Condi Vs. Hillary?

Compiled by the DiversityInc staff© 2005
DiversityInc.com
March 02, 2005

With a successful European tour under her belt, Condoleezza Rice has become an instant frontrunner for the 2008 Republican presidential ticket, the Village Voice reports. There's a Condi fan club "hoping to draft" the secretary of state, Condi blogs, Condi radio ads and even a Condi theme song, "Condoleezza Will Lead Us." Rice's response to the excitement: "Oh my goodness, I think no one should count on such things."

Many Republicans, especially conservatives, are hoping that's true. Vice President Dick Cheney is the best man for the job, they argue. Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard sums up their thoughts: "The war on terror, national security, and the struggle for democracy will probably dominate American politics for a decade or more. Bush's legacy, or at least part of it, will be to have returned these issues to a position of paramount concern for future presidents. And who is best qualified to pursue that agenda as knowledgeably and aggressively as Bush? The answer is the person who helped Bush formulate it, namely Cheney.

"If Rice becomes the frontrunner, two women would be major contenders for their party's nominations. Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York was back in the spotlight this weekend as "Meet the Press" discussed her 2008 chances. "I think she is the most difficult obstacle for anyone being the nominee," Sen. Joe Biden, a Democrat from Delaware, said. "I think she is likely to be the nominee. She'd be the toughest person. And I think Hillary Clinton is able to be elected president of the United States."