Colin Powell's endorsement  

I agree. Here is the point that he made in the link you posted:

Powell's endorsement doesn't surprise me in the least. He's just another of the republican leaders who can't support their party any longer. The wedge within the republican party is so huge right now that I don't see how they can effectively lead the country.

The one fly in this particular ointment is that Colin Powell, probably more than any other, enabled the invasion of Iraq to go forward when he was uniquely positioned to stop it, had that been his desire.

But he has always made it clear that he was not a partisan and had no desire to run for any higher office.

Just a minor point here, but Obama has not been a "lifelong Christian," at least not on paper. I don't buy into the theories that he is any sort of secret or closet Muslim, but until about 20 years ago, I don't think he ascribed to any particular philosophy, as would also be the case, by the way, with Bush.

I agree and there are a couple of things I don't understand. From my understand william ayers was part of a group that did these bombing or according to some he did them. He did not actually plan them as far as we know nor did they result in any fatalities. If William Ayers was a terrorist at least a terrorist in the way the republican party protrays then why is he not in jail. The orginazation that he was part of never admitted to these things either which of course really doesnt mean they didn't do them but my question was it ever proven? Also is it proven that william Ayers agreed with the tactics or was he just part of the orginazation. I am sure that there are people we are part of peta that do some questionable things and other people that are part of the same group that don't do these things or agree with them. This is just one example.
Also what about the United States ties with Saddom. Didn't the us have association with saddom and even support him and didn't we provide him with some of the weapons he used against us later on. My only thing is what point or people trying to make with Obama beeing associated with someone that he doesnt agree with when the usa has been associated with terrorist in the past as well.

I never knew that it had to be on paper that you are a Christian.

On paper, at least, he was a Muslim while he lived in Indonesia. That was my point.

>>The orginazation that he was part of never admitted to these things either which of course really doesnt mean they didn't do them but my question was it ever proven? Also is it proven that william Ayers agreed with the tactics or was he just part of the orginazation.<<

William Ayers was going to be tried, but the government made some massive error in the indictment, and the charges were dropped. His wife, Bernadine Dohrn, was convicted, fined, and sentenced to probation. Bill Ayers freely admits the activities of the organization he co-founded, and has never repudiated or repented for any of the acts. In fact, he says they didn't do enough. Most of us who remember those times would not even shake hands with Bill Ayers, let alone socialize with him, if we knew who he was (which Obama may well have not known about at first).

From Obama's own web site:

"On September 11, 2001, A Story About William Ayers' Memoir Was Published In The New York Times; The Interview Occurred Prior To Publication. "'I don't regret setting bombs,' Bill Ayers said. 'I feel we didn't do enough.' Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970's as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago." [New York Times, 9/11/01]"

By the way, I could write an ad about Obama and Ayers that would virtually assure he lost the election.

But it's the rare politician who doesn't have a few of these skeletons in his closet. With the massive numbers of people you have to schmooze for money, and all the networking you have to do, this sort of thing is bound to happen.

Soooo, one could, conceivably, say that Colin Powell is a "Warmonger", just like the Left so dearly loves to call President Bush. I'm shocked they would be proud of this endorsement.

Why does a little voice tell me that if Colin Powell had endorsed John McCain, the left would be screaming, Warmonger. But, since he endorsed Obama, he isn't a Warmonger anymore.

Funny how that works, isn't it?

I was thinking about this yesterday and although I do not think that Mccain is against muslims/arabs I think he or his party kinda brought on some of these feeling people have like the lady he shut down at his rally. It is his palins and his partys own comments and suggestions that have put this in peoples heads. Although he may not have intended it to be taken this way that is what some people are interpreting it as and I think that they need to be a little more careful about how they are bringing theses accusations up about Obama.

And the many nutcase Obama supporters that pray for McCain's death and bad things to happen to Sarah Palin, the same can be said about them also, so what is your point? My point is, there are looney's on the left and right.

This is big, but not for Dems. It's big for the middle of the road Republican that has felt like they've been left behind by their own party. What Powell did is make a great case for two different things:

1. It's okay to vote for Obama.
2. If you still don't like Obama you can vote third party and no one will make you feel bad about it. (I feel like this was far more subtle.)

Again, this race isn't about Republican or Democrat it's about the independent voter. Powell basically personifies that portion of the country.

I can't see any way it would help McCain. Powell is a very popular man, despite the little "oopsie" I mentioned above. I suspect he's a lot like Eisenhower, who was wooed by both parties for President.

Its wrong either way but that wasnt the topic
Frankly im a bit surprised that you would be upset or lash out at me because I m saying some people take things the wrong way and even if mccaine doesnt mean it to be that way it might help him to present his case in another manner. IE some republicans might take it as obama is a evil arab muslim while some democrates might take it as Mccain is Racist. Which either is not the case.
And the question wasnt asking about threats to palin and Mccain it was about Muslim/Islam- bashing and I am talking about how mccaine and palin play certain things up weather I think it is right or not and there supporters or not taking it the wrong way and my point is maybe they need to be a little more careful the way they word things not to help obama but to help their own campaign and help keep away the Muslim/Islam- bashing.

More impressive to me is the fact that Kissinger, Baker, Haig and 200 army generals are endorsing McCain.

Colin Powell at one point could have been a candidate for President, but his time has passed.

The "oppsie" is only a problem for Democrats. The independent voter not so much.

I have a feeling that Bob Barr is going to have a better turn out than he expects.

Maybe. It will take something really odd for enough people to vote for a 3rd party so that party can get matching funds, etc., in the next election. A person could go seriously broke betting on this election!

