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jack3566Barack Obama and Colin Powell would be an unstoppable team
There are so many positives in favor of Barack Obama choosing Colin Powell as his Vice Presidential running mate, and so few negatives, that it just makes sense. The team of Obama and Powell would be “unstoppable,” to paraphrase a former President whose wife happens to be in contention for the 2008 Democratic nomination.
The Obama/Powell team would breeze to victory in the November general election. But should Obama name Powell as his choice prior to the general election, it would serve to make the candidacy of Hillary Clinton irrelevant.
The upside for Obama is that it brings him instant credibility as Commander-in-Chief of all the armed forces. Obama would have Powell’s guiding hand throughout his Presidency. The Powell influence would be felt, but only if Obama heeded Powell’s advise. There is not a person alive today that has more “good experience” in Washington than Colin Powell. John McCain would be unable to attack Obama on any issue regarding national security. He certainly would not want to offend his friend Colin Powell and diminish him in any way. Obama can always responds to McCain’s attacks as, “That is why it is so important that an Obama administration have Colin Powell as an integral part.”
For Powell there is even more upside and it is the very reason why if offered the position he would accept. Colin Powell would have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to redeem himself from the “speech” at the United Nations that advocated the Iraq War. Powell would be listened to in an Obama administration. Colin Powell will find that Barack Obama is a man that can be trusted. And Obama would find that he can trust Powell. And it is obvious that Powell already admires Obama as evidenced by this interview with Tavis Smiley.
Asked what he thinks of Barack Obama’s political success this year, former Secretary of State Colin Powell had this to say yesterday on PBS: “I’m terribly excited, I’m impressed, and I’m happy for Barack Obama.” You can watch the video here.
As AFP notes, Powell urged Americans to “enjoy this moment where a person like Barack Obama can knock down all of these old barriers that people thought existed with respect to the opportunities that are available to African-Americans.”
“He is putting himself forward not as a black man but as an American man who wants to be president of the United States of America,” Powell added. “We should see Barack as a candidate for president who happens to be black, and not a black candidate for president.”
He also discussed Barack Obama with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
“I have voted for members of both parties in the course of my adult life,” Powell, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “And as I said earlier, I will vote for the candidate I think can do the best job for America, whether that candidate is a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent.”
Powell also offered praise for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, calling him an “exciting person on the political stage.
“He has energized a lot of people in America,” said Powell, who briefly weighed his own run for the White House in the mid-1990s. “He has energized a lot of people around the world. And so I think he is worth listening to and seeing what he stands for.”
Powell went on to say in the interview that he is interested in the next President as a person who can “restore America’s standing in the world.”
“I will ultimately vote for the person I believe brings to the American people the kind of vision the American people want to see for the next four years,” he said. “A vision that reaches out to the rest of the world, that starts to restore confidence in America, that starts to restore favorable ratings to America. Frankly, we’ve lost a lot in recent years.”
Colin Powell as Vice-President on an Obama ticket will more than likely not occur. I would also settle for a ringing endorsement of Obama from Powell. And at the very least, I would like to see Powell in a prominent advisory role in an Obama Administration. Or Obama can call Powell at three in the morning if he has a question. Reading on Walden Bookstore.
Filed under: Barack Obama, Blogs, Commentary, Democrats, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, John McCain | Tagged: Colin Powell
I haven’t even considered that. Good choice. Seems unlikely, though.
I never thought of Mr.Colin Powel, as a vice-pres. I like it, though. I can see a great team, there!!
Many blessing’s to you, if, [I hope], it works out that way.
I am inclined to think that anyone who supported the war in Iraq should not be his VP because it undermines his stance that judgment is more important than experience. Furthermore, Powell’s voice was instrumental in changing the minds of many in the Senate. He was looked to as a person they could trust, and he let America down. I believe in my heart he is a good man and this is something that is very troubling to him. Never the less, when we needed someone with strength, courage, and honesty to stand up to the lies, Colin Powell sat down when he knew it was wrong.
If there is one person who had the clout with America and influence to turn around the lie machine, it was Colin Powell.
But would it be enough to beat a McCain/Clinton team-up? She is Republican now isn’t she? And she has been endorsing McCain heavily….. :P
Oh, I agree, lets have a completely black presidency. Colin Powell is wondeful.
