Colin Powell Endorses Obama !!!- Page 2

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 12:57pm

This is good.

[Luscious]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 1:03pm

Say what you will about him, and yes, he made mistakes and allowed himself to be used as a pawn, but at least he had the fortitude and good judgment to get out, and the smarts and class not to go around bad mouthing anyone afterward in interviews or a tell-all book. He still has a 75-80% approval rating, and he gave an eloquent endorsement speech this morning that people are talking about, and not just on the morning news shows. It can only help Obama. I don't see how it could hurt him.

Updated On: 10/19/08 at 01:03 PM

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 1:15pm

What he said about Islam and the 20-year-old Muslim American boy who died in Iraq was perfect. My respect for him just shot up.

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 1:35pm

As expected, Rush Limbaugh steps up to the plate and accuses General Colin Powell of racism.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/Limbaugh_Where_are_the_inexperienced_white_liberals_Powell_has_endorsed.html?showall

Posted: 10/19/08 at 1:42pm

Poor Rush. Just when I thought I couldn't have any less respect for him, he outdoes himself.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 1:43pm

Perfect endorsement at the perfect time. I think the best clip out of the whole thing was the story about the Muslim American soldier. The news should be running THAT incessantly. I think it's something a lot of people need to hear.

This is really great for Obama. I predict in the homestretch of the campaign Obama can comfortably move back into his original theme from 2004, his One America theme inviting Americans of all badges and colors to come together and affect real change to get us away from the Bush era and those who enabled it and look towards the future. As more and more people get on the Obama train, the Republicans get whinier and whinier. It'll be an interesting final two weeks.

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 1:47pm

Below are comments made by Obama today acknowledging the endorsement. Funny, he just happened to be in Fayetteville, NC, which just happens to be home to Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force base. Here are Obama's comments:

"Before we begin, I’d like to acknowledge some news we learned this morning. With so many brave men and women from Fayetteville serving in our military, this is a city and a state that knows something about great soldiers. And this morning, a great soldier, a great statesman, and a great American has endorsed our campaign to change America. I have been honored to have the benefit of his wisdom and counsel from time to time over the last few years, but today, I am beyond honored and deeply humbled to have the support of General Colin Powell. General Powell has defended this nation bravely, and he has embodied our highest ideals through his long and distinguished public service. He and his wife Alma have inspired millions of young people to serve their communities and their country through their tireless commitment and trailblazing American story. And he knows, as we do, that this is a moment where we all need to come together as one nation – young and old, rich and poor, black and white, Republican and Democrat."

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 2:19pm

Perfect response, IMO!

And yeah, Rush is an idiot.

[DBillyP]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 2:32pm

It was as strong an indictment of McCain's campaign as it was an endorsement of Obama's, well reasoned and beautifully articulated.

I agree that one of the most powerful sections of the endorsement was about Muslim Americans. It gave me chills.

[The Boy From Ohio]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 2:47pm

Great news at a great time. This will help with independents, moderates, and even some republicans. I think this election will be a bigger Obama landslide than currently being projected.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 4:14pm

Powell talks to the press about his dissatisfaction with the tone of McCain's campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh_c5bbvmqc

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 4:27pm

From Salon.com:



So what does the right-wing think about Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama? One word: Race.

Rush Limbaugh sets the tone:

From Politico's Jonathan Martin:

"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."

In "Affirmative action at its highest level," RedState diarist Andrew Bolton follows suit:

So Colin Powell has endorsed Obama. Let's see, Powell is pro-abortion. So is Obama. Powell is pro-affirmative action. So is Obama. Powell has stated repeatedly that tax policy should ensure fairness. Obama likewise wants to "spread the wealth." The endorsement of Obama only demonstrates what unpaid prognosticators could have told those million dollar a year experts years ago. Powell never was a Republican. He has been aligned with the Democrats from the day of his retirement from service.

...Affirmative action is now at its zenith here. A unqualified candidate for president who has never run anything; who has never governed anything; and who has policies precisely on line with Karl Marx -- is going to be put into our highest office solely due to his race. Doubt me? Just ask if Obama would be where he is at if he were a white man. The answer is inevitable.

National Review's Mark Steyn doesn't play the race card directly, but merely accuses Powell of currying favor with the front-runner.

The staterooms on the bandwagon are pretty much taken. Standing room only now... A "transformational" president with a Pelosi House and a filibuster-proof Senate. Thanks, Colin!"

