A variation of a campaign button being put out by Americans For Rice.

The "Draft Condi" or "Draft Rice" movement is a grassroots effort to convince Condoleezza Rice to run for president in the 2008 election. Image File history File links Ilikerice. ... Image File history File links Ilikerice. ... Political drafts are used to encourage or compel a certain person to enter a political race, by demonstrating a significant groundswell of support for the candidate. ... A grassroots political movement, inspired by the German word Graswurzel, is a movement organized by a network of citizens. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th and current United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush. ... The President of the United States of America (unofficially abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States and the chief executive of the federal government. ... Presidential electoral votes by state The U.S. presidential election of 2008 is scheduled to occur on November 4, 2008. ...

Condoleezza Rice is currently the United States Secretary of State. She is also one of the highest profile women in the United States government, and the highest-ranking African-American woman in American history. She would be the first non-white president and first female president if elected. Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th and current United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush. ... The Seal of the United States Department of State The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. ...

Americans For Rice

While it began as a mere fanciful notion after the 2004 election, the endeavor became far more serious when Miami, FL, physician, Dr. Richard Mason, launched the Americans For Rice "527" political organization in January of 2005. Presidential election results map. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Dr. Richard Mason, a Miami-based physician, is the founder of the Americans for Rice political organization seeking to Draft Condoleezza Rice as the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. ... Americans For Rice is a 527 political organization dedicated to drafting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. ... A 527 group, named after a section of the United States tax code, is a tax-exempt organization that is created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates for public office. ...

The group, Americans For Rice, purportedly has more than 4000 active members across the United States, and around the world. The movement has recently gained much publicity as a result of prominent members like Jessie Jane Duff, Dr. Mason, Crystal Dueker, and Jeffrey Jenkins being featured in interviews and on talk shows. They have been featured several times on FOX News, CNN, and NBC, as well as other notable networks. As the Draft Rice movement has grown and expanded, they have been seen at various political conferences and conventions, such as the SRLC (Southern Republican Leadership Conference), New Hampshire's "Lincoln-Reagan Dinner", Nevada's "Freedom Fest," the National Federation of Republican Women conferences, and at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference), which is called "the largest gathering of conservative political activists in the country." Americans For Rice is a 527 political organization dedicated to drafting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. ... Jessie Jane Duff, a Washington DC-based consultant (Marine Corps, retired), is the current national chairperson of the Americans for Rice political organization seeking to Draft Condoleezza Rice as the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. ... Fox News Channels slogan is We Report, You Decide The Fox News Channel is a U.S. cable and satellite news channel. ... The Cable News Network, usually referred to as CNN, is a cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld [1] [2] (although the latter is not currently recognized in CNNs official history). ... The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Conservative Political Action Conference is an annual political conference held in Washington, D.C.. It is attended by conservative groups, activists, authors and elected officials from across the United States. ...

Since Americans For Rice's incorporation in early 2005, the group has been responsible for numerous television and radio ads in at least Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Florida. Draft Rice supporters have already set up and attended major events and rallies in states like North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee. Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 km² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 46th 24,239 km² 110 km 305 km 3. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 19th 183 272 km² 340 km 545 km 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 km² 805 km 240 km 9. ... Official language(s) None Capital Carson City Largest city Las Vegas Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 7th 286,367 km² 519 km 788 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 6th 295,254 km² 500 km 645 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 km² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 30th 52,423 mi²/135,775 km² 190 mi/306 km 330 mi/531 km 3. ... State nickname: Volunteer State Official languages English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Governor Phil Bredesen (D) Senators Bill Frist (R) Lamar Alexander (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 36th 109,247 km² 2. ...

Poll Results

Referencing the successful "Draft Ike" movement that put Eisenhower into office in 1953, the Draft Rice movement has been galvanized by the positive response it has received around the country. After polls in important states like Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Florida showed Dr. Rice with a strong, but hypothetical, lead, the campaign gained a great deal of support. "Condistas," as the 'Condi' Rice supporters call themselves, point to surveys like the WNBC-Marist poll, which places Dr. Rice as the number one Republican candidate for 2008, in league with potentials Rudolph Giuliani and Sen. John McCain. he is like an egg ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 26th 145,743 km² 320 km 500 km 0. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 46th 24,239 km² 110 km 305 km 3. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 355 km 355 km 8. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... This is a collection of polls that have been conducted relating to the U.S. presidential election, 2008. ... Republican is a term used generally to describe a number of different organizations, principles, or political movements, and/or the persons supporting these. ... Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Rudy Giuliani III KBE (born May 28, 1944) served as the Mayor of New York City from January 1, 1994 through December 31, 2001. ... John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is an American politician. ...

Other surveys have also placed Dr. Rice in the top tier of Republican potentials, including Gallup, Zogby, Rasmussen, and FOX News, while many, including NewsMax, Ruffini, Marist, and Diageo/Hotline have her as the GOP frontrunner. In fact, the polling company, Strategic Vision, has conducted polls in a dozen different states, and on average, almost half of voters said they would like to see Dr. Rice in the 2008 race, while less than a third said she should sit it out.

