Has the torch perhaps passed?
It is perhaps not entirely surprising that Republican general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Senator Obama for President in his 30th appearance on Meet the Press. Powell says that he sees Obama as a “transformational” figure, and indeed that is true of Powell himself.
Powell, who is John McCain’s age, was raised in the South Bronx, the son of New Deal Democrats. After joining ROTC at CCNY in the late fifties, he became a career soldier. By 1963 he was an officer in the US Army who had already served in Germany and South Vietnam, but found that he couldn’t get a hamburger at a drive-in outside Fort Benning, Georgia (pp. 107-108 of Powell’s autobiography). He has seen and been part of a lot of transformation over the last five decades.
Powell spoke of the need for a “generational change“, a subject we touched on a few weeks ago, and which just might be the strongest underlying factor in this presidential contest. Though he referred to Bill Ayers as “despicable,” he called attempts to link Ayers and Obama “demagoguery.” (Different views of Ayers may be found here and here.)
Senator McCain tried to put a good face on things: “‘It doesn’t come as a surprise,’ McCain said. ‘I’m very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state, well over 200 retired generals and admirals. I’ve admired and continue to respect Secretary Powell’.” It can’t be a good development for McCain that his choice in 2000 for Secretary of State has now joined the other team.
October 19th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Gee, Obama never had an executive position at all. He’s grown up in the liberal cocoon of affirmative action.
McCain, to everyone’s annoyment, including the North Vietnamese, the Navy, the Republican party, has done what he thought he should do. Obama has been a white liberal and black racists step’n fetchet it.
Colin says that McCain was unsure of what to do with the worlds larges, most complex economy in a unique moment in time. Too bad McCain didn’t take the tiller and sail like Mao the people’s economy with clear vision.
What a putz. It’s no puzzle that a real General like Swartzkopf endorsed McCain, and a staff butler like Colin went for the smooth talker.
Yeah Colin, it wasn’t a race thing on your part. You just recognise a third rate flim flam bamboozler when you see on.
Whatever.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Media reports that Obama has raised $600 million for this election. In checking with Wikipedia, John Kerry got 59,000,000+ plus votes in 2004; while George got 62,000,000+ votes.
Obama has raised, on average, more that $10 per person who voted for John Kerry in 2004.
If he wins, who will he be beholding to? I’m sure this money is being spent for the good of mankind.