|
| Condi vs. Hillary : The Next Great Presidential Race | 
 enlarge | Authors: Dick Morris, Eileen Mcgann
Publisher: Amazon Remainders Account
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
Buy New: $2.49
You Save: $23.46 (90%)
New (10) Used (16) Collectible (1) from $1.59
Avg. Customer Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 1075547
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.8 x 1
ASIN: B000F5ZH1W
Publication Date: October 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Who will be president in 2008? Many believe that the White House is Hillary Clinton's to lose. As long-time strategists Dick Morris and Eileen McGann reveal in Condi vs. Hillary, however, Hillary's plans for higher office are vulnerable to a challenge from a most unexpected quarter: the Bush administration's secretary of state and former national security advisor, Condoleezza Rice. Rice is the only figure on the national scene who has the credentials, the credibility, and the charisma to lead the GOP in 2008. And, as this first book on the subject demonstrates, a race between these two commanding, but very different, women is a very real possibility -- and would inevitably prove one of the most fascinating and important races in American history. Blending insider insight and political foresight, Condi vs. Hillary surveys the strengths and weaknesses of the two candidates, finding persuasive clues about what we might expect from each of them as a chief executive. It traces their very different childhoods -- Hillary Rodham's in unchallenging suburban comfort, Condi Rice's in Birmingham, Alabama, during the civil rights era -- and finds in each the roots of their latter-day selves. It explores their career in public life -- Hillary's as an ambitious liberal who attached herself to a governor on the rise, Condi's as a woman of broad and deep talents who has earned her own way. It turns a discerning eye on how each has spent her time in government, contrasting Condi's growth and maturation in office with Hillary's record of underachievement as both first lady and senator from New York. And it reveals how a draft-Condi movement could sweep the secretary of state into the presidency even as she forgoes campaigning to address her responsibilities as secretary of state. America, in short, may be on the verge of a perfect storm of twenty-first-century politics, pitting two of America's most popular -- and controversial -- women against each other, and offering Americans a choice between fulfilling the ambitions of one of our most polarizing figures . . . or changing history by electing not just the first woman, but also the first African American woman, to lead the free world into the future.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 35 more reviews...
 Interesting Scenario October 11, 2005
109 out of 144 found this review helpful
I'm not sure that I agree with Morris' premise that Condi Rice is the only person who can prevent the long, national nightmare of a Hillary Clinton Presidency. Hillary has a lot of weaknesses that have yet to come to the surface, but must in a national campaign. She is hated by a great plurality of the electorate, and not just on the right either. The moveon.org/Howard Deaniac wing of the Democratic Party does not find her support of the Iraq War very appealing or very credible.
Condi, on the other hand, has one weakness, despite her considerable talent and intelligence. She has never run for office before. The Presidency is rarely an entry leval job, with the exception of successful Generals like Washington, Grant, and Eisenhower.
Still, what a wonder race Condi vs Hillary would be. I agree with Morris' premise to this extent--Condi would almost certainly beat Hillary. An African-American, Conservative woman who has risen on her own talent becoming President would just be too potent an idea to resist. But a man with political experience on the bottom part of the ticket--say George Allen or Mitt Romney--and Condi would win by a landslide, changing the face of American politics forever and extending the Democrats' stay in the wilderness for many more years.
Biased but Fair October 17, 2005
53 out of 72 found this review helpful
The supposition of this book is interesting but what I found fascinating is an analysis of how the electoral process turned out in 2004 and how this possibly foreshadows the future. That, to me, is the great worth. That being said, there rest was interesting too.
There is no doubt that Dick Morris is biased against Hillary. He details many of her failings but, if such a thing could be said, he does so fairly. He points out her strengths and her real dedication to a few causes. Even while disagreeing with those causes, I can respect the viewpoint. In the end, though, this is not somebody I want.
Morris shows a preference for Condoleezza Rice. He enumerates her strengths but he is also honest about some of her failings. Missing something like the breakup of the USSR while being the NSC representative responsible for the USSR is not a minor glitch.
The contrast in characters between these two possible candidates is worthwhile but the real interest is in seeing an insider's view of how the system works. That made the book worthwhile.
 A real woman October 12, 2005
49 out of 57 found this review helpful
Dick Morris absolutely loathes Hillary Clinton and makes a career out of bashing her whenever he can. But he is convinced she will win the Democratic nomination in 2008 and that she will be a formidable opponent. The only person he thinks can beat her is Condi Rice. I have been saying this for months.
All over America, black leaders are wondering how in hell they are going to explain to their constituents that voting for a white woman from Wellesley will advance the cause of blacks more than voting for a black woman from Birmingham, Alabama. To their credit, many of these leaders will realize that this argument is untenable, a dog that just won't hunt. They will drop Hillary like a hot potato and throw their support behind Condi.
Ironic. The Dems have spent the last 40 years cultivating the black vote. They now get 9 out of 10 black votes. If Condi runs, it could go 9 out of 10 the other way. Think that's an exaggeration? Think again. Recall the jubilation that took place in the "black street" when OJ, a real scoundrel, was acquitted of murder charges. Now imagine the jubilation that will break out in the black street when Condi, a national treasure, is elected the first black President of the United States. The following consideration will be weighed in the mind of every black voter standing in the voting booth on Election Day in 2008: "By my vote I can put the first African-American in the White House; am I going to pass up this opportunity and vote for Hillary instead???"
