So...do you suppose the belief of Will, Buchanan, and Limbaugh that Powell is supporting Obama because they're both black have anything to do with the fact that Will, Buchanan, and Limbaugh are white?

hancock

Republicans may not be prestidigitators, but as these three examples show, they are masters of projection.

What's missing is the careful reasoning showed by Powell, explaining his decision. Limbaugh, Buchanan, and Will apparently back McCain because he's white and they have no other reason to give.

I just enjoyed the heck out of it. It brought the "slime" and Caribou Barbie into the forefront of discussion as to what is wrong with McCain and his campaign. I hope they just keep going negative as every hit seems to boost Barak's numbers.

I'm with John R. Can we trick them into stuff like this more often? It doesn't diminish the force of Powell's arguments, because they're the same ones being made by Sully and Buckley and the Chicago Tribune. It just sheds more daylight on the intellectual poverty of the right these days.

...but more than that to put paid to the whole Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson game of political rhetoric.

Is that really what you think we're "putting paid" to, George? Really? Well, good, you just go right on thinking that. And spend the next 20 years in the political wilderness.

...but more than that to put paid to the whole Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson game of political rhetoric.

Is that really what you think we're "putting paid" to, George? Really? Well, good, you just go right on thinking that. And spend the next 20 years in the political wilderness.

I hear there are a lot of "progressives" out there who are dismissive of Powell's endorsement, seeing him as a failed member of Bush's team. The fact is, however, Powell is well respected by many, mostly white, middle of the road voters. This is an impressive endorsement and will play well for Obama.

There's no surprise here. With Limbaugh and his ilk, it's all about race to begin with. Pretty much the same for Buchanan. Will? He's still pontificating on the mid to late 80's.

I'm sure there are plenty of Palin-lusting, Joe 6packs out there who think the same thing. They were never going to vote for the 'black dude' in any case. So, the only issue in any of this is the accidental, self revealing, comedy of these 'deep thinking' wingnuts.

When there is no good argument to be offered countering the substance of Colin's message this is the kind of reactionary appeal to identity politics we have come to expect. Colin put the noose firmly around the right's necks and they look for the easiest, laziest, and sleaziest means of slipping out of it. I'd like to see them and the McCain team answer Colin's main points instead of winging their way out of it in such a cowardly manner. Is honor really that difficult?

Too bad Powell didn't use his intellectual insights before he went in front of the United Nations pushing Bushit's preemptive slaughter of Iraqis.

With all that said,I am happy for the endorsement. I think the MSM needs to ask these right wing pundants if they think Palin would do a better job of selling a war than Powell did. I mean, can't you just see her sitting there in front of the mike at the UN and in that home-spun twang saying: "Now, y'all know what I'm sayin' here. We have to nuke Iran and all because they don't see America the way you and I do". Then she'd smile and wink at Brockmann and the General Assembly before leaving w/o answering questions from lemming-like "reporters". What fun...

The funniest comment came on Michael Smerconish's radio program this morning. You may have noted that the local "right-wing" radio talker in Philly is voting for Obama, and did his big Sunday column in the Philly Inky about it.

Smerconish is a very open-minded fellow and likes to actually think things through than read talking points -- he gets a bad rap getting lumped in with the Hannity crowd.

He read the opening of the column on Friday and told people he'd be talking about it on Monday, and they should read the Sunday column. The hate mail poured in, predictably, on Friday.

One caller this morning said that Powell's endorsement was so like Smerconish's, that someone must have leaked the Smerconish column early to Powell, and Powell must have used it for talking points.

Really.

What has the Right really scared about the endorsement is not the endorsement. It is the justification for the endorsement, which is really an indictment of the Republican Party.

Powell, in essence said, I can no longer look the the other way when it comes to the active bigotry within the party. I have no doubt that Powell remains a pro-military, fiscal responsibility, pro-business conservatism. I think he can longer be associated with the bigotry that has been a means to those ends.

The Right knows that it is losing badly in the younger generations. If they now jettison the igots in the party, there won't be much left for several years. But if they hold on to the bigots, then they will die a slow death.

OK, George, Rush and Pat, what about all the prominent white republicans who have come out to endorse Obama? Are they racially motivated?

