GENERAL POWELL SLAMS GOP & McCAIN-PALIN TICKET
Former Secretary Of State retired General Colin Powell,
shows John McCain how to wave his Presidential ambitions good bye.
(Oct.22, Arlington, VA) Not ones to pounce, jump on a band wagon or beat dead horse, TBC have waited to comment on the powerful endorsement of Democrat Barak Obama from former Bush Cabinet member Colin Powell. Last Sunday on “Meet the Press”, the man who was once courted by democrats and republicans alike as a potential Presidential candidate himself, presented the case for Obama succinctly, articulately and effectively. Powell’s calm steady delivery could not conceal his brutally frank, harsh rebukes of not only GOP candidate John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin, but of the entire Republican Party.
Asked by MTP moderator Tom Brokaw if the retired four-star General was “prepared to make a public declaration of which of these two candidates…” he was prepared to support, General Powell launched an uninterrupted stinging indictment of the policies and practices of the current Administration, the GOP’s campaign tactics, the Republican ticket as a preface. Once his broadside dismemberment and denunciations of his own Party was concluded, our former Secretary Of State clearly elucidated his objective, logical argument that was a resounding endorsement for the Illinois Senator. In just over seven minutes Powell presented the country with a coherent, comprehensive, insightful and tempered rationale for an Obama Presidency. Some portions of his eloquent summary were amazingly candid assessments, essentially vicious blows to the heads, of virtually the entire membership of the Republican Party.
Powell began his lengthy response to Brokaw’s inquiry by saying, “I'm an American, first and foremost, and I'm very proud--I said, I've said, I've said to my beloved friend and colleague John McCain, a friend of 25 years, "John, I love you, but I'm not just going to vote for you on the basis of our affection or friendship." And I've said to Barack Obama, "I admire you. I'll give you all the advice I can. But I'm not going to vote for you just because you're black." We, we have to move beyond this.”
In his even tone and tenor Powell began assembling his case first; laying the planks comprising the reasons McCain should NOT be President. “I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years. It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it, but that's a choice the party makes.”
He continued his dismantling the notion of a McCain Administration; “In the case of Mr. McCain, I found that he was a little unsure as to deal with the economic problems that we were having and almost every day there was a different approach to the problem. And that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had. And I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired; but at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made”.
On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him during this seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is ready to be president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a, a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. I also believe that on the Republican side over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He's crossing lines--ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He's thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values.” By this point it was apparent that the retired General was done jabbing and was fully prepared to land some rib-shattering blows.
While Sarah Palin lay unconscious; a bloodied and bruised political carcass, Powell landed the knock out punch. He blasted McCain, already reeling from the beating he’d taken, with a jaw breaking, campaign ending uppercut concluding, “So, when I look at all of this and I think back to my Army career, we've got two individuals, either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now? Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities--and we have to take that into account--as well as his substance--he has both style and substance--he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world--onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama”
Since Sunday the battered GOP running mates have been vociferously trying to mount a desperate counter attack. Their sorry efforts are proving to be as much of a failure as has been the McCain Palin team’s campaign since leaving their national convention in St. Paul last September. They may go the distance but, by their own hands and the hands of others, not the least of which were Colin Powell’s, this is the last and final round. They will most likely never return to the ring again.
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