| I never cared all that much for Dick Morris | | | | that have gone awry, but that comes with the |
| who was a former advisor to President Clinton | | | | territory in being a loyal member of a |
| for twenty years. Morris, who advised Clinton | | | | president's administration. What goes on |
| for 20 years, is best known for managing Bill | | | | between Rice and Bush and what advise she may |
| Clinton's successful 1996 bid for | | | | be giving him and what disagreements they |
| re-election, but his tenure on that campaign | | | | might have are kept behind closed |
| was cut short just before the election when | | | | doors....and that seems to me to be the way |
| it was revealed he was involved in a scandal | | | | it should be. Of course, that she is more |
| of juicy proportions. Morris resigned under | | | | intelligent than her boss is manifest.There |
| pressure (though there are different and | | | | is no question that she will be tested as |
| interesting stories as to the reason), | | | | never before in the coming weeks. These will |
| following which he turned his focus to media | | | | be the toughest issues with which she will be |
| commentary. Upon reflection, I suspect being | | | | confronted thus far. But if she should get |
| pressured to resign for sexual escapades by, | | | | through them with positive results and a |
| of all people, Bill Clinton could engender | | | | measurable degree of success, the phrase "why |
| some legitimate bitterness. Anyway, he now | | | | not" might become more than just a subject |
| writes a weekly column for the New York Post | | | | for Dick Morris to harp on. Her star will |
| and appears regularly on the Fox News | | | | rise rapidly.Moreover, there is a growing |
| Channel. He is a harsh and non-relenting | | | | feeling that Rudy Giuliani has far too much |
| critic of the Clinton's and has written | | | | baggage to be a viable presidential candidate |
| several books to that end. One is entitled, | | | | and Sen. John McCain seems to be placing |
| "Condi vs. Hillary : The Next Great | | | | himself out of the mainstream of GOP |
| Presidential Race" in which he makes the case | | | | politics. As Lieberman now struggles, so |
| for the election of Condoleezza Rice to the | | | | would McCain. Giuliani's messy divorce and |
| presidency. When I first noted this, I wrote | | | | positions on abortion, gay marriage and gun |
| it off as a case of payback.....but lately I | | | | control are likely to make him unpopular |
| have been surprising myself by having second | | | | among social conservatives and there are a |
| thoughts on the viability of such a notion. I | | | | large number of conservatives who seem to |
| have also come to appreciate that Morris is | | | | totally dislike McCain. As for Allen, Frist, |
| as sharp as a new copper penny when it comes | | | | Pataki, Romney, etc, they offer little to |
| to political analysis and campaign | | | | cheer about. |
| strategy.....perhaps more so than James | | | | |
| Carville, George Stephanopolous and/or Paul | | | | If the Democrats move to the center as |
| Begala.Dr. Condoleezza Rice is the 66th and | | | | Clinton did and triangulate, they will be |
| current United States Secretary of State and | | | | tough to beat in the next election. In my |
| the second in the administration of President | | | | view, Senator Hillary Clinton may well be |
| George W. Bush. She worked as an advisor in | | | | their candidate due to her strength with the |
| various capacities to the first Bush | | | | black, Hispanic and women vote, her |
| administration, eventually replacing Colin | | | | disciplined and shrewd strategy of making few |
| Powell on January 26, 2005 after his | | | | waves as she learned the Senate ropes, and |
| resignation. Philosophically, I view her as | | | | her ability to garner strong financial |
| social conservative, but more importantly, as | | | | backing. So, based on these suppositions, |
| someone who does her duty to her country | | | | what can the Republicans do?How about the |
| with dignity, mainstream values and the | | | | notion of nominating United States Secretary |
| utmost professionalism. And I sense that I | | | | of State Condoleezza Rice and hiring Dick |
| am not alone with this growing admiration for | | | | Morris as her campaign advisor. As he did |
| an extremely talented person.There is | | | | with Clinton, allow Morris to devise a |
| something special about her that goes | | | | strategy of "triangulation," whereby Rice |
| beyond ambition, her unflappable and steely | | | | would appeal to a diverse group of voters by |
| persistence, and strong presence. Some have | | | | distancing herself from both the Democratic |
| suggested it is her will to master whatever | | | | and Republican parties......or at least the |
| she encounters. As just two examples, she | | | | more extreme segments of each. This strategic |
| mastered the piano as a young girl and, | | | | move to the center of the political spectrum |
| later, the complex field of Soviet military | | | | might disappoint some who want Rice to pursue |
| affairs.Some criticize her for being a non | | | | a far more conservative policy but it would |
| politician; I say that's an advantage. Being | | | | check (and perhaps checkmate) Hillary. If the |
| National Security Advisor and Secretary Of | | | | Democrats play checkers, the Republicans |
| State during a war and having been Chancellor | | | | should play chess....but that can work in |
| of Stanford are good enough qualifications | | | | reverse as well.Certainly Dr. Rice carries |
| for me. In June 1999, she completed a six | | | | with her the considerable baggage of the Bush |
| year tenure as Stanford University 's | | | | Administration, most notably Iraq and a |
| Provost, during which she was the | | | | flawed policy of promoting democracy |
| institution's chief budget and academic | | | | worldwide as a "cure" for terrorism and a |
| officer. As Provost she was responsible for a | | | | "replacement" for theocracies, but who else |
| $1.5 billion annual budget and the academic | | | | knows the working of the Oval Office better? |
| program involving 1,400 faculty members and | | | | Who else is better qualified to beat Senator |
| 14,000 students. As professor of political | | | | Hillary Rodham Clinton, should she be the |
| science, she won two of the highest teaching | | | | candidate?I say Secretary of State |
| honors -- the 1984 Walter J. Gores Award for | | | | Condoleezza Rice may be the one. With success |
| Excellence in Teaching and the 1993 School of | | | | in the Mideast and the right political |
| Humanities and Sciences Dean's Award for | | | | strategy, why not?"Don't be Afraid To See |
| Distinguished Teaching. Born in 1954 in | | | | What You See." Ronald ReaganHe writes a |
| Birmingham, Alabama, she earned her | | | | bi-weekly column for a local newspaper and is |
| bachelor's degree in political science, cum | | | | a regular contributor to the NH Business |
| laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University | | | | Review. He specializes in columns, articles, |
| of Denver in 1974; her master's from the | | | | essays, op-eds, and short stories. Many of |
| University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her | | | | his works are widely published.His works |
| Ph.D. From the Graduate School of | | | | focus on issues and themes dealing with |
| International Studies at the University of | | | | socio-political topics, business and |
| Denver in 1981So much for her qualifications | | | | economics (in which he advocates a free |
| as she now emerges as the single most | | | | market approach to capitalism), patriotism, |
| important person in the Bush Administration, | | | | and matters dealing with individual |
| particularly since Dick Cheney has | | | | freedom.They are frequently inspirational in |
| disappeared and Rumsfeld has become | | | | nature and sometimes reflect the Objectivist |
| "irrelevant." The tenacious and hard working | | | | philosophy of novelist and philosopher Ayn |
| Rice continues to serve her country by trying | | | | Rand. Ted is also a boxing historian and a |
| to work a peace in the Mideast crisis. Some | | | | member of the Boxing Writers Association of |
| might criticize her for being blindly loyal | | | | America. |
| and in lock step with international policies | | | | |