Many polls see Dr. Rice as a strong Republican candidate to defeat the Democratic potentials for 2008. Zogby America Poll shows Dr. Rice defeating Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and Mark Warner, while NewsMax gives her a broad lead over Clinton as well. FOX News and Rasmussen also show that Dr. Rice could defeat Sen. John Kerry, should he choose to run again in 2008. Hillary Rodham Clinton (born Hillary Diane Rodham on October 26, 1947) is the junior United States Senator from New York, serving her freshman term since January 3, 2001. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Virginia and is a former Democratic Governor of Virginia. ...

Supporters

Condi vs. Hillary: The Next Great Presidential Race

Dick Morris, a former Clinton adviser, recently published a book entitled "Condi Vs. Hillary: The Next Great Presidential Race," in which he outlines the reasons why Dr. Rice would be the best candidate to keep Hillary Clinton from winning the presidential election in 2008. Image File history File links Licensing This image is of a book cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by the publisher of the book. ... Image File history File links Licensing This image is of a book cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by the publisher of the book. ... Dick Morris appears on TVs FOX News channel. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947), was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton. ...

Morris is not the only prominent figure who has endorsed, or hinted at endorsing, Dr. Rice in a possible presidential bid. RunRice2008.com has compiled a list of nationally and internationally influential figures who have supported the idea of Rice running for president. The list includes such names as: Dick Morris appears on TVs FOX News channel. ...

• United States First Lady Laura Bush
• White House Spokesman Scott McClellan
• Russian President Vladimir Putin
• FOX News anchor Sean Hannity
• Fred Barnes (Talk show host and Weekly Standard executive editor)
• US Sen. Sam Brownback
• US Rep. Kay Ranger
• John Blackburn (a renowned former dean of the University of Alabama)
• Steve Sviggum (MN Speaker of the House)
• Dennis Miller (talk show host and political commentator)
• Frances Rice (chairman of the National Black Republican Association).
• Ramesh Ponnuru (senior editor of The National Review)
• J. James Estrada (political writer, speaker, and columnist)

First Lady Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (born November 4, 1946) is the wife of U.S. President George W. Bush and is the First Lady of the United States. ... Scott McClellan in the press room of the White House Scott McClellan (born 1968) is the current White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush. ... Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин, â–¶ (help· info), Pútin; born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician, and the current President of the Russian Federation. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Frederic W. Barnes, an American journalist and political commentator, is the executive editor of the news publication The Weekly Standard, co-host with Mort Kondracke of The Beltway Boys on the Fox News Channel, and also regularly appears on Foxs Special Report with Brit Hume. ... The Weekly Standard is an American conservative political magazine published 48 times per year. ... Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is a Senator from Kansas. ... Dr. John L. Blackburn is a former administrator at The University of Alabama who is in many ways responsible for the peaceful racial integration of the school, despite efforts by then-governor George Wallace. ... University of Alabama The University of Alabama (also known as Alabama, UA, or colloquially as Bama) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. ... Steve Sviggum is the current Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 400 km 645 km 8. ... The term Speaker is usually the title given to the presiding officer of a countrys lower house of parliament or congress (i. ... The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. ... Dennis Miller on his self-titled CNBC show Dennis Miller (born November 3, 1953 in Pittsburgh) is an American stand-up comedian, political and social commentator, actor, and television personality, known for his blunt manner, dark and brooding sense of humor, and monologues filled with elaborate metaphors and references to...

Growth and Groundswell

While some assert that it is far too early to be thinking of the presidential election, and others believe that America is not ready for a female or minority president, the groundswell of support for Dr. Rice continues to grow in spite of these things.

Although Dr. Rice has stated that she has no desire to run, that no one should count on her running, and finally that she "will not run," this grassroots campaign in support of her has not ceased, but rather grown. The group, Americans For Rice, is already organizing cell groups of supporters around the States, and is preparing to put Rice's name on the ballots in 2008. Most Rice-supporters feel, however, that if the American people give her a strong mandate to run for the office, her overwhelming sense of pride and loyalty to her country will force her to accept the call.

Many Draft Rice websites share the sentiment of Mark Goldblatt, a writer for "American Spectator," who stated: "I believe Rice is first and foremost a patriot, and if a case were put forward that campaigning for president were an act of service to her country, rather than service to her ego, she might reconsider." The American Spectator is a conservative-leaning U.S. monthly magazine covering news and politics, edited by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. ...

Restructuring

In January of 2006, Americans For Rice national co-chairs, Dr. Richard Mason and Ms. Crystal Dueker, stepped down and promoted Washington DC consultant Jessie Jane Duff (US Marine Corps, retired) to national chairperson of the organization. There are currently plans to restructure the group and abandon the "527" status under the Federal Election Commission. Dr. Mason continues as the director of Americans For Rice's online activities and Ms. Dueker continues in her capacity as research coordinator while the group reorganizes to try to increase its effectiveness.

External links

• Americans for Rice
• Run Rice 2008
• Rice2008.com
• CondiCountry.com
• CondiPundit
• CondiWarehouse.com
• Condoleezza 2008 Blogspot
• Condoleezza Blogspot
• Condoleezza for President
• Draft Condi Rice
• Draft Rice 2008
• PresidentRice.org
• Rice For America
• Rice For President
• Team Condi
• VoteRice.com

Local Americans For Rice chapters

• Florida AFR
• Ohio AFR