colin powell endorses obama

ariel_calmer

I'm stoked. b,121b,121 b,121b,121

bluesnag

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121I'm stoked. b,121b,121 b,121b,121 b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121What an insightful analysis. That got me riled up.

mannybolone

HIs defense of Muslims was pretty incredible. Few have had the balls to say what's needed to be said on this, including Obama.

motown67

You f*cking tell em Powell! McCain had a chance to end some of this bullshit in the last debate and ended up supporting all of his followers rather than calling them out on the personal attack bullshit they're spewing. This is also from a guy that got swiftboated himself by Bush in S.CA in 2000. He should've known better, but he let his campaign staff and Palin go with it and now he's reaping what he has sown. Talking about Ayers while the economy tanks just puts another nail in his political coffin. He will be known as the Republican who ended the Reagan Revolution. Congrats to him, he's done a fine job of that.

hemol

Kaboom, articulate respectable government official highlights Palin's inability to be president, and gives his analysis of the candidates sans slanderation. It's beautiful thing.

luck

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121HIs defense of Muslims was pretty incredible. Few have had the balls to say what's needed to be said on this, including Obama. b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121Much, much agreed. A poignant story, as well.

fishmongerfunk

wow. his analysis of mccain's campaign and the republican party was devastating.

spelunk

WOW. Where was he 5 years ago when we needed him to stand up and be outspoken?b,121b,121Great news though, clearly aimed at undecided voters and a pretty damn convincing and well-done endorsement.

Young_Phonics

damn, i get a teary eyed watching that.

luck

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121WOW. Where was he 5 years ago when we needed him to stand up and be outspoken?b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121Right. I suppose that there was only so much that he could have levied against the Bush Administration, seeing as how he was a complicit member of it. I was hoping that he'd have a somewhat stronger refutation, although his endorsement speaks a few volumes as it is.

Gary

go army?

DocMcCoy

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121damn, i get a teary eyed watching that. b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121Even I choked up, and I'm not even an American. Heavy stuff, in so many waits. Major props to him for this. While I think it's fair to ask why he didn't say this five years ago, the fact that a man of his weight is now saying America cannot go on like this...well, better late than never.

edith head

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121WOW. Where was he 5 years ago when we needed him to stand up and be outspoken?b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121Right. I suppose that there was only so much that he could have levied against the Bush Administration, seeing as how he was a complicit member of it. I was hoping that he'd have a somewhat stronger refutation, although his endorsement speaks a few volumes as it is. b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121Yeah, it reminds me of Scott McClellan. I can't help but be cynical and think this is a last ditch attempt to save his name/reputation in what will be regarded as one of the biggest failed administrations in history. b,121b,121I guess I can't complain about an endorsement from him because it is huge and he has been a friend of John McCain for a long time, so that speaks volumes. I'm just skeptical about his motives and reluctant to call him courageous when he's only criticizing the GOP fear and smear tactics now.

progbeatz

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121WOW. Where was he 5 years ago when we needed him to stand up and be outspoken?b,121 b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121He was busy pointing out FAKE AS F*ck mobile WMD labs to congress...remember that?

mannybolone

Maybe folks have a limited memory here but Powell HAS criticized the Bush administration's policies on numerous occasions. In this, he's quite different from McClennan who seemed to pop out of left (or, er, right) field to lambast his former boss. b,121b,121In contrast, Powell has been more measured in his criticisms and sure - dude has a lot to answer for given his own complicity in the run-up to Iraq and what not - but it's not like Powell's moderate political views have been some secret he's kept to himself.