I like how these crinkled white guys can so easily dismiss Colin Powell as being a racist. If Powell did not base his endorsement on the fact that Obama is black, these fuckers just gave him a great reason to do so.

"Let's ignore every single substantive thing Powell said, and concentrate on race instead. Which makes Powell the racist."

It continues to amaze me that Limbaugh is taken seriously outside of Klan rallies.

Race is the only thing they can use because if they try to attack the logic, they're dead. It's the same situation between McCain and Obama.

"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race... 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."

Heh. It's not all that hard to think of one who at least pretended to at least be a moderate. Didn't Powell endorse George W. Bush? That's 2 out of 3 on the Limbaugh scale.

George Will didn't go quite as far, but he nevertheless emphasized a racial angle and got an Al Sharpton reference in: "I think this adds to my calculation -- this is very hard to measure -- but it seems to me if we had the tools to measure we'd find that Barack Obama gets two votes because he's black for every one he loses because he's black

...because, as we all know, being black gives you a huge advantage in American electoral politics.

On a slightly different tngent:

"or because both are in their early 70s (McCain is a year older than Powell)"

Watching Powell give his endorsement on Meet the Press did anyone look at him and think "old"? He was fit, vital and sharp as a tac. I doubt anyone would question his fittness to sereve as President. McCain, at one year older, looks like the casket lid is half closed.

What was it that Lee Atwater confessed his candidates stood up in the public square and yelled? I think I hear the echo still.

Saint Zak@8.53, I thought the same thing. In fact, I was amazed to read here that Powell IS 71! I was also shocked when I read that Joe Biden is 68.

Buchanan, et al. won't take Powell's analysis at face value because, by throwing race in people's faces, the get to avoid facing up to the shortcomings of their own candidate.

Rush Limbaugh. . . Rush Limbaugh . . . where have I heard that name connected to controversial racial statements before?

Oh! now I remember! Wasn't he the same person who said Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb was rated so highly because he was black? Yes, back in 2003, wasn't it? In an interview on ESPN almost exactly five years ago Rush said:

"I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They're interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well ... McNabb got a lot of the credit for the performance of the team that he really didn't deserve."

So ol' Rush (who has never played in a Super Bowl or negotiated a treaty) finds African American professionals easy to dismiss because anything they do or accomplish is on account of race and favoritism.

If the GOP wants to associate itself with bigots then they deserve to have history pass them by. And they shouldn't be surprised next month when 90% of African Americans vote straight Democratic tickets -- tickets with many whites and other minorities on them.

Whatever the GOP has become it sure is a long way from the party of Lincoln. I wonder what Rush thinks of Jason Campbell?

Watching Powell give his endorsement on Meet the Press did anyone look at him and think "old"? He was fit, vital and sharp as a tac.

Yeah. When I read yesterday that Powell was only a year younger than McCain I had to go look it up to make sure someone wasn't yanking my chain - it's just amazing the differences between the two of them - I'd swear that Powell looks 10 years younger than McCain. Maybe he got a better deal with the Devil than McCain did, or maybe that time as a POW really did knock ten years off of McCain's life health-wise. But Powell looks really good for a guy in his 70s.

I pretty much predicted years ago that the day that Powell tried to use his status as "distinguished elder Republican war-hero statesman" rather than as "hack in the tank for the Republicans" he'd get disowned by the mouth-breathers. And earlier this year when it became obvious to me that there was no way that Powell was going to endorse McCain, I figured that if he did endorse Obama it would be chalked up to "those blacks all stick together" by the mouth-breathers. (I didn't think Powell would actually endorse Obama, I just figured he wouldn't endorse anyone. I think it took McCain picking Palin and then running to the racist base to get Powell to shift from "not endorsing anyone" to "screw you man, I'm endorsing Obama." But that's just my opinion.)

