I have no interest in defending someone from the Bush Administration, but surely this is not the first Sec of State that has consciously worked to manage their image. Every politician or diplomat of similar stature visits places like the Taj in India in an attempt to have the aesthetics of those monuments rub off on them. Similarly, they all care about how they look as they visit with other foreign diplomats or leaders (both their clothes and their surroundings.

Ms. Rice's gender and race provide a counterpoint to the usual "old white guy" that many US and western countries have in their diplomatic corps, so it doesn't surprise me that she and her handlers are making use of it. I guess I'm just wondering why this article thinks that is something new or evil.

Image does mean something and it makes sense to point them out so people can make sure they separate those nice images from the realities of policies or personalities that may not match the image. But this isn't something new or only practiced by one side as implied here....

I agree. What politician or any other public figure hasn't tried to manage their image. We all do it every day. I don't understand how Rice's image "makeover" is actually some sinister seduction that should cause us all view with skepticism "every news image the secretary generated during her tenure." Shouldn't a thoughtful person be doing that anyway?

To me, this slide show seems more like a love letter than even a semi-serious piece of writing.

Yes, if it was not for the fact that she isn't not a white female then you wouldn't be not ignoring her because she is not a republican, which she isn't not, and not focusing on important things and not ignoring real policy issues. And definately you wound not be not focusing on the achievement of her being the first black woman sec state and not making a big deal of a minor story about her dark-minded beguiling, scary, and min-controlling, image-conscious handlers . . . . Not !!!

You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

I think Condoleezza's biggest problem is that she is a Republican and a member of the Bush administration. How many black Republicans have been dismissed by the media as being oreos--black on the outside but white on the inside? Most of the black leaders in the democrat party aren't nearly as intelligent or well spoken as Ms Rice. She is a cultured, articulate woman who has been seriously underrated by a spiteful, left wing media. I think she would make a good president if we dared to elect her--far better than an Obama or a Hillary or any of the current Republican candidates for that matter.

I think your comments are well taken.

It seems a pity, however, that Slate has this image article in a lead position today. Ms. Rice's posture, costumes, and legs are NOT more important than Mr. Kaplan's commentary on the speech given by our fearless president last night.