Recall there was a mini-boomlet for Rice when Romney was mulling his choices for vice president. At that time, it was gently pointed out that Ms. Rice, a remarkably intelligent and capable woman, had no experience in electoral politics.

After watching her excellent speech last night, I wonder if that isn't about to change.

Wall Street Journal:

In a clear highlight of the evening, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave a moving address to delegates at the Republican convention, broadly criticizing President Barack Obama's record without ever mentioning him by name.

She made the case for the U.S. to continue to be a leader in the world. "Where does America stand?" she asked. "You see, when friends or foes alike don't know the answer to that question unambiguously and clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic place."

And she sounded a much softer note on immigration than many Republicans support, but issued a strong warning on education.  "Our greatest ally in controlling your response to your circumstances has been a quality education. But today, today when I can look at your ZIP Code and I can tell whether you're going to get a good education, can I honestly say it doesn't matter where you came from?"  She added: "The crisis in K-12 education is a threat to the very fabric of who we are."

Ms. Rice gravely described the challenges facing the country while at the same time, still sounding optimistic about the nation's future.

"The challenge is real, and the times are hard, but America has met and overcome hard challenges before," she told the delegates.

America, she said, "has a way of making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. But ... It took leadership, and it took courage, and it took belief in our values."

That was her lead-in to the GOP ticket.  Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, she said, "have the integrity and the experience and the vision to lead us. They know who we are. They know who we want to be. They know who we are in the world and what we offer."

I have no doubt she has been approached to run for office before. And perhaps she doesn't want the headaches of putting herself out there with her life dissected and her past laid out for all to see.

But she absolutely wowed the crowd. That's a rare gift and if she decides to seek elective office, the state of California could do worse than choosing her.

Senator Rice? This is America. Anything is possible. 

(Watch related American Thinker Video: "GOP Convention: Condoleezza Rice")