More 2008 denials:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice keeps trying, but she can’t put those questions about presidential ambitions to rest.
Rice didn’t appear to leave much wiggle room during interviews Tuesday with local newspapers and broadcasters in Salt Lake City.
“Will you run for president?” an interviewer from KUT asked Rice at the end of a brief interview.
No,” she replied. “That’s an easy one.”
The Salt Lake Tribune asked Rice what she makes of polls that place her among the top three potential Republican candidates for 2008.
“It’s flattering but that’s not for me,” Rice said. “I know what my strengths are and I know what I want to do with my life and I’m hoping that in the last two and a half years as secretary of state that I can help to advance the president’s vision for democracy.”
Rice has said she intends to return to Stanford University, where she was a professor and provost before becoming Bush’s first-term national security adviser. She took over the top diplomatic job last year.
She added another job possibility in the Tribune interview.
“Back to Stanford and teach and write or become president of the 49ers or something like that because I love sports,” Rice said.
Rice missed a chance this year to pursue what she had considered a dream job as commissioner of the NFL, because she did not want to leave her current post so soon.
KTVX-TV asked the lifelong football fan if she has any regrets.
“Just came up a little too early,” Rice said of the NFL job. “I had to let that ship come in and leave, I’m afraid. But there are other great sports jobs and after I’m done with this, we’ll see what else is out there.”
I realize that Dr. Rice cannot telegraph any presidential ambitions while she is SoS, but people have got to come to grips with the forcefulness of her denials.
It’s getting to the point where if she did somehow win the nomination, the best commercial that the Democrats could ever run against her would be video of her frequent, forecful denials of wanting the job, ending with a voiceover stating simply, “Hillary Clinton. She wants to be your President.”?
August 30th, 2006 at 6:13 pm
I have a different viewpoint about Condi saying NO.
She has 2 years left to do her job as the nation’s top
diplomat, handling international issues and speaking for
our president. If she told the AP reporter or any other news
person that she would make up her mind in 2007 like McCain,
or Huckabee or Frist, can you imagine the uproar?
Why, she can’t run for office as Secretary of State?
How dare she? She has to focus on international stuff.
Another view would be that if Condi came out to say she
would run, the reporters would say it is a Karl Rove SCHEME
and try to sabotage her for building up her points in a
resume’ instead of doing her appointed duty.
BUT CONSIDER THIS, with so many groups and so many
websites out NOW promoting her, raising money and creating
ads for radio and TV across the nation, THEN it clearly
shows the PEOPLE want her to run.
Again, think Eisenhower. With her name ID and high job
approval ratings, Condi can wait until January 2008 to run.
If the groups are successful, they will have collected
the required names on petitions to get Condi on primary
state ballots or pay the registration fees for her name
on other state ballots. If she wins delegates, she is
on the ticket, and it just might be as president.
The people are doing the work, the people are donating
their money, the people will be collecting names.
The people have a right to promote the best and most
qualified person they believe will be the next leader
of our nation. And that is why we do this.
Did you think we would just sit and watch this as name
after name after name is flashed on TV which fails to
inspire or get us excited about a campaign?
We have money, we have become organized, and we are
keeping Condi’s name on the minds of the people for
consideration for 2008.
August 30th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
I found this from 08/29/2006
There is NO TIMELINE right now, as you will notice at the
bottom of this article.
Race 4 2008 Edit: I actually linked to the above mentioned story here.
August 30th, 2006 at 7:28 pm
Debbie,
I understand what your saying, and I am a huge fan of Dr. Rice.
However, don’t you feel it’s a little bit misguided (I truly mean no offense by this Debbie) to force someone against their will to be POTUS? She just doesn’t say she doesn’t want the job. She says she wouldn’t be good at it and wants something different for her life.
Shouldn’t we just respect her wishes?
August 31st, 2006 at 2:24 pm
Shouldn’t the Republicans have just respected the wishes of Goldwater and Eisenhower, who both stated that they did not want to run for President either? Also, I don’t think the Draft Condi movement is trying to force her against her will to be POTUS. They’re trying to persuade her to run. They’re simply trying to offer reasons that might change her mind. In the end, we all understand the decision to run is ultimately Condi’s and Condi’s alone, but if we can give our opinions that will help her make a decision, why not? I think Dr. Rice is extraordinarily humble and doesn’t think as highly of herself as she ought. She might not see herself as presidential material, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t.
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