Waiting for Vice President Godot

Willard Romney seems poised to pick a running mate if you believe all the campaign news one reads today. Personally, I will believe it when I see it.

A lot of speculation is growing that Romney will pick Condoleezza Rice. Condie is a very attractive potential candidate. She’s sharp as a tack, seems engaging and, in particular, she is a black woman. But she carries some baggage that voters might overall — as in independent and crossover Democrats and even far righters — frown upon.

Can you say: “Gee Dubya?” Being a part of Dubya’s war trust in 1-to-2 unpopular wars can cause a pause for those crossover voters. On the Republican negative balance sheet, she has expressed pro-life sentiments and, in particular, she is a black woman.

Now there might be a lot of the “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” feeling among the more racist right-wing element. But truth be told, many of the folks who don’t like Obama dislike him — hate him if appropriate — because he is black. He is a real not-dyed-in-the-wool African-American with a Kenyan pappy and a mother who was from Kansas.

That is not to say Romney wouldn’t pick Rice. He might just do it. However, one might feel that many more of the far-right “base” would be urging Romney to pick someone like Rep. Paul Ryan or Sen. Rob Portman. Even Indian-American Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal would seem more palatable, or at the very least, passable.

We shall see what we shall see what we shall see.