Vitamin

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121You f*cking tell em Powell! McCain had a chance to end some of this bullshit in the last debate and ended up supporting all of his followers rather than calling them out on the personal attack bullshit they're spewing. This is also from a guy that got swiftboated himself by Bush in S.CA in 2000. He should've known better, but he let his campaign staff and Palin go with it and now he's reaping what he has sown. Talking about Ayers while the economy tanks just puts another nail in his political coffin. He will be known as the Republican who ended the Reagan Revolution. Congrats to him, he's done a fine job of that. b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121Let me preface this by saying I have enormous respect for your opinion. I think your Iraq blog is better than most of the professionals. But what?!?!? With the exception of some backbencher Republican from Tennessee and the lunatic anti-immigrant, Tom Tancredo, Republicans in this campaign has studiously avoided stirring the pot about Obama's middle name. Indeed, John McCain soon after he won the primaries publicly scolded a talk radio host at a rally who railed against "Barack Hussein Obama" in his introduction. When a rather stupid woman at one of McCain's town hall meetings mentioned that Obama was an Arab, McCain corrected her and said his opponent was qualified for the presidency. I will admit that behind closed doors I have heard staffers mention the Democratic candidate's middle name as part of a joke. There are scores of ignorant right wing bloggers out there who make a big deal out of this. But once we open the door to staffers in closed meetings and bloggers, then let's please have a conversation about Democrats who wish Cheney was blown up by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. And I might add I have seen plenty of McCain supporting Republicans scold such people behind closed doors. But Powell's entire point about the direction of the campaign is a carbon copy of the ludicrous line from the New York Times, George Packer, the New Republic, and every other liberal journalist in the tank for the Democrat. The emphasis on Ayers may be a distraction from the financial crisis, I grant that. But it is not the semiotic racism that team Obama just loves to go on and on about. It's a fairly relevant question as well if put in the proper perspective of Obama's pre-US Senate career. The man seems to be campaigning today as a centrist, but when he was an activist and state senator from Hyde Park he was further to the left. If this story is reversed, as we are talking about a Republican whose career before national exposure linked them to, I don't know, the Alaska independence party,we would not hear the end of it.

CBear

Jeez. This is so weird. Am I really impressed? I think I am. I haven't felt this way about government in so long. Odd.

ariel_calmer

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121WOW. Where was he 5 years ago when we needed him to stand up and be outspoken?b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121Right. I suppose that there was only so much that he could have levied against the Bush Administration, seeing as how he was a complicit member of it. I was hoping that he'd have a somewhat stronger refutation, although his endorsement speaks a few volumes as it is. b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121Powell has never been a polarizing figure. In fact in many ways he's been complicit with the Bush regime. So I disagree - a stronger refutation would not only be out of character, but might actually hurt his endorsement. The strength in his endorsement was that it was so evenhanded and coherent. He said what he thought was necessary, but steered clear of hyperbole.

guy_alcindor

SHEEP IN WOLF'S CLOTHING.

m_dejean

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121WOW. Where was he 5 years ago when we needed him to stand up and be outspoken?b,121 b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121He was busy pointing out FAKE AS F*ck mobile WMD labs to congress...remember that? b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121This will forever tarnish the image I have of Powell, but I applaud everything he said in that interview.

ariel_calmer

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121Jeez. This is so weird. Am I really impressed? I think I am. I haven't felt this way about government in so long. Odd. b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121New feelings stirring in duffman?

edith head

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121Maybe folks have a limited memory here but Powell HAS criticized the Bush administration's policies on numerous occasions.b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121I agree with the notion that while he served in the administration, Powell might have expressed the most doubt out of all of them on a number of occasions. But the bottom line for me is that he was still complicit and I wished he had done or said more to change the direction when he had a chance. You are right that his moderate politics have never been a secret, but that's what irked me most when he was Sec of State. I would always think "I know he can't possibly agree with this..."

DocMcCoy

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121 If this story is reversed, as we are talking about a Republican whose career before national exposure linked them to, I don't know, the Alaska independence party,we would not hear the end of it. b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121I dunno if that's quite the same though. Didn't Sarah Palin record an introductory speech for an AIP promotional video within the last year? A little more recent than Ayers and Obama having shared an office for a while around ten years back. Neither is exactly up there with Menachem Begin going from leadership of the Irgun at their most violent to heading up the Camp David accords, is it? I know it's possible to travel a significant distance politically in a short space of time, but when "point A" is "rabidly right-wing" and "point B" is "less rabidly right-wing", perhaps some folks don't get quite so anxious about whether you've taken long enough.

Vitamin

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121 If this story is reversed, as we are talking about a Republican whose career before national exposure linked them to, I don't know, the Alaska independence party,we would not hear the end of it. b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121I dunno if that's quite the same though. Didn't Sarah Palin record an introductory speech for an AIP promotional video within the last year? A little more recent than Ayers and Obama having shared an office for a while around ten years back. Neither is exactly up there with Menachem Begin going from leadership of the Irgun at their most violent to heading up the Camp David accords, is it? I know it's possible to travel a significant distance politically in a short space of time, but when "point A" is "rabidly right-wing" and "point B" is "less rabidly right-wing", perhaps some folks don't get quite so anxious about whether you've taken long enough. b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121My point is that many of Obama's supporters pretend that every criticism of the candidate, every dissent from the campaign, is motivated by Nixonian or George Wallace racism and rage. This tactic is itself a smear. There are too many examples of this to count really. But enough already. It's the equivalent of Republicans saying that every Democratic voter is really a communist, it is a conflation of an ugly fringe with an entire political party. For example, take that awful Obama bucks ad. It's one woman from a small town Republican women's group, who was denounced by every other leading official. But for many on this board it was evidence that the Republican party and the McCain campaign was racist. I think basically white Obama supporters in particular are titillated by the special knowledge that they are offended on behalf of Barack Obama, so they seek out semiotic racists, whose actual words and arguments have nothing to do with race, but they can divine it's true meaning. b,121b,121Powell brought this up in his predictable endorsement. I am frankly surprised it took this long. And I just read a retarded ex friend of mine on his firedoglake blog try to make the point that the Republican party is defined by some retard in Ohio who put some KKK shit on his lawn. I am just through with it. There is no merit to this entire line of argument. It's a smokescreen that addresses the insecurities of a particular sub-genre of Obama supporters.

