Would-Be President Elizabeth Dole: The Good and the Bad

Elizabeth Dole's resume (which includes two Cabinet posts) and her connections to the levers of power (which includes her marriage to former GOP standard bearer Bob Dole) are all clearly impressive. But does the apparent presidential hopeful -- who resigned from her post as head of the American Red Cross on Monday -- have the requisite spontaneity to run for the Oval Office?

"There's no question she's smart, charming and one of the best speakers on the national stage," says Time Washington Correspondent Ann Blackman. "But she is so controlling that everything she does has to be carefully programmed." Dole never takes questions from the audience, for example, and her aides report that she is unable to adjust easily to the kinds of last minute twists and turns that are inevitable in a campaign. "She's a good leader," says Blackman, "but ultimately she may not have the requisite self-confidence to win." Take note, Texas Gov. George Bush.