Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/06/limbaugh-to-powell-become-a-democrat/" target="_blank">http://politicalticker.blogs.c...emocrat/</a> Colin Powell made a sppech the other day saying the GOPis in trouble. Nothing new there, everyone knows it. Powell also said, and I'm paraphrasing, the GOP doesn't need the likes of Limbaugh. Limbaugh has now shot back and said Powell only endorsed Obama because of race, and he should "complete the loop" and join the Demcratic party. For me, this cinches it. Powell commands respect from across a broad spectrum and is obviously capable of making his political choices independent of race. For Limbaugh to make this kind of accusation goes beyond the pale. I'd like for someone, anyone, especially a GOP loyalist, to explain why Limbaugh is not a shallow, sad racist. Credible members of the GOP need to excommunicate this pig ASAP.
Originally Posted By DAR Well a good start would be his "20 million listeners" changing the station when he's on.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 There's another post on LP right now about a guy who threw a baby out of the window of a moving vehicle. A few LP'ers have written that reading that account has ruined their day. I think I know what they mean: the feeling that all of the energy has been sucked out of you; a huge surge of sadness; a big but vague sense of despair that things could actually get this bad. Reading that Limbaugh is proudly proclaiming himself to be the only person ballsy enough to show Powell for the shallow racist he is is more depressing to me than reading about the guy who killed a baby. Oh, God. You can't attack Powell's integrity like that. You can't be so racist. You can't say such stupid things proudly and publically. You can't blatantly pander to prejudice and ignorance to make a living. And the venomous and false statements you make can't possibly be eaten up by an American public the way they are. But they are. Honest to God, the fact that Limbaugh airs this tripe -- and that people find him credible -- makes me want to cry.
Originally Posted By Mr X He's been saying that ever since the day Powell endorsed Barack Obama, I'm surprised this is news to people. Hey, how about Powell for SCJ? I think he'd make an excellent choice!
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Powell's actual quote: “I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without." Not only is it true, but anyone except Limbaugh himself should understand that that's exactly the sort of thing a moderate Republican (not a wannabe Democrat) would say who was concerned about his party's rightward lurch; how it's alienating moderates and getting smaller as a result. How that's a counterproductive strategy for the party. It's constructive criticism from a Republican about Republicans, but naturally Limbaugh is incapable of seeing it that way. Here's Limbaugh's predictable, megalomaniacal, and rather disturbing reaction: "He’s just mad at me because I’m the one person in the country who had the guts to explain his endorsement of Obama. It was purely and solely based on race! There can be no other explanation for it. " No other explanation? Hello? Powell gave a 15-20 minute very eloquent explanation of the MANY reasons for his endorsement. And they were the exact same reasons given by any number of white moderate Republicans who ended up favoring Obama over McCain. But no, since Powell is black, it's all about race for Rush. Case closed.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan “I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without."<< Eloquently stated, right on the money. You know, there are hints and blips of a few in the GOP waking up to this concept -- that Rush is bad for the brand -- but they always back down and start kissing up to El Blowhardo like simpering fools. Powell isn't ever going to do that and Limbaugh knows it. So, predictably, he tries to diminish Powell with racist reasoning.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>No other explanation? Hello? Powell gave a 15-20 minute very eloquent explanation of the MANY reasons for his endorsement. << Exactly! But since Limbaugh can't see past Powell's skin color, he assumes that is the "only" reason.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Powell gave a 15-20 minute very eloquent explanation of the MANY reasons for his endorsement. And they were the exact same reasons given by any number of white moderate Republicans who ended up favoring Obama over McCain.*** Yes indeed he did. And it was *quite* eloquent indeed. It included perhaps the softest possible dismissal of Palin as a viable "heartbeat away" (while still complimenting her more than most did), a great deal of deference to McCain (blaming his campaign more than the man himself), and attacking the utterly reprehensible ads and rhetoric that any sane person could see was well beyond the pale. Luckily, we have records these days courtousy of the youtubes...so maybe Mr. "Rush-to-buy-more-pills" could check it out himself and (if he dared to) give a point by point dismissal of all of Powells' highly cogent arguments... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2U63fXBlFo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...63fXBlFo</a>
Originally Posted By barboy ///Powell also said, and I'm paraphrasing, the GOP doesn't need the likes of Limbaugh./// True, very true--- Lim. only hurts that faction. ///Limbaugh has now shot back and said Powell only endorsed Obama because of race/// There is no way to test or prove it but I feel(or fully believe)Lim. is accurate on this one based on a very compelling coincidence/circumstance: for years Powell has aligned himself with the GOP. McCain epitomized a GOP candidate---not too liberal, not too conservative either for a repub.--- while Obama clearly has democrat written all over him. Powell black in black; Obama is black. Other democratic candidates **basically** carried the same message as Obama so why didn't Powell state early on that he's jumping the GOP ship this last election? Hillary's political message mirrored Obama's(again, in all basics when compared/contrasted against GOP stances). So the question I ask is...... if Hillary won the nomination would Powell have supported her???? I strongly feel Powell would not have even though she was very 'Obamaesque' considering the whole political spectrum. What's going on here is that the US has seen so very few high ranking and well known national black politcal figures--- Obama, Rice, JC Watts and T. Marshall--- so naturally Powell would gravitate towards the black candidate in the same way that Jes. Jackson would(irrespective of the fact that many scoff at Jackson while many admire Powell). Is it possible that your hatred of Lim.(a most justifiable disdain I say) is clouding your assessment/conclusion here SinglePass? Just because Lim. is a horse ass doesn't make him inaccurate on this topic. ****by the way I don't hold this against Powell as I think he is one of the very few out there with integrity but if something looks flagrant to me then I have a hard time overlooking it****
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Don't hold your breath. Rush has spoken. And the saddest part is, his dittoheads will just accept his explanation without question. "Powell endorsed Obama because he's black. That's the only possible reason. HE'S the racist! Poor oppresssed us."
