The Left “Welcomes” Colin Powell’s Endorsement of Obama

20 Oct, 2008 by McQ

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It sure has been fun today to watch the left embrace their favorite “Uncle Tom” now that he’s seen the “error of his ways” and endorsed Barack Obama.

It is interesting to see how various parts of the left have handled it. For instance one nimrod on Craigslist says:

No one will be surprised that the immediate neocon response to Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama was to claim that Powell is a racist who endorses Obama simply because they are both black.

Of course, that would be the only reason, wouldn’t it? Look, I know Powell’s reputation and I’m not inclined to believe he’d endorse someone based solely on race. That doesn’t mean I think his endorsement is particularly well thought out though. This is just my opinion, but I think the reason goes deeper and is much more personal than that. I think it may be a public way to repudiate what he believes was the single most embarrassing moment in his life – his appearance before the UN discussing Iraq’s WMD.

He feels it badly hurt his reputation and there is nothing which would go to the heart of the man that is Colin Powell than something he considers dishonored him. Whether you agree or not, I’d suggest that is the crux of this endorsement. It is an explicit repudiation of the war in Iraq and the administration that got us into it – and McCain is to similar to Bush in his support for that war for Powell’s taste.

Of course all that being said, you might ask, “why didn’t he just remain silent and not endorse anyone?” Many Democratic strategists were sure he’d avoid making an endorsement. But the stain on his honor was still there and he needed a way to metaphorically lift it if at all possible. I’m not so sure this is the way, but, as noted, Powell wants the stain removed. This has eaten at him for years. His endorsement, at least to my ears, was anything but ringing, however this may be his first step in his own act of contrition for Iraq.

But back to the left and its treatment, nay embracing, of Mr. Powell.

It wasn’t too long ago the Kos crew sounded like this when it came to Powell:

Anyway, that’s a brief analysis of the utter pile of horse manure that Secretary of State Uncle Tom Powell has been peddling to the American people over the weekend.

God help us all.

Now of course, he’s just a war criminal, but otherwise a fine American.

Another who found him wanting in the “blackness” department was Harry Belafonte, the self-styled judge of black authenticity and friend of tyrants everywhere:

“There’s an old saying,” Belafonte began. “In the days of slavery, there were those slaves who lived on the plantation and were those slaves that lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master… exactly the way the master intended to have you serve him.

“Colin Powell’s committed to come into the house of the master. When Colin Powell dares to suggest something other than what the master wants to hear, he will be turned back out to pasture.”

Radio talk show hosts echoed the insult.

In 2002, a book was published entitled “American Directory of Certified Uncle Toms” and subtitled “”Being a review of the history, antics and attitudes of handkerchief heads, Aunt Jemimas, head negroes in charge and house negroes against the freedom of the black race.”

Published by the “Council on Black Internal Affairs” which had a part in setting up the Million Man March, it gave Colin Powell a 5 star rating (its highest) for being “an official, government issue Uncle Tom”.

The hate of “Uncle Tom” Powell was widespread on the left, and pretty vociferous. You didn’t have to look very far or dig very deep to find it.

Two days after Bush was inaugurated, Powell and Rice were the targets of two professors who wrote an article entitled “Uncle Tom’s Cabinet” in which they essentially dressed Bellafonte’s racist diatribe up in academic clothes.

The nut-jobs, moonbats, bottom-dwellers and DUers reflected the main-stream of the left on this one. They were just more blunt in their racism.

Powell couldn’t even express his admiration for Angelina Jolie’s humanitarian work without taking a ration of hate from leftist commenters to the article.

And now he’s their newest best friend.

I certainly hope this is about Powell trying to find a way to remove a stain he feels he has on his reputation, no matter how misguided. Because if he thinks he’s going to ingratiate himself with the left he’s just as misguided as they are. Despite his endorsement for Obama, I still hold a lot of respect for Colin Powell, because I know a lot of people who worked for him and found him to be an excellent soldier and commander.

I don’t think his biggest mistake was standing up in front of the UN and making his presentation. I think his biggest mistake was involving himself at all in politics once he retired from the Army. And I think he’ll make the same mistake with the possibility of the same sort of outcome, if he involves himself in an Obama administration, should Obama win.

[Crossposted at QandO]