Democrats who thinks she can't win a Republican primary are only showing their ignorance, either of Republicans, of Southerners, or both. Of the leading contenders for the Repbulican nod (Guilliani, McCain, Rice, and Allen), Rice would finish at worst second, if not win, in South Carolina. And in the General, given the choice of Rice or a "liberal", South Carolina and Mississippi would go for Rice in a landslide. Also, more presidents have been elected while serving as Secretary of State(4)than any post other than governor(9). So she is in a better position, historically speaking, than Hillary Clinton to be the first woman president. Only three presidents were elected directly from the Senate, two of which, Pierce and Harding, are counted amoung the worst presidents ever. ---- Its interesting that many of the No comments for Rice border on racism. Rice never talks about race, Bush never talks of race, and most of her supporters don't talk about race. It is only her detractors who seem to care about her skincolor, they are after all Democrats, and therefore likely to be bigots. As for the GOP and minority women - I will bet my life's fortune (which isn't much) that the first woman and first minority president will be a Republican. I am sure of it. I don't know if it will be Rice (I doubt it), but the Dems like women and minorities to stay in their subservient place. Remember, the Democratic party is the party of slavery, segregation, filibustering anti-lynching and civil rights laws, and the supporters of the Great Society program which has destroyed the inner city. The media and academia try to ignore that the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s only passed because a majority of Republicans in Congress supported them; a higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats supported them. (80% Rep voted yea compared to under 50% Dem, you can read the voting records online if you like!) Indeed, the KKK was arguably the militant wing of the Democrat party for over 100 years. Republican policies often accused of racism (opposing affirmative action, for example) actually seek to create a color-blind society. As for a minority president - you need middle America to win and Middle America will never vote for a liberal regardless of skin color. More Dems on the other hand(being racists) will vote for a person because of that person's skin color regardless of qualifications. A conservative black man would probably have beat a liberal like Kerry as much if not more than Bush did, for example.