I’m a Powell fan too. Unfortunately he has stated time and time again that he won’t run and that his wife has unequivocally said “no” — at least to a Presidential bid.
Never say never, I suppose…
Of course Powell could also be a VP for McCain…
Clinton - Powell ‘08
McCain - Clinton ‘08
McCain - Powell ‘08
I googled “Obama and Colin Powell” - Because as an avid admirer and supporter of Barack Obama the thought occured to me what a wonderful team Obama and Powell would make, also given that I am equally fond of Colin Powell. I would hope that Obama does become President and that Powell is the Vice-President of this great nation of ours, so that we can build again what has fallen even further since the aweful tragedy of 911. If Powell is not Vice-President
I, of course, would like to see him play an important role in the Obama administration.
I agree with E.Tierman’s completely. Am I nieve if I add Dr Rice as an advisor in the cabinet? I know with her vast experience she would blossom even further. Just a thought.
[...] would bring instant credibility to the Barack Obama candidacy. Powell could play a key role in an Obama Administration whether as Vice-President (see previous posting here) or any of a number of Cabinet spots such as Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense. Or possibly [...]
What a marvelous idea! Obama/Powell ‘08. It’s unbeatable and says a lot about our country to the rest of the world. What a statement. We’d finally be “walking the talk” and would position ourselves as a more credible super power than before. We talk about equal treatment and speak out against oppression, but it is very evident (despite our efforts to con ceal to ourselves and others) that we are guilty as charged. Hooray for the United States if we are brave enough to elect Obama/Powell in ‘08 as our first gutsy move in th 21st Century.
I used to admire Powell greatly; he was a hero of mine.
Now all I can see is the image of him at the UN telling those lies that got us into this war. And he did not resign nor come clean when he knew it was all lies. He stayed on the team.
And so, he has earned his own place in The Hague with the rest of them.
Isn’t Colin Powell a Republican?
But the guys sending living bombs into open markets and mosques full of civilians are only defending their country and don’t deserve the Hague, right, Jack?
Nothing I love more than the realworld grasp of the left.
Those are covered under the word “them”, which was the last word in the sentence. Mike, you should read all the way to the end before you jump to conclusions.
Realworld grasp also requires understanding that effect generally follows cause, and since the mosque and market stuff is post UN Lies, then….
And then of course, there is moral equivalence: walking in a bomb vs. dropping one, either way the result is dead civilians. Way up into six figures on our scoreboard.
How many wrongs does it take to make it right?
Obama / Powell would be idiotic and suicidal to Obama’s campaign; McCain / Powell, now that would be unstoppable, undeniable, powerful, experienced, well seasoned, respected, acceptable, and even trustworthy .
Jack, the ’cause’ is religious fanatism that cannot be assuaged without blood; a fanaticism that goes back many decades. Did freeing a muslim country while leaving the Muslim leader of the invafding country in power satisfy them. Did bailing out the Muslims in Kosovo? No, attacks on us continued. These are people willing to kill over the naming of a teddy bear, who will only be satisfied with their 7th century ideas being followed to the letter.
There were definitely errors in starting this war; that is a given, but hardly unheard of in history (uhh, Bosnia?). However, from our side, it has been fought with a level of precision unheard of in previous wars. Those bombs we drop? Precision guided munitions that will take out a single building and leave the one next door standing. The civilian casualties caused by us are, in a large part, due to the other side surrounding themselves with civilians before they attack, while we try to clear them out and take many casualties holding fire for their sake. Jack, if you can’t see the moral difference, it’s only because you sit in this country in comfort and have never had to face such yourself.
let me given you a couple links that may give you a little clarity, from someone who is independent and seen this stuff in person:
A real martyr
The 1920s Brigade saw both sides of the issue and made their choice.
[...] his eventual running mate. If he picks Hillary, I will certainly support the ticket. I personally favor Colin Powell as I have posted here, because I truly believe they would be unstoppable. The way he has handled controversy after [...]
Mike, I do see the moral differences, but it is not a black white choice. It is all in shades of medium to dark gray on our side - and agreeing that the moral shade on the other side is the deepest jet black.
