Feb. 20, 2008, 12 a.m. - The only way I see Republicans retaining control of the White House is if members of the party draft Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to be vice president.

     Rice, who is looking more competent these days do to the success of the Iraq surge, is the first black woman to hold the job and is the last national security advisor to President Bush, her longtime friend.
     She has said repeatedly that she will not run for president of the United Sates and I believe her, but she didn't say anything about running for vice president.
     If the Republicans want to win the White House in 2008 they are going to have to do more than offer up the same type of candidate - White males. They are going to have to meet the people where they are, and right now people want change. Some annalist say that change is just about policy, but the candidate pool for the Democrats indicates it is also about a different color and sex. And Rice would balance a ticket regardless of whether Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama wins the presidential nomination.
     Now as an independent, I must admit I am no fan of Rice. What's more, I hate to admit that there is a way for Republicans to gain some traction in the race to keep control of the White House. But the way Republicans can keep that control is by courting both women or blacks is by Rice running for vice president.
Some political scientists will say that former Ambassador Alan Keyes, who is an unofficial candidate, has resurfaced and that he can play the minority role for the party, but the only real experience he has is as a candidate. Rice, however, has the experience of working inside the White House and a foreign policy background that would be attractive to someone like Gov. Mike Huckabee.
     Some political scientists also will say no one votes for or against a candidate because of their vice president, and under most circumstances they are right. But the fact is it would not hurt to have someone like Rice balance out a more domestic-oriented candidates credentials.
     There will also be those who say that Blacks will never leave the Democratic party plantation long enough to vote for a Republican ticket that includes Rice. But I believe those folks do not know the precedent that has already been set by the party.

      In short, the precedent for a successful Rice run has already been set with the defeat of Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in Maryland. Robert F. Kennedy's daughter was defeated when now former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich was able to seriously undermine black support for Townsend through his selection of now former Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, who is black.

(Robert "Rob" Redding Jr. is the Publisher of the Washington Continent, Redding News Review and author of "Hired Hatred: Why politicians, political parties & the political prejudices they tout are mutually exclusive from good government.")