No, Colin Powell, You’re not a Republican
On October 20, 2008, Colin Powell, just prior to the November election, made the following statement on Meet the Press : “I think he is a transformation figure, he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I’ll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama.”
On May 24, 2009, Colin Powell circulated through the Sunday talk shows to plead his case that he is a Republican. But he left one conspicuous question unanswered. Why?
Why is Colin Powell so adamant about convincing the American people, and Republicans, that he is indeed a Republican?
While making the network rounds, Powell stated that the Republican Party must “broaden itself to stay relevant.” He is a proponent of the big tent argument espoused by the left-leaning faction within the Republican Party. Considering that Powell is an Obama supporter, the big tent that he is prescribing for the Republican Party is comprised of the following: a markedly weakened national security position, a ten trillion dollar deficit, the unprecedented seizure of private industry, the coercive intimation forcing banks to accept TARP money, the infantile personal and public exchanges with conservative radio personalities, a cabinet impregnated with tax evaders and lobbyist, blindly signing an unread and unexplored $787 billion stimulus package, and the proposed nationalization of the U.S. health care that will mirror the dilapidated health care system of Europe and Canada, thus stripping the current benefactors of the most enviable health care system in the world and leaving the equivalent of socialized misery in its wake.
Is this the big tent concept Powell believes is the salvation of the Republican Party? Apparently so, as he supports these second-rate principles that, in every conceivable way, violate the foundational laws of the country.
Powell responded to remarks made by Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh saying that Powell had left the Republican Party when he cast his vote for Obama: “Rush will not get his wish and Mr. Cheney was misinformed, I am still a Republican.” But again, Powell failed to explain why he wants to be a Republican, since his ideology is antithetical to the Republican Party’s, and he has, since joining the ranks of civilians, performed as a Democrat.
Powell has obviously been a chronic sufferer of an ideological dichotomy since being appointed as National Security Adviser by Ronald Reagan (1987-1989); elevated to Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army Forces Command (1989); then elevated to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993), again by President Reagan; then elevated to Secretary of State by George Bush (2001-2005). His career ascension and national relevance were made possible and created by the Republican presidents he served.
Perhaps John Locke best summarized the current cartel of Republicans, and Powell, whose rhetoric is antipodal to their actions, and are unable to publicly reconcile the two with their rhetoric without offending the intellect: “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”
The big tent concept is not the answer to the Republican’s political malaise–it is the problem. Colin Powell, Tom Ridge, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, et al, who label themselves moderates, are, more often than not, indistinguishable from Democrats. John McCain erected a big tent this past election, and successfully compelled enough independent and Republican voters to abandon the Republican Party and hand Obama the election. These left leaning Republicans believe that the big tent is the antidote that will cure the Republican Party’s conservatism, and thus resurrect its relevance. But relevance to whom? Is Colin Powell becoming a “useful idiot” in the vein of Megan McCain–the politically irrelevant and vacuous headed daughter of John McCain– by the left-leaning media to continue the push for the Republican Party to move left?
The gulf between conservatism and the current ideology of the Democratic Party is not bridgeable with a Republican big tent. The gulf between the two parties has advanced daily since Obama took office, and will expand as long as there is a Democratic majority that is, currently and heavy handedly, meting large doses of fascism as a means of governing, and a Republican minority that believes in a Republic form of government faithful to the Constitution this country was founded upon. The Republican Party is not in need of the likes of Colin Powell, and proved it with the sound thrashing that John McCain received, with the aid of defectors, in the election.
The problem with the Republican Party is not its ideology, as Powell and others would have you believe, but rather how the party has failed to adhere to its values, present those values in an inclusive manner to potential party members, and present an exemplary leader–thus rendering the party leaderless. McCain proved during the presidential election, that shifting the Republican ideology, wandering around aimlessly within the political spectrum, is not what the American people seek. They seek leadership, and McCain and the Republican Party have better demonstrated their lack of that attribute. This manifested itself this week when Obama went head-to-head against Dick Cheney regarding his changing of the Bush/Cheney national security policies; Obama was handily bested by substance over style. Cheney’s favorable ratings have risen significantly since reasserting himself on the national stage regarding national security, and for substantive reasons.
There is a quantifiable political recalibration since the implementation of Obama’s policies, which has left many, including Democrats, quite startled. For the first time in 15 years, the majority of Americans identify themselves as pro-life; 49% of Americans disagree with Obama’s closing Guantanamo Bay, while only 39% agree with him; California’s tax increase initiative was soundly defeated last week by voters; states are asserting their 10th Amendment rights; California voters rejected gay marriage; Iran is taunting the U.S. with their unfettered nuclear development; North Korea tested a nuclear bomb, and has test fired a flurry of missiles since; Arlen Specter defected to the Democratic Party after becoming unelectable as a Republican; and Nancy Pelosi demonstrated, by calling the CIA liars without substantiation, how devoid of character the Democratic leadership is with her comically bizarre behavior.
With the incipient trend embracing traditional conservative principles, Americans, including disenfranchised minority groups, will vote for a traditional Republican Party–executive and legislative–if presented with a compelling leader that will honor the party’s principles, implement the principles, and adhere to the principles.
No, Mr. Powell, the Republican Party does not need you, nor your disregard for Republican principles. Your set of values are being rejected by the people and the states; and the Republican tent may not be as big as the Democrat tent, but what it lacks in size, it can, if its principles are followed, it makes up in character.
Comments (3)
[...] No, Colin Powell, You're not a Republican [...]
The Republican Party needs to divorce themselves from Colin Powell. I ask the question: How can he possibly be a Republican when at probably the most critical point in the capaign he announced his endorsement for Obama when all along he was saying that McCain was the type of Republican we needed to be President.
I really believe he is trying to garner popularity on the Obama wave because of his embarassment over the fact that he made the argument that Iraq and Sadam Husain had weapons of mass destruction.
I have been watching with interest, and continue doing so, the internal debates (abetted by plenty of liberals and media) within the Republican Party. In my opinion there is no doubt, as the record shows, that you are correct about running strong principled candidates to win elections.
There is a principled way of thought that cuts across political parties and party idealogy and that is conservatism. Admittedly and unfortunatley there are not so many of those that ascribe to it as Democrats except mainly on the local and state levels.
A recent gallup poll indicated that conservatives are the single largest idealogical group in this country and I wish that this was reflected in the available political leadership and legislation that was passed -or should I say foisted? upon the American People.
Colin Powell and others like him have the freedom to do as Arlen Specter did and change parties and I wish that he and others like him would do just that as the Republicans would be all the better for it.
AI