The least dark shade of gray is the choice to get out of Iraq, and even that is pretty dark. All our lighter shades have been blocked by the Administration, including Powell.
Let’s not confuse this with Afghanistan, where the only moral choice is to go and finish the job right, something that is being severely hampered by staying in Iraq, another reason to get out.
I think a Powell-McCain ticket would be just dandy.
Jack, do yourself a big favor in terms of understanding Iraq as it stands now. Pick up Michael Yon’s new book, ‘Moment of Truth in Iraq’. No one has spent more time there as a journalist than he has and his grasp of the facts on the ground, from the smallest of detail to strategic, is unmatched.
He was one of the first to call Iraq a civil war (which he says is ending), points out serious mistakes in the 2004-2006 timeframes, and called the growing problems in Afghanistan a year before they became obvious (primarily due to opium income for the Taliban). The definitive independent boots in the sand.
Colin Powell would be a formidable choice for Obama for VP. His military record dwarfs McCain’s, He is very well-respected in Washington - even after the scapegoating that the Bush administration made of his service. He also balances out the “foreign policy experience” question raised as a deficiency in Obama’s candidacy. And he is a very moderate Republican.
Other credentials include:
Ex-National Security Advisor under Reagan
Ex-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Bush 41
Ex -Secretary of State under Bush 43
Lauded Military Strategist - executed Dessert Storm
I really cannot think of a better choice for VP for Obama!
[...] course my front-runner is still Colin Powell, as I have written before, although I admit it is not politically probable. It is politically [...]
Let us THINK: The first item on Obama’s list is to become the President Of The United States. It is clear that there are +18 million reasons why Hillary Clinton is the ONLY candidate that can make that happen. A Black man and a White man…..forget it; Two Blackmen? Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Get REAL. The BEST that Obama can do is to pick another woman (other than Hillary). I don’t know if you have noticed, but we have new players now and rules don’t mean all that much now. Listen, the reason that Hillary picked up all that support in the latter capaign is because Obama, for the sake of unity, GAVE HER A PASS!!! He BACKED OFF!!!. Check it out. He could have killed her!!!! But he didn’t.
Obama/Powell would be a briliant ticket and the best political move ever. They both would have so much to gain, and Powell would be able to remove that ’slap in the face’ and give it right back to the Bush while TRULY helping our country move forward.
It would take a lot for a Republican to make this corageous move, but if anyone in this world could convince Powell (and his wife) to do it, it’s Obama.
Step up Obama…let’s see you create a REAL DREAM TEAM. You CAN do this !
Let’s put an end to this liberal wet dream right now. As a online state chairman of the old Colin for President movement I can tell you this:
1) Why on earth would Colin play second fiddle to Obama? Colin passed on his own shot at the top slot and would he backstop a novice like this guy? Not likely.
2) No way Colin will run on a ticket against McCain
3) Obama voted to defund the troops in the field. No matter what Colin thinks of the war effort itself, I highly doubt Colin would ever condone that. Above all, he is a military career man.
This fantasy is only to give Obama the legitimacy he sorely lacks with another minority, one the people who seem to be pushing were quick enough to condemn for his initial sales job on the Iraq war.
Not.going.to.happen.
It’s obvious that anyone involved in the Bush admin with any sort of credibility were only to serve as pawns. Regardless of the individuals personal integrity, the well documented persistence of this admin to go to war- correction… to invade Iraq, undermines the individuals.
Nonetheless, this does not change my views of Powell. He was one of the few in this admin that did stand-up. His integrity as a soldier is always for the better good.
Besides Obama- the entire political universe is claiming to have trusted the intelligence.
Don’t blame the messenger!
This is the first time in my life I felt comfortable making a self-sacrifice for the government… I would definitely trust them… unlike other politicians out there… including McCain!
I’m looking for integrity. Confidence.
Everyone was in-love with Bush, re-electing a president who narrowly escaped scandal after scandal… and the same drunken trance seems to have returned. Voters need to start taking responsibility for their votes.
I say they add a self-draft form for all of those who advocate war. They elect presidents based on personas… especially all of the woman claiming to now support McCain… wait until their grandchildren and family-members come home in a coffin… they’ll understand the extent of their prejudice and ignorance.