I think Obama needs to be a little more careful in his choice of friends also, but we don't always get what we want do we?

Whether you or anyone else likes it, those are issues that matter to many Americans. Truth and the ability to trust what is said to voters is as important to many as what views they have on abortion and illegal immigration.

That being said, I remember BHO expressed a fear that his opponent would first attack his lack of experience and then "mention he's black." And how convenient that the MSM has seemed to find anything that's said by conservatives to be racist. I.e. the ad run about Franklin Raines and his role at FM/FM - that turned into it being noted MANY time that the older white woman in the ad was appearing threatened by two black men. It was an AD, people: BHO and Raines followed by a woman that was upset over her financial status. The subliminal message crap is just that. If a voter is so prejudiced to be influenced by THAT little message, I'd say their mind is made up already and has nothing to do with the ad itself.

And wasn't it James Carville that was spewing about "if Obama goes in and he has a consistent five point lead and loses the election, it would be very, very, very dramatic out there?" If THAT'S not inciting racism, what is?

The guy at position 0:25 in the video that opened this thread

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=179137

So your conclusion is that Carville's statement isn't racism, only the guy in the video is?

I think some liberals will vote for BHO simple because he's black so they won't feel like bigots. They'll want to claim they are endorsing him for other reasons, but the guilt often eats at them more then they'll admit. I be you'll see more liberals voting for him to be PC than rednecks voting against him because he's not white.

Colin Powell left the Republican Party a long time ago, his reasons are his own. His vote not going to McCain is his choice, and some people may change their opinion of him for it.

Another thing that matters to the people is a smear compaign or however you want to word it and right now weather republicans like it or not that is the way a lot of people are taking it even if that is not his true intentions. I don't think Mccain has bad intention he seems like a swell guy and he is brining up matters that not only peole care about but what he thinks is going to help him win. Just like Obama. Im not saying people don't think that about Obama cause They are out there but it is clear by the polls that Obama is ahead and there is a reason for that.
and I never said not to bring it up I said maybe he should put it in a different manner. So what it seems to me is that you think I shouldn't worry about Mccain making himself look like a jerk even if that are not his intentions because why?

John McCain doesn't care if you think he's a jerk. He cares about getting out a message that people need to hear, whether they want to or not.

The little snippet you posted isn't racist. We've had elections before where the poll winner lost, and what happened. It got very, very dramatic out there. Unless there is more to what he said than what you posted. As for the guy in the video, he makes it blatantly obvious.

I'm guessing you didn't watch the second debate or the post-debate analysis. The subject was race, not underwater basketweaving.

COOPER: On the racial issue Suzanne, is that something you hear from Obama's people in the campaign? I mean are they concerned about the discrepancy between where the polls are and where they may really be?

MALVEAUX: Well, I just spoke at an Obama aide before the debate who said you know they would love have to the election tonight if they could, just because of all the support, the numbers.

But at the same time, they're very cautious, they say they're going to put their heads down, they're going to keep working. They're not cocky at this point.

They believe that there's a lot of hard work that's ahead and it -- part of it speaks to what David was talking about and part of it just speaks to the fact that there's been so many unknowns. There's 28 days or 27 days is a lifetime in a campaign.

COOPER: So they're not going to run a commercial with James Carville saying the dogs are wet bring them in or whatever that -- I can't remember exactly or do the laundry or I can't remember what it was.

CARVILLE: Let me be clear, I said you can call the dogs and light the fire and leave the house. I think it sounds over.

Now let me be clear here, if Obama goes in this race with a 5- point lead and losing this election, the consequences are -- bull, man. I mean I don't think that's going to happen, but I think David it's a point to bring up

But you stop and contemplate this country if Obama goes in and he has a consistent five point lead and loses the election, it would be very, very, very dramatic out there.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...07/acd.02.html

I dont think he is a jerk and I stated that I thought he was a swell guy. He should care if people think he is a jerk especially if people are taking his message the wrong way because if someone thinks he is a jerk then they are not going to vote for him, which will make him lose if enough people think that way, but hey since I want Obama to win I guess I shouldnt really care if he does have that attitude because it certainty is not going to help him. The thing is I do care because I don't think he is a jerk and I think that it should be a fair campaign even if I don't want him to win, and people should really know who he is and what he is about, not just take what he says and either twist it or take it the wrong way and I feel changing the way he present it may help him. Same goes for Obama because people are doing it on both sides right now it just seems to be a little more prevalent with Mccaine and it is showing in the polls. But hey maybe it is his true intentions maybe I shouldnt be trying to justify the way people take what he says but I would like to think that it is not his true intention. Not everyone does take it that way but there are people out there that do and he most certainlty should care.

I didn't watch any of the debates. I just wasn't particularly interested, and don't find them to be entertaining OR informative. I took a ride on the motorcycle during the last one, and dined at Outback during the one before that. Don't remember the first one though, sorry.

That is a valid concern and I share the same concern but the more I look at it and consider other things such as ties the united states and other figures have with worse people the less and less relavent I feel it is. Not to say it is not relevent just that from looking at the whole picture it is hard to take things like this only against Obama when it happens way more and some times in worse ways and although your friends are who you are in most cases I don't feel that is the case with Obama but I can see why you or people would come to that conclusion.

If anyone is interested, here's the photo Powell was talking about: Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan

Colin Powell's reasoning made a lot of sense. I doubt it didn't sting a little for McCain.
Powell has always been more of a moderate so I would think he would help with some undecideds, some vets and some blue dog democrats. Probably some disenfranchised Republicans who aren't into Palin or the jog to the right McCain has taken will think about Obama a little more.
It is a good endorsement for Obama.