Obama/Powell in 2008?

[Ender]

linka

Mr. Obama's major weaknesses (in addition to his liberalism) are his limited experience regarding national security and foreign relations, his lack of executive experience and the fact that his campaign has focused on domestic issues. Two names that already have passed the lips of Democrats are New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Hispanic and former candidate who also served as U.N. ambassador, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who also served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Both would add foreign-affairs and executive status to the Obama campaign. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas - like Hillary Clinton, who suspended her campaign on Saturday and endorsed Mr. Obama - would certainly garner measurable support from women voters. She is a native of Ohio, a state Mr. Obama lost to Mrs. Clinton.

... yeah, I'm inclined to dismiss it as BS. But discuss.

[FireNexus]

It would make him almost unbeatable. MY bush republican father would vote for colon powell if he was caught taking 50 HIV-infected dicks in the ass in a row. If others are like that, it would be a great ticket.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

It'd be a good ticket, but there are the non-trivial problems of getting Colin Powell to be willing enough to put his private and family life through the wringer of running for public (as opposed to appointed) office, and getting him to be the Number Two on a Democratic party ticket. (Getting him onto an Obama Cabinet, I suspect, would be much easier.)

[xerex]

BS the washington times isnt a relaible source.

besides as previous poster said. the odds of a REpublican as VP on the Democratic ticket are slim to none.

[m112880]

Its slim but there is nothing that says it cant be done. And Powell would be a good choice. He has the backing of the military, a ton of forgion service experance and well like and respected by the current goverment.

[A-Wing_Slash]

If nothing else, it would help keep Obama safe. A racist fuck is less likely to assasinate a black president if they know another black guy would take his place.

And Powell'd also give Obama some bipartisan cred.

[Big Phil]

What exactly has Colin Powell done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

[Broomstick]

Years ago I said I'd vote for Powell for president - sure, I'd like to see him as Obama's VP.

A hitch, though is that his wife (if I recall) suffers from clinical depression and he's rumored to have passed on running for office for fear of what the spotlight would do to her. However, that's from a memory and I may or may not have the details correct. Still, the VP isn't usually drug through the mud quite as much as the main guy, and he does have experience in serving a president (pity it wasn't a better president...)

[Broomstick]

What exactly has Colin Powell done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

What did Gerald Ford ever do to become VP? (Of course, he later became PotUS).

Powell has military and foreign experience, which Obama could use more of. Although I wouldn't be surprised if he's asked to join Obama's cabinet. The question is whether or not Powell ever wants to have anything to do with executive branch ever again.

[Stark]

What exactly has Colin Powell done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

Didn't he humiliate himself reading reports to the UN in the lead-up to Iraq 2.0?

[Patrick Degan]

Will never happen. There's the aforementioned problem of Powell actually being a Republican, his wife's depression, and it opens up a whole new dimension to what will already be a backhanded campaign of racialist appeal to the cracker vote by the GOP's stooges. Liberals would never vote for the ticket (or at least enough would be put off) because of Powell's embarassing himself before the UN —the man who helped dump America into Mr. Bush's War.

This is just some Moonie Times flack talking out his ass and gives the paper it's excuse to later pillory Obama for being so liberal he wouldn't even consider a "credible" black man and military man on the ticket.

[Big Phil]

What exactly has Colin Powell done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

What did Gerald Ford ever do to become VP? (Of course, he later became PotUS).

Powell has military and foreign experience, which Obama could use more of. Although I wouldn't be surprised if he's asked to join Obama's cabinet. The question is whether or not Powell ever wants to have anything to do with executive branch ever again.

I would have agreed with you completely had Powell not shown himself to be absurdly ineffective during his tenure as Secretary of State. Powell then emerged unwilling or unable to criticize Bush himself for the travesty that has been his administration. Perhaps I'm judging him too harshly, but I don't ever want to see Colin Powell in an administrative post again.

So I'll ask again, what exactly has Colin Powell (a registered Republican who served as Secretary of State in the Bush Administration) done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

[Broomstick]

What exactly has Colin Powell done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

What did Gerald Ford ever do to become VP? (Of course, he later became PotUS).

Powell has military and foreign experience, which Obama could use more of. Although I wouldn't be surprised if he's asked to join Obama's cabinet. The question is whether or not Powell ever wants to have anything to do with executive branch ever again.

I would have agreed with you completely had Powell not shown himself to be absurdly ineffective during his tenure as Secretary of State. Powell then emerged unwilling or unable to criticize Bush himself for the travesty that has been his administration. Perhaps I'm judging him too harshly, but I don't ever want to see Colin Powell in an administrative post again.

