Race and Gender Matter
By Jerome Grossman
The Democrats have a number of core constituencies: women, organized labor, African-Americans, liberals and Hispanics. Ideally, to satisfy all power centers in the party, a Democratic president would like to have five vice-presidents to represent the interests of each group but the Constitution is in the way so they are usually placed in the president's cabinet.
In the talent pool for the current campaign, the Democrats have produced two superior candidates, an African-American and a woman, both trying to break the historic monopoly enjoyed by white men. Their rise to leadership seems to signal a change in American attitudes toward women and people of color. Have we transcended race and gender in America? Is that why the Democrats have brought twice as many voters to the polls as the GOP and raised far more money?
The Republicans will have a problem remaining competitive whether the Democrats nominate Obama or Clinton. They already have a 71-year-old white man, who looks the part, at the top of the ticket. The American fetish with youth and especially with the celebrity culture requires a stunningly original choice to confuse the opposition as well as the voters.
If a woman and a black are capturing all those primary votes in every state and raising so many millions of dollars, the GOP can get into the act by presenting to the nation a candidate for vice- president who is a twofer, both a woman and an African-American - Condoleezza Rice. As Secretary of State, the former national security adviser, professor and concert pianist has the experience and savoir faire to attract the celebrity conscious U.S. public. Her link with unpopular President Bush is a negative she already shares with John McCain. She would bring an unusual combination of youth and experience to the GOP ticket and could become a star if she told us what went wrong with U.S. foreign policy and how she would repair it. And from an insider’s perspective, it might be sensational and irresistible.
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1 comment:
Jerome, Jerome, Jerome, you never cease to amaze me! I was just listening to the so called experts discussing who they thought the VP Nominee should be. I don't remember who their choice was for McCain's VP because I saw your thought at the same time and you took my attention.
Race and Gender does matter but it is tolerated at that level in the Republican party only if it serves their interest. What you just suggested would serve their interest and is a very scary scenario. That would work for them and man is that a scary thought.
I never gave her any thought because she gained my ire and I see the Ire of all progressives I Blog with when she lied through her teeth during that facade they called the 9/11 commission hearings. She had me seething as did the whole charade because of the obvious lying and cover ups that laughingly found nobody did anything wrong.
She is a gifted and proven loyal liar and as I think you know, that is a job requirement to be close to GW. I remember her saying she would never accept the Presidential nomination but I never heard the VP mentioned.
I can see her accepting that and a McCain Rice ticket would indeed be formidable but there are enough people that do not want to be in Iraq for 100 years or want anymore of the lying and war mongering that ticket would guarantee.
I believe she would help with party loyalists but would sink McCain where it matters most and that is with independents. I don't know if McCain can win period as many see the modern Republican party for what it is and realize we can not survive another four years.
I as you know am very concerned at what underhanded tactic they are going to pull in order to keep their corruptive power. I may discuss your thoughts tomorrow if you do not mind. It bears discussion for sure!
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