Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama for president is sweet. It's funny, having just watched Oliver Stone's W. (2008) this past Friday, it seems to me that Powell's actions help confirm Stone's portrayal of him as one of the only (comparatively) even-handed realists in the G.W. Bush Administration's inner circle (Robert Gates, current Secretary of Defense, is another).
Here's a snippet of what Colin Powell said on NBC's Meet the Press earlier today:
On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him during this seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is ready to be president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a, a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. I also believe that on the Republican side over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He's crossing lines -- ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He's thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values. . .
Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? . . . I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities -- and we have to take that into account -- as well as his substance -- he has both style and substance -- he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world -- onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.
Today's Rune: Wholeness.
3 comments:
I loved this announcement! Colin Powell is the only person in Bush's cabinet I had respect for.
How was W?
Powell's my man. He convinced the world at his United Nations presentation when he was W's secretary of state that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He'll be a good minister of propaganda in the Obama administration.--Patton
I actually lost some respect for Powell when he Joined Bush's cabinet. But I'm both glad he endorsed Obama, and not in the least bit surprised.
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