Originally Posted By Dabob2 #10 for #8. And barboy, did you watch Powell's explanation of his endorsement? It was for many of the same reasons white moderates endorsed Obama. Aren't those reasons compelling enough? They were for those white moderates. So why not for Powell?
Originally Posted By Mr X ***for years Powell has aligned himself with the GOP. McCain epitomized a GOP candidate---not too liberal, not too conservative either for a repub.--- while Obama clearly has democrat written all over him. Powell black in black; Obama is black. Other democratic candidates **basically** carried the same message as Obama so why didn't Powell state early on that he's jumping the GOP ship this last election? Hillary's political message mirrored Obama's(again, in all basics when compared/contrasted against GOP stances). So the question I ask is...... if Hillary won the nomination would Powell have supported her???? I strongly feel Powell would not have even though she was very 'Obamaesque' considering the whole political spectrum.*** I call shenanigans on barboy...you're full of crap bro. The only way that your assumptions work is if you assume that all the (imo extremely valid) criticisms that Powell laid out in that endorsement were lies. Since I happen to agree very strongly WITH all the (extremely valid) points that Powell made, I have no reason to think that he might not have done just the same with Hilary Clinton or some other candidate all other things being equal (the negative idiocy of the McCain campaign would've been just the same regardless...no?).
Originally Posted By Mr X ***naturally Powell would gravitate towards the black candidate in the same way that Jes. Jackson would(irrespective of the fact that many scoff at Jackson while many admire Powell)*** Wow...that's funny. I'm a white guy so why didn't I gravitate towards McCain? And yet, I find Ron Paul to be legitimate and intellectually compelling. Perhaps if I endorse him someday, it will only be because I'm white. Sorry, Charlie. Your arguments are pathetic here (and you know I like you and "usually" appreciate what you have to offer).
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Just because Lim. is a horse ass doesn't make him inaccurate on this topic.*** Except that He is. But not "inaccurate", exactly. He's doing this completely on purpose. And not because of "race" at all (he's using race to further his agenda though, sure as the Pope is Catholic), but because Powell is defying him. And no right winger ought dare defy HIM, because He speaks for the party. Any remaining Republicans can feel free to hang their heads in shame anytime now...
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan So the question I ask is...... if Hillary won the nomination would Powell have supported her?<< She didn't, so we'll never know. He didn't support Obama until very late in the game. It wasn't like he said, "Ooo! A black guy! He's the guy I support!" back when Obama announced his run. Hillary was supported by many black people, had black people on staff, had endorsements by several high-profile black celebrities and politicians. We also know that McCain chose a VP candidate that was stunningly unready to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. This also affected Powell's support of his good friend John McCain.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>And no right winger ought dare defy HIM, because He speaks for the party.<< Exactly. We see this pattern again and again -- anyone who shines the light on Limbaugh and exposes him for what he is is redefined as a "lib" or racist or anything else the cherubic troll can fling at them.
Originally Posted By DAR The only way Rush's theory could ever be proven true(and I'm not saying it ever would be) is Michael Steele runs for President and Powell endorses him. Won't ever happen. Of course Rush would believe that he has shown Powell the error of his ways.
Originally Posted By gadzuux Since this seems to be the Rush-bashing thread du jour, did anybody else notice that Eric Cantor is the latest GOP stalwart to bend down to kiss rush - right 'in the middle'? Cantor is the "Number Two" guy in the GOP caucus - literally. He initiated the much vaunted "Listening Tour" for the GOP, in which he made all the rounds pushing the daily talking point about "Listening Tour". Lo and behold, Rushbo comes out and says "we don't need a listening tour, we need a TEACHING tour". Classic Limbaugh - the problem isn't with the party or it's message, the problem is with the public. We're just too dumb to understand, and we need more pedantic lectures from sanctimonious politicians. The very next day, Cantor goes on TV to say "it's not a listening tour", after having spent the previous few days repeating the phrase like some mantra. There's a nice vid clip that illustrates the flip-flop. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/06/cantor-bows-to-rush-this_n_197776.html" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...776.html</a>
Originally Posted By DAR I have to ask the GOP much like the Joker: I mean what happened did your balls drop off?
