Sunday, October 19, 2008

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

It's official.

Colin Powell has endorsed Barack Obama.

He has chosen to support the most liberal person in the U.S. Senate to become president.

Has Powell had such a dramatic personal transformation that he feels comfortable supporting such a far Left candidate?

It's hard to reconcile Powell's choice with Powell's past.

Video.

The way Tom Brokaw teased Powell's announcement was sort of embarrassing. It reminded me of those silly "after the break" American Idol moments.

When Powell did get around to endorsing Obama, it was a rather odd little speech.

It seemed very scripted.

NBC should post the MTP transcript by noon, but in the meantime, here's MSNBC's summary of Powell's remarks:


[H]e was not supporting Obama because of his race. He said he had watched both Obama and his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for many months and thought “either one of them would be a good president.”

But he said McCain’s choices in the last few weeks — especially his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice presidential running mate — had raised questions in his mind about McCain’s judgment.

“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.”

Powell also said he was “troubled” by Republican personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and Republicans’ recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, the founder of the radical ’60 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.

“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.

“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”

OK.

---Powell doesn't think Palin is qualified. He didn't address Obama's lack of experience.

---Powell said that Bill Ayers had become the central point of the McCain campaign in the past few weeks. That's a Dem talking point. It's ridiculous to say that Ayers has become the "central point." McCain and Palin continue to talk about the economy, foreign policy, and energy policy. They have never stopped addressing those issues. Ayers has not taken center stage.

---Powell is disturbed about the Muslim thing.


Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.

“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.

Although Powell said McCain hasn't called Obama a Muslim, it's a smear by Powell to suggest that the McCain-Palin campaign is spreading misinformation about Obama being a Muslim.

Powell didn't name the Republicans responsible for spreading these rumors, but I think it's terribly irresponsible of him to paint the Republican Party with such a broad brush and attribute such tactics to the party as a whole.

Talk about guilt by association!

Furthermore, I agree with Powell's assertion that the individuals attempting to discredit Obama by falsely saying he's a Muslim is an insult.

That's why I have found the way Obama has denounced those rumors to be insulting as well. A subtle bigotry runs through Obama's campaign.

Since the primaries, underlying the Obama campaign's efforts to set the record straight on Obama as a practicing Christian is an anti-Muslim bias.

The message is: Don't be afraid of Barack. He's not one of those Muslims.

That has to offend Muslims. It should.

Powell is charging unnamed Republicans with insulting Muslims. I think the charge can be made that Obama and his camp have been insulting Muslims for months and months
.

“[Powell] also “would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court.”

So Powell wouldn't have a problem with a liberal majority on the Supreme Court, a liberal House and Senate, and a liberal in the White House.

Do checks and balances trouble Powell?


McCain would be a good president, Powell said, but Obama is “a transformational figure” who would be an “exceptional” leader.

“I truly believe that at this point in Amserica’s [sic] history we need a president who will not just continue ... basically the policies we have followed in recent years,” he said. “We need a president with transformational qualities.”

For that reason, he said, “I will be voting for Barack Obama.”

"Transformational qualities"?

What does that mean, Obama as a "transformational figure"?

Is Powell referring to Obama as the most liberal person in the Senate? Is that what he thinks the country needs? A liberal extremist?

Powell's endorsement of Obama seems to be based in emotion rather than logic.

POWELL: And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities--and we have to take that into account--as well as his substance--he has both style and substance--he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world--onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.

So Obama can inspire and has rhetorical abilities. Powell's impressed with his style.

What about his extreme liberal positions on the issues?

What about Obama's comments about our troops?

Obviously, GENERAL Powell is dismissing this statement about our troops in Afghanistan from the rhetorically gifted Obama: "We've got to get the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we're not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there."

I was under the impression Powell was a believer in hard work, personal responsibility, discipline, self-reliance, and the American Dream, not the "spreading the wealth around" philosophy of Obama and others on the far Left.

Obviously, Powell must agree with the very liberal agenda of Obama and his Democrat colleagues.

He'll be voting for it.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does anybody really care about Colin Powell? If McCain were in the lead he probably would have endorsed McCain. He's just fishing for a job and attempted to say all of the politically correct things to satisfy all of the left wing nut jobs. This endorsement is essentially meaningless.

Anonymous said...

1. the line about obama being an extreme liberal in the senate is far from true. Im ok with bashing him but lets be honest about it. And I voted McCain.

2. Powell has a right to endorse whomever he wants to.

3. Palin is not ready to be president. My hope is that she is removed from the ticket has failed, and maybe she leaves prior to swearing in, because it is clear she is stupid.

4. Powell isn't wrong about the Muslim thing, McCain hasn't said it, but it was said by multiple people including my own PA senator, amongst others who perpetrate this line.

5. Powell is still a conservative.

6. i do not want a court to be one way or the other, it should be based on law. Roe v. Wade was decided properly and if that is the only decisional act we need then they shouldn't be a justice.

Unknown said...

This endorsement speaks volumes and I believe it will be a needle mover for two relevant voter segments this election: (1) moderate Republicans who are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the extreme rightward direction of the McCain-Palin campaign and (2) people who are holding back on Obama-Biden primarily because of foreign policy and national security concerns.

Aside from the blemish on his record in relation to the Iraq war, General Powell still garners tremendous respect from the vast majority of Republicans, and every Republican President in the last three decades has sought his advice on National Security and Foreign Policy issues. I hope that General Powell's endorsement will sway the votes of some members of the two above-mentioned segments away from John McCain and Sarah Palin and towards Senators Obama and Biden.

This election is still too close for my comfort, and the excellent news about General Powell aside, it will be important for those of who support Senator Obama to get to the polls on election day (or sooner if you can!) and vote not only to ensure his victory, but also to demonstrate the greater sense of unity and solidarity our country desperately needs right now.

Comments welcome: http://whenelephantsfly.blogspot.com

The Badgerland Conservative said...

Powell is not and never has been a conservative. He's been left of center, a liberal. What do you expect from a pig but a grunt?

Mary said...

It's hard to attach labels without first defining the terms.

Powell certainly didn't present himself as being on the Left.

At his speaking engagements, there was a time when Powell focused on personal responsibility, not victimhood and reliance on the Nanny State.

Anonymous said...

My Lai Massacre - Check out Powell's history. He's never changed. His reality does not match his manufactured image. Never has.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, Obama is the most liberal Senator in Congress.

Anonymous said...

So why do you think he has endorsed Obama? From someone who has been Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs? Why would he endorse Obama? Is his judgement that bad?

Anonymous said...

Powell is an American Hero. A man who served in multiple war zones, led the attack on Iraq, and every president in the past 20 plus years has referred to him on military matters as well as national security and international relations. The man has earned the right to state his opinion, and to say what he wants to say.

No more ferogie or w/e his name was. nice.