Gothamist: Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

danisaint

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:51:18 -0500

I think it is great that Colin Powell backed Obama. I don't think that it will hurt Obama at all, many people still view Powell with a sense of dignity (that he deserves). I think that the Bush-Chaney admisistration burned him, they had him put his face on the line telling american families that 'yes we know that Iraq has Weapons of Mass Distruction, they have them, we know this, blah, blah, blah.' I really don't care if Iraq has WMD's, at this point it wouldn't matter, we have been at this damn war for how many years? 5,6,7? I can't even keep track. I am SO against the war, but I support the troops (several of my friends are over there)One of my friends over there told me that many of the soldier over there don't agree with the 'real' reason we are over there i.e. protect the oil fields. I think that Powell was used by the Bush administration just like many people before him. If we wanted to find Osama, we would have invaded Pakistan where he had been living at the time of the attacks, but no we went into uber oil rich Iraq...hmmmm not smart since we are spending BILLIONS of dollars on a war that seems to have no end in sight. I empathize with the people of Iraq, but I am not really willing to keep paying for this war, when we aren't even going after the person who attacked us. If we were in Pakistan and in the mountains where Osama is thought to be, I might be able to get behind the war more, but not now. It doesn't matter if you are a McCain or an Obama supporter, you must see that money is being spent on a war that is either too big for us or we aren't in the right place to catch the bad guy. We haven't even gotten close to Osama, we are in the wrong country to get him. Yes we got Sadam....anyone find it interesting that the White House put him in power years ago.....and now he is a bad guy.....interesting!!!!

Leon Freilich

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:01:30 -0500

THE BLOOMBERG SYNDROME How confident's Barack Obama Of being the White House resident? He's prepping an amendment repealing Two-term limits for president.

virgil

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:37:53 -0500

Calling half your fellow citizens antiamerican sounds just as bad coming from the left as it does from the right. It's meaningless except as an indication that your mind has closed for good.

Amanda Harlech

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:27:50 -0500

The deep republican DOOOO: the "antiamerican" "anticrist" "musilim" "terrorist" republicans want to use as the only shot they have at this point. Pathetic! The doodoo is in those that buy this crap.

Elm Street

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:39:46 -0500

McCain is deep doodoo since decided that Palin was a good choice.

Kojak

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:19:45 -0500

I agree somewhat polite, but after he resigned as Sec of State we've been hearing more and more about his uneasiness about the choices made during the run up to the war and his disagreements with the current administration. But I don't see Powell as the man to come out in protest about anything publicly. Hes a very loyal and respectful person and I still hold him in high esteem. I truly believe only he did what he thought was right and for the good of this country, even if he was flat out wrong.

iralarry

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:18:43 -0500

I wonder who is making the most noise with regard to Powell and his "unforgivable lie" regarding the push to war and what he knew as truth presented or as the lie it was eventually revealed to be. GOP or Dems? Either way, the endorsement is in and Obama picks up another generally well respected ex-Pol and life-long GOP member. Like the guy on the corner in Time Square selling Obama and McCain condoms says, "Either way, your screwed." I hope not.

KYJurisDoctor

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:15:04 -0500

With Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama, John McCain is in DEEP political DOO-DOO. And so is SILLY SARAH (Palin). OsiSpeaks.com

PoliteNewYorker

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:58:32 -0500

Colin Powell had no problem congratulating George W. Bush on his "victory" after the 2000 election fraud and helping Bush lie to the American public about going to war in Iraq. We're supposed to believe that his endorsing the leading candidate two weeks before the election is an act of principle? He had his chance and destroyed his credibility years ago.

NannyState

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:57:22 -0500

The worst muslim would do a better job of running this country than any Republican. Inshallah, Obama will win big and wipe D.C. clean of the Republican filth. Allah ahu akhbar!

Elm Street

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:53:36 -0500

#21 care to expand on your entry? Please stop? what exactly? What is the purpose of discussing if somebody needs to be silenced?

Amanda Harlech

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:42:36 -0500

watever..."the he is a musilim" should go on for you guys then!

AvenueHebrew

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:39:14 -0500

Amanda, I say this as a solidly liberal democrat, supporter of Barack Obama and opponent of most things conservative: Please stop. What you are saying is thoughtless and immature.

