Posted on 12/15/2008 3:24:53 PM PST by quesney
Powell's premise -- and I understand what's going on -- I think Powell's premise is all wrong. "The Republican Party needs to stop listening to me." Basically, what that means is the Republican Party's gotta throw you overboard; the Republican Party can't win as long as it is defined by people like you and me, those of you in this audience. The simple fact of the matter is, folks, what makes this funny to me is that the Republican Party's not listened to me in the last two years. And you might even say in matters of policy and so forth, the Republican Party hasn't been listening to me for the last six years.
And you might even say that the Republican Party is in the situation it's in precisely because of the people like Colin Powell and John McCain and others who have devised this new definition and identity of the party which is responsible for electing Democrats all over this country.
[...]
Colin Powell, ladies and gentlemen, insists that conservatives and Republicans support candidates who will appeal to minorities like I guess McCain who led the effort for amnesty....
So if we try to understand Powell's thinking, which is difficult since it's incoherent, we should have all voted for McCain in the primaries, and once he was nominated, we should have voted for Obama for president.
It would be one thing if Republicans were listening to me and going down in flames, but they're not, and they haven't for the longest time.
Powell's not a Republican. McCain's not a Republican. These guys are not even mavericks. They are Washingtonians. Washingtonians have their own culture and their own desires, and it is to matter. They don't care who's in power, they just want to be closely associated with whoever is.
That's the name of the game and they want press adulation. They want to be loved and adored by the media, they want fawning treatment, they want to be thought of as something special, unique, dignified and so forth, and that's the Washington establishment. These guys are Washingtonians. And what is a Washingtonian? Who are these people? Ladies and gentlemen, they have driven this economy into the toilet. Washingtonians are tone deaf in terms of how you and I actually live and the things that matter and are important to us.
Washingtonians are grabbing as much power for themselves right now as possible. Washington does not live in the rest of the country, does not live in the same world we do. What they're doing now is looking for ways to silence opposition. They don't care about the timid ineffective opposition. They like Republicans and conservatives who are ashamed of their views and their fellow citizens. What they want to do is silence people like me because they can't abide debate or opposition or challenges to their status and their authority.
So General Powell, let me explain something. The fact is Republicans did not listen to me. They listened to you. They have not been listening to me for years. The Republican Party nominated your ideal candidate. They nominated your guy, a moderate, who's willing to buy into an endless array of liberal causes, from global warming -- ...As long as you are a Republican but you buy into an endless array of liberal causes, global warming to amnesty for illegals, and somebody who has the same fetish for compromising principles that you do, then they are going to love you. Then you turn around and you stab this person in the back by endorsing the most liberal Democrat candidate ever nominated days before the election, General Powell?
How can he say he's a Republican? He gets the perfect Republican nominee, exactly the kind of candidate he wants, its McCain, and then he sabotages McCain a few weeks before the election by endorsing Obama.
How can you even claim to be a Republican, General Powell? When have you ever stuck your neck out for Republicans and conservatives? Never.
I can't think of a single occasion where Secretary Powell stepped up to the plate for the Republican Party or the conservative movement. I think of many times when he has not done so or even worse. I've noticed on the one hand General Powell claims to stand above politics as a big claim to fame. Yet, on the other hand, he jumps in from time to time, but only to attack the conservative base of the Republican Party. When's the last time, the first time, when is any time he has let loose or criticized a liberal Democrat on any issue?
Moderation is what keeps you where you are with this great reputation, great image but no substance, no principles, no core belief. If somebody had to tell you who Colin Powell is what would they say? What does he stand for? What does General Powell stand for? What does John McCain stand for? You don't know. There aren't any core beliefs you can go rat-tat-tat down the list and say, yep, this is who they are. Was Abraham Lincoln great because he saw compromise during the Civil War or was he great because he insisted on total and complete victory? Great people take stands on principle, not moderation. Some of us think that individual liberty, limited constitutional government, and increased support for the military by civilians are principles worth defending. Maybe General Powell can enlighten us, since he's failed to do that so far on the great liberal or moderate Democrat principles that seem to intrigue him. What is it about Obama that intrigued him? What are these principles? Or was it the way Obama speaks?
General Powell says we need to reach out to Hispanic, blacks, and Asians. Well, how do we do that? What kind of message does he suggest? I never hear the how to do it. I just hear we need to do it. And in my mind, we already have the blueprint for how to do it. We have done it successfully. We abandoned the blueprint. It's called individual freedom, liberty, and not seeing them as Hispanics and not seeing them as Asians and not seeing them as blacks or minorities but rather seeing them as Americans, human beings. Liberals look at people and groupify them and then think of them with contempt. I mean are all black people identical thinkers, if we understand what one of them thinks we know how to get to all of them, is that true? Same thing with Asians? Same thing with Hispanics?
General Powell has no vision. He is not in touch with the public in any meaningful way. He's a Washingtonian. He's not in touch with the public. He lives in a bubble so he doesn't have to expose himself to contrary arguments. He just has to accept accolades from the people he treasures and values most, his buddies and the media. He doesn't add anything to the public discussion. What has he added to the public discussion? What has he done to advance a principle? He is constantly peddling his identity and his reputation rather than anything substantive or insightful.
