US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday appeared guarded and avoided giving a full endorsement when asked to comment on Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Appearing alongside PepsiCo chief executive Indra Nooyi at the 2008 Women's Conference in Long Beach, California, Rice was caught in a rare moment of uncertainty during a conversation on leadership, legacy and life.
During the discussion, moderator and CNN anchor Campbell Brown asked Nooyi and Rice their opinions on the women who had the greatest impact on the presidential election - John McCain's running mate Palin and Hillary Clinton, who was bested in the Democratic primaries by Barack Obama.
Nooyi immediately took the floor and expressed her admiration for Clinton, saying she thought she was "an amazing candidate." "I have yet to meet somebody more brilliant than her in this campaign. She was an amazing lady, completely blew me away," Nooyi said to applause from more than 14,000 onlookers.
With a mischievous smile Nooyi added that she would "let Condi talk about Sarah Palin," provoking laughter from the audience. "I'll talk about both," said Rice, a key member of President George W. Bush's cabinet, stiffening as she spoke.
"I really think that what we are seeing, is that it is no longer going to be a novelty to see women in these positions," she said. "That is what it really means to me and I think they are both terrific. You have this presidential campaign in which you had Hillary Clinton who I think was terrific. Now it's Sarah Palin, who is a fantastic person."
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