The Powell Endorsement

I remember the day Colin Powell first held a press conference to announce his party affiliation. When he came out and said he was registering as a Republican, I not only found it odd that such an announcement was even newsworthy, I also was struck at how uncomfortable he looked in his addressing the press. Being on camera was nothing new to the man, and I always remembered that moment.

Recently, Colin Powell endorsed Barrack 0bama for President. Naturally, the forum I discuss politics on was abuzz over this, and on queue the liberals were tripping over themselves to rub the news in the faces of conservatives. That was no surprise.

What liberals don't seem to understand is that most conservatives like myself fully expected Powell's endorsement, because over the years it became painfully obvious that Powell was as much a conservative Republican as the New York Times pet moonbat, Mr. Paul Krugman.

The link here is to a Youtube video of Colin Powell's address to the United Nations where he made his case for invading Iraq

In this video and the other linked at the site, Powell presented a passionate and strong rationale to the world to support the US decision the go to war. Powell reviewed and studied copious amounts of covert intelligence gathered since the end of the first Gulf War, and eagerly used it to present his findings and make his case clear. When WMD's were not found, Powell did not hesitate to tell Barbra Walters on how his doing so was a blot on his record. Instead of criticizing the intelligence amassed during the Clinton administration, Powell instead chose to direct his attacks on the Bush Administration, saying afterward that he really didn't review the intelligence, he just went along with what was given to him by VP Dick Cheney. Does that sound like the action a General would take?

The idea that Powell was ever considered a strong Republican by anyone baffles me. Powell worked with Clinton to hedge his bets on gays in the military by defining what has become known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Colin Powell continues to actively support and promote affirmative action and is pro-abortion. Despite his military training, he's called for additional gun control laws beyond what are already actively in place. After giving his rationale for war as he was seen doing in the link, he claimed that he tried to persuade President Bush to not go to war with Iraq in the same manner he undermined his father's efforts to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Powell opposed the nomination of conservative John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations because of personal disagreements he had with him during his tenure as Secretary of State. He also joined the obnoxious chorus of liberal moonbats who blamed the President for the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina, yet offered no such criticisms for either the indecision of Governor Blanco of Louisiana or the failed local leadership of Mayor Ray Nagin.

Even back in the early 90's, when the first Iraq War was ready to start, Powell ran around warning everyone that American casualties would be severe because we could not fight in the desert, take the heat or handle veterans in the Iraqi Army who studied the hard lessons of Russia's war in Afghanistan. General Norman Schwarzkopf would have nothing to do with Powell's negative assessment and backed the quality and formability of US troops on any field of battle. When Powell turned out to be completely wrong in his strategies, predictions and beratement of US troop capabilities, he pulled a complete 180 and rode the wave of fame and victory that he used to start he foray into politics.

The Powell endorsement is another step in a series of planned and calculated moves on the part of a man who has a record of hedging his bets and making decisions on the basis of the direction the prevailing political winds are blowing. Looking back at the day he televised his announcement regarding his party affiliation, the uneasiness and hesitation I saw and heard in the man came from him knowing full well that he was joining a party that stood for things he didn't agree with out of political ambition and expediency, not out of principle.

Even in 2007, when it looked like Hillary was going to steamroller over 0bama and get the democrat nomination in a walk, Powell gave the maximum donation possible to John McCain's campaign, since it was widely regarded that another Clinton running would unite conservatives of all colors and stripes. When it was predicted months ago that Powell would choose 0bama, Powell vigorously denied it and resented it having even been being suggested. Yet, once again, when the political winds shifted in favor of 0bama, Powell went with the perceived winner. Look at how he waited until two weeks prior to the election to make an announcement, he couldn't even definitively support one candidate over another until he had a good idea who would win.

Every single doubt and suspicion I held about Colin Powell has turned out to be 100% correct. When it comes down to brass tax, Powell is just another liberal/independent that is incapable of taking a long term concrete stance on any issue without first considering the political hay that can be made with it or made against it. I'll make this next prediction: If 0bama wins the election, I see two possibilities: Powell will change his party affiliation to democrat, and if health issues and questions of Biden's mental state continue to persist, he will be asked to replace him as Vice President.