Rice for Veep?

Republican strategist Dan Senor told ABC News that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is actively courting the vote to be the vice presidential nominee with John McCain.

“There's this ritual in Washington: The Americans for Tax Reform, which is headed by Grover Norquist, he holds a weekly meeting of conservative leaders -- about 100, 150 people, sort of inside, chattering, class types,” Senor said. “They all typically get briefings from political conservative leaders. Ten days ago, they had an interesting visit -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- the first time a secretary of state has visited the Wednesday meeting.”

Senor explained that Rice’s history in public office would make her a prime candidate, especially in light of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain’s emphasis on experience throughout his campaign.

“What the McCain campaign has to consider is whether or not they want to pick a total outsider, a fresh face, someone a lot younger than him, a governor who people aren't that familiar with," Senor said. "The challenge they're realizing is that they'll have to have to spend 30 to 45 days, which they won't have at that point, educating the American public about who this person is.

“The other category is someone who people instantly say, the second they see that announcement, 'I get it, that person could be president tomorrow,'" Senor added. "Condi Rice is an option.”

Aside from the fact that Secretary Rice has been one of the most ineffectual occupants of the office in modern memory and her reputation as the worst national security adviser is unblemished ("No one could have predicted that people would fly airliners into buildings" when in fact a lot of people had), the only reason the Republicans would seriously consider her would be for purely the window dressing aspect of making them look like they're out-doing the Democrats when it comes to diversity. It reminds me of the old Certs commercial: "It's two, two, two tokens in one! A black and a woman!"

You don't seriously think they're considered her for any other reason, do you?

(Cross-posted. Graphic by Liss.)