Colin Powell

[okietool]

It doesn't surprise me either. I believe Powell voted for Obama first time. It's his vote, he sure enough earned it IMHO. As for being a "moderate" , I think Rush Limbaugh is the only one willing to own up to being a "right wing nut job" , and look where it's gotten him. I would trade bank accounts with him.
The entire United States ( and may be the western world's) political climate is like a giant game of 3 card monte, with the voters as the mark. They let us think we won one every now and again so we'll keep playing.
But, it's the only game in town right now.
May be someday.............

 

[inactive]

I normally disagree with much of what you say but this is a very good post. ^^^^^^. Kudos to you. Hard to disagree with it IMO. I would bet the Dem Party has the same "identity/ideology" issues you mentioned but to a lesser degree.

I would agree about the Democrats as well. Similar identity crisis but less pronounced.

And thank you for the support. I'll also add I don't disagree with conservatism; on the contrary I am firmly an Independent though shifted quite to the Right on the whole, but perhaps not as much as the typical OSA member. I do however like to provide a bit of alternative opinion and disagreement from the status quo; as groupthink never got anyone ahead. A bit of devil's advocating and trying to argue sides of the coin that are in the minority is a healthy exercise. If all we do is seek confirmation of our own opinions, we'd never experience growth.

 

[aeropb]

The Republican party is a **** show. 8 years ago Romney signed a permanent AWB into law and was quoted saying “Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts. These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.” and now he's the GOP nominee? And the NRA supports him? What a joke. LOL

 

[RickN]

The Republican party is a **** show. 8 years ago Romney signed a permanent AWB into law and was quoted saying “Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts. These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.” and now he's the GOP nominee? And the NRA supports him? What a joke. LOL

But the country as a whole is not a far left state like Massachusetts. Romney is smart enough to know that what works and that the people want in Massachusetts, is not the same as it is for the rest of the country.

 

[poopgiggle]

The kind of doublethinking mental gymnastics that people like RickN do to justify supporting Romney could earn you a gold medal at the next Olympics.

 

[reade]

[Broken External Image]

 

[Werewolf]

I'd love to see a source for that number (not that it has any relevance to Powell's statement/vote at all). If that were the case, Oklahoma voted at somewhere near that same percentage for the white guy last time, so...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/exit.polls/

And minorities went heavily into the Obama camp. Blacks, 96 percent Obama to 3 percent McCain;

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083335/Breakdown-demographics-reveals-black-voters-swept-Obama-White-House.html

Black Americans


95% of black voters went to the ballot for Obama and only 4% for McCain.

Obama has succeeded in mobilising African-American voters who, although strongly Democratic, have in the past been apathetic in turning out to vote.

Yesterday's surge in black voters, however, only boosted black turnout by two percentage points from 11% to 13%.

As in previous years, more black women turned out than men

If that were the case, Oklahoma voted at somewhere near that same percentage for the white guy last time, so...

Don't think so not even close to 95% of white voters in OK voted for McCain though he obviously won the majority.

NOW! I showed you my source - show me yours.

By the way here's the breakout of how whites voted in the 2008 election nationally:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083335/Breakdown-demographics-reveals-black-voters-swept-Obama-White-House.html

Whites

55% of white votes went to McCain including the notoriously hard-to-win white working class vote, but Obama stunned many by taking an impressive 43% of total white votes, cutting the Republican lead compared with 2004.

 

[JB Books]

Racism exists. Why is it so hard to admit? I'm sure many black people voted for Obama only because he is black. That's kinda racist. I'm equally sure many white people voted against Obama only because he was black. That's kinda racist too. We ought to be far enough along to look past color.

However, I don't believe this was Powell's motivation.

 

[Shadowrider]

Shadowrider, I am quoting you but not singling you out, as others here have made this statement as well.

With all the talk of Powell being a RINO, "IN Name Only," I have to ask, what IS a Republican these days. With the likes of Ron Paul, Colin Powell, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Bob Barr, et. al all running under the Republican banner at some point these last few years, I am not even sure what the NAME "Republican" stands for anymore. I mean, look how many ran as "Tea Party" conservatives against the bail out(s) and raising the debt ceiling, then quickly changed their tune in DC (cough*Lankford*cough).

Are we for a strong foreign presence, isolationism, or just jingoism?
Are we for limited government interaction, or for limiting bedroom and medical activities of homosexuals and women?
Are we for laissez faire economics, or do we believe the Government has a duty to oversee the economy, provide welfare and preference to large corporations (i.e. tax credits on federal, state, and local level) and "create jobs?"
Are we for less government meddling in private legal disputes and contract, or do we believe in limiting unions' negotiating power with private companies (i.e. Right to Work) and enacting tort reforms that artificially limit civil judgements?

The damn Republican Party is so scattered in its vision and actions among all its constituents, that the damn name "Republican" doesn't even mean anything anymore. So RINO really applies to anyone poor soul who tries to identify with that helpless party.

I agree with this premise completely and this is the driving factor in my desire to ditch the party designation altogether.

I think you are probably correct in that the repub party is just downright schizophrenic. The dems have the same issue though. My personal opinion is that the dems are just plain communist/socialist these days unlike in decades past, they always "leaned" that way a little, but nothing like where they stand today. At least we know where they stand now which is not really the case with the repubs because the spectrum is wider. Still though why don't the dem candidates run as a communist or socialist and those "moderate" repubs run as a dem instead of blatantly lying? Both parties are guilty as hell in this regard. But I have to go with who lines up closest with historical American values. Getting rid of the party designation would force us voters to do our homework on the candidates, and make the candidates quit hiding behind some party platform that nobody reads. I know it'll never happen but one can wish right?

Edit to add: I replied to this before I read yours and Parks replies and just now got caught up. Uncanny how we all agree on your premise huh?

 

[tran]

Racism exists. Why is it so hard to admit? I'm sure many black people voted for Obama only because he is black. That's kinda racist. I'm equally sure many white people voted against Obama only because he was black. That's kinda racist too. We ought to be far enough along to look past color.

However, I don't believe this was Powell's motivation.

I agree with you on this one but, just because someone disagrees with you don’t make them a Racist. People like to throw out the Racist word to make the other side look bad or to win an argument. I am no Racist and never will be. I just call it as I see it. The Racism goes both ways and that’s something the African American will not admit because they continue to use it as a crutch to help move their agenda. Think about this. How many times have you heard the Mexicans, Chinese, Irish or the American Indians scream Racist?

This is 2012 it’s time to get over what happened in the past.

I don’t have any Idea why Powell decided to Vote for Obama. His intentions maybe from the heart, it’s not for me to make judgment without the facts. All I know is I wish we had a Mulligan! I am voting for Romney only because I see him as the lesser of the two but make no mistake I dislike both of them.