Powell Endorses Obama because he is Black

Mr. Dan Billins is an idiot. He is the reason so many people dispise attorneys. It just proves that passing the bar doesn't make you intelligent. I wish he had the opportunity to accuse Colin Powell of racism directly to his face. This punk couldn't carry Mr. Powell's jock strap. As for Rush Limbaugh, I guess he's back on the Oxycoten. There is a reason why the well respected Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama and it has nothing to do with race. I'm not going to put words in his mouth, so you can read it for yourself. "Breaking his months-long silence, Powell requested an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" to tell Tom Brokaw that Obama has "the intellectual vigor" to become president. Powell, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush, said Obama is "a transformational figure" who "brings a fresh set of eyes, a fresh set of ideas to the table" at a time the nation urgently needs it. "He has both style and substance," Powell said. "He has met the standard of being president." Speaking with reporters afterward, Powell praised McCain as a "gifted" senator, but had withering criticism for his party and the direction of McCain's campaign -- especially his inconsistent actions during the recent economic crisis, his recent focus on Obama's loose ties to former 1970s radical William Ayers, and McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. "I think that Senator McCain, as gifted as he is, will go on to execute the Republican agenda" when the nation urgently needs a new direction, Powell said, noting that he and McCain have been friends for 25 years. Palin, Powell said, is clearly not ready to be president in McCain's place, a "troubling" prospect given the magnitude of complex problems the country faces: two wars, a financial crisis and crumbling national infrastructure and schools. "I don't believe she is ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president of the United States," Powell said. "We have two wars, we have an economic problem, we have education problems, we have infrastructure problems," Powell told reporters. "Those are the problems people want to hear about, not Mr. Ayers, not who is a Muslim and who is not a Muslim" he said, referring to Palin's stump-speech attacks on Obama and persistent false rumors from conservatives about the Illinois senator's faith." ENOUGH SAID. This endorsement has nothing to do with race. It has all do with Barack Obama being the better qualified candidate. This idiot Maine Republican attorney and the loud mouth Rush Limbaugh need to face reality. Lloyd

LOL, great point 4magoo. I don't think that Powell is endorsing Obama because of his color, I believe it is because Powell doesn't like his ideas, and his vice president. I think that anyone who can stand back from this campaign and look at what is going on will be ashamed of our country. The hate on both sides is scary, you see this kind of politics is reserved for third world countries where the loser is thrown in jail, along with their supporters. We need to get away from all of this hate, and find a way to unite the country again.

I don't think the significance of the endorsement is color here. Rather, it is significant because the party divisions have been crossed openly. From listening to what Powell said, I would say that his belief in Obama as the best candidate is not based on color at all. If we are voting for Obama because he is black or for McCain because Palin is female, then politics is just a game. Probably it belongs in a separate discussion but I want to add this here: Personally I think politics are too bizarre to be considered a serious part of life in this society anyway. It is more like a game, and that's too bad. That is probably why the world is falling apart. We don't need the winners of popularity contests to lead us, like in a student council election in high school. We need real workers, real visionaries, real strong minded people who believe in what they are supposed to stand for.

I think this is kind of typical--I mean Colin Powell someone who has been there an experienced the work behind the scenes and has gotten a look at the bigger picture unlike most of us. And now all a sudden he is not credible and only being a racist. How does that work anyway, being a racist and defending the lousy war tactics of Bush (which almost cost him his entire credibility)?

There are always those who will play the race card whenever possible. A white man can be called a racist as quickly as a black man, yes, but that doesn't make it so.

He's not the only one insisting that it's all about race. In addition, there are those saying that Powell made his endorsement to get back at the Bush administration for setting him up with the WMD mess, and Pat Buchannon came right out and said that he was "ungrateful" to his party and jumping ship just so that he could align himself with the first black president of the U.S. I didn't think I could lose any more respect for him, but that did it.

