As we noted this morning, Colin Powell had some nice things to say about Obama on TV. And now -- praise from his successor as Secretary of State, Condi Rice.
In an upcoming issue of MORE magazine, Rice -- like Powell -- stops short of endorsing Obama. But:
"He's really a very appealing and interesting person. And very smart. I'm happy I can say that I really think at this point in our country's history, this [election] will come down to whether people think Senator Obama represents their views and their interests and holds their values [rather than focusing on his race]… I don't doubt that there will be some turbulence, because this is different for America. But I think that's what it'll come down to."
Rice, who this week denied rumors that she was eyeing the VP spot....
....on the Republican ticket, and Powell, who was the last black man who seemed to have a viable shot at the White House, are the country's most visible African-American Republicans.
While President Bush made some inroads among blacks, it isn't clear whether McCain will have the same appeal. McCain's speech in Memphis on the 40th anniversary of Rev. Martin L. King's assassination was thought to be a move in that direction.
Obama, who stresses traditionally conservative themes like good parenting and self-reliance on the stump, has prompted Republicans to switch sides in primary contests along the way, and it is possible that black Republicans will join that shift.
"The Republican party is going to have a very difficult time matching the 11 percent President Bush got in 2004," said Michael Fauntroy, an assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University. "African American Republicans are going to have a difficult time resisting the pull of supporting a viable African-American presidential candidate who happens to be from a different party."
Nia-Malika Henderson