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.
These things need to be said more often.
My one cent: Dead Soldier Walking
Once again, Rush nails it.
We need to tell Colon Bowel that we celebrate UNITY. ONE COUNTRY, ONE FLAG, ONE PEOPLE, THE LANGUAGE OF WHICH IS ENGLISH.
Colin Powell is not a Republican, and never has been (no matter what he says to the contrary). He owes everything he is to the Republican Party, though; and yet he stabbed it in the back to follow his true allegiance: Affirmative Action. Colin Powell is a Judas, and I, for one, am glad he has finally admitted his true loyalty and shown his true colors. Good riddance.
Proud, card carrying member of the Ditto Party!!!
Too bad Rush is about the only public figure who still gets it these days.
Yes, you’ll run into a few here and there, but it’s shocking how out of touch the Republican leadership is.
Powell might just as well have been speaking for them. He sure has their logic down pat.
McCain would be the consummate candidate if Powelll means what he says. And he endorsed and voted for Obama.
Good riddance Powell. Please have the stones to change parties now and leave ours alone.
Excommunicated, and good riddance.
We honor and appreciate Powell’s public service, but when I say “excommunicate,” I mean as a “Republican.” Powell is a moderate to liberal Democrat who has enjoyed a little extra boost by telling himself and others that he’s a Republican. It’s simply time to end the pretense.
Powell was piss poor as a Chairman of the JCS and he was worse as Sec State. He also covered his Deputy’s ass over the Plame BS and allowed the left and Fitz to screw the White House and the Country. What a major league POS.
This is a must read. Colin Powell has never been more deserving of a stern rebuke then he was after his weekend ridiculous comments. He has been exposed, and now its time to purge out the rhinos.
Very few politicians come close to making as much sense as Rush (well, maybe Duncan Hunter, but that’s about it).
Rush should have run for POTUS!
McCain didn’t abandon his men in the prison in Hanoi. What would powell have done? I should simply say “WWPD?” when anyone faces a challenge to bravery and the coward’s path is attracting them.
I wonder if the men under powell’s command ever considered that if the fight turned against them, he might just jump to the other side?
Just some questions.
The Washingtonians are immune from recession, there is construction going on all over the place, real estate values hold steady, jobs are a plenty and federal dollars keep the economy humming.
GOP congressmen get to DC and leave their principles in a locker at the airport.
Its all about the congressional pension and perks and patronage, and they do anything they can to stay in power, including kissing up to the socialist beast SOTH and the marxist crypto-muslim from Kenya, POTUS HUSSEIN.
It would be refreshing if just one GOP "Leader" told Powell to take a flying leap, but I'm not holding my breath.
Rush at least set the record on this BACKSTABBER straight.
I believe Leonidas said it best: Colin Powell, may you live forever.
Colin Powell is a traitor.
He stood by silently when Scooter Libby was hung out to dry.
He knew his Undersecretary of State, Richard Armitage, was the leaker regarding the Valerie Plame CIA outing to Robert Novak.
Yet he did nothing. He did not call off Fitzpatrick.
He is a despicable Washingtonian.
Excellent rant by Rush! Thanks for posting. Powell has been put in his place, but the MSM won’t pick up on it.
Its called color-blind citizenship. If you are ready for that, you're a Republican. If you aren't, if you can't conceive of it, you think its impossible, you think its undesirable, if you think your party has to address ethnic issues, if you think your party has to have a policy for each ethnic pressure group, if you think different ethnic groups have to be treated as groups rather than individuals, then you belong in the Democratic Party.
Powell is a Democrat.
He could easily become a Republican, it wouldn't take a change of skin, because we don't care about stuff like that. It just takes a change in philosophy: liberty, individual responsibility, limited government. Thats it.
Philosophy and character is all we care about. Ethnic politics is for Democrats. If thats what you're about, God bless you, you belong in the DNC.
How could Colin Powell endorse a guy who is friends with someone who is proud to have bombed the Pentagon?
He’s no patriot.
Well said, Rush. Completely agree.
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