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And what an endorsement

fff

Well-known member
Retired General Colin L. Powell, one of the country's most respected Republicans, stunned both parties on Sunday by strongly endorsing Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president on NBC's "Meet the Press" and laying out a blistering, detailed critique of the modern GOP.

Powell said the election of Obama would "electrify the world."

"I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said. "He is a new generation coming ... onto the world stage and on the American stage. And for that reason, I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama."

Powell, once considered likely to be the nation's first African-American presidential nominee, said his decision was not about race.

Moderator Tom Brokaw said: "There will be some ... who will say this is an African-American, distinguished American supporting another African-American because of race."

Powell replied: "If I had only had that in mind, I could have done this six, eight, 10 months ago. I really have been going back and forth between somebody I have the highest respect and regard for, John McCain and somebody I was getting to know, Barack Obama. And it was only in the last couple of months that I settled on this."

"I can't deny that it will be a historic event when an African-American becomes president," Powell continued, speaking live in the studio. "And should that happen, all Americans should be proud — not just African-American, but all Americans — that we have reached this point in our national history where such a thing could happen. It would also not only electrify the country, but electrify the world."

Powell, making his 30th appearance on "Meet the Press," led into his endorsement by saying: "We've got two individuals — either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now — which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time.

"And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities — and you have to take that into account — as well as his substance — he has both style and substance, he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president."

Powell, speaking live in the studio, told moderator Tom Brokaw that he is "troubled" by the direction of the Republican Party and said he began to doubt Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) when he chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

"She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired," he said. "But at the same, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made."

The endorsement is likely to help Obama convince skeptical centrists that he is ready to handle the challenges of commander in chief, and undercuts McCain argument that he is better qualified on national-security issues.

McCain, appearing on "Fox News Sunday," sought to minimize the endorsement by noting his support from other former secretaries of state and retired military flag officers.

"It doesn’t come as a surprise," McCain said. "I'm very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state, well over 200 retired generals and admirals. I've admired and continue to respect Secretary Powell."

Powell, 71, criticized McCain and his campaign for invoking the former domestic terrorist William Ayers.

"They're trying to connect him to some kind of terrorist feelings, and I think that's inappropriate," Powell said. "Now I understand what politics is all about — I know how you can go after one another. And that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me.

"And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I would have difficult with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration."

Powell said he has "heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion [that Obama's] a Muslim and might be associated with terrorists."

"This is not the way we should be doing it in America. I feel strongly about this particular point," Powell said. "We have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way. And John McCain is as non-discriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that within the party, we have these kinds of expressions."

Powell, a four-star Army general, was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Persian Gulf war, when George H.W. Bush was president; and President George W. Bush’s first secretary of State,

Powell has consulted with both Obama and McCain, and the general’s camp had indicated in the past that he would not endorse.

Powell said that as he watched McCain, the Republican “was a little unsure as to how to deal with the economic problems that we were having, and almost every day, there was a different approach to the problem, and that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had."

Powell said a big job of the new president will be “conveying a new image of American leadership, a new image of America’s role in the world.”

“I think what the president has to do is to start using the power of the Oval Office and the power of his personality to convince the American people and to convince the world that America is solid, America is going to move forward … restoring a sense of purpose,” he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081019/pl_politico/14714
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Powell said the election of Obama would "electrify the world."

"I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said. "He is a new generation coming ... onto the world stage and on the American stage. And for that reason, I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama."
--------
“I think what the president has to do is to start using the power of the Oval Office and the power of his personality to convince the American people and to convince the world that America is solid, America is going to move forward … restoring a sense of purpose,” he said.




This was Obama's "ace in the hole"- and he played it...(Altho the campaign hints at one or two more major Repub endorsements)

AMEN to General Powell-- and as my former state Senator said when he switched from Repub to Dem last year- "I didn't desert the Republican party, the Republican party deserted me".....
 

don

Well-known member
being a canadian, what i found interesting on the latter part of meet the press was the reporters noting that powell's endorsement would also carry weight with military and retired military personnel. there was more intelligence and integrity from powell in half an hour than from bush and cheney in eight years.
 

VanC

Well-known member
I wonder how many people who've said "I'd vote for Colin Powell" are grinding their teeth right about now? :lol:

Powell is a decent and honorable man, IMO, and I won't question his reasons for endorsing Obama. In fact, I know quite a few people that I consider decent and honorable that are going to vote for Obama. They see things differently than I do, but that doesn't make them any less in my eyes.

If you haven't already, read his memoirs "An American Journey." You'll find him to be a warm, fair, and gracious man who's not afraid to laugh at himself. Nothing like the self promotion and racial animosity you'll find in Obama's books.

One more thing, and some of you won't like it, but that's tough. If Powell had endorsed McCain, there is no doubt in my mind that the left would be lining up right now to smear him as they have every other black that doesn't "think like they're supposed to", just as they have Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, Thomas Sowell and many others who don't "tow the party line".
 

VanC

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
AMEN to General Powell-- and as my former state Senator said when he switched from Repub to Dem last year- "I didn't desert the Republican party, the Republican party deserted me".....

