Colin the General

I am not one to stubbornly cling to a belief after I have been proven wrong. And make no mistake, I have often changed my mind about many things once I've given it further thought, or as the circumstances changed. However, I never thought that I would ever like Colin Powell. Until this weekend, that is.

As a central pillar of the Bush Administration Part I, Colin Powell earned my derision with his involvement in the first Gulf War. Though I was a young child, I knew my parents' feelings about the Gulf War, and I knew that war usually led to the deaths of innocent civilians. I remember that the only people I disliked more than Colin Powell were Norman Schwarzkopf and Bush Sr.

With his appointment to the post of Secretary of State in the Bush Administration Part II, Powell was a key player in building the case for going to war with Iraq in 2003. By that time, I was able to formulate my own opinions, and not rely on my parents' emotional vibes to make a decision about Powell's character. I thought even less of him when he flipflopped a year later, saying that it was unlikely that WMDs would ever be found in Iraq.

It was ultimately, his resignation that swayed my opinion of General Powell. To me, it seemed that he just could not, in good conscience, be a part of the tomfoolery and utter chaos that the Bush Administration was engaging in. With his resignation, Colin Powell was somewhat elevated in my mind.

But it is his endorsement of Senator Obama for President has redeemed General Powell in my eyes. Never before have I heard the case for Senator Obama been made so rationally, so clearly. The fact that General Powell is a long time friend of Senator McCain, and that he still considers himself a Republican, underscores the fact that his endorsement Obama is incredibly significant.

But leave it to the hypocritical Right, a la Rush Limbaugh, to try to diminish the significance of General Powell's endorsement. As Limbaugh sees it:
"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race. OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."

Actually, according to Powell, the decision to deny his good friend and ally his coveted endorsement and give it to a relative unknown was due in part to the negative campaign that McCain and crew have been running. General Powell said that he was disturbed by the McCain campaign's insistence to pursue Obama's connections to "washed up terrorist" William Ayers, and the repeated accusations of Obama's proposals being "socialist." As Powell put it:
"Now, I understand what politics is all about, I know how you can go after one another and that's good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for."

But let me tell you, it was his willingness to address the "Muslim" issue that made Colin Powell a true hero in my eyes:
"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? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, 'He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.' This is not the way we should be doing it in America."
As a Muslim, an American and a mother to a little boy who may one day want to be President of this great nation, I applaud General Powell's strong stance on the issue. So what? If Barack Obama was a Muslim, would his ability to lead be diminished? Would his love for his country somehow be less valuable than a Christian, a Jew, or a Buddhist? Would his religion make him any less capable to deal with the very demanding job of being President? The answer is a resounding 'No.' And I am glad that someone has the courage to say that, and be the voice of reason in this crazy election season.

And what political rant would be complete without a tidbit about my favorite Alaskan, Governor Sarah Palin? Having had the opportunity to know her for close to seven weeks, Colin Powell echoed the sentiments of most rational, moderate Americans: "I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president," Powell said. "And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made."

It was obvious to all, that McCain's veep pick was geared towards appeasing The Right. It is patently clear that this move has backfired; because while The Right is about as excited as a pig in a mudpuddle, McCain has effectively turned off middle of the way Republicans and Independents, and energized the Liberals as well. Colin Powell speaks to the concerns of those moderate Republicans and Independents. In a way, I feel that General Powell is more of an "everyman" American than "Joe the Plumber." Yes, General Powell is a decorated war hero, and lives an above average lifestyle, with above average intelligence and education, but he speaks to the issues that concern most Americans. He abhors the negative campaigning, the robocalls, the allegations of terrorism and socialism aimed at rivals. He rejects the credibility of Governor Palin as an effective or even functioning head of government. He sees an America that is meant for people of all races, creeds and color. Colin Powell just became my Joe the Plumber. And if someone mentions Colin the General two dozen times on TV, I don't think that I would be opposed to that.