Lindsey Graham: Condi Rice Should Run For President

by JASmius

<sigh>:

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham got a roar of approval when he told a crowd that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should run for president.

The crowd of 1,000 people at a campaign event on Monday — more than half of them rising to their feet — cheered and clapped when the South Carolina senator suggested that Rice join the 2016 GOP race for the White House, The State reported.

Do you know what "So-and-so should run for president" means?  It means, "I really like and agree with So-and-so."  That's all it means.  Whether it's Lindsey Grahamnesty saying it about Condi Rice, or all the enthusiasts about Ben Carson or Allen West, what the cheering crowds are really saying is, "I really like and agree with Condi Rice, Colonel West, and Dr. Carson."  Which is a very fine thing, but it doesn't change the fact that none of them - not one - is qualified to be President of the United States.  Neither the ex-Secretary of State nor Dr. Carson have ever even sought elective office, and Colonel West only has a single term in the U.S. House to hang his beret on.  Believe me, my friends, I like Condi Rice, Ben Carson, and Allen West as much as you do - perhaps more.  But they must first gain the qualifications necessary to become presidential timbre.  And you know why: Politics is a profession, and the presidency is not an entry-level job.  Period.  As Barack Hussein Obama has already amply demonstrated.

In the case of Dr. Rice, it's been two centuries since the career path to the presidency went through Foggy Bottom.  Today it goes through governor's mansions, unless you can line up another senator as your election opponent.  Even a sitting Member of the House hasn't gotten directly to the White House since James Garfield in 1880, much less an ousted Member.  And the only non-politicians who have ever succeeded in making the grand leap have been prominent generals raised to fame and popularity for their accomplishments in successful wars (William Harrison in Indian wars, Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War, and most prominently, Dwight Eisenhower in World War II).

As I wrote of Dr. Carson last week, so I say of Condoleezza Rice and Alan West today: They all would make fantastic presidents....some day.  That day simply is not now.

Of course, Senator Grahamnesty threw out the "Condi for POTUS" line to get a cheap pop from the crowd, and perhaps because he's growing concerned about his reelection prospects.  And it didn't take long for Dr. Rice to do her William T. Sherman impersonation:

At the TD Convention Center in Greenville, South Carolina, Rice quickly turned down the notion, although the reception she received showed that she’s still highly regarded by rank-and-file Republicans.

Given that Dr. Rice endorsed Senator Grahamnesty, I'm guessing Tea Partiers aren't all that disappointed at her demurral.