Put Condi up against Hillary in 2008 – it would be the greatest Presidential death-match in history…
So are you saying a person who stutters is stupid or that the appearance of a poor speaker is unpresidential?
Well, his name is David Palmer…
Well, his name is David Palmer…
Sorry about the double post, ##$^& hampsters.
I think it’s exactly why she’ll never be considered. Republicans win by appealing to Joe Sixpack, and a single pro-choice black woman with a Ph. D. just isn’t quite what they’re going to be looking for in the fabled Red America.
(Democrats, of course, also struggle to appeal to the common man, but they seem to tolerate a higher degree of eggheadedness. Still, I don’t think someone with Dr. Rice’s profile would have much of a shot as a Dem candidate, either.)
Dr. J
Powell was in a unique position. Voters seem to be willing, to a certain extent, to substitute military service for gov’t experience. And Powell had huge name recogintion, even before being Sec of State. Is there any other Black pol who is even remotely in Powell’s position (even the pre-Sec of State Powell)?
As Mostro pointed out, there are no Black governors. Has there ever been one? We probably need to get over that hurdle before tackling the presidency. In light of that, I agree with what RTF said above. We’re probably a good 20 years from seeing the first Black President. At least.
Hell, it took almost 200 yrs to elect the first Catholic president.
I think people are forgetting that the way the demographics of the US are shifting, that there is probably more of a chance that there will be a hispanic president before a black one.
I agree 100%. Ford is going to be the first black President.
I wouldn’t be so sure. First of all, us 'Publicans (Yes! The Party of Bartenders!) are pretty practical. If it came down to ignoring the far-right for an election, we’d do it. We have before. But as long as the canidate is reasonably conservative (read that as "anti-abortion) he or she’d probably be elected.
Sure, some of 'em may be racist, but…
Republicans do have a better record of nominating candidates that can appeal to middle America.
The only big mistake Republicans have made in recent years is Goldwater. Democrats by contrast have screwed up majorly twice: Mondale and McGovern. It’s an open question as to how dumb Democrats will be this time. They certainly are cooing over some weird candidates while shunning or ignoring the moderate ones.
Right, and two of the weirder Democratic candidates are black - Mosely-Braun and Sharpton.
Which is why the first black and/or female President will be Republican. The power base of black Democrats is made up of too many extremists. Which is why the only black Democratic candidates are morons like Mosely-Braun, or racist scum like Sharpton. Whereas, on the Republican side, Powell, who is genuinley electable, could have had the nomination in 2000 if he had wanted it.
If Cheney’s health doesn’t hold out, my ideal scenario would be for him to resign, Bush picks Rice as VP, she serves for four years or so, and then runs on her own in 2008.
Then listen to the liberals instantly stop talking about diversity, and start talking about “tokenism”.
Regards,
Shodan
Well, goldwater’s problem was that he was basically slandered…
Heck, I’ve been writing in Dick Gregory for 20 years!
I wouldn’t be surprised. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we see Bill Richardson run in 2012, if not earlier (depending on whether or not he actually sticks around as governor for the entire term(s) and because of the term limit in New Mexico.) Considering the guy has been a representative, the ambassador to the UN, Energy Secretary, and now a governor, that’s a fair bit of experience. Of course, we are talking about the governor and former representative of District 3 in New Mexico, which could prove a problem (starting just with convincing half the country once again that yes, New Mexico is a state and yes, Richardson is eligible.) I say this with the experience of growing up in New Mexico, where being forgotten is a usual experience.
Sorry for the hijack. Maybe someone should start a new thread about the first Hispanic President (if there can be enough of an agreement made on what really makes someone Hispanic and whether or not it truly makes sense as a racial category.)
John, you’re almost right; there have been no African-American governors since Reconstruction. The Hispanic and even Chinese barriers have been broken for governors, but not the Big One.
Going by the consensus here, we’ll have to wait another generation at least. The first black President probably will have to be a Republican - but there aren’t any far along in the pipeline after the discredited Powell and Rice. All black members of Congress, all black big-city mayors AFAIK, and every black officeholder except for a few state cabinet members are Democrats. As long as the GOP embraces the Southern hard right, there’s no reason to expect that to change, either.
Douglas Wilder was governor of Virginia and had a cup of coffee as a presidential candidate in 92 I think.
Right about Wilder. Tells you how out of date my sources are.