But it appears the Romney campaign is changing gears and wants to remind voters that the president is also America's commander in chief. Apart from the GOP debate sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute last fall, national security and foreign affairs have been largely absent from the 2012 presidential election discussion.

At a time when the economy seems to be the most visible threat to our security, it's not clear if Americans will see this choice as a distraction. Still Rice is a symbol of international proficiency that should not be overlooked.

The Independent Women's Forum honored Rice for her service in 2006 when we presented her with the Woman of Valor Award. It's then that she discussed "the non-negotiable demands of human dignity:... the rule of law and limits on state power, free speech and tolerance of difference, freedom of worship, equal justice and property rights and finally, but not last, respect for women."