But McCain has the mouth-breather vote locked up at this point, and Powell wasn't trying to sway their vote. Nor was he trying to sway the votes of people like me (i.e. people who figure Powell lost any cred he might have by both going in front of the UN and lying about Iraq AND supporting an administration that then proceeded to shred the entire "Powell doctrine" about going to war and made the same mistakes we made in Vietnam). He was aiming this at Independents and Republicans who aren't comfortable with the mouth-breathers, but just can't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. I think this will shave a few votes off that latter group, and the more that Rush and co. try to push the "black folks all stick together" idea, the more the Republicans and Independents who are disturbed by the mouth-breathers will start feeling comfortable jumping ship.

I guess by their own standards if Will, Buchanan, and Limbaugh don't vote for Obama they are racist.
How is it possible that so many of these creatures have a national platform?

The right-wing is filled with nothing but crazy haters. I was at that Obama rally in St.Louis on Saturday, and predictably there were a few protesters carrying anti-abortion and Jesus saves signs. One had a radio station advertised on it, so for kicks my wife and I tuned in.

The commentators were busy trying to tie the bible to Obama and the coming anti-Christ. In the end, they said that the bible predicted Obama was not the anti-Christ but that he would usher in the anti-Christ. Instead, they surmised that Bill Clinton is the anti-Christ and that Obama would surly appoint him to the UN, where supposedly he'll become secretary general. That supposedly signals the end for us all.

Who can think this shit up? Worse, who believes it? Crazy mofos everyone of them.

Phoebes

Biden is NOT 68 - he is 64, maybe just turned 65

and I had sort of downplayed Powell's endorsement till I watched it -- WOW -- it was a very moving and powerful statement that summed up neatly the several major reasons why Obama is the best choice.

and he easily swatted down the mewlings of the McCain flack Brokaw -- Brokaw's bias and unprofessionalism has been something of a shock in this campaign -- I had previously thought him an honest man

Repugs have been racists since the beginning of time and this election is giving them an opening to show it and show it they have. It is quite disgusting to see them state that Powell is voting based on race. I have much more respect for him than that - even if he endorsed McCain which I expected. Why doesn't someone on the Dems side call these guys racists based on their comments - you know they would have blasted anyone saying these things on the Dems side.

Just look at the reactions to Palin from the Repugs when someone questions her intelligence, integrity and whatnot - ohhhhh that is sexist. Same crap. Get over it and talk the issues and not the erratic tone of late.

Poor George Will seems so confused. He's written at least 2 columns on the moronic McCain campaign and how McCain is in over his head but when Powell endorses Obama he chalks it up to race.

Am I the only one who is constantly amazed (okay, by now I should be used to it) that Republicans act like they just love people with military backgrounds, but then go compeltely negative on any person with a military background who endorses a Democrat or (gasp!) runs as a Democrat?

Powell is nothing short of an opportunist - Obama's ahead. Race has nothin g to do with his endorsement. For those who think Republicans are some how racist, you must revisit history. Wasn't it Republicans who fought, died, and chamioned for the rights of Afican-Americans? The KKK were staunch white Democrats and southern Dems believed, practiced, and enforced segregation. Democrats, not Republicans were the biggest perpetrators of racism and bigotry in the history of this nation. Stop trying to re-write history!

Limbaugh's never going to give credit to anyone other than a white man. He loves to blast Native Americans for insisting on their rights and for living on tax-free reservations (with casinos).

Whenever a black person comes to prominence in this country he quickly plays the race card on his/her behalf, because a black person in America can't possibly succeed on his/her own merits, citing things like Affirmative Action and "because he's black." When Obama wins, it'll be "because he's black."

Limbaugh has done a great deal of damage to this nation, all the while epitomizing the very hypocrisy that characterizes those of his ilk. He's divorced three times, abuses drugs, lazy, stupid and goes on brothel tours in Central America.

He could get caught red-handed in Costa Rica screwing little boys while simultaneously downing a concoction Oxycotin, Vicodin, Viagra, Jim Beam, Cuban tobacco leaves, and the blood of liberals, and his Dittohead fans will claim it was all a liberal conspiracy to sully the name of a good man.

Why anyone would find value in his words is beyond me. I bet his lawyer family is so proud of his bullshit.

Steven, since 1968 the GOP has been the home of the white racist voter. Beginning with Nixon's Southern Strategy that year, they pretty much threw away the Lincoln legacy.