And then, think about how women will vote. First off, Condi's views on abortion mirror precisely those of the majority of women in America today: she is pro-choice, but in favor of reasonable restrictions on abortion. Second, Condi is living, breathing proof that women can shatter the "glass ceiling" and reach the highest levels of executive power. Finally, as a professional educator who implemented major reforms in undergraduate education at Stanford, Condi will appeal to all the mothers for whom the quality of their children's education is a major concern. Many of Hillary's female supporters will start off vehemently opposed to Condi, but they will quickly realize how hollow their arguments against her sound. They will undergo a sudden conversion and defect to Condi in droves.
And then, think about how the intellectual elite will vote. All we've been hearing for the last 8 years is how "dumb" Dubya is. Well, that argument won't work with Condi. PhD in international affairs; faculty member and provost of Stanford University; concert pianist playing recitals with Yo Yo Ma. This girl's got it goin' on! You want intellectual elite? Condi makes Dominique de Villepin look like a bumpkin from the French countryside. The last time we had a candidate with "intellectual credentials" like this was Woodrow Wilson.
So, it's obvious that Condi can make significant inroads into traditionally Democratic voting blocs. And it's also obvious that she's got the support of libertarian, neocon white males like myself. And it's also obvious that, as 1.) the daughter of a preacher and herself a woman of faith and 2.) a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, she will do well in the red states. One way to sum up Condi's broad-based appeal is to say: Condi is the moderate Hillary pretends to be (see Morris' "Hillary Brand"). She is the Democrats' worst nightmare.
Whom would Condi pick as her running mate? How about another moderate like, say, Bill Clinton? Come on, Bill, dump the ice queen and hook up with a real woman! In all seriousness, the bipartisan choice of someone like Joe Lieberman would be a master stroke.
Condi, you are a person that men and women, blacks and whites, intellectuals and people of faith can stand behind in unison. Your candidacy has the potential to heal many of the divisions that have torn America apart for decades. Run, Condi, run!
An interesting thought experiment on how Condi stacks up against Hillary and how she could be drafted October 29, 2005
18 out of 24 found this review helpful
While this is indeed another volume in the Morris-McGann library of books on the Clintons, it is really more about Condi than Hillary because it is a book discussing her merits as a candidate for President in 2008 and assumes, along with almost everyone else, the likely Democrat nominee will be Hillary. The book does handicap the leading possible candidates in both parties and, not surprisingly, comes down to these two as the most able to win the Presidency.
The opening chapter is a nightmare or a beatific vision depending on how you feel about Senator Clinton becoming President Clinton. The second chapter describes how a Condi candidacy will weaken enough of the standard Democrat base of women and African-Americans to make it possible for Condi to win with an almost comfortable majority.
The authors then provide short biographies of their subjects and side-by-side, Condi's is more impressive in personal achievement and character. The one surprising thing I learned about Hillary is that she failed the Washington D.C. bar exam. And I did not know that Condi lived in the heart of the South during the tumultuous years of Civil Rights activism, and though she grew up in a comfortable family situation, she experienced racism first hand.
They point out Hillary's dependence upon Bill for her success, including her present job as Senator. Her supporters will vehemently deny this, and that is their right. Morris-McGann also portray Hillary as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Not that she is anything less than an able and very talented person, but that the public brand of Hillary is much different than the real person. However, that is a truth about many to most public figures. The authors caution that the difference is so great in this case that if she is elected the public might be shocked to find out how she might attempt to govern if she releases the authentic Hillary.
Several of the arguments against a Condi candidacy are raised, including the important fact that she has never held any kind of elective office. The core of their answer to that objection is that she has been a successful administrator and that seems to correlate more to being a successful President than winning previous elections. It is up to you whether you buy their argument or not. The fact is, most Americans don't want to elect someone who has not been vetted by the pressures of getting elected or winning a war.
An interesting part of the book is their description of how the election of 2004 changed the campaign process for President. The Internet changed both fund raising and information flow through the blogs and its watchdog on what the elite media does or does not report. And, finally, the book presents a scenario of how a grassroots would have to be started to draft Condi because it is very unlikely that she will decide to run on her own. The one aspect of the upcoming election that they don't deal with is that strange portion of the electorate that simply votes for the other party because "we need a change". They are certainly going to be a benefit to any Democrat candidacy after eight years of Bush 43.
This book is an interesting thought experiment. Reality will likely work out differently than the author's predictions, but just going through the ideas presented in this book can be quite helpful in seeing the broader scope in the coming 2006 election and the critical open race for President in 2008. Just beware that Dick Morris, though a very able political handicapper, is also known to say things to be provocative and for hidden political motives. Read the ideas and think about them for yourself, just don't take this book at face value.
 Waste of Time January 22, 2006
17 out of 33 found this review helpful
This book is a rally cry for the Republican faithful. I may not be a fan of Ms. Clinton, but Mr. Morris is such an admirer of Ms. Rice that he dismisses the many reasons why she would be unqualified to run for President (without ever having held an elected position beforehand). I find it astounding that Mr. Morris assumes that someone who has never run for public office and has always been appointed to positions, is nontheless the best qualified Republican candidate for the top political position. Whilst I realize it is a very appealing thought to Republicans to be able to break the stranglehold that the Democratic party has on the African-American voting block, I don't believe it is in anyone's best interest to promote any candidate without giving genuine analyses to the weaknesses of their candidacy. I recommend that you save your money and buy anything else.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