Amanda Harlech

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:30:18 -0500

Trying to infuse fear by bringing the musil faith as the worse of all evils, while failing to se how catastrophic has been the republican mandate, ignoring how reckless is to allow republicans to give the whithe house to Palin, is to bring the debate into a denial state. NO THANKS, not falling for that cheap trick creepublicans call "strategy" Call me belligerent! but the "natural" ever present dogmatic belligerence of republicans have sunk us into the dark ages. I'm not proud of the republicans "intelligence", and I will call the republican ideology intellectual goo because that's how I see it. SO I'm sorry if I'm not open to debate all the "half " trues that republicans use as life savers of their zombie campaign, I just won't waste my time.

Think twice

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:25:15 -0500

The only Republican with stones finally said what needed to be said. Such an indictment of the GOP. Their scapegoating of an entire religion is something they'll never live down.

handsomedevil

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:21:47 -0500

Point is: Even in his books, Obama speaks of growing up as a Muslim. Yet now his website proudly proclaims He isn't now and never was a Muslim. So why the need to lie? To me, it is a disturbing pattern in Obama to distance himself from his true friends and mentors. Well, I just finished Dreams from my Father and I'd say that that is not really accurate. His father (who he only met once) was Muslim, and he attended a Muslim school as a child in Indonesia (this is during what would be the preschool years in the US. His mother was living with a different man, not his father.) And, apparently, that's it. His recollection of the religious aspect of his tutelage is very distanced and somewhat negative. Later in Chicago he becomes very involved in Christian congregations, and seems to eventually settle on Wright's as his home church. Even then, he's not particularly pious - as you might expect from somebody who has experienced more than one flavor of religion, he's a bit agnostic about the actual sacred stuff, and at first he says he felt uncomfortable when questioned about what he himself believed, as though he didn't really belong there. These are his own words, and they are very detailed. I really don't understand how partisans get off thinking they understand his experience better than he does, to go so far as accusing him of "lying." When you look at what he actually writes, these claims seem absurd. Obama has no pride, and certainly no sense of humor. Absurd. Are paying attention to the man himself at all, or just repeating what you have been told by propagandists? Obama has an extremely sharp sense of irony (which is occasionally expressed with humor but, more often, just as irony. Heck, the book is basically all irony - first it seemed like this, but then I realized this, but isn't it really like this, and here's an image for you that kind of summarizes all of the ambiguity.) Compared to the nonsense that McCain has pulled in the last few months, moves that seem totally disingenuous (like the selection of Palin or his campaign "suspension") I think Obama comes off as much more trustworthy. So does Powell, apparently.

Polemicist

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:36:49 -0500

Amanda, That has to be one of the worst political attacks I've yet read. I'm sure you think it is very clever, but it comes across as trite and petty. NYCSniper has raised valid concerns. It has nothing to do with paranoia, conspiracies, Republicans or anything other than SPECIFIC POLICY ISSUES. Democrats like yourself are really doing nothing more than highlighting why party politics are fundamentally flawed. You are so beholden to your party that you cannot even discuss simple political issues without resorting to name calling. Democrats are not 100% right about every issue. The dysfunction of New York City should be evidence enough of that. So, let's all just focus on the issue, ok?

virgil

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:31:37 -0500

I see what you're saying, NYCSniper, but I disagree completely with your take. We see the same thing and come away with very different impressions. I don't see where in his books Obama has claimed to have grown up Muslim. He's talked about growing up among Muslims (and Christians and Jews) at different points of his life, and spending time in Indonesia while visiting his father as a boy; is this what you're talking about? Nor do I see his verbal slip as a sign that he accidentally told the truth. I see it as a simple mistake. As when McCain calls Obama Senator Government during a debate. It was funny, and an interesting slip, but does it have deeper meaning? Well, in my opinion, no. But we disagree. If I already thought he was a Muslim and was hiding it, I suppose I might feel differently.

Amanda Harlech

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:23:21 -0500

NYCSniper, paranoia and conspiracy theories seem to work very well for the republican minds, those that are becoming more and more irrelevant, in spite of not working much for those that have real arguments and care about public impact of policies. None of what you and creepublicans deem as half ass "facts" are anything but fearful gossipy republican constructs glued with very low intellectual oozing gue. Only those that like oozing goo as intellectual food eat this shit!