corsic

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121 b,121b,121b,121h,121

b,121

day

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121For example, take that awful Obama bucks ad. It's one woman from a small town Republican women's group, who was denounced by every other leading official. But for many on this board it was evidence that the Republican party and the McCain campaign was racist.. b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121Show me 1 post of someone who tied that incident to the entire McCain campaign.b,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121My point is that many of Obama's supporters pretend that every criticism of the candidate, every dissent from the campaign, is motivated by Nixonian or George Wallace racism and rage....There is no merit to this entire line of argument./b1 b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121Are you really dismissing racism being an issue/factor in this election??b,121I know you're alluding to that being the "go to" defense, but come on now.

day

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121My point is that many of Obama's supporters pretend that every criticism of the candidate, every dissent from the campaign, is motivated by Nixonian or George Wallace racism and rage.... b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121I guess that shit works both ways then...b,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121Rush Limbaugh said Colin Powell's decision to get behind Barack Obama appeared to be very much tied to Obama's status as the first African-American with a chance to become president.b,121b,121"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121George Will:b,121 b,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121Republican attorney, Dan Billings, accused Powell of racism, stating: b1"If Obama was a white man, Powell would not have made the endorsement."/b1b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121etc. etfuckingcetera.

Young_Phonics

b,121b,121REPUBLICANS DON'T SEE RACE! IT'S ALL YOU LEFTIES MAKING UP THIS NOTION OF "RACISM" IN AMERICA!

Rockadelic

Some might think Powell is backing Obama just because he's black.b,121b,121Some might think that Powell just came to his senses, saw the light and abandoned his life long held views to support Obama.b,121b,121Some might think that he's supporting Obama because their views are pretty similar and Obama has a better chance of getting centrist policies passed than McCain.b,121b,121

skel

b,121b,121 b,121b,121RRRRHAP HANDS

Vitamin

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Quote:/font1h,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121For example, take that awful Obama bucks ad. It's one woman from a small town Republican women's group, who was denounced by every other leading official. But for many on this board it was evidence that the Republican party and the McCain campaign was racist.. b,121b,121h,121

b,121b,121Show me 1 post of someone who tied that incident to the entire McCain campaign.b,121b,121/font1Quote:/font1h,121b,121My point is that many of Obama's supporters pretend that every criticism of the candidate, every dissent from the campaign, is motivated by Nixonian or George Wallace racism and rage....There is no merit to this entire line of argument./b1 b,121b,121h,121b,121b,121Are you really dismissing racism being an issue/factor in this election??b,121I know you're alluding to that being the "go to" defense, but come on now. [/quoteb,121b,121On the Obama bucks, guilty. I was conflating this board with another one. And of course race is a factor in this election. America is going to elect the first black president. My point is that there is no evidence that McCain or the national party or even talk radio is out there telling people not to vote for Obama because he is an n word. The rap on Obama is that he is an over-educated elite, a sly and eloquent orator who may be more radical than he is letting on, a dove peacenik who would meet with dictators, a typical liberal who will raise your taxes. Does any of that play into the ugly legacy of a racial caste system? Aren't there a very different set of stereotypes and critiques employed by your garden variety racist? b,121b,121 All of this said. There are racists in America. They will vote for McCain if they vote at all. But no one is out stoking this stuff the way Jesse Helms did when he ran that ad in North Carolina with the white hands crumbling a rejection letter from a job that went to a minority candidate. That's racist. I condemn it. In this campaign people are trying to say that McCain's ad against Obama over the summer, saying what a celebrity he is, was semiotic racism because it spliced pictures of Obama with white girls like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Really?!? No. That ad was saying that Obama is a celebrated elite who is more at home speaking thousands of adoring Germans than regular, simple Americans. The same kind of ad could be made about John Edwards. It's a politics of resentment for sure. But it is not Birth of a Nation, it is not Amos and Andy, it is not Jesse Helms and it is not George Wallace.