# What Do You Think of the Colin Powell Ads? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 5, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930 "2012-11-05T05:47:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/1 "2012-11-05T05:47:26Z")
Personally, I am surprised Colin Powell has agreed to do the ads endorsing Obama. I thought he was a staunch Republican! So, (a) what do you think of this? And, (b) where were these ads all along? Or, last week? I think they waited too late to air these, IMHO. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/2 "2012-11-05T06:13:17Z")
I live in Florida and I stopped seeing political ads weeks ago. So, if I had guess, probably in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin area. Maybe Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/3 "2012-11-05T07:09:41Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Personally, I am surprised Colin Powell has agreed to do the ads endorsing Obama. You do realize, don’t you, that Powell endorsed Obama back in 2008? Powell is basically a moderate pragmatist. So it was no surprise that he went against the McCain/Palin ticket, basically saying the Repubs had gone too far off the deep end. With the Romney/Ryan ticket, they’re a bit less extreme, but by only a little (I’m counting Romney’s campaign rhetoric, not his (much more moderate) record as Governor. Ryan is much more extreme right in his views on government. So is that endorsement really that much of a surprise? ---
**Author:** ![AlohaBear32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@AlohaBear32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlohaBear32)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/4 "2012-11-05T07:32:15Z")
Didn’t see them yet. In fact in Hawaii, I’ve only seen ads for local politicans on TV, nothing from Mittens are maybe one Obama ad like 4 months ago. One ad I DO wish they would get rid of is the one of the Old Hungarian Guy “I come from a socialist country” ads…those annoy me to know end…probably the only senior citizen on Earth currently I woundn’t mind decking… ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/5 "2012-11-05T07:53:23Z")
Ad here: > **[New Obama Ad Features Colin Powell Endorsement](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/obama-colin-powell-ad_n_2053279)** > > New Obama Ad Features Colin Powell Endorsement The ad, according to the campaign, will run in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia, Minnesota and Wisconsin. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/6 "2012-11-05T11:26:22Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I live in Florida and I stopped seeing political ads weeks ago. So, if I had guess, probably in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin area. Maybe Virginia. You must live in the Villages then (or only listen to XM radio). The rest of Florida is being blanketed with advertising from both sides. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/7 "2012-11-05T11:47:57Z")
Seeing them a lot in PA. Very effective ad, ISTM, though I’m a Romney guy. I think it was pretty shitty of Powell, but that won’t change the the ad’s effectiveness. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/8 "2012-11-05T12:01:35Z")
I thought the part where he said we need to vote against Romney because the back half of the Romney/Ryan campaign bus contained a mobile chemical weapons lab was pretty convincing. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/9 "2012-11-05T13:29:18Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I live in Florida and I stopped seeing political ads weeks ago. So, if I had guess, probably in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin area. Maybe Virginia. You must not be paying attention. I live in Orlando and 80% of the ads i see are political. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/10 "2012-11-05T13:53:43Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I thought the part where he said we need to vote against Romney because the back half of the Romney/Ryan campaign bus contained a mobile chemical weapons lab was pretty convincing. Well, his veep nominee is a WMD. Weapon of Medicare Destruction. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/11 "2012-11-05T15:48:27Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I live in Florida and I stopped seeing political ads weeks ago. So, if I had guess, probably in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin area. Maybe Virginia. Hell, if I lived in Florida (or any of the swing states) I wouldn’t have seen any political ads for months. Because I would have bashed in my TV long ago. On the one hand, I kind of envy swing state voters because their votes matter - doesn’t matter much who I vote for in TX. But on the other hand, the non-stop barrage of ads, junk mail, and robo-calls must be absolutely maddening. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/12 "2012-11-05T17:45:34Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Personally, I am surprised Colin Powell has agreed to do the ads endorsing Obama. I thought he was a staunch Republican! So, (a) what do you think of this? And, (b) where were these ads all along? Or, last week? I think they waited too late to air these, IMHO. What do you think? Just to be absolutely clear here, I don’t see that Powell is “doing an ad.” He endorsed Obama\* during an interview\*, and the Obama campaign is using the tape from that interview, which I assume they have the right to do under fair use laws. I do not believe they need Powell’s permission to use him in the ad. They might have gotten it anyway out of politeness, but it’s not really Powell making an effort to help make an ad. Small distinction, but it’s worth noting. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/13 "2012-11-06T01:31:56Z")
I think it takes a certain amount of hubris to start off an Obama ad by talking about how he saved the economy. But it’ll work because people rarely question the factual claims made in political ads. Nobody will stop to think that most of the measures to deal with the financial crisis were already in place by the time Obama took office, and all that was left for him to do was to reform the big banks, which he didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/14 "2012-11-06T01:42:37Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > Seeing them a lot in PA. Very effective ad, ISTM, though I’m a Romney guy. I think it was pretty shitty of Powell, but that won’t change the the ad’s effectiveness. Why? Isn’t he allowed to have an opinion? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/15 "2012-11-06T01:51:37Z")
I’m surprised Obama wants to have any endorsement or political advertisement from a former Bush-era cabinet member. But I’ve always liked Powell so it’s cool that he’s doing it. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-the-colin-powell-ads/639930/16 "2012-11-06T17:42:05Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I’m surprised Obama wants to have any endorsement or political advertisement from a former Bush-era cabinet member. Are you kidding? That kind of a turnaround is political gold. “Hey, even though I was Bush’s right hand man, I now see that Barack Obama is the \*\*real \*\*answer to this country’s problems!”