Really. Anybody surprised by Colin Powell’s endorsement of the Obamessiah please raise your hands. Then kindly go to the back of the class and think about it for a bit.
His Majesty never cared for Powell in the first place, apart from his service to his country, of course. He was an inept Sec-of-State and his politics were always, to put it gently, dubious. So what could possibly convince somebody who never really did anything suggesting that he was a conservative in any sense of the word to go ahead and endorse a radical Marxist empty suit with zero experience?
I don't necessarily agree with Misha's conclusion that Powell is either falsely denying that race is not a factor or is an opportunist seeking a position in the Obama administration. I think he genuinely made the decision for the reasons he states.
However, I do think that the reasons he states are questionable.
Selection of Sara Palin: Powell stated that McCain's selection of Palin as running mate made him question McCain's judgment. From the article:
"I don’t believe [Palin] is ready to be president of the United States," Powell said flatly. By contrast, Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, "is ready to be president on day one."
What he has failed to realize is that Palin actually has more experience than Obama himself. She has been a mayor and a governor, both elected executive positions. Obama has not held any elected executive positions, nor been in any executive position at all with the possible exception of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge. And lest we forget, it failed utterly in its stated mission. (Whether its stated mission was its actual mission is another matter entirely.) In fact it could be argued that Palin has more executive experience than McCain and Biden as well.
Republican attacks on Obama: Powell also said that he was disturbed by the "personal" attacks on Obama. Again, from the article:
Powell also told NBC’s Tom Brokaw that he was "troubled" by Republicans' personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and the recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, a co-founder of the radical 60's Weather Underground.
Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.
When it comes to personal attacks, the Republicans ain't got nothin' on the Democrats. But let's address these particular examples. First of all, in my experience, any intimation that Obama is a Muslim has always been slapped down. In an article at the Huffington Post, Jon Soltz writes:
"Indeed, while John McCain has corrected a woman who directly told him that Obama was "an Arab," the campaign has also given those who believe Obama is a "secret Muslim" a wink and a nod, by continually using phrases like "he doesn't see America like the rest of us," and tying him to "terrorists."
Note that Soltz is not quoting Powell, but expressing his own opinion here.
What I see happening is that it's not the Republicans that are saying he's a Muslim but the Democrats and their supporters who are assuming that's what the Republicans are saying. Contrast this with the much more obvious playing of the race card on the part of Obama and other Democrats. Seems to be a classic case of projection here.
And as far as Obama being a lifelong Christian, Powell appears to have forgotten the nature of the church Obama attended for 20 years until he was forced to disassociate himself from it for political expediency. The form of Christianity that Obama willingly exposed himself and his family to for two decades is not one that I want to be a part of. You don't sit in that pew for that many sermons, coming back Sunday after Sunday, willingly and knowingly listening to the hatred and insanity coming from that pulpit, without it having some effect on your worldview.
And as for the recent focus on Obama's association with Bill Ayers, if McCain had a similar association in his recent past, it would be all over the news and would probably sink his campaign utterly. But Obama gets a pass. The thing is that we don't think Obama is a terrorist, nor that he endorses such activities. What his association with Ayers, and his disingenuous attempts to hide it, does is bring into question Obama's judgment and honesty.
Powell has the right to endorse whatever candidate he chooses. I respect his accomplishments as a military commander and thank him for his service to this country. But that does not mean that I consider him infallible. Despite all his fine qualities, he is capable of error. His endorsement of Obama is notable, but it is, after all, the opinion of one man. If we disagree with his reasons, we can and should say so, and his stature does not mean we are wrong.
1 comment:
Back in 2007 , when the McCain campaign was out of money and about to fold, Colin Powell dipped into his wallet and wrote a $2,300 check to McCain.
Powell’s contribution – the maximum allowed by law – came at a time when the press had written off McCain
McCain weathered the money pinch with the help of Powell, who wrote his check on Aug. 7, 2007 – at precisely the moment McCain needed it the most. The McCain campaign was delighted.
Question: were any of Powell's critics helping John McCain around that time?
I doubt it. People like critic Rush Limbaugh couldn't heap scorn on McCain fast enough
In reality McCain's real friend was Colin Powell. I doubt Powell's critics donated anything to help McCain out when he needed it most
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