CNN: Colin Powell may support Democrat or Independent in '08

[Colobo]

“I have voted for members of both parties in the course of my adult life,” Powell, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “And as I said earlier, I will vote for the candidate I think can do the best job for America, whether that candidate is a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent.”

Powell also offered praise for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, calling him an “exciting person on the political stage.

“He has energized a lot of people in America,” said Powell, who briefly weighed his own run for the White House in the mid-1990s. “He has energized a lot of people around the world. And so I think he is worth listening to and seeing what he stands for.”

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/08/colin-powell-may-support-democrat-or-independent-in-%e2%80%9808/

[ursi]

1. After he let Bush and company screw him over every which way

I can't blame him ...for wanting to support someone different or some different party ...

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. "Just a pinch of Obam...Anthrax"

[comradebillyboy]

who gives a damn what that spineless

sack of shit does any more. he has completely discredited himself and his support is meaningless. Here is a man who could have been the first black president and instead chose to be a Bush toady.

[Whisp]

5. I hope he stays the fuck away from Obama.

don't need that stench.
He'd be more fitting for Clinton - she likes wars and fabrications for wars too.

[CatnHat]

15. Powell is

irrelevant. Who cares what he thinks . . . He lied to the American people, went along hook-line-and sinker with Bush. That should embarrass the Obama crowd. But wait!--I just know some Obama supporter will actually start a thread about it and think its a good thing.:rofl:

[VarnettaTuckpocket]

3. Both of our candidates support repeal of DADT

Powell threatened to resign if gays were allowed to serve openly in the military. Fucking asshole, bigot.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

4. Powell was the only one who could have made a difference

in stopping the insane Chimpanzee in his quest to become a War President so that he could gain re-election in 2004 and in the process wreck our economy and another country in the bargain. Instead, Powell went to the UN and read a phoney Iraq war assessment partially written by a Ph.D. student years before. There was a brief moment in time when Powell could have been a hero to the nation and he blew it by failing to speak out. Whatever he says now just leaves me very cold, even in supporting a candidate I like.

[jasmine621]

6. And he didn't.

And when the deal goes down, Obama will be just like him.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

9. Huh?

[jackson_dem]

7. That sounds like a Powell endorsement of Obama

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. I thouht he was advisor for John McCain?

[Adsos Letter]

10. The poison pill of endorsements, I would think...

MSM: "Well, Senator, we can't help but notice that Colin Powell has endorsed your candidacy...what does he find attractive about your foreign policy, considering his willingness to spin the intelligence on Iraqi wmd's...?"

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

11. Even Powell was burned by Chimp...

And he started out one of his biggest allies. He was no Marshall, but he makes Condi look like the joke she is. I hope he'll see the light and stay away from any further Repug corruption.

[spag68]

22. Watch what you say

about our next VP. They might be listening.

[otohara]

32. He Was Second to Bush in How Many Lies Were Told

about Iraq. 260 Bush, 254 Powell.

He was not burned, he knew damn well Iraq posed no threat, he said so before 9/11/2001.

[Auntie Bush]

12. He's looking for the VP position or SoS again or something else in an Obama cabinet.

Remember he's the one who spewed all the lies that got us into this damn war. No way do I want him in any Dem administration.

[MidwestTransplant]

13. I don't think he is looking for anything. I think he believes he is a patriot and realizes he sold

the country out in a way tantamount to treason. I am sure he feels like absolute shit as well he should.

[Adsos Letter]

16. I agree with you about what he probably feels about his role in Shrub's Iraq debacle...

but, politically, I think that is one of those bells that "once rung can't be unrung." Nor should it be...

[robbedvoter]

14. Watch the Colon love bloom again on DU...as if the test tube at UN never happened

[Adsos Letter]

17. I don't see any of that in THIS thread...just the opposite...

:shrug:

Edited to add: but I don't have the historical insight on this place that you do. :)

[LiberalHeart]

19. Stay tuned ... If Powell endorses Obama, he'll be in good standing again.

[Adsos Letter]

21. Well...I can't argue with you...

given what I've seen of the level of *cough* debate *cough* *cough* here lately.

We were just debating the historical consciousness of Americans in my methods seminar the other day...I believe it is much higher than average here on DU, but sometimes I wonder...

:hi:

[LiberalHeart]

18. That's what I'm expecting, too.

The flip side of trashing our long-time heroes (who haven't partaken of the Kool-Aid), which has been quite a sport of late.

[Meldread]

25. You mean like Hillary and her IWR vote?

Or how Powell had a position in the Clinton Administration? How Hillary voted for the IWR, but now her vote is irrelevant because she's running for President and some DU Democrats are as spineless as Powell himself? Yeah, I think I see what you mean.

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. Oh good, a War Criminal will support anyone that will take him

I support that he gets the cell next Rumsfeld in the Hague.

[mrmx9]

23. People on here may hate Powell but he would make a good VP choice!

Would totally neutralise McCain's biggest weapon - his experience and status as a foreign policy expert/war hero! Won't happen though.

[rug]

24. Kiss of death.

[stillrockin]

26. F U, Powell, and the horse you rode in on.

:mad:

[Satyagrahi]

27. We don't like him here, but he is still highly respected among Independents

and moderate Republicans, therefore an endorsement would probably be significant (particularly to see him choosing the Democratic nominee over McCain), but I don't believe it until I see it.

[Jim Lane]

31. Finally, someone gets the point

I agree with most of the criticisms of Powell in this thread, but the fact is that his image is still very good in the wide world beyond DU's cozy confines. His endorsement would definitely be worth having -- for Clinton, McCain, or Obama.

[WinkyDink]

28. "And then Powell endorsed McCain." The rest of the story, to be.

[samrock]

29. Sorry Collin ya failed us..

If in 2004 he resigned over the war and supported Kerry I would have forgiven him.. Now PLEASE do us a favor and keep your thoughts about the democratic race to your self.. You will only hurt whomever your say you support :(

[electron_blue]

30. I'm going to disagree with most posts here and say that this will help Obama

with the general population. Most of the U.S. doesn't know a lot of backstory about Colin Powell and see him, if nothing else, as a former authority Republican figure. They'll see this is as a semi-important defection from the Republican side. Even though Powell makes the point that he has voted both parties in the past, I think bcs he played such a large role in the Bush admin, and that his failings are mostly lost on the American people, this will really help Obama with the GE.

[dcindian]

33. Too late?

I don't think so. Mr. Powell may have made a grave error in judgment in not standing up for the truth or by letting himself be fooled into not looking for the truth. But it is never too late to make the right decision.

I think we could use another independent or moderate endorsement for either of the remaining two Democratic candidates. We should all take time and email him thanking him for the consideration and welcome him into the fold.