Just to clear this up, Biden is 65. He was born in Scranton on November 20, 1942. He will turn 66 by the time the next president is inaugurated. It is amazing that both he and Powell look and act much, much younger than McCain.

One of these days the 'white' folk are going to finally get it. We are all from the same genetic dna pool, unless you came from another planet. Put them on a hot, desert continent without benefit of SP45 and watch their skin turn dark.

The fact that Obama is half 'white' and half 'black'; his skin is dark or light; his religious beliefs or gender should never be a consideration of whether he is qualified or not.

Get over it.

A white woman from Washington who 'got over it' a long time ago - even though brought up by a bigoted white republican father.

If race is all Powell cares about, then why didn't he endorse Alan Keyes in the GOP primaries in 1996 and 2000?

While it's great Powell endorsed Obama, the fact is Powell did compromise himself at the UN, when he said Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction. We can't forget that. As a result thousands of American soldiers died and over 100,000 Iraqi civilians also died.

We can't forget about this decision just because he endorsed Obama. As a Democrat, and from someone who is still voting for Obama, I hope people understand this. Powell CHOSE to participate in conveying false information about Iraq being an imminent threat. People are dead as a result who had no right to be there in the first place.

In their drive to dismiss the significance of Powell's support for Obama, though, emphasizing race is even worse than ridiculous.

This is, of course, in no way surprising. The conservative punditocracy has been, to put it generously, 'worse than ridiculous' for years now.

So far those Republicans who have jumped ship have done so for personal reasons - they have seen that John McCain has become a mere shadow of his former self, a grumpy old man, an erratic, impulsive man with no core principles, with no consistent plans or strategy to lead his campaign or the nation. And Obama has done everything right. There is simply no contest between the two. One is presidential, the other a washed up has-been.

But what we need is a general recognition that Republican ideology doesn't work, and that the Republican Party must reform itself, not just for the sake of the party, but for the nation. The cultural wars are destroying us as much as Reaganomics, and there will be no change until people in the center and on the right realize this.

So far, the media is simply fanning the flames of the fire that has been consuming us for thirty years and more - as Krugman suggests today, the divide and conquer strategy was initiated by Nixon.

It is a shame that Colin Powell didn't begin this process in his endorsement yesterday. I don't think for a minute that his decision was racial. He knows he joined the wrong party. Why the hell couldn't he have said so?

Even with blacks going 94:1 for Obama, libs are afraid to confront minority racism. I haven't analyzed this yet. I guess it has something to do with libs having a Walter Mitty fantasy about being champions of blacks, and the notion of them being victims in minority-majority America destroys their self image.

Powell is remembered more with nostalgia as a legitimate great black hope, but not with respect after his UN WMD speech. He is furthered diminished by they rather obvious show of racism. There is a time to speak out, and a time to shut up. Powell missed the boat too many times now.

Sorry, Colin Powell is elementally a political opportunist who chooses the benefits of whichever tide is flowing. He and his son accepted the benefits of Republican administrations for years. Now, he sees a black candidate with a real chance so he grabs his boogie board. Opportunism 101.

scary, isn't it, how quickly colin powell has gone from an esteemed four-star general to just another n****r?

Sorry,...
Now, he sees a black candidate with a real chance so he grabs his boogie board. Opportunism 101.

I'm sorry too. Did you type this with your hood on or is it in the laundry?

The real question: "Who cares?" To most black people, Gen Powell is forgotten history, a former member of the Bush Administration, and if backing Mr Obama, is just one more endorsement.

Oh man. That George Will comment is reprehensible. It's exactly the same thing that got Limbaugh fired from ESPN - saying the media was giving Donovan McNabb a pass because they wanted to feel good about a black guy succeeding as a QB.

Will should be fired for saying that.

Pls don't imagine for a minute that these types of remarks are anything less than calculated to exploit racial divides for reactionary McCain votes. The idea that I would vote for Obama to "feel good about myself as a white man" is inanely dopey. (If I were black I might feel differently but I am not so I can't say.) In any event, as I keep telling people -- Obama is HALF white. As a white man I am proud that a man with strong Caucasian ancestry like Obama can compete in American politics given what white men like Bush and Cheney have wrought.