Yes, I think you're viewing him too harshly. My perception was that the Bush administration hamstrung him repeatedly and withheld information from him that he should have had as Secretary of State. Powell reportedly opposed the current Iraq war and supposedly tried to talk Bush out of starting it. I believe this had a lot to do with Powell's resignation in 2004. You are, however, just an entitled to your opinion as I am.

So I'll ask again, what exactly has Colin Powell (a registered Republican who served as Secretary of State in the Bush Administration) done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

Strictly speaking, there is no reason he couldn't be a democratic nominee. Sure, he would have to change parties, but that's happened before in US politics (we've also had presidents and VP's of different parties, but I don't think that would be at all likely these days).

Why do I like him? His reputation as the "reluctant warrior" - he tends to prefer that diplomacy be tried first, with actual warfare occuring only if diplomacy fails. He tends to be a "centrist", meaning he's left of current administration. He is pro-choice regarding abortion. He is in favor of "reasonable" gun control, meaning responsible citizens will continue to have the option of self-arming, but it won't be a free-for-all. He was once overheard, in a conversation with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in 2004, referring to neocons in the Bush administration as "fucking crazies" which makes me think Mr. Powell has some intelligence and sense. He has opposed the current administrations military tribunals and possible Geneva convention violations.

But, since he's a Republican and has been for quite some time (he was National Security Adviser to Ronald Reagan) I wouldn't be surprised if he's chosen as John McCain's running mate, which would be an astute political move on the part of McCain's campaign.

[Big Phil]

But, since he's a Republican and has been for quite some time (he was National Security Adviser to Ronald Reagan) I wouldn't be surprised if he's chosen as John McCain's running mate, which would be an astute political move on the part of McCain's campaign.

He would do far more harm (in terms of possibly helping to get John McCain elected) than he would good as VP. Hopefully he would have too much pride and respect for his country to accept the nomination.

[Big Phil]

To add a point, his shot at being President or VP was in 2000 (he had a legitimate shot at being the Republican presidential nominee instead of Shrub). He turned it down.

To accept the VP slot now would just cements my perception of him as nothing but a Republican toady, incapable of leading and simply doing his Republican masters' bidding.

[Darth Yoshi]

I can't see him becoming VP for McCain. I mean, he walked away from Bush; why would he accept a job from Bush+20?

[Broomstick]

To add a point, his shot at being President or VP was in 2000 (he had a legitimate shot at being the Republican presidential nominee instead of Shrub). He turned it down.

Right. Because he was afraid of what the press would do to his wife. I don't expect the press would be any more merciful now.

[CaptainZoidberg]

It seems like Obama should be thinking: where are the swing states that could realistically get stolen from McCain.

In light of that, I think that Bill Richardson, who is Hispanic and extremely qualified to help deal with our energy woes or Wesley Clark, who has a strong military background, and might lend credibility. Also I'd imagine that having a more traditional running mate might make him more viable in Ohio and the Midwest).

[Flagg]

What exactly has Colin Powell done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

Didn't he humiliate himself reading reports to the UN in the lead-up to Iraq 2.0?

Exactly. He disqualified himself from being the local fucking dog catcher with that. The only people who should be voting on Powell any time in the future should be a war crimes jury.

[Lord of the Abyss]

What exactly has Colin Powell done to deserve the Democratic VP nomination?

Didn't he humiliate himself reading reports to the UN in the lead-up to Iraq 2.0?

Exactly. He disqualified himself from being the local fucking dog catcher with that. The only people who should be voting on Powell any time in the future should be a war crimes jury.

I agree. And given how far he was willing to go in toadying for Bush, why should Obama or any other Democrat trust him ? A VP candidate would be in a pretty good position to undercut a Presidential campaign; putting someone who used to work for the other side and who has shown a lack of scruples strikes me as a real bad idea.

[ray245]

Then is there ANY republican that can or deserve to be in obama's cabinet?

[Darth Wong]

Then is there ANY republican that can or deserve to be in obama's cabinet?

Judging by some of the stupid shit I've seen them pull over the last 8 years, I wonder if half of them deserve to have their university degrees revoked, never mind getting into a 2009 cabinet.

[Jadeite]

Richardson or Clark would be much better candidates for VP.

[Battlehymn Republic]

Then is there ANY republican that can or deserve to be in obama's cabinet?

People are always mentioning Chuck Hagel.

[mingo]

I'd say Collin Powell is a no-go. Bill Richardson is a good possibility, but I think the real answer is "a female candidate other than Hillary" .Kathleen Sebelius, gov of Kansas is the name I've heard floated.