Condi Could Save This Dull Election

We're in the middle of "a crisis election like 1932 or 1980," yet supporters of both candidates can't seem to muster much enthusiasm. We need to inject some inspiration and excitement into this race, and Condoleezza Rice could be just the person to do it, writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal. In a Noonan talk with businesspeople recently, the name prompted "spontaneous applause," she notes. The audience "looked surprised by their own passion."

Consider Rice—as reports say Mitt Romney is doing: She boasts "obvious and nameable accomplishment," "Washington experience," and foreign policy expertise. Choosing her would show "a certain boldness" during "a year when Republicans aren't supposed to choose a woman" thanks to Sarah Palin. Moreover, she would be "a black woman in a campaign that always threatens to take on a painful racial overlay." No matter the VP pick, over the next 100 days, let's hope the candidates can "go deeper, get franker, and light some kind of flame." Click through for the full piece. (More Condoleezza Rice stories.)