www.americansforrice.com	www.condipundit.com
.
(Aug. 7, 2006 grabs)
Blogs for Condi:  condoleezza.blogspot.com	www.rice2008.com	www.condoleezzaforpresident.com	www.riceforamerica.com

www.4condi.com  (previously AmericansForRice.com  www.condi4prez.com)

(Feb. 24, 2005 grab)	(May 9, 2005 grab)	(Nov. 16, 2005 grab)	(March 22, 2006 grab)

Americans for Dr. Rice is the pre-eminent Draft Rice site.  It was founded by Dr. Richard Mason, of Miami, Florida in Nov. 2004.  In an interview, he related how there are a lot of Cuban Americans at the hospital where he works.  At the end of the 2004 campaign there was no obvious heir apparent to Bush.  The notion of Condoleezza Rice generated a very postive response, according to Mason.  He came up with the notion Viva Condi and thought it might end up being the Miami branch of a Rice 2008 organization.  Doing some research he found there was already a Rice 2008 website, but it seemed static and commercial.  Mason determined to do a better one.  The site, www.condi4prez.com, went live on the Internet on Nov. 14, 2004, which turned out to be Rice's birthday.  The URL was later changed to AmericansForRice.com, along with the change to 527 status (Jan. 12, 2005), and then to www.4condi.com.  Americans for Dr. Rice has done much activity off the Internet, for example setting up informational tables at various Republican and conservative gatherings (for example CPAC 2005, CPAC 2006), running TV and radio ads and putting up a billboard on the road to Bush's ranch in Texas (Aug. 5, 2006).  Jessie Jane Duff, a retired U.S. Marine, was brought on as acting national chair in Jan. 2006 and the group has a number of state chairs.
 
 

www.condipundit.com
"All about Condoleezza Rice"
First posting Jan. 25, 2005: "Condipundit’s mission is to follow the amazing Condoleeza Rice, urge her to run in 2008, encourage her supporters, and frustrate her detractors."  Started by Mick Wright of Memphis, TN, who also runs the "Fishkite" blog (“blog between church and state”).  After a while he put out a call for co-bloggers to help.  Frank DiSalle of New Rochelle, NY stepped up and carried the site, while Wright lost interest in the project.  (Aug. 2006 lists three members: Crystal Dueker, Frank DiSalle and Mick Wright).
 
 

Blogs for Condi: condoleezza.blogspot.com
"A portal for Condi Blogs, Blogs for Condi supports the movement to draft Condoleezza Rice for The Republican Nomination for President of The United States in 2008.  She is our American Margaret Thatcher."  Site by Barry "iPod" Johnson, a Blogger in the City of Rochester, located in Oakland County Michigan.  First postings: February 10, 2005.
 
 

www.rice2008.com
Founded by Matthew Reid.  Quite static, quite commercial (offers Condi Bobbleheads, for example), but apparently well trafficked (came up first in an Aug. 2006 Google search of "Rice for President.")

In "We Need Your Help!" he writes (excerpt),

Our primary objective is to persuade Condoleezza Rice to run for office and to help her get elected!

How do we plan on getting there?  We want to initiate discussion by planting the idea of a Condi candidacy in the minds of the public, Republican party movers and shakers and, of course, President Bush and Karl Rove.

Condoleeza has been asked on numerous occasions whether she would consider such a run and she has answered, as one would expect, with polite denials--the sincerity of which continue to be debated by pundits even now.

NBC's Meet The Press moderator Tim Russert confronted Dr. Rice with a computer monitor featuring an Internet browser logged onto Rice 2008.com.  Many observers, myself included, noted a usually unflappable Rice blushing at the sight of the RUN, CONDI, RUN! banner that headlined our page at that time.  Again, Dr. Rice stated no intention of running for office--but there was a sheepish grin on her face that one might even call a smirk, so...we think there is definite cause for hope.

Other important goals we are achieving with our current phase of existence include:

--Informing the public about Dr. Rice's impressive credentials and achievements.
--Preventing Democrats from monopolizing the credible female candidate for president image (You will notice that more often than not, discussions of a Hillary Clinton run in 2008 now include the possibility of her facing Dr. Rice as a competitor.)
--Illustrating the reality of the Republican "big tent"...
 
 

www.condoleezzaforpresident.com
By Dave Schultz of South East Texas.  Schultz has a constellation of sites at www.oldhippie.com.
Excerpts from "The Web Master":

"Condoleezza Rice represents one of those in America who didn't fall into the trap of letting anyone hold them back -- and hopefully as President, others will learn to cut loose the Labor Unions, Militant Black Leaders, and Democrats who are their pimps."

"I like her achievements, her honesty, and her sincerity.  The fact that she is black and a woman is a bonus -- as maybe she can be the inspiration to have others think they can do better on their own -- than with the Unions, Liberals, and Black Militants.  What has the last 50 years of Unions, Liberals, and Black Militants done for the people they claim to protect?"
 
 

www.riceforamerica.com
Site, by SB Hodge, freelance journalist and media consultant from Columbus, OH appears to have been active in the final quarter of 2005.  Has a blog, with a total of four postings, first on Aug. 28 promoting a South Carolina petition drive, and the last on Nov. 15 on poll results.
 
 

condoleezza2008.blogspot.com
First posting "Condi will not let us down." on March 18, 2005.  Excerpt:

"In a way, this is how it should be at the present time.  Let the libs think we're 'deflated' and 'defeated'.  Let's build our base slowly and steadily.  Stay off the radar, lest the Condista movement will peak too early.  If we Condistas speak too loudly, we are only subjecting her to needless media hatchet jobbing scrutiny, far too early in the game.  Who wants that?

"I will be biding my time, spreading the word silently, one person at a time.  The Condista army is rising.  But stop and smell the roses."
 
 
 

Copyright © 2006  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action