VEEPStakes: Condi Rice for VP?

Matt Drudge reported last night that Romney is narrowing his choices for Vice President and that Condoleeza Rice was a frontrunner.

Late Thursday evening, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign launched a new fundraising drive, ‘Meet The VP’ — just as Romney himself has narrowed the field of candidates to a handful, sources reveal.

And a surprise name is now near the top of the list: Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice!

The timing of the announcement is now set for ‘coming weeks’.

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It was Condi who received two standing ovations at Romney’s Utah retreat a few weeks ago, and everyone left with her name on their lips.

Rice made an extended argument for American leadership in the world.

In recent days, she emailed supporters:

"2012 is perhaps a turning point for the United States."

"The upcoming elections loom as one of the most important in my lifetime," she warned. "I’m very often asked to speak about our current foreign policy and the challenges that lie before us. However, we, as a country, are not going to be able to address any of those international challenges unless we first get our domestic house in order."

John Tabin at The American Spectator reminds his readers of Drudge’s terrible record on VP speculation.  Erick Erickson said it won’t happen and he has received assurances from the Romney camp that it won’t happen.

Here’s what I wrote a month ago about Rice’s VP prospects:

I’ve heard her name mentioned.  She would provide balance and be a historic pick if chosen as the first African-American woman VP nominee.  She’s bright and articulate and I’d love to see her debate Vice President Joe Biden.  She certainly would bolster foreign policy cred for Romney.  The downside is that she would also give the Obama administration the excuse to drag the Bush administration back into the campaign and continue to play the blame game.

Personally she has some good qualities.  I’m not sure where she stands on domestic policies.  I would suspect she would certainly be more competent as President than Barack Obama is, but outside of foreign policy she’s kind of an unknown.  There are many people who won’t vote for him regardless of who he picks so I don’t think his VP pick will help solidify the base like what John McCain say with Sarah Palin.  A bad pick could possibly alienate more people though, so he does have to be careful.  That said, I don’t believe it will be Condi solely because of her association to the Bush administration.

Romney’s looking, I’m sure, for a “safe” pick.  Condi Rice wouldn’t be it.

Update: Another problem, she’s pro-abortion, which would peel away people from the base.  So I’m convinced again that she won’t be the pick.  Why her name was being floated out there I’ll never know.

2nd Update: The speech that put Condi on the list… and pundits are still talking this potential pick up.  Bill Kristol opines dreams about a scenario where Obama dumps Biden and picks up Hillary Clinton and Romney picks up Rice.

If Romney selects Rice, and Obama counters by selecting Hillary, the evening on Thursday, October 11, at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky could be the highlight of the campaign—a vice presidential debate between former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.

I’ll reiterate – it’s not going to happen unless the Romney campaign has a political death wish which come to think of it they may have.  1.  She’s pro-abortion.  2. Her Bush baggage.  He already has a problem with his base, he needs a pick that will help to solidify it (though it won’t be a big help), not injure him more.