Basically the Republican attempts to spin Powells endorsement boil down to it's tribalism or who cares. One is an insult to a distinguished soldier and the other is a denial of the reality of his appeal to a lot of middle of the road Republicans and independants. What are you going to do with a party that has problems attracting the support of Republicans like Powell. Answer. Nothing. They are going ot collapse in a pit of internecine warfare when this is over that will probably last a generation.

Luther: Even with blacks going 94:1 for Obama, libs are afraid to confront minority racism.

That's because it's not a case of minority racism. It's cultural pride. Blacks are not voting for Obama because John McCain is white. They're voting for Obama because he, like them, is black. African Americans have never had the opportunity to vote for a presidential candidate with whom they share any real cultural similarity. This, Luther, is history.

As white liberals, one of the many, many reasons we're anxious to vote for Obama is because it signifies a great landmark in our nation's history. Black people don't revere Martin Luther King Jr. because he was black. They do so because he spoke for them and put his life on the line for them, indeed for all of us. That's not racism.

And so, today, a great many black voters see Obama as someone who speaks for them, just as I [an Iraq War protester and white guy] feel he speaks for me. Saying that black people are anxious to vote for a black candidate because of "minority racism" is not only false and absurd, but it ignores the enormous historical significance November 4th holds for all Americans.

Powell's endorsement is not some "obvious show of racism" any more than Rush Limbaugh's endorsement of John McCain is. In fact, it's probably a whole lot less.

Ahh, this is still "Colin Powell's party," though.

Besides, Obama is considering at least one Republican for his cabinet.

Back a Republican into a corner and race becomes an issue. That's especially true this year, not just because of Obama's race but because in five Senate contests -- LA, MS, NC, GA, KY -- whose outcomes could put the Democrats within reach of a filibuster-proof majority, the Republican base has been shown to respond to racial and/or "not like us" appeals.

GOP operatives and media agents know to play the race card late. It will get more overt in media campaigning and much uglier below the radar in the next two weeks.

So, Powell endorses Obama because they are both BLACK.
If you follow this type of reasoning then, Limpball [sic] et al are then only supporting McAint because he is WHITE, right?

In other words,is Lieberman supports MCcain just because MCcain is white?????????

In other words,is Lieberman supporting MCcain just because MCcain is white?????????

Posted by: maureen rehg on October 20, 2008 at 12:25 PM

It is right and proper that people should be taking Powell's latest "witnessing" as just another black man lying about why he's for "the bro and his ho". Colin Powell shamed his country in 2004 and he shamed himself in 2008.

The right-wing Gasbag Bund is delaminating like a cardboard box left out in the rain. Soon it will be an unrecognizable pile of sodden brown mush.

Fifteen days until the Enlightenment!

~A~

I'm a supporter of Obama, but I honestly don't think Powell would have endorsed Obama if he were white. This is a guy who not only endorsed Bush twice, he was in his cabinet. All of a sudden we're supposed to believe that Powell would endorse based on logic and reason vs. rubber-stamping the Republican ticket? Sorry, but there are a lot of reasons why Powell doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt on this.

Sure Powell lied but he was given the same trumped up intelligence Clinton and every other Senator was given. However, he manned up and admitted he lied, then divorced himself from the neo-con bush administration. I can and do respect that.

Can you imagine the big hoorah if Powell had endorsed McCain?...he would still be a great military man instead of the racist the slobbering neo-cons now claim he is.

Would Powell have endorsed Obama if he were white? Well, let's look at why he is supporting Obama:

1] Disheartened by the Republicans' efforts to brand Obama as a Muslim who is "not like us."

2] Likes Obama's tax policy.

3] Disillusioned by GOP's racial hate-baiting.

4] Believes Obama is "the president we need now."

If Obama had been born white, reasons 1 and 3 would not exist. 2 and 4 still would.

So, if Obama were white, it'd be a toss up. Because he is black, it's a slam dunk. But, not because Colin Powell is black! After all, more than a few white people are equally disgusted by the right's race-baiting and Muslim innuendo. Those are two good reasons to support Obama right there. Does that make us racist?

No.

