>>>>http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78484.html
>>>>http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/07/13/condi-rice-for-mitts-veep-you-mean-this-condi-rice/?cxntfid=blogs_jay_bookman_blog
>>>
>>>Sure... to get her used to being back in politics. Then POTUS in '16 < g >
>>
>>From your lips to God's ears <s> In any case with Putin's autocracy becoming more and more of a factor in realpolitik over the next decade we are going to need Condi in some capacity.
>
>Huh that nasty Putin... I'v read somewhere he just oIronFist.Dictated(oBill) into law that will put all tho
se noble democracy seeking/protecting NGOs under hard fiscal and other scrutiny. So, no matter how nicely they are playing their guitars / sing about freedom&democracy, If NGO is funded from abroad (by your ex-buddies for instance) they might be inn for some hard time!
>
>What a nasty dictator! Besides, he helps other dictators like Assad and Gaddafi so he must be very very bad guy. I could not believe it at first, but Hannah Montana tweeted about it, so it must be the truth. ~_~
>
>I am afraid Condy will not suffice! We will need no less then Chaney/Rumsfeld ticket to save cheerleader all over again.. :)

Well you certainly put a lot of words in my mouth about Putin.

His is in fact an autocracy. Putin understands Russia, he understands power and he is a nationalist I don't think he would apologize for any of that. He feels he knows how best to govern Russia and maybe he does. That is Russia's business, not mine. I would certainly never claim to be the authority on Russia's government that virtually anyone outside the borders of US seems to be on ours. <s>

Condi is a Soviet expert, speaks Russian, and is certainly not Cheney or Rumsfeld in her world view. I would trust her understanding of Russia certainly more than Susan Rice's or that of any number of others.

I think Russia is important and we need serious people who are realists, not ideologues,to be able to deal with them intelligently. There are new realities of geopolitics and only serious people, not sloganeers, will be able to navigate them

And I think given a choice Putin would prefer to deal with Condi for all the above reasons.

( and I once again apologize for not being the knee-jerk cold-warrior strawman you would like me to be - though I am sure others here will jump i to volunteer for that role <g> )