I WAS ON THE CONDI-FOR-VEEP BANDWAGON BEFORE CONDI WAS COOL (which is to say, the summer of 2002). And I basically agree with this Greg Burch character as to why it would be a good idea. Except that I'm not sure a Bush-Rice ticket would do much better with African-American voters than the Bush-Cheney ticket did. I think the fracas over Judge Janice Rogers Brown's proposed appointment to the DC Circuit is a sign that African-Americans, or at least their political elite, don't see the race of an candidate as a trumps-all factor, at least not when it comes to African-American Republicans. And, though I can't remember any specific instances right now, I'm pretty confident that the same people tarring Judge Brown aren't exactly big fans of Condi, either.

I do think, however, that Condi's presence on the ticket would help the GOP, though mostly with moderate Whites rather than African-Americans. Having a black woman on the ticket makes the Republicans at least look more moderate, and - given where Rice apparently stands on many issues - may actually make them moderate. Basically, I think the prospect of putting the first woman and first African-American in the top two in one fell swoop will be enough to put at least some fence-sitting moderate voters into the GOP column.

Plus, she's kinda cute. Go Condi, ya....