Colin Powell has come a long way from the days when he gave authoritative presentations of Desert Storm. Back then Powell was a no nonsense, facts and figures, black conservative general. He was the type of black conservative that liberals would have had a very hard time smearing. He could have easily grabbed the GOP nomination and perhaps became the first Black president almost 20 years before Obama. He could have inspired a generation of young black conservatives. My how things have changed.
Today Colin Powell is parroting empty leftwing talking points to the GOP on how to make themselves into the Democrat Lite Party. He hits on all the standard "problems" that the Democrats keep telling the GOP they have to change; Rush and Coulter are mean and nasty, McCain and Palin are too polarizing, people want big government, and of course the GOP needs to move to the center. Never mind that the GOP really did move to the left with the nomination of John McCain and Powell still voted for Obama!
I don't really fault Powell for voting for Obama. I imagine that any black man at Powell's age (conservative or not) must have had a real and understandable yearning to see the first black president of the United States in their lifetime. What I do fault Powell for is not having the balls to be up front about it. Back in 2003 Powell said he remained "a strong proponent of affirmative action." Yet, we are to believe that a strong proponent of affirmative action, would pass up voting for the first black president if all things were equal. Methinks not!
I think Powell's move to the left has more to do with his own personal desire to be included, than the GOP needing to be more inclusive. Being a black conservative is not an easy thing to do. I know all too well how the party of "tolerance & inclusiveness" morphs into hyper bigots when dealing with black conservatives. I also know how fellow blacks are even more vitriolic to brothers or sisters who dares to wonder off the liberal plantation. As bad as that is for someone like me, it is exponentially worse for those black conservatives living in the public eye. For black conservatives who are public figures, they need skin like tank armor. Perhaps, after all these years, Powell's armor has just gotten a little too heavy to carry.
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12 comments:
This last election, a fellow Non-Commissioned Officer who happened to be black told me she would have voted Republican if it were for Powell. I wonder if he realizes that he had the vote of one young lady in her? How many more votes did he have in the black community? Certainly, Powell wasn't a conservative, but he fit closer to our values than did Obama.
What does Colin Powell know, anyway. He’s the nominal “Republican” that endorsed Obama, then re-assured us all that he was “qualified to be Commander-in-Chief” the week before the Russians caught Obama completely asleep-at-the-wheel and nabbed the Krgyzstani air-base that we use to fly-in most of our supplies to Afghanistan.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
I don’t trust Powell an inch, he apparently feels guilty about promoting the Iraq war (but shouldn’t) and is trying to make amends. He will be considered even more irrelevant (if that’s possible) when Obamamania collapses in a poof of dust.
Powell’s advice and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee at 7-11 (small). Who cares what he thinks, Obama's programs are a guaranteed fail- and that's all that matters in the end. There'll be no hiding the damage Obama is doing to the county in a year or two.
When their pork-n-welfare spending orgy fails to create any real economic gains -but stokes vicious inflation and crashes the dollar instead- the Democrats face a bloodbath in 2010. And that's without an almost-certain international embarrassment from Al Qaida, Iran, or N Korea.
Barack can kiss 2012 goodbye, no matter how hard he attacks the GOP and has the MSM plant BS stories and manufactured "scandals".
Ironically, Powell and W did a lot of damage to the GOP brand... but Obama-Pelosi-Reid will be the ones to fix it all-up for us- already as good as done. Funny how life is.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
Great post! I was pondering writing about this same issue with Powell but you have bettered anything I could have said. 100% spot-on. Such a shame that someone as talented and charismatic as Powell would offer up such empty-headed ideas. I think that he should pull a Specter and get it over with...
Bluepitbull:
I often wonder what Powell must have felt when he realized that Obama was going to get elected. Did he ever say to himself, that could have been me!
The truth is we will never know, Powell's election possiblities are over. Republicans will never vote for him now and Democrats will always a pick a lifelong Dem over a newly minted one.
R-R-R:
You are correct, Nancy, Harry and O are going to do more to elect Republicans in 2010 & 2012 than the GOP itself. Our job is to be picky as hell to keep the RINO numbers down.
Left Coast Rebel:
Powell might as well go Dem, he is pretty much finished in the eyes of the GOP base.
I had always respected Powell. I thought he was a stand up guy.
I hate to say it, but I guess the chance to vote for Obama, the historic candidate, was just too much.
With all of the great black conservative Republicans out there, couldn't he have held out?
Oh well, he, like Arlen Specter and Megan McCain have gotten their 30 pieces of silver. Hope they enjoy it!
Gary:
I took think Powell threw away many a great opportunities in the GOP. However, hearing him today, I do have to wonder if he ever had a conservative core?
Thank you Collin - You're a real hero and have got lots of brain still left - compared to other Republi-Coo-Cooks-Clans!
Thank you thank you thank you! You show clearly, not all Republicans are idiots ore born in the Appalachian Mountains and just dont know better.... Republicans also can sometimes be educated and know what's best for their coutry! In this case... an intelligent Republican surfs on Obama's side... you're doing very well, Collin!
Clifton B said...
Left Coast Rebel:
Powell might as well go Dem, he is pretty much finished in the eyes of the GOP base.
May 8
Let me say it that way....
"the GOP is pretty much finished for now - and that's VERY good so!"
Petzi:
Note 1: If you are going to slam a group of people as ignorant, it really helps to make sure your spelling and grammar are on point.
Note 2: The demise of the GOP is greatly exaggerated. One of the best ways to insure its resurrection is liberal arrogance. :-D
I had a lot of respect for Powell, and in retrospect it was based on his demeanor more than any stated policy positions. Like too many, he failed to select a President "not on the color of his skin but on the content of his character. I do not think McCain perfect by any means, but certainly on that criteria superior to what we got. Where are the Ralph Bunch's of today? Sowell and many others are or would be a credit to any race, but have not the fire in the belly for a candidacy.
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