The Republicans Might Try Making History, Too

BY MICHAEL LINN JONES

It with with foreboding that I witness the acceleration of "Identity politics." There are great dangers in this; for while pundits gleefully fine comb election results showing who is voting for who, they are leaving a window open to a very nasty draft.

For example, in the Democratic race the buzz is that Hillary Clinton "has" the Hispanics and women. Barack Obama, on the other hand, "has" the young and blacks.

This is assuming that people vote FOR something all the time. They don't, and in fact vote against certain things when they have the opportunity. So, one could fairly conclude that women and Hispanics hate blacks and men, and that the young and blacks hate women. And whites, of course, hate everybody, including themselves.

Who knows? It's ridiculous to say the least. But identity politics is here and it's not going away anytime soon since it seems to "work" so well. This may sound quaint, but eventually elections will no longer appeal to Americans so much as selected "groups" of voters. What a shame.

The Republicans are apparently now experiencing that sinking feeling that Democrats have gone through for some years now. Their party somehow is not in sync with the voting public any more. People want a change. And right now their candidate is going to be facing either a highly qualified woman or a highly qualified black, or both, in November.

Suppose that John McCain wins the nomination. Democrats are going to find out exactly how conservative John McCain is within a few months. They are also going to learn that six years in the Hanoi Hilton somewhat immunizes someone from intimidation, to say the least.

He will choose a running mate. And that's where Condoleezza Rice comes in. If identity politics is the proper path to power, then why not use what is in your arsenal? There are two things that I can't help noticing about Dr. Rice...she's black and she's a woman.

More importantly, she has experience. Yeah, yeah, I know she has been serving the wrong boss, but that in itself should not be a disqualification. She has experience; deep experience. Many years from now I'm sure we'll hear the story of how to tried to educate and ineducatable president.

Like Hillary Clinton, she is a lady in public. In private I'm sure she's just as capable as the New York senator at peeling paint off the walls in expressing her displeasure. I could never over-emphasize that the human brain being carried around in a female body is a brain nonetheless. Some are bad ones while others are good. Sen. Clinton and Sec. Rice both are blessed with excellent ones.

Republicans need to stop despairing over the thought of a McCain nomination. They need to go outside that box and make as bold a political move as the Democrats. Secretary Rice is more than qualified to serve as vice president, or as president. Such a running mate would also totally skew the current assumption that all black and women voters are going to automatically gravitate towards the Democrats.

It's a suggestion, not an endorsement. There is that question as to whether or not Dr. Rice would be willing to serve. I figure if she could stand eight years around George W. Bush she wouldn't have a problem serving a McCain or a Romney. The idea is that she serves her country, and my feeling is that Condoleezza Rice would have no problem with that.

Without such a move, the Republican effort to retain the White House will be, as Lincoln once said, " like shoveling fleas across the barnyard."
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Cross-posted at Michaellinnjones.com