Finally, someone (with political clout) says what needs to be said!
On yesterday’s episode of Meet the Press, Colin Powell came out and endorsed Barrack Obama for president – a big deal, but no big surprise. The really noteworthy part of the show came when this former top diplomat/soldier addressed the ‘smear‘ tactics being used against Obama. Here’s what he had to say in response to questions surrounding his faith:
“Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?”
It’s really a shame that didn’t come out of Obama’s mouth… it could have and it should have. Not only is it a sensible statement, but it would have been harmless in a political context. If anything, it would have helped comfort those of us who take offense to Obama’s defensiveness. I’ve already posted about his reluctance to take the proper stand on this issue, so I’ll spare you any redundancy. But clearly, Powell said what Obama has not had the courage to say (here, political expediency lies under the umbrella of cowardice). He went on to give an excellent example of why these smears are such a disgrace to the spirit of this nation, and I take my hat off to him.
So thank you Colin Powell. Thank you for saying what the American people desperately need to hear. I only wish the man you endorsed was brave enough to do so himself.
BTW, it’s also worth noting Powell’s comments after the interview.
“Those kinds of images, going out on Al-Jazeera, are killing us around the world, and we have got to say to the world, it doesn’t make any difference who you are or what you are. If you’re an American, you’re an American.”
I can only imagine that these are the types of images he was referring to. Sadly, there are still many ignorant bigots littering this country who need to be educated and woken up. If Obama feels the need to pander to them he should be ashamed of himself.
Related posts:
- Bumblitis…
- Zionism Must be Defended (or, Barack Obama’s AIPAC speech)
- Speaking of war criminals
- Who is More Unelectable than a Black, a Woman, a Hispanic or a Mormon?
- Campbell Brown: Some of my best friends are Arabs and Muslims
NOW Obama’s palling around with terrorists… though I still have to give CP respect for his retort to islamophobia.
Posted by Will | October 20, 2008, 7:08 amThe Obama=Muslim thing has always looked like nonsense but it is absurdly naive to say that it would not matter if it was true.
Islam is not just a religion, it is a political system. That point is not debatable, there are 57 nations in the Organization of the Islamic Conference who derive some or all of their laws from Islamic texts, often to the detriment of the rights of non Muslims.
Democracy is about the will of the people and Islam about the will of Allah. Powell’s remark makes as much sense in a democracy as saying it would not matter if Obama was a Marxist in what is a capitalist state.
I am not saying that if Obama was a Muslim it would necessarily rule out his candidacy as not all Muslims support Shariah law (or at least they are no more bent on imposing their views than far too many Christians) but certainly voters would be entitled to demand some straight answers on his intentions.
Posted by xoggoth | October 20, 2008, 9:30 amDouble standards in reporting by the press too. If a major Democrat figure came out and supported McCain, how many would be shouting racism? Powell crosses over, not a peep.
Posted by xoggoth | October 20, 2008, 5:38 am“I only wish the man you endorsed was brave enough to do so himself.”
Anyone want to place bets? I think the odds are pretty bad for Obama. If he says anything it won’t be until after the election. Asshole.
Posted by Anonymous | October 20, 2008, 9:42 amObama got a white mama….
Posted by Khaled B | October 20, 2008, 12:59 pmI’m no fan of Colin Powell – not by any means – but it was refreshing to finally hear what we should have been hearing from political heavyweights in this country. Obama’s silence is completely inexcusable.
Sorry, xoggoth, but there are millions of practicing Muslims worldwide who would debate you into the ground over your definition of Islam.
Posted by Kalash | October 20, 2008, 4:28 pmIsrael 2048? I doubt they would be around that long.
Posted by dopesexyfuck | October 20, 2008, 5:41 pmxoggoth said…
Double standards in reporting by the press too. If a major Democrat figure came out and supported McCain, how many would be shouting racism? Powell crosses over, not a peep.
________________
Joe Liebermann, the major democratic figure turned independent, caught a lot of heat for making a speech at the GOP convention and supporting McSame’s VP choice…
Posted by Anonymous | October 24, 2008, 10:16 amDidn’t get to finish my previous comment.. I think the double standard argument is weak because Powell caught a lot of flack, and so did the Governor of Minnesota and Scott McClellan, too.
Republicans think Powell’s support for Obama stems from race, but if that were true, wouldn’t he have supported him months ago? Not a good analogy
Posted by Anonymous | October 24, 2008, 10:20 amColin Powell has the luxury of speaking truth to ignorance when he wants because HE’S NOT THE ONE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
You think surrogates just say things out of the void? No, there’s a reason you’ve got similar talking points in various places making the point Colin Powell (and earlier Cambpell Brown) were about why it shouldn’t matter even if he *were* Muslim.
That’s the Obama campaign at work.
But as for Obama making the same remarks? Sorry, but he’s got an election to win. And nothing, NOTHING is going to stand in the way of one of the most important Democratic victories of the last century.
What do you get out of this? You get a president who’s much more sympathetic to Arab-American issues than McCain ever would be. Will he talk like it in the campaign? No. But you don’t need someone saying the right things in the campaign; you need advisors and lobbyists behind the scenes who are making your case and making things happen.
You’re falling into the same trap the right wingers did during the Iraq war — pretending that reality changes if you can just get someone on the news to *say* all the things you’d like them to.
Winning and doing are more important than campaigning and speaking.
Obama gets that.
Wise up.
Posted by Joe | October 24, 2008, 6:39 pm“You’re falling into the same trap the right wingers did during the Iraq war — pretending that reality changes if you can just get someone on the news to *say* all the things you’d like them to.”
You’re falling into the same trap liberals have during the last 3 decades — pretending that reality changes if you can just get someone on the news who never says any of the things you’d like them to say to do something different once they’re in office. And that’s if they get elected in spite of alienating huge numbers on the Left with their right-wing rhetoric and lack of guts and principles.
The “he’s just saying that to get elected” school has been proven wrong again and again, or have you failed to notice the Dems have been running Congress for the last 2 years and have accomplished nothing but to further ensconce themselves up Bush’s ass, or that Obama just voted to give $700 billion to a bunch of thieves on Wall Street and promises to increase the size of the military? Maybe you think giving $700 billion away to crooks is one of the “things Obama has to do to get elected” and he’s worth every penny of it, but I would measure the worth of most Dems in negative digits nowadays, as they are as much a threat to democracy and civilization as the right wing is.
Any advocate of Arab or Muslim issues will have to have the guts to come forward and speak out strongly against the crimes that have been committed in our name against Muslims both here and abroad, or he will never get any support from the rare politicians who may feel the same way. Americans recognize cowardice when they see it and McCain at least has the courage of his convictions.
Posted by Sean | October 26, 2008, 4:00 am