I have to agree and disagree. Bush WAS very popular with the Conservatives, he was for a very long time... now they have dropped him like a Dixiecrat dropped seggergation in 1970.
He became politically toxic and they like to pretend they never supported him or liked him. Just like 20 years from now you everyone will pretend they supported same sex marriage.
Again, your perception as a liberal is flawed. Bush is not a political factor anymore. He stopped being a political factor, really, in 2004, after he won his second term. (With more votes than any man had ever gotten at that time.) From that point, his supporters no longer needed to defend him and come to his rescue whenever the left railed, because it didn't matter, he won reelection and had 4 more years, then retirement. So people stopped defending him while Liberals continued to pile on the hate. Because of this, you think that somehow, you managed to change people's minds about Bush, but that's just not the case.
And here's another thing... of all the people in Bush's administration, Condoleeza Rice has to be among the most respected across the board by typical Americans, whether left, right or center, because she is a brilliant woman. I think even the libertarian intellectual 'Buckley' types who hated and loathed Bush, still appreciated Rice. I know Colin Powell certainly did.
Now I agree... the Anti-Bush Crowd are not going to like Condi Rice one bit. But how many of those does Romney seriously have a chance of winning over? Really? Condi is unique, and makes for an intriguing consideration for VP pick, I think. Probably the ONLY person who could garner the support of Bush Lovers and the 'Not-so-hot-on-Bush' Conservatives, the Women vote, the Black vote...The "I Hate Politicians" vote... Southern vote... should I continue? She has a great back-story, and her accomplishments are impeccable, as well as being a reasoned well-centered person in general, who knows her shit.
The way I see it, she makes an excellent choice. In fact, a GENIUS choice.
