Personally, I have little use for former Secretary of State Colin Powell. He didn't put his country first five years ago and prevent our calamity in Iraq. Powell was the only person in the world who could have prevented it, knew Bush's course was wrong and remained silent. Powell's endorsement yesterday is the act of an old Washington elitist seizing an opportunity to salvage his tainted legacy and ensure access to the next administration.
And yet Powell retains considerable prestige as a symbolic representative of America's "vital center." Powell does not deserve this prestige. After his despicable presenation to the United Nations five years ago Powell secured his dishonorable place in history as a man with the blood of both Americans and Iraqis on his hands. Nevertheless, most Americans regard Powell as statesman.
Ironically, the "vital center" that Powell supposedly represents also endorsed George W. Bush's horrofic post 9/11 foreign policy. And like Powell, they're eager to turn the page. Hence, if Powell's endorsement is the reassurring pat on the head that remaining undecided voters need to pull the lever for Barack Obama, I'll take it.
2 comments:
Colin Powell is just another
Black man endorsing a Black man.
What is new? The GOP can expect
about 95% of Blacks to vote for
Obama. He had no idea of ever
voting for McCain. He just went
through the Theatrics as if he
was making up his mind.
It was the GOP that gave him a
chance in the limelight,first as
Head of the Joints Chiefs and then
as Sec. of State which he did a very mediocre job.
As General Swartzkopf(SP) said in
his book, that he had never distinguished himself(Powell) by his military record, and incicated
that he got his promotiosn largely
because he was black much like
quotas.
He was always wishy Washy and
obtained a free ride because he
was black. 90% of our Generals
or Admirals could have done a better job. What an Ingrate!!!!!!!!!!!
A Former Sgt and Army Cobat Veteran
What a disturbing comment from "anonymous." I'm no fan of Colin Powell's myself, and like the Intrepid Liberal Journalist, think that he disgraced Americans by leading us into this war/occupation that has taken so many lives. However, the reason Powell made terrible decisions was not because he was an unqualified recipient of affirmative action (as if someone technically unqualified would ever be put into a position like that-- affirmative action simply means seeking out qualified minority candidates), but because he was corrupted by politics, by the GOP.
But what I'm really tired of hearing is the "Black people are just voting for Obama because he's Black" opinion. *Most Black people are voting for Barack Obama because most Black people vote Democratic.* During the Primary, Hillary Clinton actually garnered a great deal of African American support, in part because Bill Clinton was so popular with African Americans.
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