In the greater context of the election, I don't think this is going to make a big difference, but on the margins it has the effect of being a positive news story for Obama. Now, it isn't any secret that Colin Powell was always uncomfortable with the social conservatives that are increasingly THE base of power in the Republican party. Powell was a Republican mostly on the basis of economic and foreign policy issues, and on the latter, the W administration burned him badly, costing him a great deal of his personal reputation. If you listen to the reasons for his backing Obama, they had as much to do with the direction the Republicans and now John McCain himself are veering off to as they did about Obama's traits, although he had plenty to say about both. Powell isn't switching parties, he is just calling the recent insanity from the far right what it is, and switching to someone that has it more together right now. You don't even need to consider race to find many, many other more plausible reasons for his decision.
It is sadly predictable how right-wing bloggers are spinning this as being a race thing, like Powell isn't strong enough to make up his own mind and it's somehow about brotherhood and nothing to do with issues. That is an extremely insulting thing to say about someone as accomplished as Powell. They did the same with Christopher Buckley, trying to find other external reasons for supporting Obama. They would never admit that maybe they know everything about the candidates and their positions, and feel that Obama would make a better President. The other narrative that some Republicans are pushing is that this is somehow not counting for much because Democrats revile him for his role in the run-up to the Iraq War. I can't speak for everyone, but I was never one of those Democrats. I always respected him and thought that he was the voice of reason in the W Administration.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Colin Powell Endorses Obama
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10 comments:
the only one that's why he left
And yes, the right wingers would dismiss him as smiply a bigot or that his motivations are entirely racially motivated.
I find it increasingly difficult to listen to the rightwing hate and obfuscations. I used to visit a blog in my home city of Houston, but the strident and shrill tone of the blogger and her ilk have pushed me away from even listening to their views.I'm sure you have an idea to which blog I refer.
I know! I'm not that easily "offended" at stuff, but to watch people over there at the blog you refer to rip someone so intelligent and accomplished for simply voting his race was really insulting to the man.
Oh, and yes, it has gotten increasingly ugly over there (see my video blog a couple posts down where I explain about that.
I'm only posting as anonymous because for some reason my google account won't let me on....perhaps some right-wing effort to suppress my opinions.....
Hi Erik,
You might know me as a not so subtle variation on my own name over at that blog the above commenters were refering to :)
I had looked here to see if your blog was active a few months (weeks) ago and am happy to see that it is.
Keep up the good work. I will throw more than one curve ball to you on that blog, but be sure, I am all in as far as being an imp on that blog. It's why I know that posting this here won't make an impact on my commenting there.
Good on you Erik.
Obama/Biden '08!
Heh... Well, welcome to my blog then! Getting a little crazy over there the last couple weeks, hasn't it? Throw all the curve balls you want. My rules are far less stringent. *;-)
Getting a little crazy over there the last couple weeks, hasn't it?
Man, are you slow to catch on, or what?
It's not getting, and it's not a little.
It always was, and it was always a lot.
The crazy will continue to escalate in the remaining weeks (socialism! acorn! ayers! reverend wright!), then on November 5th they'll turn their attention to figuring out whose betrayal was responsible for the humiliating loss.
I'm putting my money on 'voter fraud,' 'the media,' 'acorn,' and brown people.
They'll also start cranking up their delusions as to why Caribou Barbie is their only hope in 2012.
Buy stock in popcorn manufacturers.
What I meant was that I purposefully put up that link about the different graphs on electoral vote dot com because of how ridiculous it was for Kathleen to think that this election was just like 2004. Those graphs show it.
I try to mix up my comments over there -- she sometimes has a hard time figuring out who thinks what in her comments section.
I don't even want to wade in there this evening -- it's too think and I'm a little tired.
Oh, and hey snarkle. good to see you!
Great comment about Caribou Barbie by Hunter over at the Great Orange Satan (All Hail, Dark Lord Kos!)
I'm putting it here because Sparkie's such a fan of the lady, and because the comment seems to describe her as well:
"What an exceptionally dislikable person she seems to be. From the first moment she stepped onto the national stage, there hasn't been a single retold aspect of her personal history that would inspire confidence, or respect, or anything but revulsion. She seems the perfect example of a shallow, petty, self-centered person rising in power simply because being shallow, petty and self-centered are the only tools necessary to do so. I half expect her to make off with McCain's wallet at some point, and be found two weeks later in Atlantic City."
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