Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

General Colin Powell, Bush's former Secretary of State and a moderate Republican, officially endorsed Barack Obama on Meet the Press Sunday morning. Here is part of what he said:

"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."

Read the entire transcript here.

This news has started a tidal wave of discussion from both sides. Most Obama supporters (myself included) are excited about this endorsement, while many McCain supporters view it as a loss. This endorsement has brought about some controversy, however.

One article states that Powell's support of Obama actually hurts the Democrats because Powell's views are too conservative to help Obama out. I actually think that being endorsed by a Republican, and a former member of the Bush administration, is a huge testimony to Obama's ability to reach across party lines and attract a wide variety of support.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is Rush Limbaugh. I don't usually pay attention to Rush because I know it will only piss me off, but here is what he said:

"Okay. Transformational figure, that term is being thrown around as though messianic, all kinds of great new things, this change and so forth. Transformational can be bad as well. Why is Palin not transformational? Why is it only Obama? That proves, for the rest of you in the media, if you didn't hear it the first time, Powell, nomination of Obama is about race, R-A-C-E, it is about race, and you can quote me."

I'm not even going to go into that. Rush Limbaugh is just a jackass.

All in all, I do not believe that Powell's support of Obama is a "game-changer," as they say, but I don't think it hurts Obama. Colin Powell is a true war hero and patriot. I think he, like many others, acted on false information in initially going along with invading Iraq, but he has, in my eyes, redeemed himself. He was seemingly the lone opponent of the war in the first place, and tried to talk Bush out of going to war, but he was simply outnumbered. He has been called "The Reluctant Warrior" because of his preference of diplomacy over military action. In fact, his "test" for military involvement, known by some as the "Powell Doctrine," includes questions as to whether all other non-violent measures have been considered, whether there is a valid exit strategy, and whether military action is supported by the American people and the international community.

While some are saying that Powell's conservative views are more of a liability for Obama, my opinion is that he is just barely a Republican. My understanding is that Powell, a career military man, was a reluctant politician. He had to choose a party, and he chose the GOP. However, unlike most of his fellow Republicans, he is pro-choice, in favor of gun control, and supports rights for detainees. During his time as a member of the Bush administration, he often tangled with Cheney and Rumsfeld. Finally, in a move that makes me want to high five the old soldier, Powell repotedly called the neoconservatives in the Bush administration a bunch of "fucking crazies." He expressed concern in yesterday's interview that the Republican party was moving too far to the right, and that McCain's pick of Sarah Palin as his vice president was evidence of that.

For those of you who are tired of this election being about race and religion (think of all the "Obama's a Muslim" concerns) here is what General Powell had to say:

"I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America. I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions."

So with all the buzz about the buzz surrounding the Powell endorsement, some are wondering if there is a spot in an Obama administration for the general. Obama said this morning that he would have a role in the administration. I think that serving under Obama would be the ultimate redemption for Colin Powell and the chance to make things right in Iraq.

This is the first of what will probably be many rants during the next few weeks...

**Disclaimer: For those of you that are tired of hearing me bitch about politics (specifically about Republicans), please do yourself a favor, and don't read this. I don't really care if you read it anyway, but I just need to blow off some steam. This way is better than telling the first person that I see at work, or school, or whatever, and risking offending someone.**

I have seen several things in the past few days that have really pissed me off. Here they are.

1.) Blatant Racism Directed Towards Barack Obama

The late Barbara Jordan once said, "One thing is clear to me: We, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves." That was 1994.

Fast forward to 2008. A man holds a monkey doll with an Obama sticker at a McCain rally. Another man screams "kill him" when Obama's name is mentioned. At another rally, a woman insists that Obama is an "Arab," despite McCain's half-hearted attempts to convince her otherwise. At Sarah Palin's speaking events, things are getting even nastier and, apparently, speaking out against racism is not something that she has rehearsed.

I am not suggesting that McCain himself is a racist, but by taking his campaign negative, abandoning the issues, and questioning not only Obama's character, but seemingly his very essence, McCain has basically invited the crazies and the racists to come out of the woodwork. It is probably for the best that the congresswoman is no longer around to see how little progress we have made.

