(CNN) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she knows who she’s voting for in the presidential election, but she’s keeping quiet about her pick.
“Have you decided who to vote for?” CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked in an interview that aired Sunday on “Late Edition.”
“Wolf, uh, yes,” Rice said.
Asked if she wanted to share her decision, Rice simply responded, “No.”
In the wide-ranging interview, Rice praised Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign and said having him as the Democratic presidential nominee has been “great for our country.”
“I do think it says that we've come a long way,” she said when asked to respond to comments from her predecessor Colin Powell, who congratulated Obama for knocking down barriers for African Americans.
“It's interesting that it's from Colin Powell. He knocked down a few barriers of his own. He knocked down the barrier of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He knocked down the barrier to the first black Secretary of State.
“Yes, I've knocked down a few too. It just shows that our country has been doing this for a while, and it's great that this last barrier, perhaps, has also come down.”
Rice also made clear that she has no desire to be vice president.
Rumors of a John McCain-Rice ticket were prevalent in April after Dan Senor, a leading Republican strategist, suggested that she was mounting a behind-the-scenes campaign to be McCain's No. 2
“I tell everybody who will listen … look, I’ve done my part, and I’ve got six months to sprint to the finish, and then I have other things that I want to do,” she said.
Following the end of her term, Rice said she wants to write a book about American foreign policy.
“There are issues that have come to concern me greatly - some that I was concerned about before I came here, like the state of education in the United States - which I think is at the root of our competitiveness. It's at the root of our confidence, and therefore it's at the root of our international leadership,” she said.
“I'll go back and work on issues like that and it will be time for somebody else to take the stage.”
From CNN Politics
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I have the deepest respect for Dr. Rice. She is the most powerful woman in the world. She is intelligent, articulate, and confident. She is a great role model for our children. God bless her as she moves to new and exciting things.
Secretary C. Rice, knows that the present adminstration had not done what the American people want . She is does not know about the problems facing this great nation. This has never happened before, and the solutions to these problems are not ones that this adminstration or any other has faced. It is time for a new adminstration a solutions to problems.
She obviously is voting for Obama, but she doesnt want the Rove/Cheney team to sabotage her
You've been behind a loser for sooooo long. Be bold and brave for once in your life. Tell everyone that Bush is the worse president we've ever had in our lifetime. Tell them you also know that our country needs someone whom the world will respect, someone with great intelligence, someone who actually has a vision and a clue. Go ahead and tell them that you support Obama.
Obama & Clark 08
She's voting for Obama. Even she does'nt want to see a continuation of the Bush policies under McBush. John McBush would further erode the very fabric of our economy here and abroad.
The Republicans have destroyed our economy with their voodoo economics, so i think Ms. Rice will be casting her vote for Obama.
Condy Rice is intelligent, and she knows if she picks Obama , it will be just coz of color relation not becuase of same idelology.
Keep guessing.
Spoken like a true states woman!
Pretty significant that she won't say who she's voting for...one would think she'd automatically say, "McCain".
Condi- you and the rest of the bush admin are total failures! thats your legacy.
Of course,we all know what it means to be between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. If she endorses Barack,she will become an ingrate,she will not be where she is now if not for the Republicans. They put her where she is now and they expect her to endorse a Republican candidate, John McCain. But if she aligns her thoughts with the Republicans to endorse McCain,we all know what African-Americans will think of her,she's acting white or backing out on her own – the black man. So she's thoughtful enough to keep mum,she dares not speak on that.
She will vote for OBAMA. Women will not turn out to vote for McCane...
She won't vote for McCane. He left his first wife after she became handicapped(ask the Reagan's about it). He has a 0 voting record with women's groups. Condi is too smart too vote for McCane.
Too bad you follow cowboy diplomacy, Rice.
Obama '08
Condi should run for President. She would knock that myth that the Republican Part is just a bunch on fat white men. She's an intellectual and a leader. She's the kind of change I'm looking for- not Obama's preachy, pie in the sky rhetoric.
McCain 08
Rice 12
That's right folks, the wonders of affirmative action!
A Rice endorsement of Obama would hurt more than help him, whereas a non-endorsement of McFlipFlop helps more than hurts Obama.
That right Condi...come on back home child. You have been in Pharaoh George's house too long baby. Come on home.
I knew somewhere deep down that Condi Rice is too smart to not understand what a failure this administration has been. She has been a part of the mess for sure. I hope she is beginning to understand how much harm ole George has done. Surely she realizes, like most all sane people, that McCain offers absolutely nothing but more trouble for America. Welcome back Condi.
Another closet Obamacan.
Smart person votes for McCain – that would be a news story!
oh wow, just like mccollaugh?, Rice has dirty secrets from the white house about bush's executive policies. umm, let the truth set you free.
She is a great secretary of state. She didn't betray President Bush as this former Press secretary did.
Keep it high , Mrs secretary.
well let me answer the question for Ms. Rice... I am supporting Barack Obama, since John MchasnoShame is too old, senile and should probably restart smoking!
She's voting McCain. I know this because of how often she sucks up to Bush. She's just another right-wing nutjob who hates liberals to the core.
Duh...Is she black? nuf said.
Good...go back to Board of Directors for Chevron and maybe they will name some more Supertankers after her.