White Power is White Supremacy!!!
It’s funny how two Black Men running for the office is so outlandish and offensive… The characters of the men is not outlandish… just the thought.
I would expect this to be true with people of all demographics and nationalities. Blacks/Latinos especially!
It’s even funnier that despite the historically scandalous nature of white-men… we will never apply the same stigma to them. Despite there never being evidence of a Black Man/Woman being incompetent in this role, the inner bigot won’t let us fathom this.
So, as the story goes- Americans will continue to live in a pipe-dream, dying in debt and never truly standing-up to the standards they readily nail others to the cross with.
A kid once criticized American citizens for nurturing Hypocrisy rather than Democracy. Now I see why!
Once this election is over… American would have exposed the very demons they have tried so hard to suppress in this so-called politically correct era.
With the US dollar declining and the Credit Bill soaring… the use of the US human capital is our only and best shot.
I’ll vote for that Hindu/Indian dude if I knew more about him and he proved to be as progressive as Obama. However, most would not.
I find it funny how so-called “pundants” and commentators attributes Hillary’s comeback to her “tenacity”… LOL!!!!
A blind man can see that the only thing that happened was the rhetorical effects of race kicked into high gear. And to think… the same white-Americans would be the first once to proclaim the principles and values of a country they obviously don’t understand.
Abusing democracy is hypocrisy…
So, speaking directly to real Americans… why not Obama/Powell???
If not, what substance other than race supports your argument?
I searched the web for this conversation, mainly because it’s one I’ve been having for some months now with various people. Colin Powell is the IDEAL choice for Obama and the nightmare of the McBUSH campaign. Powell was there, when the nation was being led astray. He is the only person who has come out of it all with true character. The walls are crashing in on the one-time, all powerful Bush/Cheney administrations and McBush will not succeed.
Powell’s service to America is unquestionable and his experience makes McBush look like a boy scout. Americans respect him and many Afircan-Americans thought he would be our first real hope at the office.
The time has come to put bi-partism aside and come together as the “United States” to defeat all our enemies, both foriegn and domestic, to include media pundits, racist and terrorist. The time has come, to say no to foriegn oil, no to fear tactics, no to division, no to children being left being, no to $4 a gallon gas, no to poor healthcare and broken borders, no to poor veterans assistance and no to war against those who pose us no threat. Enough with the foriegn nation building and lets build up or infrastructures, our schools, our communities, our military and our nation. I’m standing with Barry and with him we will change all these things, we will change America and we will change the world!
An Obama/Powell ticket would definitely get my vote!
Sorry, but Powel did not come out unscathed. Some of the Democrats most ardant grassroots would be disgusted with a Republican that served with Bush. And rightfully so; I would be disappointed with Lieberman from McCain for some of the same reason. And a clean break from all previous administrations would be best, no matter who ends up president.
There are several good ex-military types that would be good and Obama is considering them even now. Colin, as much as I like the guy, would be a poor choice.
And Tony: I was on Powell for President online committee and you might want to ask my Chinese wife and my Ugandan daughter about my White Supremacy tendencies. It sounds like you are primarily fascinated with Colin because of his race and that’s a sorry place to be.
In googling a McCain/Powell ticket, i came across a large number of hits and then this one wierd blog that included Obama??? . I just had to post. It would really behoove a number of you to actually read My American Journey (by Colin), and look at his background. A self made man, he has no room whatsoever for increased taxes, increased welfare and hand holding of the lazy. His politics have always quite clearly leaned Right, not to mention he is registered nowadays as a conservative Republican….have fun with the fantasy Dem ticket though. Cheers!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powel
Don’t worry, Jon; I read the book when it came out and am fully aware of Colin’s political philosophy. I was an online campaigner for when we were trying to draft him for the top slot a few cycles ago. I’m trying to break it gently to these starry-eyed ones who won’t face political realities.
Well, there’s at least one General they’ve had to cross off their VP list. Gen. James Jones, potential Obama VP pick, went on McCain’s plane to a recent event. Whooops!
A very sympathetic political imagination!
[...] the issues”. Though the article says that there is no looming endorsement, there is support for and speculation of an Obama-Powell candidacy this [...]