'She’s as smart as anyone in the country,' Gingrich said of Rice. Gingrich: Rice would be strong VP

Newt Gingrich told POLITICO’s online morning show that Condoleezza Rice’s “mildly pro-choice” stance on abortion should not disqualify her for consideration as Mitt Romney’s running mate, noting that former President George H.W. Bush had managed to win the White House by remaining vague on the topic.

“They’ve apparently had very serious conversations about Secretary Rice,” Gingrich said on “POLITICO Live: Driving the Day.”


“We’d have to work out what the term ‘mildly pro-choice’ meant. … As George H.W. Bush once said, he was for the Republican platform. That got him the vice presidential nomination in 1980.”

( See also: POLITICO's veep watch)

On the possibility of the former secretary of State being picked, Gingrich said: “I don’t think it’s inconceivable. I think it’s a longer shot.”

Reminded that Rick Santorum has called Rice’s abortion view disqualifying, Gingrich said: “Then that’s a challenge. Because I think it’s very unlikely that you’re going to see the risk of a right-to-life rebellion at a right-to-life convention. … “Condi Rice is very smart: Certainly in foreign policy terms and national security terms, she’s as smart as anyone in the country.

“Domestic politics is a different minefield. Picking anybody who has not run for something fairly big, I think is a real challenge. Because the minute you guys get ahold of ‘em, there’s gonna be two weeks of unending agony as you find things they never even knew existed.”

Gingrich said the strongest vice presidential possibilities are, in order of most likely, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, New Orleans Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty.