Powell gave a more eloquent endorsement and defense of Obama and a more scathing critique of McCain and the GOP than ANY Democrat has this election. Absolutely brilliant and befitting a man of his stature, however diminished it may have been by BushCorp.
He even nailed the bastards on their use of the "socialism" tag.
A GOP full of people like Colin Powell would be a worthy and virtuous opposition party.
How will early voting affect exit polls on election day? Couldn't we see polls showing McCain winning, but once the early votes are added in Obama could win? Or vice-versa? Seems like it'll be hard to call races in any swing states based on exit polling.
Posted by CG at October 19, 2008 05:39 PMAs a former military person, I had complete trust in Powell, in that he was one of the people in DC that you could really count on to stand up for us military types. We knew that if we conveyed our concerns via the COC to Powell that he would fight for us. We also knew that if he drew up WAR PLANS we would win. His philosophy was to hit the enemy with overwhelming force and have an EXIT STRATEGY.
His appearance before the UN, in my mind, was the one single that convincing reason for getting involved in FUCKING IRAQ. To me this bastard can endorse until the cows come home. I will never trust a single word out of his mouth ever again. So fuck him.
Although the importance of this endorsement is understood, I just don't give a crap about anything he has to say.
Posted by angryman at October 19, 2008 06:02 PMHow will early voting affect exit polls on election day?
Exit polls are supplemented with telephone polling to capture early and absentee voting.
Although the importance of this endorsement is understood, I just don't give a crap about anything he has to say.
My interest in him is pretty much limited to political ramifications, but I was impressed with how he expressed himself on MTP, speaking eloquently and clearly for seven minutes without a teleprompter.
Posted by CA Pol Junkie at October 19, 2008 06:15 PM"A GOP full of people like Colin Powell would be a worthy and virtuous opposition party." Sure Creator, a GOP full of lying bootlickers willing to stand in front of the United Nations and lie straight to their faces, knowingly, to send 4100+ Americans to their death would be really virtuous. Wait...that's the GOP we already have. Give me a break.
Posted by T2 at October 19, 2008 07:10 PMCouldn't we see polls showing McCain winning, but once the early votes are added in Obama could win? Or vice-versa? Seems like it'll be hard to call races in any swing states based on exit polling.
Interestingly, this is how the myth of the Bradley effect came about. The exit polls gave it to Bradley, who actually did win the votes of those who went to the polls that day, but his opponent won the absentee vote in a landslide.
However, as CPJ says, the polling firms are now aware of this and take it into account.
Posted by Anonny at October 19, 2008 07:18 PM"befitting a man of his stature, however diminished it may have been by BushCorp."
Colin Powell's "stature" was not diminished by BushCorp. He destroyed his own stature all by himself by acting as the "closer" for the selling of the aggression against Iraq.
Posted by Shirin at October 19, 2008 08:08 PMUmmmm - how do you know he was speaking without a teleprompter?
Posted by Shirin at October 19, 2008 08:11 PM"His appearance before the UN, in my mind, was the one single that convincing reason for getting involved in FUCKING IRAQ."
I don't get why so many people were so impressed by the tissue thin "evidence" he presented. Cartoon drawings of make-believe trucks?! An empty glass vial? Obviously bogus-sounding translations of supposed radio intercepts? We were laughing our asses off over that last item. Who talks like that? Not, I assure you, Iraqi military officers!
Oh - and that bit about the aluminum tubes? His own nuclear experts had told him those were unsuitable for use with nuclear material. And the really weird thing was that he actually emphasized the fact that they were made of anodized aluminum, which, according to nuclear experts, makes them absolutely unsuitable for that use.
His presentation that night was obvious bullshit to anyone who had been their own research. Unfortunately, very few had.
Posted by Shirin at October 19, 2008 08:19 PMUmmmm - how do you know he was speaking without a teleprompter?
I guess I just assumed, since it is an interview show and all, but I suppose MTP could have made special arrangements to land the big scoop.
Posted by CA Pol Junkie at October 19, 2008 09:19 PM"They're here, they're here, they're here" has said as he pointed with his little baton and lied through his teeth. For what? To protect his son's job?
It's not as bad as getting a George W. Bush endorsement, but it's close.
Posted by jmac at October 19, 2008 09:34 PMObviously bogus-sounding translations of supposed radio intercepts?
To me, that was the most conclusive piece of evidence of all. That is, evidence that there WAS NO EVIDENCE.
I mean, here the U.S. is, best electronic spy equipment in the world, including encryption breakers, monitoring every Iraqi communication in their entire country for years -- and the BEST audio recording they have is of a communication that merely *implies* that someone might have been hiding something from someone else?
I have heard from a high up friend in the State Department that when Powell met with the staff that collected the evidence for his presentation he was livid that there wasn't anything to go on. Yet, he knew the die was cast so he decided to embellish what he had to work with.
However, the key point is that after his UN presentation -- which shocked the rest of the world with it's hollowness -- the US press united around him. Even the supposedly liberal San Jose Murky News had a one word huge-type headline the next day: "IRREFUTABLE". The fix was in.
Posted by Anonny at October 19, 2008 09:34 PM"the BEST audio recording they have is of a communication that merely *implies* that someone might have been hiding something from someone else?"
Not only that, but the translation! My god! You know a couple of days later I was in a conversation with a Lebanese guy, a Tunisian guy, and a Jewish American guy. The Lebanese and the Tunisian started talking about the translation of that radio intercept, and focusing on just one part of it he asked me how a person would say that in Iraqi dialect. I started cracking up, because there is no way you could say something like that in Iraqi dialect. I mean no one would ever talk like that, especially military officers at that level. And I said "you couldn't say that in Iraqi dialect without getting sent away to the crazy house", and I said maybe they were speaking in Lebanese, or Tunisian, or worse yet Moroccan, which no one understands except maybe Moroccans themselves, and then only some of the time". And the three of us where practically falling out of our chairs laughing over this idiotic unlikely translation, and the Jewish American guy, who was normally a pretty liberal, thoughtful, intelligent guy, was appalled and yelling at us for laughing about something so deadly serious as that. He had really bought Powell's shtick hook, line, and sinker.
"I have heard from a high up friend in the State Department that when Powell met with the staff that collected the evidence for his presentation he was livid that there wasn't anything to go on. Yet, he knew the die was cast so he decided to embellish what he had to work with."
So, he didn't give a fuck whether he was presenting bullshit or not, he was going to do whatever he could to make his marketing presentation a success. Some honourable guy!
And we are supposed to be thrilled that he has endorsed Obama.
And yet what he said was virtually perfect. I can't think of much I would have changed. Even the part I objected to - the part where he used as an example of ideal Americanness some poor young Muslim American fool who earned points as a real American by volunteering to serve his country by going over to kill his fellow Muslims, and got killed himself - was the right thing to say because it undoubtedly had the right effect on the real target audience.
So, hopefully Powell's endorsement will have the desired negative effect on the McCain vote.
Posted by Shirin at October 19, 2008 11:26 PMAnd yet what he said was virtually perfect. I can't think of much I would have changed.
Maybe this is his "please welcome me back into polite society" speech.
Posted by Anonny at October 20, 2008 06:16 AMEven the part I objected to - the part where he used as an example of ideal Americanness some poor young Muslim American fool who earned points as a real American by volunteering to serve his country by going over to kill his fellow Muslims, and got killed himself - was the right thing to say because it undoubtedly had the right effect on the real target audience.
Shirin, Powell was trying to also say what is wrong with an American Muslim running for President, or anyone else for that matter. Bring light to the xenophobia existing in American culture.
I really have to ask, how do you feel about Muslim's killing Muslims? Even, non-American Muslims? Do you believe Jihad against infidels is acceptable? I really want to know where you stand on peace and or war.
Posted by Seven of Six at October 20, 2008 07:47 AM