I'm sure he's a delightful person with his friends and I'm sure he's charitable with his time and his money, but he has no idea what he's talking about when he presumes to dictate how Republicans and conservatives should build a governing majority.
One of the things he said is he resents Sarah Palin because she kept talking about small towns. He said nobody lives in small towns and that's why they're small. "I'm from the Bronx. Something wrong with my values?" he asked. What is this hatred for conservatives and small town people and Sarah Palin? It's because they are effective. They represent challenges to the Washingtonians' control of the Republican Party.
What I'm learning now, folks, it really doesn't matter about party. It's not getting under Republicans' skin now. It's getting under the skin of Washingtonians. It's getting under the skin of the big government people. These are liberals. There's no such thing as a moderate Republican. A moderate Republican is a liberal.
That was the moment when I lost any residual respect I had for him.
He knew an honest man was being railroaded and he kept silent. He knew the truth and he let a good man be bankrupted and hung out to dry.
I’m with you in thought and clingings.
I agree with everything in Rush’s article except his use of the term “Washingtonian”. It sounds too elevated. I prefer the term “Beltway Insider” or “D.C. Crowd”.
To bad that Rush is starting to lose his conservative base. I noticed that he wasn’t able to say his buddy Bush.
He also is silent about COLB. just like republicans want him to be, not one word.
I stopped listening to him after over 18 years.
Same here. Along with Scooter Libby, he sat by and watched President Bush and VP Cheney take heat for this BS "leak" all the while knowing it wasn't any of them at all, it was Armitage. I don't think there's anything Powell could do to regain my respect (not that he cares of course!).
What BS!
I’m a 28 year veteran...I witnessed the diversification of our military. I have seen black leaders promoted to general who would have been passed over for major if they were white. Powell may have made Colonel.
Rush is right (to coin a phrase) from beginning to end.
“There’s no such thing as a moderate Republican. A moderate Republican is a liberal.”
Is it BS?
He had Dick Cheney on today pushing the reason we HAVE to bailout the auto industry.
I didn’t listen as I have stopped after 18 years due to COLB.
My question is to anyone that heard the show, did Rush fight him on the issue or is ush carrying the republican parties socialist water on this one?
Oh BTW- I am a conservative, and I listened to Rush for over 18 years, and Sean. And I have stopped until such time as they grow onions.
There is no excuse for not covering this issue.
“Limbaugh ought to get on the field.”
I don’t agree. I think he has more impact where he is, than as a US Senator.
Your testimony supports my contention that Powell is nothing more than an irrelevant affirmative action deadbeat.
He got burned; his decision wasn't based on principle.
Now he's trying to get his reputation back with the Washington crowd by attacking the right.
This sorry has-been had his day and threw away his character. He was never WITH GWB, but he sure like being in the spotlight in Washington.
Good tagline; it says it all.
I believe he’ll leave office by the end of winter.
B.S. Powell came very close to advocating censorship of Rush, IMHO.
This was excellent. I don’t see how any conservative can have a significant disagreement with any of it. They should certainly agree with most of it. They should celebrate the points with which they agree.
What I don’t understand is how some people on FreeRepublic say Rush is not doing enough. He does plenty, certainly more than his critics (or supporters) at this website.
We need more conservatives. There is no sense in attacking conservatives for not being conservative enough, or for not sharing every particluar view you have, or mouthing every thought you think.
President Bush has not been as conservative as I would have liked. But he was far better than Gore or Kerry. I appreciate the good he has done in making the United States safer through US action in Iraq. With prodding, he did a fine job with Alito and Roberts. He could have done more good had he taken advice from Rush.
Some purists say a pox on everyone but themself, the self-proclaimed true conservative. Who needs people like this? Not me, not conservatism.
he was on fire today.. totally on fire.
bump
The problem with Powell has always been that, he never really was a republican. Not even a RINO.
Powell was made a “republican” by republicans in high places who adopted him into the republican party by bringing him into positions of responsibility, and promoting him into even higher positions as time went by.
While republicans were busy claiming Colin as one of their own, Colin hadn’t really adopted or endorsed republican ideals. He remained distant throughout his political career.
It is the republicans who had high expectations from one who was all along a democrat at heart. It is Powell who took advantage of republicans to gain stature and high-level positions. It is we who now have to try to protect from the rhetoric of a democrat who was believed to have been a republican. He received higher credibility whn he endorsed Obama because people had believed that he was a republican. But, thaqt endorsement was quite natural for Powell.
If we can accept the fact that Powell was a democrat from the beginning and was just “using” republicans for his gains, then we will understand a lot better what happened in the last election cycle with Colin endorsing a member of his “real” party, the democrats.
There are no take-backs, but we can certainly face the reality that we’ve been had for many years. At best, Powell was a moderate democrat who hung out with republicans. But, hanging out with republicans and having friends in high “republican” places, never changed Powell into being a real republican.
Powell can talk about how republicans are out of touch and how we should stop listening to Rush or “right-wing” radio, but, that kind of talk can only come from someone who is very comfortable being a democrat or a liberal. He never really understood conservative principles, values, or ideals. This was a man who was always uncomfortable being “republican” and didn’t come out of the liberal closet until he saw a fairly good chance to finally declare himself as a democrat. But, he’ll continue with the lie about being republican because then, people might give him more credibility with his rhetoric and decisions.
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