Effort to Draft Condi Rice Picks Up Steam

This item comes to us from Whispers Editor Paul Bedard:

An effort to get Secretary of State Condi Rice's name on key GOP primary ballots is picking up steam now that she has emerged as a top-three pick on several state and county straw polls. Crystal Dueker, spokeswoman for www.thinkcondi.net, said today that polls in key states, especially in the South, have Rice high.

"Her 90 percent name identification is worth $10 million in advertising, and she also has a 58 percent job approval. Whenever her name is included in national polls, she is at 10 percent or more," said Dueker. The group is already looking to the South and West to get Rice's name on the ballots. Dueker said that a "southern strategy" is obvious because Rice is from the South, a region that also supports the president's efforts in Iraq. She added that Rice appears popular in California.

"She is a rock star to the people of her home state," said Dueker. "Likewise, when her name was placed on the 2006 convention straw poll in San Jose, she was the top choice. It shows that California is in play with her on the 2008 ticket."