But for the true taste of rage, FreeRepublic is your one-stop shop. As excerpted by DailyKos diarist pucklady:

POWELL IS DESPICABLE!! He owes EVERYTHING to Republicans, but BLACKNESS is the ONLY thing that matters!!! Obama want to RUIN THE MILITARY and bring down MAERICA to THIRD WORLD STATUS!!

...Dr. King's dream is dead. It's totally about the color of skin for these people. The content of ones character has ZERO bearing on their decision.

― Andrew Leonard

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 5:27pm

More eloquent words from General Powell:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/After_Meet_Powell_carries_on_his_indictment_of_McCainGOP.html?showall

[javero]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 5:29pm

I'm so proud of Gen Powell for acknowledging Muslim Americans as human beings deserving of the same respect as other classes of Americans.

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 6:11pm

Powell gave an excellent endorsement to Obama, it's true. It's a huge slap in the face to McCain/Palin. And if it sways independents and Republicans to vote Obama, even better.

But the following eloquent statement illustrates why some of us are not so willing to let him off the hook:

"You people amaze me. On one hand, you say he did an unforgivable thing, selling out his country. Then you say, 'I always liked him so he's off my **** list now.'

Would you say the same of Cheney or Bush, had they endorsed Obama? Or Rumsfeld? What Powell did is tantamount to treason and should be punished accordingly. They ALL should be punished but the worst thing in all this is that none of them will pay for their crimes. Liberals and Democrats are pissing all over themselves like puppies over Powell's endorsement, gushing about we should 'forgive him' and 'move on to a bright future'. Since Bill Clinton's near-impeachment over a blow-job, Democrats have been frozen in fear. They always give Republican criminals a pass. There never is an accounting for. None of them will pay for their crimes. Impeachment is 'off the table'. Time and again - from Nixon, Caspar Weinberger and beyond, the GOP gets away with it, while laughingly brand the Democrats as 'wimps'.

So Powell just read from a script? Didn't he sell the world on the presence of WMD in Iraq? Just following orders. Well, my friends, it's not like he was still in the military and bound to follow his superior's orders. If he disagreed with what the Bush administration was trying to do, he could have resigned then. Yet he didn't. He resigned later, when it looked like he might get really dirty from all of his lies. The fact is, he somehow benefited from his lies. Maybe it was that cushy FCC job for his son, or the fact that his wealth grew exponentially from his association with Cheney and Bush. He made a deal with the devil and fulfilled his part of the bargain. And now, because he endorses Obama, he gets a free pass?

He's called an 'adult', and 'basically a good guy, deserving our respect'. What is it you all respect him for, exactly? Has he acted with integrity in all of this? If he is so deserving of your respect now, why hasn't he come forward and spilled his guts about the illegal activities of the Bush administration?

I know some of you will parse this as politics, that Republicans were just governing according to their ideology and 'conservative' policies. And that Powell was one of those guys you really like but just happen to disagree with and at least he's loyal and really believes in what he backs. But you're not facing reality: Those policies he helped shape and the lies he told to the UN have caused severe damage to this country and the world. Maybe irreparable damage.

Fine, he endorsed Obama. Now why don't we give this the attention it deserves?"

[artscallion]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 6:31pm

I happen to agree with you, for the most part, Tulita. I think Powell is despicable. I don't care how many people justify things by saying most of the country were for the war back then. I watched Powell address the UN and I saw right through what he was saying. If I could see how thin his logic was, surely, being as intelligent as he is, he saw it himself.

The day I watched Powell sell us down the river was the day I knew for sure that Bush was going to war no matter what the facts were or what the American people wanted.

I'm not impressed with his endorsement. Though I do think that it will help Obama.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 8:18pm

So the war criminal and Chief Bush Collaborator continues his efforts to redeem himself. It'll take more than an endorsement of Obama to get the blood off his hands.

Screw Colin Powell.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 9:46pm

The oddest thing about this election is the way it has repeatedly made the left and the right indistinguishable.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/19/08 at 10:04pm

"Would you say the same of Cheney or Bush, had they endorsed Obama? Or Rumsfeld?"

Yes, I would. It would show they're on the road to redemption and understanding. It would show they're "waking up."

I don't give Powell a free pass here, but I give him a big nod for taking a step in the right direction.

I wish I could say the same for some of the others you mentioned.