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A modest proposal
Next election, let's set up a movement to "draft" Colin Powell. Nevermind that he refuses to run. It can be via one party or the other or both or independent.
Then we vote him in. If he refuses to serve, there is plenty of common law precedent for the proposition that an elected official doesn't have a choice. He has been selected by the people, and must serve. Besides, this is C in C of the armed forces. Failure to serve is desertion. If he fails to show for his inauguration, MPs go looking and bring him in and then see him into the White House. He'd probably figure after that that he did command men who had been drafted and didn't want to be privates or pfcs, so he oughta serve as commander in chief even if he didn't want to.
In this I am guided by a friend who knew him, and thought him the wisest fellow he had ever known, and a general that I met at an NRA convention, when I was too intoxicated to remember his name, and a few NRA-linked people who served on his security details. And by the thought that it would be wonderful to be governed by a fellow who had no ego problems, didn't want the big name and celebrity, and had to be forced to attend his own inauguration. He does love to work on cars, but it wouldn't be hard to build a real garage onto the White House, and buy a full set of tools.
UPDATE: I know he endorsed Obama. We all make mistakes. I've made some bad and painful ones. The most we we expect is that a fellow learns from each. If he makes a move and gets hammered, he thinks about where he misjudge events or human nature, and learns from it.
30 Comments | Leave a comment
Powell endorsed Obama.
Powell is a dead duck now with the people who would have supported him 2 months ago (including, I suspect, your NRA Annual Meeting acquaintances).
What about General Zod?
A fake conservative. Haven't we learned our lesson. Good grief!
Tim: I think you call the wrong people fake conservatives; those that presided over the largest expansion of government of all times are fake conservatives.
It's not like we had a real choice in this election; a closet liberal or a real liberal. I honestly can't blame anyone for any of their choices, as bad as they were.
I have never known or read of a politician who has been anything other than the lesser of two evils.
I don't expect that that pattern will change for the next election or the one after that or the one after that.
I will wait until I find out who the alternatives are on both sides.
Then I will vote for the lesser of two evils: the one whose past votes show him to be least likely to infringe the fullest and freest exercise of my Second Amendment rights.
Well, if there's any traction to this story, we may have to draft someone.
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/11/scotus-souter-t.html
In the unlikely event that Obama is disqualified, Colin Powell's last minute endorsement could conceivably put him in line as a replacement and everyone would think it an amazing maneuver.
Evidently you have not learned from recent history (11/4/08) that people who have stuck their thumbs into the eyes of Conservatives cannot win on an (R) ticket.
NRA creds (real or imagined) don't impress Conservatives in and of themselves--nor does a collection of stars on one's shoulders.
OK David, You started it. :>)
You draft Powell, I'll draft Ann Coulter.
Obviously, your suggestion would never get past the involunttary servitude clause of the Thirteenth Amendment
News of an Alternative Reaction:
Man flies flag half-staff, upside-down over election result
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081108/NEWS/811080325/0/FRONTPAGE
Is anyone else flying the American flag at half-mast and/or upside down?
Thanks, nope.
Powell demonstrated a profound lack of courage when he took the minimal step of endorsing Obama as late in the campaign as he did...All he did is hurt McCain and the republican campaign, and did nothing for obama.
Further, I don't really give him as much credit as most do for his professional career: He was simply in the right place at the right time during Desert Storm, the real credit for the victory should go to Schwarzkopf, not Powell.
Powells later exploits in Haiti for Clinton, etc were minimal, and his career as SecState was pretty pathetic too. Poor choice by Bush.
Oh yeah, great choice. He supports gun registration...
http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Colin_Powell_Gun_Control.htm
If you accept the fact that politics is all about forcing someone to do what you want them to do, then this is a great idea.
Running a black Republican against a black Democrat for President in itself is another good idea.
But as I said in another thread, like they used to say in the 60's, "I don't mind blacks running for office. He just isn't the right one."
If someone can be a feminist and not support Palin, then I'm still not prejudiced if I don't support Colin Powell.
Have I got that right, or am I a racist just because I'm white?
There are better black republicans to run than Powell. If we're going to draft someone, how about JC Watts? Michael Steele from Maryland? Probably a few others too, I guess.
If he refuses to serve, there is plenty of common law precedent for the proposition that an elected official doesn't have a choice. He has been selected by the people, and must serve. Besides, this is C in C of the armed forces. Failure to serve is desertion.
He could just resign the post, or even refuse to be sworn in. If all else failed, it's only desertion if you've been absent without leave for a month, so he could simply take four years of leave.
My problem with Powell is that he's just not a conservative and hasn't taken conservative positions for a long time. There's nothing fake about the guy, he's been pretty clear about where he stands. He's a centrist and I don't want a centrist for president.
even if he wanted to run, waving that little vial of white powder at the UN a few years back killed his credibility. sad but there you go.
Nope, he's just another anti-gun liberal!
Alan Keyes
Thomas Sowell
Walter Williams
JC Watts
Condoleeza Rice (last on my list)
All Americans of color who are just as, if not more qualified, than Barry Soetoro.
No thanks.
He seems to be an excellent judge of character though (/sarcasm), having endorsed Obama and said this of Senator Stevens:
One of the nation's best-known retired Army generals, Colin Powell, described Sen. Ted Stevens in court today as a "trusted individual" and a man with a "sterling" reputation.
"He was someone whose word you could rely on," said Powell, secretary of state in President Bush's first term, who self-deprecatingly described himself as someone who retired as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and then "dabbled a bit in diplomacy."
via Instapundit: http://www.pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/026323.php
Terrible idea. I disagree with the idea of the draft and wouldn't want to serve next to a man who is drafted. You'd have to do your job and his as well.
Awful.
SSG Volunteer
No ego problems? Colin Powell? Someone's not been paying attention.
I believe the election proves that Powell is a RINO (or close) or that he is a sucker for the Left's propaganda. Did you actually hear his endorsement speech? 8 years ago he could have gotten my vote. Now? No way!
colin powell? heck why not al sharpton?
michael steele would be my real pick.
No, we should send in Bobby Jindal. He probably stands as good as chance as anyone else in a general election.
I am a huge fan of J.C. Watts. And although I am not all white, I am not to my knowledge, any part black. But, so what? I don't care, and wouldn't if I were. I go for character. Watts has it. Rice has it. Jindal appears to have it, time will tell.
At this point, I could support any of them. But not Colin Powell, as I said, I go for character.
Sam Nunn would be a good choice too. I am not married to the idea of only people of color, or people of white, I go for character.
Sorry, Sam Nunn is a lousy choice if you care about gun rights. I still have a copy of the letter his office sent me justifying his anti-gun votes, including the "assault weapons" ban.
He is a political general. His promotions came from Army affirmative action. Talk to people who served under him, they will tell you he is not a warrior.
Why in the H*ll would I want that poseur as president?
If the country is going to go to H*ll we might as well have Obama lead the parade as someone who once upon a time served his country with honor.
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McCain would have won the election had he won more of the white vote. But his constant pandering to hispanics, his negative statements about the Battle Flag, and his refusal to engage Obama in racial issues (affirmative action, reparations, black crime, Jeremiah Wright) made McCain look like a loser to lower and middle class whites.
The solution? Find candidates that will appeal to whites as whites. Bring Wallace and Helms back from the dead, if necessary.
No thanks, I'll pass...