Spinning furiously on Fox News, John McCain said Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama was "expected", which sounded to me a lot like "well, of course he's supporting Obama; they're both black." Spin it, John. Spin it. Even if I hadn't heard an interview with Powell a week ago in which he said neither race nor long-time familiarity would be a factor in his decision, I wouldn't believe that Powell would let race affect his decision.
Side note: Both McCain and Obama are of the same race, the human race. One has slightly more pigment than the other, but they are members of the same race. But for now we'll overlook that scientific fact.
Powell served the United States in Viet Nam as did John McCain. Powell was Secretary of Defense during the Gulf War and he has proven that he is intelligent, rational, and thoughtful. In saying that he will voter for Barack Obama, Powell called the Illinois senator a transformational figure who has reached out to Americans with an inclusive campaign. Powell also cited Obama'a steadiness, intellectual curiosity, and depth of knowledge as reasons for his decision.
Powell has known McCain for decades and says that the Arizona senator is a good friend. But he said that he's disburbed by the McCain campaign, the selection of Sarah Palin as vice presidential candidate, and the Republican party's xenophobic attitudes.
If William Ayers is really a "washed up old terrorist", Powell wondered why the McCain campaign spends so much time with "robo-calls" that accuse Obama of "palling around with terrorists."
Powell also criticized the selection of Alaska governor Sarah Palin, saying that she is a distinguished woman who should be admired, but that after watching her for 7 weeks, he's certain that he is not ready to be president of the United States, "which is the job of the vice president."
I paid to see Colin Powell speak several years ago. I would have voted for him if he had ever decided to seek the office of president. And today I hope that Republicans and Independents who have considered voting for the McCain/Palin ticket will now reconsider.
About Me
- Bill Blinn
- I'm mainly a technology guy who reads, writes, and talks about the stuff. I operate 3 blogs: Random Thoughts, which is a "top-of-mind" blog with information I hope you find interesting or useful, Bush Bytes, a blog that examines the Bush administration, and (starting in July 2007) Bill's Occasional Photo Blog where I can share information about digital photography—cameras, editors, tools and more.
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