Condi Rice for VP? She Polls Better than Hillary Clinton

Most presidential and vice presidential candidates do not emerge from the Cabinet. There have been exceptions, of course. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren and James Buchanan used being secretary of state as a launching pad for their successful bids for the presidency. But since the Civil War there have been only a handful of presidents -- William Howard Taft and Herbert Hoover -- and vice presidents -- Henry Wallace and Dick Cheney -- who have moved up from the Cabinet. George H.W. Bush, with his stints at the U.N., RNC, China and at the CIA before serving as vice president, is the best example of a modern president who moved up through the appointment ladder.

Rasmussen Reports offers a look at how voters view two secretaries of state -- one current and one former -- who may look to move up the political ladder. A poll released by Rasmussen this week finds that 53 percent of voters see Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a favorable light while 42 percent view her unfavorably. The poll of 1,000 likely voters was taken on April 20-21 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

In a poll released by Rasmussen at the end of last week, Condoleezza Rice, who headed the State Department in George W. Bushs second term, does much better -- but then she is also out of office. Almost two thirds of those surveyed by Rasmussen -- 66 percent -- see Rice favorably while 24 percent view her as unfavorable. The poll of 1,000 likely voters was taken on April 24-25 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

Could Rice end up as Mitt Romneys running mate? Her name has not garnered much buzz and she has never held elective office and cannot be counted on to swing a crucial battleground state over to the Republican column. She has also made comments on abortion that could rile up social conservatives that Romney needs to reel in. But Romney has little background on foreign policy. Based on this poll, there are worse options for Romney to consider.