I was pretty sure it would happen, but I wasn't sure when. Yay!

Wow, that's huge. Yay, Colin Powell!

Colin Powell Hates America

I personally have some serious problems with Powell but he still carries a lot of weight politically with the moderates that we need. Hopefully this will be the last nudge that pushes them over the line.

Right-wingers will of course argue that Powell's only supporting Obama because they're both black. What would really be the last nail would be if someone Joe The Knucklehead really loves/admires would come out in favour of Obama - I'm thinking Schwarzenegger.

Yeah, I know it won't happen but it would be sooo cool if it did.

The endorsement of a shitbag like Powell almost makes me wish I hadn't voted for Obama already.

I think the endorsement might sway a few people who are still not-quite-confident in Obama's foreign-policy and military bona fides. Or, to put it another way, I think it can only help Obama and only hurt McCain.

Right-wingers will of course argue that Powell's only supporting Obama because they're both black.

They already have

not about Powell, but I just saw this photo scody posted at Mefi of the masses that turned up to see Obama in St. Louis. Whoah.

A landslide would be neato mosquito peachy keen, but i'm still just hoping for win. Winning would be great, thanks.
It would be nice to be the country that wasn't just as racist as you think it is, and the world thinks it is. Because it is.
But maybe it's not.
Or maybe we just work on this president thing and figure it out from there.

Sorry, this is politics filter

Uh, wouldn't that be politics chat?

Huh. I am very happy Colin Powell seized the day and took a stand. But I'm not at all surprised to hear how he feels. I guess I think of him as a reasoned guy and wouldn't expect anything different. I'm hearing a lot of people today saying they think he's a shitbag. Why is that?

Right-O StickyCarpet.

It's worth watching the whole thing or reading the transcript. He does a lot more than just endorse Obama, he really lays it into the Republicans for running such a crappy divisive campaign.

Reporter: Sir, what part did McCain's negativity play in your decision, the negative tone of the campaign?

Powell: It troubled me. We have two wars. We have economic problems. We have health problems. We have education problems. We have infrastructure problems. We have problems around the world with our allies. So those are the problems the American people wanted to hear about, not about Mr. Ayers, not about who's a Muslim or who's not a Muslim. Those kinds of images going out on Al-Jazeera are killing us around the world.

And we have got to say to the world, it doesn't make any difference who you are or what you are, if you're an American, you're an American. And this business, for example, of the congressman from Minnesota who's going around saying, "Let's examine all congressmen to see who is pro-America or not pro-America" -- we have got to stop this kind of nonsense, pull ourselves together and remember that our great strength is in our unity and in our diversity. And so, that really was driving me.

I'm hoping that the Obama endorsements of the likes of Colin Powell and Christopher Buckley lead to something more; the abandonment of the Republican party by Honest Conservatives and Moderates, NOT in favor of the Democrats (that would give a party I barely tolerate way too much power - like what the GOP has been working toward the last decade), but in favor of a New Conservative Party, leaving the Grand Old Party to the Crypto-Fascists, Holy Warriors, Bigots and Kleptocrats who have had most of the power in that organization since the Reagan years. I sincerely doubt that Honest Conservatives (which I offer my late Republican Womens Group Leader mother as an example of) will support the inevitable firestorm of dirty tricks the Palinists and Dittoheads will try to unleash against an Obama Administration and hope that they ultimately establish something not dependent on a single charismatic leader, like a Reform Party without the Ross Perot (I always found it amusing that the most serious candidacy of a Businessman was sabotaged by his general mismanagement - Totally aside: If Obama has shown anything in his campaign, it is managerial skill - and a total lack of naivete - but being a good contrarian, what I dislike most about him is the charisma and his dependence on it).

The bad news for the Honest Conservatives is the remainder of the GOP will hang on to everything they can like the rabid pit bulls they are for at least a couple election cycles, but a Grand New Party would have a chance at attracting Moderate Democrats and Independent factions, and the Old Party would ultimately merge into the remnants of the George Wallace Third Party of the '60s, where Nixon's Southern Strategy started them on this path that has done so much damage to America.

Of course, first, we have to get past the next ninety days and get Bush to leave office without burning the whole place down, which has long been my #1 worry. After all the POWER that has been systematically amassed in the Presidency and Vice Presidency and taken away from Congress (including emergency powers the President can now invoke in the case of anything he declares a crisis) and the fact that it is the ONLY thing the Rulers of the GOP has left as an asset, I see the chances of a proper, Constitutional, transfer of powers to still be worse than 50/50. Which is why I support a "promise the crooks and traitors total immunity if they'll just LEAVE" policy, even if those crooks and traitors become leaders of the aforementioned firestorm.

I think the Rove made a long-range tactical error for the GOP in pandering to the evangelicals. He managed to grab and electrify one of the biggest voting blocks in the country but the past 8 years have managed to totally alienate the rest of the Republican coalition: the libertarians, those concerned with less spending and smaller government, the fiscal conservatives, the non-interventionists... I think you'll get your wish in the coming years, Wendell. It might look like another Perot. Or the GOP might wise up and offer a real candidate who can bring that coalition back together and yet be credible to the bible thumpers. McCain is just not quite there on either score.

I agree that Obama has shown great managerial skill in his campaign. I disagree that he relies on his charisma, though. It's certainly a big asset, but if anything he's toned it way down in recent weeks and relied on his discipline and smarts. He's anything but playing to the cameras.

Scarabic, most of the recent antipathy was his backing of the Iraq war, where he was either fooled or chose to believe the propaganda in support of the war.

I read this a while back.

I dunno I think they hung Powell out to dry with the whole WMD thing. It's fantastic that he's supporting Obama. Our notoriously right leaning newspaper here also announced their endorsement of Obama. Not bad, for Jesse Helms territory. If I listen closely, I think I can hearing him spewing racial slurs from his plot 4 blocks over.

link to Raleigh's paper endorsement of Obama.

Gotcha, lysdexic. I guess I can understand that since Powell in a way "legitimized" GWB's crusade when he should have been a critical voice of reason against it. But wow... just about every douchebag in Washington is guilty of that. Hilary Clinton, for one. At least Powell had the decency to resign once he realized his grievous error.

The Iraq War is a black mark on all Americans, I'm afraid.

Wow, Chewie. Very interesting... I might wander over to the Charlotte paper's website.

I just watched The Simpsons episode where Ralph Wiggum is running for President '08. This was before Palin was chosen and is uncannily prescient.

And we have got to say to the world, it doesn't make any difference who you are or what you are, if you're an American, you're an American.

About time someone stood up and said that.
It's been so depressing that any response other than "why would it matter?" is needed to answer the "Is he Muslim?" question.

Did someone say that they needed a coffin? No?

ha!

No, just some wooden stakes and silver bullets to deal with whatever comes out of the coffin.

What a breath of fresh air from Powell. Finally an establishment voice that has the guts to call out this Muslim-trashing bullshit.

And I'm wondering the same thing as wendell. If Obama wins, there just has to be a break out wing of the GOP. People like Bloomberg and Schwarzenegger seem to be on the verge of it.

McCain is a shell of his former self. he'll either go full zombie or turn into Monty Burns.
"Eggggsellent…"
Would someone please please pass Cindy some ludes?