2.) Sarah Palin Shutting Down a Protester

At one of Palin's rallies the other day, some guy yelled out something, probably about the war in Iraq. She responded by saying something like, "Bless your heart, my son is fighting in Iraq for your right to protest."

Okay, let me first say that I support our troops 100%. That is precisely the reason that I would like to see them out of Iraq. We are not fighting for our saftey, or for our rights; we are fighting because Bush wanted to fight.

I hear people say that our soldiers are dying in Iraq so we can have free speech, or so that we can listen to dirty music, or whatever conservatives are complaining about at the moment, and this is a great soundbite in support of the war. But think about it critically for a moment. Iraq did not attack us on 9/11. Plus, and this is what gets me the most, our right to free speech was granted in 1791 when the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. Freedom of speech is not something that we are fighting to obtain; we already have it, and it has been around a long time.* Has Sarah Palin never heard of the 1960s? Or the 1970s?

While I admire her son (and Joe Biden's son) and every other person who has chosen to serve in the armed forces, I would rather see them home. They are fighting because people who have had everything handed to them their entire lives decided that they would fight. It's not about free speech or any other American ideal.

*Proof: an anti-war poem written in 1933, "The Unknown Soldier" by Billy Rose. Part of it goes: "I wonder if the kings, who planned it all/ Are really satisfied?/ They played their game of checkers/ And eleven million died."
I guess history really does repeat itself.

3.) Shut Up and Sing

I watched "Shut Up and Sing," a documentary about the aftermath of Natalie Maines's (of the Dixie Chicks) comment that she was ashamed that President Bush was from Texas. First off, this happened in 2003, when his approval ratings were sky high. People went crazy. They burned Dixie Chicks CDs, held protests, and made death threats. One old hillbilly made a remark to the effect of "Free speech is great as long as you don't criticize the government." That's what the Nazis said.

Anyway, Bush is doing so great in the public opinion arena lately, so the Dixie Chicks have mostly been forgiven. But I am still appalled that people freaked out so much. I hate to say this, but their fans (probably about the same demographic as NASCAR fans) are ignorant. I am from the South, but many Southerners make my skin crawl. True, I have a bit of an accent, but I don't think like a Texan at all. I have to question the intelligence and overall competence of a person who, in 2008, is still afraid of those who are different from themselves. Speaking of that...keep reading.

4.) Rebel Flags...Everywhere

If I never see a confederate flag again, I would be just fine. People who wear them, have them over the gun rack in their truck, or have tattoos of them say that it's not a racist thing, it's a historical reminder of the South. Ok, you ignorant hick, what was the Civil War about? Southerners thought they had the right to own people and use them as workhorses. Oh, that is something to be proud of. I want someone to explain to me exactly what Southern pride is, and why it has nothing to do with racism because I don't buy it. So you like country music, ride horses, and have a Texas drawl? Okay, but why must you revive a symbol that should have died a long time ago?

Oh, and by the way, the South probably isn't gonna rise again...Someone told me that the other day, and I wondered what that meant. I hear it all the time, and I know where it comes from, but really, the only literal meaning that I can take from that is that Southerners want to own slaves again. That's really the only thing that they lost in the Civil War and haven't gotten back...
Ignorant, inbred rednecks...

5.) Sarah Palin...In General

Okay, she's pretty. She's a hockey mom, with 75 children, that can see Russia from her house. Good for her. She is also barely literate and completely incompetent. You people are afraid of Obama? Imagine life with Sarah Palin in the White House. Imagine Dick Cheney, only not as smart, and continually winking at you as she screws you over. If anything were to happen, and McCain was unable to lead, this woman would be our PRESIDENT. I don't think that people realize that. Most people think that the VP is unimportant...until they have to step up and lead. Sarah Palin's looks or parental status do not qualify her to be the leader of the free world.
We can't take another four years of this...we would have the same president with a different accent.

Ok, I'm done and I feel much better, until I have to watch Fox "news" at the gym, or read an editorial that pisses me off. In that case, as Sarah Palin would say with a wink, I'll get back to ya!