Condoleezza Rice in Oklahoma, talking about the issues. (1) (2) (YouTube 2/9/10)

Condoleezza Rice answering questions from the press before a speech to at Oklahoma State University at the William S. Spears School of Business, Tulsa. Thursday, February 4, 2010.

Part 1
Main points.

Running for political office? Maybe the time just isn't going to be right, not got that fire in the belly, think it's frankly not for me.

Challenges we face. focus on essentials, defending the country, global financial and economic crisis, promoting democracy, leading on the basis of values and principles, addressed as an optimistic people.

Smooth transition to sound patriot Hillary Clinton. Bill Burns at US Department of State.

Loyalty to the new administration. Not hesitating to talk about the issues or calling people up to say something privately.

Failed states. Afghanistan - poor, tribal, decentralised, geography. Pakistan.

Border with Mexico - aspects of failed states - assassinations and kidnappings. Calderon government.
Yemen.

Timelines, not much for them. Obama on Afghanistan "18 months depending", timelines creep in to foreign policy and diplomacy, it is the nature of the beast.

================================

Condoleezza Rice answering questions from the press before a speech to at Oklahoma State University at the William S. Spears School of Business, Tulsa. Thursday, February 4, 2010.

Part 2
Main points.

Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri - hurt Al Qaeda taking out field generals - Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah, Ramzi Binalshibh

Airline security - Christmas plots, red-flag terrorists with unified airline security network

Family memoir - Extraordinary ordinary people. John and Angelina Rice - belief in the power of education. In segregated Alabama, somehow even though I couldn't have a hamburger at Woolworths they had me absolutely convinced that I could be president of the United States if I wanted to be.

National belief, it doesn't matter where you came from it matters where you are going.

==============================

Glad to see Condi Rice. I respect her greatly.

She is quite clear that she does not want to run for Presidency.

But, she is writing a book... She says it is a book about her family, but there in it is the upbringing that she was raised with "you can be President if you want to be."

Here is Condi Rice on Running for President (July 11, 2007)

This is an interview with Katie Couric on "60 Minutes". She gives a coy denial about running for President, saying, Elected office PROBABLY isn't for me."

Another clip from interview with Couric.

Condoleezza Rice - True Believer. Interviewed for TV (Sept 2007)

========================================

I am sure if she wants to run for office, I am sure she will have a great chance, despite Iraq. She knows how to frame the issue well.

I also like how she said about US and Democracy.


The United States is not spreading democracy. The United States is standing with those who want a democratic future.

I wish President Obama would follow that and stand with Iranians when they are standing up for Democracy.


-- Edited by Sanders on Tuesday 9th of February 2010 05:03:23 PM