He Could've Been a Contender. . .
I'm not reading this. This is bullshit
--Colin Powell on Pentagon briefing report,
before giving his United Nations speech
_______________
--Colin Powell on Pentagon briefing report,
before giving his United Nations speech
_______________
Colin Powell has thrown his weight behind candidate Obama, saying we need a "transformational figure" (Powell Endorses Obama).
Well, you would know from transformational change, Mr. Powell, you who, as Secretary of State, lied before the United Nations in February 2003 shilling for your master George Bush in his trumped up end run to war. You helped effect the most devastating transformational change our society has suffered in recent memory.
Powell said he thought either Senator was qualified, but that Obama would be better able to "handle the nation's economic problems and help improve its world standing," two issues now problems due in no small part to Powell's prevarications before the world community.
There is no need to go into the litany of horrors which Powell's shilling wrought. His own words are testimony enough -- he was embarrassed, and confessed it was "a blot" on his record. His argument for war consisted of comic book renderings of white vans -- "mobile WMD labs" -- which he explained cruised the desert. We've all seen Road Warrior, so for the moment, we were willing to believe the General.
I would not think the endorsement of a war criminal would do much for one's credibility. Of course, this has nothing to do with race, but Obama already has 95% of the black Democratic vote in the bag.
I'm sure Powell won't make much of a difference.
Labels: powell as discredited shill, powell for obama, powell is a water boy
posted by Lisa at 8:54 PM
9 Comments:
I disagree with you. For many people, watching someone of General Powell's stature make a dignified, respectful case for why you should vote for Obama and not for John McCain will make a major difference, because all they've seen before this is various left-wing and right-wing talking heads screeching talking points at one another like a bunch of lunatics. General Powell came across as a moderate voice of reason and furthermore as dignified and respectful, none of which describes the screeching talking heads. For a certain group of people -- especially moderates on the edge because of the McCain smears against Obama as "socialist" and "terrorist" -- this will be pretty big.
You bring up Powell's U.N. performance. I don't think that will make the voters in question think less of Powell's endorsement. Yes, Powell's U.N. performance was a disgrace, but pretty much what you might expect from a military man accustomed to giving deference to his commander-in-chief, and at least he did have the grace to quietly resign after it became clear that his speech was bullshit. I don't think that the people that this endorsement will reach care about that UN speech, because "everybody" was saying that Saddam had WMD back then, and if Powell got fooled, well, so did "everybody" else.
But I can hear the swift boats revvin' up already... Powell "not really" Republican, "just endorsing Obama because Obama is black" (nevermind that he gave money to McCain earlier in the year), etc. So if you want to crank up your own swift boat and join them, well (shrug). So it goes.
- Badtux the Political Penguin
Facts is facts, Badtux. You say "if Powell got fooled, well, so did 'everybody' else" -- ummm...not the guy he's endorsing, right?
And when Powell says race wasn't the "predominant" issue for him, you can bet it's an issue.
BT,
Powell came across as a moderate voice of reason and furthermore as dignified and respectful, none of which describes the screeching talking heads.Yeah, well timing is everything -isn't it.He could've done the same thing and prevented a disastrous phoney war, or series of unending wars.I see him as a pimp-first for bush and now ....
Powell IF he had any military in him should've resigned BEFORE pimpin 'out.
I'll forever say Powell and Rice are proof of the failure of EEO programs-they say only that what the massah wants-they're step and fetch.
Your comment about us being Swift Boaters is a low fucking blow that is undeserved.I believe O and P and McC are bullshit-how is that sb'ing?
Have a nice fucking day. ranger hruska
"Powell IF he had any military in him should've resigned BEFORE pimpin' out."
THAT, Jim & Lisa, is the truth.
On your flank, all the way. Dale
I think exactly because Powell caved to the Bush agenda, it is better that he now takes a stand for a change. If we only allow people with perfection in their record to endorse candidates, we aren't going to hear much, are we?
Powell hurt Obama's chances by endorsing him. He will not change the mind of the McCain base - they will now dig their heels in even deeper and say: "Powell's true colors are racist". And his endorsement may plant doubts in the mind of some borderline Obama supporters who do not trust anyone who served in the Bush administration.
He should have kept his yap shut. What next, an endorsement from Condoleeza???
One thing to point out is that you and I are not the targets of this endorsement. This morning I was talking to a former Marine (well, no Marine is former, but you know what I mean). He had been undecided. He didn't know if he could trust Obama, but McCain inspired nothing in him. This endorsement -- and the way and manner in which it was done, making a clear-cut case that Obama was a good man and would be a great President -- put him over for Obama. He now has no hesitation about voting for Obama.
Distaste for Powell is common amongst lefties, but we're already voting Obama. Powell's "favorable" rating stands at around 78% -- yes, 78% of Americans like Colin Powell. For "low information" voters, or those who were inclined to vote Obama but were not quite sure whether there was some meat behind all the mud that McCain has been slinging at Obama, this endorsement from someone they like and trust definitely *is* big. And the timing is absolutely right -- McCain has no time to bash Powell and insert caution into these people's minds, we're just too close to the election. From Obama's point of view, this is an "October Surprise" that has to be sending McCain up the wall. The swift boats are undeniably cranking up and preparing to deploy, but there just isn't time to batter Powell's favorability rating out of the stratosphere before the election. So yes, I think this is big -- despite the natterings of the 22% of the population that does not like Powell, who are already going to vote Obama in the first place.
holiday
ghost dansing,
Yeah, brilliant! We need a holiday from all the partisan lies. Everyone's a shill, everyone wants a demagogue (demigod?), even those on "the right side" of things.
Can't we use our God-given heads for what the Good Lord intended, for something other than swilling what's on tap and imbibing and regurgitating party lines?
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