NYCSniper

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:33:54 -0500

PS: I voted for Obama in the primaries and intended to vote for him in the general election, but after doing a bit more research on B.O. (and after his support of the Bush bailout bill) I have moved on to other candidates. I just don't trust Barack Obama. His record is one of dishonesty (I mean, does he or doesn't he support the Iraq war? Corporate Bialouts, etc?) His "no new taxes" moment was his call that there will be "No more bailouts if I'M elected." Oops, notice he dropped THAT one real quick!

Mr Mel

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:32:50 -0500

Powell's endorsement of Obama was the right thing for him to do. However he is damaged goods. It's hard to believe he didn't know there were no WMDs when we went to war.

AvenueHebrew

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:30:03 -0500

Femiredwood: Actually, Babyhitler's been pretty chill lately. He still spouts a lot of silly grandiose hyperbole (in that "hey look at me I have a morning radio show and I'm WAAACKY" kind of way), but now he's saying it in support of Obama, which is fine by me and my bias. It's Ides of March, Dude69 and NYCsniper you have to watch out for.

NYCSniper

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:27:12 -0500

Virgil: Of course I've seen the interview. If memory serves, you are correct, he was speaking of how people view him and their perceptions of his "muslim faith". The interviewer, Geo. Stephanopolis, then corrects him "You mean your Christian Faith" and Obama immediately corrects his "slip" with "Yes, My Christian Faith". I agree with you and Powell. I don't elect or judge anyone based on their religion. I couldn't really care less. And yes, it is impossible to know what someone's true feelings are (polls, anyone? I know I fuck with 'em when they call my house) Point is: Even in his books, Obama speaks of growing up as a Muslim. Yet now his website proudly proclaims He isn't now and never was a Muslim. So why the need to lie? To me, it is a disturbing pattern in Obama to distance himself from his true friends and mentors. And anyone who knows anything about Islam knows it is a religion that was originally meant to be all inclusive of all religions. So why not be proud of it? Obama has no pride, and certainly no sense of humor. All he has is a mantra of change, when in fact he is just like every other polituician: two-faced, elitist, and disingenuous.

virgil

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:46:21 -0500

NYCsniper Did you actually see the Obama interview you cite? He was talking about how people view him, and mentioning that one of their perceptions is that he's a muslim. People want to believe he's a muslim, because it will make it easier for them to dismiss him, and because it's impossibe to prove what's in a man's heart. How do we know Bush or Palin are christian? We don't. How do you know anyone is the faith they claim? You don't. Nobody knows but them.The fact that Obama has gone to the same christian church for years (with a crazy, ranting pastor to show for it) has never been a member of a Mosque, and has been thoroughly investigated by all manner of journalists on the left, right and center (who, if they had found the slightest shred of evidence, would have been in possession of a campaign-ending scoop), makes no difference to those who want to believe he's lying. No proof will ever be enough.

femiredwood

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:44:37 -0500

babyhitler (and the other a**hats) should be giving his two-cents (usually asinine) in 3...2...1...

nycat

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:33:53 -0500

The photo Colin Powell was referring to, the mother at his son's grave, is on the New Yorker site: http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/09/29/slideshow_080929_platon?slide=16

NYCSniper

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:32:25 -0500

The thing Powell said about Obama being a Muslim is disturbing, as many allege he is. Even Obama has slipped and referred to his "Muslim Faith" (Nation of Islam perhaps?) I agree with Powell, the point is not whether or not Obama is Muslim --- who cares? But the REAL question is, why does Obama feel he must lie about it now? Whether on the topic of his faith, his pastor, or his ghost-writer friend Bill Ayers, Senator Obama's pattern of dishonesty continues to emerge.

Billiamsburg

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:28:21 -0500

Obviously another traitor who hates his country.

Gavin

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:11:30 -0500

Support from a man who lost all credibility by facilitating the invasion of Iraq by using phony and outdated intelligence is not something to be happy about. This makes it more difficult for Obama to say that McCain is a continuation of the failed Bush regime.

JacqueMehoff

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:09:47 -0500

some would say you are a white Caucasian american endorsing another white caucasian american because of race... what kind of effing question is that? dumbass.

supernova

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:05:33 -0500

Mr. Powell said it best. I believe he made his case with some really strong points. Not as a "calculated political move" as some republicans are trying to dismiss it. (Read the Politico article) They were expecting it though. I read a report on Friday.

Qraymond

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:02:57 -0500

Between this and Obama's $150 million raised last month, today's news has gotta sting over in McCainland.

breaknight

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:01:55 -0500

A good man endorsing another good man.