I'm not familiar with Billins but Limbaugh's reaction sure doesn't surprise me one bit. Of course there would be conservatives who would say that and there will not doubt be many more in the days to come; they can't simply accept the fact that Powell, someone who has long had the respect of both Republicans and Democrats and who the GOP had been salivating over running for President himself, would give his honest opinion about what he feels is best for the country. I do NOT think that when a white man endorses a white man he is racist but by this type of reasoning I can see how one could go there. Annie

I don't know Dan Billins, but he must belong in the same boat with all the other racists like Limbaugh; he certainly sings their tune. Extreme right-wingers talk alot about Obama "playing the race card." I think it's amazing that they think they can hide the fact that they are the ones playing it. I do have respect for Colin Powell, and it is well deserved. Why should I doubt the reasons he gives for supporting Barack Obama? There's a lot of sour grapes out there. There are plenty of racists to go around, too. I personally can't wait until Barack Obama is President of the United States! He certainly will have my vote.

You know, if everyone stopped talking about racism, it would disappear. I don't think about racism and I get so tired of hearing it! Doesn't anyone remember that Obama is HALF WHITE????? He's not black... he's HALF black. Colin Powell is supporting a HALF WHITE person! Why does everyone forget that? It's the color of his skin, isn't it! That doesn't make a person one way or another. Being dark skinned does not make Obama a black man. He's bi-racial! Dang! You can see my picture in my avatar. What would you say if I told you I had a great-great grandfather who was black? Would that make me black, too? What if my own father was black, but I just came out looking white. Would that make me white? Would I be black? No. Neither. Stop the racist talk! It only makes people look stupid, in my opinion.

I don't think this was a matter of a black guy automatically siding with a black guy. Powell and McCain have a long history and I'm sure that McCain was disappointed. However, Powell is endorsing Obama because he agrees with many of his policies and seems to have some sort of beef with the Republicans, which is strange since as far as I know he is a Republican.

If the ONLY reason Powell endorsed Obama is that they are both black, yes that could be considered racist. Just as if the ONLY reason someone endorses McCain is that he is white, that would be considered racist. But there are so many more factors in play here, and I honestly do not believe that race is the ONLY reason reason he endorsed Obama (I am not saying it could not have factored in).

I don't know but this election has really been about race no matter what many think. I mean when all of these groups come out with smears against Obama they are pretty racial. I don't know who Dan is but I know Rush (no personally lol) and he makes me sick. The notion of endorsing a person whether black/white/spanish because of race is silly. Powell came out and said these are the reason I am endorsing Obama and conservatives didn't like that at all but, why would they Powell used reason and facts to make his decision.

Race has been the elephant in the room this enitre election process and it is less than shocking that Limbaugh would accuse Colin Powell of endorsing Obama because he is black. It is obvious that many conservative loons knew it was the only thing they could say to try and lessen the impact that the respected Powell's endorsement would bring to the campaign. I think it's laughable and pathetically transparent.

If Obama wasn't black would it even be an issue that Powell is backing.Instead of looking at skin color, everyone needs to focus on who the best person is to try to run the United States.Who ever gets in they have a mess to clean up. They are not going to be able to do it in 4 years.The suggestion that he is backing him because of his skin color just shows how many people are still focused on racism,it's sad that in a world that races are so mixed anymore that people still focus on a person skin color.

I too agree that Powell endorsed Obama because of his skin color, it shocked me as I would think that Powell would know better than to try and put a man in office with so little experience. Especially Powell who is aware of the need for someone that understands foreign policy. Sometimes I get the feeling that this race is based on, get even tactics, instead of what it should be on experience in keeping our country safe.

When a white person supports a white person it does not make him a racist. However Powell did not say that it isn't because of skin color. Powell said he was cognizant of the racial aspect of his endorsement, but said that was not the dominant factor in his decision. If it was, he said, he would have made the endorsement months ago. Notice the word dominant. Which means it isn't the main reason but the color of his skin is a reason.

magoo, why didn't you post Limbaugh's entire comment? "Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with." As for Powell's statement of concern this morning about the sort of Supreme Court justices a President McCain might appoint, Limbaugh wrote: "I was also unaware of his dislike for John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia. I guess he also regrets Reagan and Bush making him a four-star [general] and secretary of state and appointing his son to head the FCC. Yes, let's hear it for transformational figures." Straight from Jonathan martin's blog. Now if you can refute the statement without smearing the person, I would be interested in hearing it.