama. If the pick is one of the obvious and incontrovertible strategic choices that’ll be one thing. If the pick is someone of a lower tier but still a sentient choice that’ll be another thing. If however their veep choice patently is absurd that’ll bode quite ill for Romney’s chances.
al-Ameda

July 15, 2012 at 1:24 pm

I am disappointed.

I was looking forward to her defense of the lies it took to sell everyone on the necessity of going to war in Iraq – in particular her “mushroom cloud, smoking gun” comments.

Honestly though? I’d rather teach at Stanford than be Vice President of the United States, not only that, the weather in Palo Alto is a lot better than in DC.
OzarkHillbilly

July 15, 2012 at 4:06 pm

was obviously intended as a diversion for the media and, to some extent at least, it worked.

Look! Shiny thing!
SKI

July 15, 2012 at 8:10 pm

@Tsar Nicholas:

Basically it goes without saying that a GOP prez campaign will not be as skilled nor as ruthless as a Democrat prez campaign.

Bizarro world again?

Reagan (both runs), Bush 41 v. Dukakis & Bush 43 (both runs) give lie to your assertion.