A line he stole from Ronald Reagan, who said "I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me" when he made the switch many years ago.
 

fff

Well-known member
VanC said:
I wonder how many people who've said "I'd vote for Colin Powell" are grinding their teeth right about now? :lol:

Powell is a decent and honorable man, IMO, and I won't question his reasons for endorsing Obama. In fact, I know quite a few people that I consider decent and honorable that are going to vote for Obama. They see things differently than I do, but that doesn't make them any less in my eyes.

If you haven't already, read his memoirs "An American Journey." You'll find him to be a warm, fair, and gracious man who's not afraid to laugh at himself. Nothing like the self promotion and racial animosity you'll find in Obama's books.

One more thing, and some of you won't like it, but that's tough. If Powell had endorsed McCain, there is no doubt in my mind that the left would be lining up right now to smear him as they have every other black that doesn't "think like they're supposed to", just as they have Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, Thomas Sowell and many others who don't "tow the party line".

If you hold Powell in high regard, watch the video of the endorsement. He's not high on my list, but this showed that he's done his homework before deciding who to endorse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88TFjriMJds
 

VanC

Well-known member
don said:
being a canadian, what i found interesting on the latter part of meet the press was the reporters noting that powell's endorsement would also carry weight with military and retired military personnel.

Maybe, maybe not. Powell's rise was mainly attributed to his skill at playing the political game, not his skills as a military commander in the field. This was resented by many in the military community. His endorsement will certainly carry weight with some, not so much with others.
 

VanC

Well-known member
fff said:
VanC said:
I wonder how many people who've said "I'd vote for Colin Powell" are grinding their teeth right about now? :lol:

Powell is a decent and honorable man, IMO, and I won't question his reasons for endorsing Obama. In fact, I know quite a few people that I consider decent and honorable that are going to vote for Obama. They see things differently than I do, but that doesn't make them any less in my eyes.

If you haven't already, read his memoirs "An American Journey." You'll find him to be a warm, fair, and gracious man who's not afraid to laugh at himself. Nothing like the self promotion and racial animosity you'll find in Obama's books.

One more thing, and some of you won't like it, but that's tough. If Powell had endorsed McCain, there is no doubt in my mind that the left would be lining up right now to smear him as they have every other black that doesn't "think like they're supposed to", just as they have Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, Thomas Sowell and many others who don't "tow the party line".

If you hold Powell in high regard, watch the video of the endorsement. He's not high on my list, but this showed that he's done his homework before deciding who to endorse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88TFjriMJds

Well, since I'm still living 20 years behind the times, my computer doesn't do youtube very well, but I did read a transcript of his endoesement. As I said, he has his reasons, many of which I disagree with, but it won't change my respect for him.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
VanC said:
I wonder how many people who've said "I'd vote for Colin Powell" are grinding their teeth right about now? :lol:

Just on this site alone :wink: :lol: :p

If I remember right, there was a bunch of Powell supporters back when we were tossing out possible Presidential candidates a couple years back....
 

Bullhauler

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
VanC said:
I wonder how many people who've said "I'd vote for Colin Powell" are grinding their teeth right about now? :lol:

Just on this site alone :wink: :lol: :p

If I remember right, there was a bunch of Powell supporters back when we were tossing out possible Presidential candidates a couple years back....

Yep I remember several who have named Powell as their token black man that they would vote for for president.
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
I would say that of any person who has given a political endorsement of either candidate,I'd bet that Powell was one man who throughly thought out his choice and did his research on each individual candidate for Pres & VP.


So whether you like what he did or not....he would be one man who made up HIS own mind by HIMSELF.
 

Larrry

Well-known member
Yup old Powell was probably the only one that didn't flip a coin to decide,ggggggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 

Yanuck

Well-known member
I don't care either way who Mr. Powell endorses, its his choice as it is everyones as to whom they will vote for. I do however have a few qustions as to why he did it the way he did....
he says he won't campaign for Obama... why not? You're endorsing him on national television don't you think it would help him get elected? if Obama really is the best person for the job, shouldn't you do everything you can?
why bring up the Muslim and the Ayers thing? yet again? aren't you just picking at the scab and bringing it to the forefront one more time in front of millions?
does he think think the Obama/Biden policies and platform are the best solution for the country? or is it strictly because he doesn't think Palin is ready? Does not how the country will be run count as well as who runs it?

Just a few thoughts I've had this morninhg...........
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
fff said:
VanC said:
I wonder how many people who've said "I'd vote for Colin Powell" are grinding their teeth right about now? :lol:

Powell is a decent and honorable man, IMO, and I won't question his reasons for endorsing Obama. In fact, I know quite a few people that I consider decent and honorable that are going to vote for Obama. They see things differently than I do, but that doesn't make them any less in my eyes.

If you haven't already, read his memoirs "An American Journey." You'll find him to be a warm, fair, and gracious man who's not afraid to laugh at himself. Nothing like the self promotion and racial animosity you'll find in Obama's books.

One more thing, and some of you won't like it, but that's tough. If Powell had endorsed McCain, there is no doubt in my mind that the left would be lining up right now to smear him as they have every other black that doesn't "think like they're supposed to", just as they have Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, Thomas Sowell and many others who don't "tow the party line".

If you hold Powell in high regard, watch the video of the endorsement. He's not high on my list, but this showed that he's done his homework before deciding who to endorse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88TFjriMJds

You can't convice me that ANYBODY has done any homework on Obama if they support him. You get looking at him and his record and you find a whole bunch of nothing and a whole bunch of bad characters.
 
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