That’s about how shocking General Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama is, least it should be. Senator Lieberman, a moderate Democrat, endorsed Senator McCain and we all know how much of a staunch conservative Republican he is. In 1995, Colin Powell was seen, again as a potential running mate for Senator Bob Dole. However, Bob Dole would respond to the idea with the following (quoting the September 1995 New York Times article) :
*
Although Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, the front-runner for the 1996 Republican Presidential nomination, has said that General Powell would be acceptable to him as a running mate, General Powell’s views on affirmative action run counter to the position of the party’s dominant conservative wing; likewise, to the degree he has stated them, his views on social programs.*
That’s usually a sign that he’s not really a Republican and I’ll say it now, a RINO. Some of the other quotes in the article illustrate Colin Powell’s endorsement of affirmative-action and unrestricted welfare. He did not support the Contract with America and Powell is quoted and refers to himself as a “New Deal kid”.
All in all, does this endorsement hurt Republicans? Maybe. Does it hurt conservatives? No. Will it hurt McCain, only if he lets up attacks on Obama because of it.
Now the military side of this is complicated. Those of us who haven’t voted already we do see a former General, highly respected, who is still in the limelight. However, we see him side by side with Obama and all the bad comes rushing back. Some officers may defect with their vote to Obama over Powell but more seasoned and studious ones will stay with McCain. I say this in my belief that we, the military, tend to vote based on overall issues and not one single issue that affects us. We’ll see but I don’t think we’re going to see any major affect of Powell’s move.
Steve Maley
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
McCain will not lose one military vote
c17wife (Diary) Sunday, October 19th at 12:47PM EST (link)over this endorsement. Not one.
The military that would change their vote over this are already in Obama’s camp.
And for those that think Obama has overwhelming support from the military, think again. The only demographic Obama leads in is blacks. He doesn’t even lead among the younger military. I haven’t seen a service breakdown, but I would tend to think that the majority of Obama’s support comes from the Army. There are those in the Army that are sick of this war and they believe “The Messiah” will bring them home on Jan 21st.
Duty is ours, outcomes belong to God.~Mike Pence
It would
Wayne (Diary) Sunday, October 19th at 1:33PM EST (link)appear that some in the military, mostly the Army, as C17wife says, will flop for the One. They may have skipped the day that the Academy and OCS were teaching the “Duty, Honor, Country” thing.
“Hell, these are Marines. Men like them held Guadalcanal, and took Iwo Jima, Baghdad ain’t s–t”. Maj. Gen. John F. Kelly, USMC, Deputy CG, First MEF
Naw, I don't think they will flop.
c17wife (Diary) Sunday, October 19th at 2:13PM EST (link)They were already in Obama’s camp to begin with.
Duty is ours, outcomes belong to God.~Mike Pence
Probably
Wayne (Diary) Sunday, October 19th at 4:42PM EST (link)right, sigh.
“Hell, these are Marines. Men like them held Guadalcanal, and took Iwo Jima, Baghdad ain’t s–t”. Maj. Gen. John F. Kelly, USMC, Deputy CG, First MEF
Sorry, you're wrong, c17wife
Bill S (Diary) Sunday, October 19th at 4:47PM EST (link)The other demographic where he leads is those with low IQ. He dominates in that category…
“It’s such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” – David St. Hubbins
Normally I'd agree
Kudzu (Diary) Sunday, October 19th at 7:54PM EST (link)But we’re talking about a few themes in this election that affect the military:
1) Funding
2) Experience
3) Deployments
4) Economics
5) Race
Each one of them, taken in order illustrates where our mentality usually is. We are seeing with Obama and the media’s blessing an increase in the mention of “deployments”. Remember his original position on Iraq, before it changed? It was, out of Iraq.. out at any cost. Then out within 16 months. Now BS has it right in that Obama is tracking to the less educated/informed about his past and to be honest not everyone of my brothers and sisters are avid followers of politics.
We have a lot of folks who have taken more than a few deployments back to back to back and felt that strain. Their families feel it too and that influences their decisions a great deal. I’ve heard it more than once that people, usually undereducated enlisted folks, are going to vote Obama because he’ll “get us out of Iraq”. Well the more educated of us know that’s not true in the least and if he gets his way we’ll be worse trouble than we were back in 2004 to 2006.
Listening to several of my senior NCOs around here they too are in this trap. And this endorsement is just enough to push them over the edge. They know Powell and think, rather simple mindlessly “well, if a General supports him, he can’t be too bad”. They won’t do their homework and research Obama’s real plan for the DoD, much to our detriment.
I don’t think its enough to turn the tide but its enough to tip some voters over.
P.S. I apologize for the other post, new to this diary thing and thought I could erase it, oops.
It always did take two of you to take down one of me. – Jo Bob Priddy, North Dallas Forty.
Now on at http://kudzu630.wordpress.com/