This article on why Condi makes some sense as a GOP VP makes, well, some sense--she adds some starpower, for sure. But the argument for why she'd assuage the religious right is less than laughable--they'd forgive McCain because Rice goes to church? Jimmy Carter is a regular churchgoer, as is Obama, but I would worry that Rice's firm pro-choice stance would actually cause McCain far more grief with religious conservatives, not to mention the amount of traction that Democrats could get out of playing that clip of Condi saying "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Within U.S."
And, ultimately, such a pairing just doesn't make much sense in another way: McCain's wingery on war is not in question. His wingery on social issues very much is. And picking a social liberal isn't going to cut it with that crowd. Sure, putting an ultra-hawk on the ticket might go over well with the "hell yeahs", but it isn't going to be enough. He's going to want to pick a "complete" conservative, and probably someone that the religious right in particular loves. Republicans like Condoleeza Rice, sure, but they probably don't want a pro-choicer a heartbeat away, especially with the elderly McCain in office.
This being said, the Iraq War really is the litmus test for today's GOP, even more than abortion, maybe even more than immigration. Or so we're led to believe. But while Condi on the ticket might have some upsides, it's a pretty risky proposition, and it would be just as likely to antagonize the Christianists as to please them. They might love her as SecState, but that's because they like her foreign policy. There's more to a VP, and less, than just foreign policy.