The only reason for Colin Powell to consider Barack Obama's race, at least in terms of his endorsement of him, is because Powell's fellow republicans have already made race an issue. In fact, any black republican who is voting for Obama is most likely doing so, not because he's black, but because their fellow GOPers have made his culture an issue.

Rush, Pat and George can bitch all they want to about this. But it is the complacency of the party members who have not called bullshit on the racial and non-Christian taunts as well as the perpetrators of them who are entirely to blame for race being an issue here.

I wonder: when a white guy endorses a white guy, do people ask these questions?

And uh...isn't Obama just as much 'white' as he is 'black?' When white people have come forth and endorsed his candicacy, has anyone suggested that they did so because he was white?

McCain as a worse voting history on Veterans issues than Obama. Do some fact checking on it. Just because he touts being a veteran, does not make him pro-veteran. See quotes below (from only one source):

"Some veterans' groups have expressed strong criticisms of McCain's voting record on funding for veterans medical care. In its most recent legislative ratings, for example, the Disabled American Veterans gave McCain a 20 percent rating for his voting record on veterans’ issues.

Also, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave McCain a "D" grade for his poor voting record on veterans’ issues, including McCain’s votes against additional body armor for troops in combat and additional funding for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury screening and treatment." Search for chart below and compare votes of Obama and McCain on veterans issues.
( WhoIsSupportingourVeterans-revised-1.pdf 88.01 KB )

Apparently the majority of the posters here can't see the blatant hypocricy of the "Conservative" Colin Powell.

I would equate this to Hillary Clinton endorsing John McCain on Fox News Sunday and eloquently outlining her "reasons"... "his experience and wisdom".

When we all would know that the only reason she would do it is to help McCain get elected... and if she did, believe me, the libs would be fuming.

I don't care who the heck Powell endorses, but let's not kid around and think that he actually thinks Barack Obama is better qualified than McCain... that IS ridiculous. He did it because he's black, just like the other 95% of blacks that are going to vote for Obama.

While I disagree with it, I can see the yearning for blacks to see a black president, just like I am sure many women want to see a female president.

What concerns me is that many voters are going to go against their own convictions to make history.

Sad.

As the man said himself it's more of a judgement on the Repulbican party and how it has "narrowed" in the last 8 years under Bush's leadership. He was hoping Powell would stray from this narrowing, but instead McCain wholehearted backed it as exemplified by his pick of Palin. GOP, go back to your small governement, libertarian roots and you will bring back the moderate conservatives that are jumping ship right now. Heck, you might even bring back from moderate Regan Democrats that you've pushed away with two hands in the last 8 years.

All these far-right idiots are giving this explanation for Powell's move because THEY ARE WHITE.

Scott: I would equate this to Hillary Clinton endorsing John McCain on Fox News Sunday...

I disagree. Hillary Clinton is a politician who runs for office as a Democrat and therefore has some obligation to party unity [I know, I know]. For instance, Joe Lieberman's endorsement of John McCain has come after several contentious years of mutual dislike between him and his former party. And it's cost him.

In other words, Hillary Clinton is more likely to shit a sailboat than to endorse John McCain. I think the more accurate Democratic party corollary would be if Madeleine Albright were to endorse him. There would be quite a lot of sailboats shat, were that to happen.

Colin Powell is a public servant by appointment. His endorsement of Obama comes at a real crossroads for a very fractured party, a party that has courted so many vitriolic and heavy-handed groups [gun nuts, religious nuts, anti-gay nuts, anti-regulation nuts, anti-tax nuts, anti-government nuts, anti-abortion nuts, anti-immigration nuts, etc.] that they're starting to embarrass each other. And they've made it so the party can't make a move without disenfranchising some of its own.

So the General, as most good leaders would, looked for unity and calm and vision and resolve. And he believes he found it in Obama.

Scott: Let's not kid around and think that he actually thinks Barack Obama is better qualified than McCain... that IS ridiculous.

Listen to what Colin Powell actually says about Obama and McCain and you will hear a very well-reasoned argument as to why it is not ridiculous to believe the former is more qualified than the latter.

Speaking of ridiculous: Who do you think is better qualified, Barack Obama or Sarah Palin?

joe...
wtf?

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