Off the Edge of Despair

I've said before that I believe that the WH and Congress should be controlled by two different parties. But if the GOP continues to go down this road of self-destructive behavior and banish anyone with different thoughts, or anyone who supports someone different, then the GOP will be just a bit player in politics. Our country is diverse and our leaders need to learn to listen to and accept diverse opinions.

The Republican Party really is becoming the party of "It's my way or the highway" crowd. I used to think it was just Bush, Cheney, Rove, etc. with this attitude. But when the GOP banishes anyone with different thoughts and no one stands up to them (or if they do they will probably be banished) then it is increasingly clear that the GOP will be the party of a select group of people. I think it has been for years now, and has only been able to stay in power by convincing the middle and lower classes that it was the GOP who could best serve their interests. And for a while the GOP did bring in differing views. But no longer.

If the GOP wants to be a narrow party, then that's their decision. But I lament the loss of a two-party system and the GOP. They have (had?) some fine ideas. Perhaps now is the time for another (new or existing) party to gain power.

SB - I agree with you about the GOP. Even moderates like McCain have to appease the conservative base with their decisions and policies. I'm sure he never would have chosen Palin without the advice of Bill Kristol, who is now ironically pointing out what a disaster McCain's whole campaign is.

McCain's foreign policy advisors are mostly a group of neocons instead of the more measured pragmatists from Bush 41. That tells me I would not be voting just for McCain but for the people I think are contributing to the down fall of America.

I see Limbaugh and Will are both passing off Powell's endorsement as essentially a black thing. Well, those are two guys sharing a brain afaic, and the behavior is a prime example of what is wrong with the GOP. Imagine getting paid big bucks for not having a clue! The only thing Rush has ever been good at doing is creating division, but now it's not just division between D's and R's but division among R's themselves. In any case, the GOP won't get much sympathy from me, they have done precious little to deserve it.

JS-

They are both shrewd enough to realize its not a black thing, but they are carrying water for the Republicans and spinning the endorsement. Over at Fox, the commentators thought it had something to do with the fact that McCain didn't select Powell for the VP slot. Both are insulting to General Powell, whose eloquent and thoughtful explanation had the unmistakable ring of truth.

The GOP has only been good at distortion and manipulation. How many reputations has the party destroyed of fine patriotic public servants? They need to go the way of the Whigs.

Kritt, I'm sure you're right about the intention being more spin and manipulation. It's all so contrived and cynical... Why would any thinking, aware person bother trying to rationalize an association with these people anymore? Clearly many of them can't, and are therefore parting ways. Others (who are less uncomfortable coexisting with lies) will just dig in.

JS- I don't understand why anyone trusts them anymore. All I can think of is that conservatives feel good when Rush bashes liberals, and so would buy any explanation that he comes up with. Will is a little harder to read.

Why could it not be true that Powell is a true patriot-- one that puts his country ahead of party- and isn't afraid to speak out when he sees the GOP ruining reputations?Or that people don't see in Obama a black man who they would feel good about voting for, but a true leader who has remarkable abilities and charisma, who keeps his calm when more experienced men don't, who just HAPPENS to be black? Don't forget Obama's mother was white-- so does that mean white people are voting for him because of race??? Its asinine.

Isn't the real reason that Powell endorsed Obama is that Powell is just not a conservative. Powell endoreses affirmative action and quotas, supports almost all big government policies, and is an inside-the-beltway guy.

Of course everyone who is cheering Powell is avoiding talking about what a lousy Secretary of State he way.

As we can see, the narrative to paint Powell as a RINO has already begun. Anytime the core R's see one of their own either criticize the party or defect in any way, they immediately begin the process of writing him or her off as not having been a "real" republican in the first place. Therefore there can be no moderate (rational) republicans.

Jspencer, Powell supported abortion choice, affirmative action, an expansion of the government. Please describe a single economic or social policy that Powell would agree with most Repulbicans on.

Besides, supporting racial quotas for college admission is certainly the sign of a RINO.

um, right. Next you're going to say he sucked as JCOS. Powell never said he was a conservative.
And there you have it. If Powell endorsed McCain you'd need a towel to clean off the manchowder.

Powell was fine as JCOS because he left the field commander alone and was much better than Crowley who had the job before Powell. However, Powell was a lousy Sec. of State who was in over his head and since the Sec. of State job takes place outside the beltway, Powell was unsuited for it. In addition, Powell brought in his cronies from previous jobs to state such as Armitage.

As I said, according to the reactionary wing of the GOP there can be no moderate republicans, forget about looking for the middle ground. The more extreme they get, the more the center will view them as damaged.

Jspencer,

You still have not given one policy position that Powell had that could be described as conservative. When you do, then you can talk about Powell being moderate. However, when Powell supports every policy position of Senator Obama, he is in fact, a Democrat.

Why is it in Republicanland you are either a good American-i.e a true conservative, or a RINO? There are all kinds of conservatives- fiscal,social, isolationist or neocon--- you can be one and not the other as George Will, Pat Buchanan and Christopher Buckley show us.

kritt,

i guess that you could not find a position that Gen. Powell (ret) supports that could be seen as a Republican position. Maybe the reason he supports Obama is that Powell is really just a Democrat who jumped on the Republican bandwagon to advance his own career and was never really interested in conservative politics at all. Of course, as I repeated argued, blacks will never support or vote for the more conservative of the two parties and Colin Powell's supports that hypothesis.

SD, you need to expand your focus instead of trying to create an artificial litmus test. Here's a link for you to peruse:

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_artic...

"Despite his impeccable military credentials, unwavering party loyalty, towering prestige, and diplomatic savvy, Powell always stirred unease, even deep furor in the bowels of many conservative Republicans. They were never awestruck by the general's bars, commanding personality, and public popularity. That first surfaced when Powell made some soundings that he might seek the Republican presidential nomination in 1996. Pat Buchanan and a strong contingent of conservative groups were appalled.

They sternly warned that they would make "war" on him if he were really serious about grabbing the nomination. If Powell had ignored their threat and charged ahead in his bid for the party's nomination they would have pounded him for backing affirmative action and abortion rights.

Even so, Reagan, Bush Sr., Gerald Ford, William Buckley and nearly every other Republican big wig were star struck enough with the general's magnetism and perceived popularity that they still wanted him on the Republican ticket."

As you can see, despite his complete loyalty to the party, he was viewed with suspicion from those who had a burr up their behind because he wasn't committed enough to a couple of the SOCIAL conservative "values". All that tells me is that the R party didn't have the sense god gave a gnat when it came to understanding what was and wasn't of true value to the party.

Jspencer,

I am still waiting for someone to give a single example of a position that Powell took that could be called conservative. How does violating people's rights on the basis on race make one a conservative?

Maybe you could point to an econonic issue or a governance issue.

Please let me know when you find one.

Powell as a general in DC during the Reagan Adminisratin. if he wanted to move up, he needed to play Republican politics. Playing Repulbicans politics did not make him a Republican or a conservative.

Maybe conservative are tried of the Bush, Ford, Buckley's etcf spending like drunken sailers , supporting open borders while telling them to shut up and like it.