I didn’t think it was that far fetched to assume that a 71 year old black man would support the first viable black candidate for president.
Now I didn’t mean to say Powell doesn’t consider anything but race. But race is probably what put Obama over the edge. I think people are underestimating how large of a motivator race is in getting black people to vote for Obama. I can’t say for certain that if Obama was white Powell wouldn’t be voting for McCain.
For me, Obama means a step away from religious extremism and divisive politics. For Colin Powell it also means a huge step toward ending racial discrimination. A generation of black children would grow up believing something everyone thought impossible before this January. A generation of white children will grow up seeing a black family in the oval office.
There are powerful reasons for why Powell, who grew up during segregation, would want to see a black president. That motivation he has in seeing a black president shouldn’t be so easily dismissed as stupid.
For all their gibbering about supporting the troops, it’s always interesting to see how quickly Republicans will throw a decorated war hero or even a general under the bus when it suits them… including John McCain, actually.
Bull. Powell damn well knew Obama was black six months ago, but only endorsed him now. Race didn’t put Obama over the top, sensible policies and a far more ethical campaign did.
If that was what you said, I wouldn’t have piped up. Race could be a factor in his thinking. I wouldn’t blame him if it was, and I notice Condi Rice has been coy about her own vote, too. What you said was different. If you’re now saying they didn’t call it the sole reason I won’t quibble about it, although I do think you’re wrong about the amount of importance Powell is placing on race. I don’t think that’s the type of man he is, but it’s not like I’m a personal acquaintance.
Powell started in high school ROTC. He was in the military for 35 years. Now ,he is not a soldier. Go to any VFW post and say that. You can not take the soldier out of them.
After the way Powell was hung out to dry by the Bush administration, it’s not hard to figure out why he’d endorse Obama.
Take an honorable man, stuff him full of false information, parade him in front of the UN and let him be your mouthpiece for war, and then turn your back on him. Piece of work, that.
I wish Powell was Obama’s Veep instead of Biden. Now THAT would be interesting (and doubly historic).
Don’t you remember Powell saying that his wife wouldn’t let him run for President because she didn’t want to deal with the smear campaigns? IIRC, it was in '96 that the idea of him running was floated and he claimed to have seriously considered it.
Ah, but no one is saying that it would be stupid of Powell to have that motivation if he stated that he did. It would in fact be understandable as a contributing factor. What is being called stupid is the assumption by others that such must be the reason, even though Powell explicitly says no, and even though such a motivation is not compatible with the timing of his endorsement. The stupidity goes farther: these individuals who assume a motivation based on nothing more than a skin color even though many much more conservative than he have crossed over to endorse Obama before him for reasons not very different than those expressed by Powell, these very people who make this racist assumption that they know Powell’s mind better than he does, that others can cross over to Obama for non-racial reasons but if someone with a darker complexion does then it is only because of race, these idiots then have the chutzpah to call Powell racist for endorsing someone who he feels is the best for the job.
I can’t priove McCain would have been endorsed. It’s my opinion, although it’s consistent with Powell’s entire life’s worth of behaviour.
As to whether or not I said six weeks ago Powell would endorse whomever clearly established a big lead, that’s linked by someone else a few posts back.
I tend to doubt that Powell would have endorsed McCain big lead or not. But the concept that Powell only wants to get involved when victory is assured is well established - it was in fact a critical part of the so-called “Powell Doctrine.”
This attitude seems to follow through in his political life. Jump on board once it is clear that victory is assured but do not risk yourself until you are sure that such is the case. Somehow I don’t recall his decision to not run back in 2000 so much as a concession to his wife’s fear of smears or such, so much as his statement that he didn’t have “the fire in the belly” that a run requires … hand him an appointment but don’t make him fight for something that he isn’t already sure he is going to win.
So I think big lead was a necessary thing before he endorsed, but I doubt it was a sufficient thing.
Powell’s endorsement impressed my husband, a Vietnam vet who pays no attention to politics and who has voted Republican as long as I’ve known him. He’s always liked Powell and thinks Bush “threw Powell under the bus”. I don’t know which bus and I’m not gonna ask him. Someone he respects has endorsed Obama – there’s a glimmer of hope. (Now if Obama could just get Adrian Peterson’s endorsement, hubby’s vote would be in the bag.)
You haven’t proven that it’s consistent with his previous behavior either, though. Indeed, the relevant evidence that has so far been discussed is his consistent refusal to run for President, which is a pretty strong indication that he’s anything but an opportunist.
I just called my bud AD and he sez “Obama’s my main man,” and “if McCain gets elected, I’ll be too depressed to score touchdowns for the rest of the season.”
So I guess if Al Sharpton was the Democratic nominee, Colin Powell would go on MTP and endorse Sharpton over McCain as well, seeing that the only reason he endorsed Obama is because Obama is black.