Frum: How can our party not be big enough for one of our most successful generals?
posted at 8:34 pm on May 12, 2009 by Allahpundit
The comments to this one should be fun. Say this much for Frum: He’s a bottom-line kind of guy. He doesn’t care how he gets to 51 percent, just as long as he gets there — even if it means embracing a guy who’s now noisily in favor of bigger government. His point, I guess, is simply that Cheney should have done a better job hedging the question about Limbaugh vs. Powell. No need to take the latter’s side, but no need to excommunicate him either by wondering aloud if voting for Obama is tantamount to rescission of one’s membership in the GOP.
Note his endorsement of Charlie Crist near the end. Maverick’s already on board the Crist express, too, as a quid pro quo for his endorsement before the Florida primary last year. That Crist/Rubio showdown really is going to be a death match between moderates and conservatives — and, if it plays out like I expect, between the party establishment and the grassroots. Ugly stuff, but bloggy gold!
Blowback
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After the convention he was doing well, and I’d think it was more than just a bounce. He developed a lead after being a little behind Obarfy.
But like I said, I misspoke before. He wasn’t cruising the entire time, and you’re right to point that out.
In the end, though, back to my point, his “moderation” in policy didn’t make him lose. His poor campaign, lack of fight (until the closing stages [i saw some after the convention, it disappeared, then came back in the closing weeks]), and bad decisions contributed to his loss.
Who was it that went to people in various places, including Harlem, using McCain/Palin’s positions, but said it was Obama’s, and people were cool with it? Was that Stern?
blatantblue on May 12, 2009 at 9:20 PM
When will they get it? NO ONE is KICKING anyone out of the GOP… I would say people are leaving under their own will…
Upstater85 on May 12, 2009 at 9:21 PM
Oh yeah…
Upstater85 on May 12, 2009 at 9:22 PM
I suspect that the ideal scenario for people like Frum and Colon would be for Obama to exchange his “D” for an “R”. Then all would be right with the world for them.
FloatingRock on May 12, 2009 at 9:22 PM
VP.
LOL. I thought I was the only one who’s ever tried smoking bananas (I worked in banana fields one year). They just gave me a headache.
progressoverpeace on May 12, 2009 at 9:22 PM
Endorsed and campaigned for (via interviews) for the most radical Democratic Nominee evah.
Explain again how that makes one a Republican?
Powell did what he did over race, plain and simple. The dumping on Palin as the VP choice was weak and completely see through, who was the Republican President candidate? A fellow veteran, who Powell dropped like a bad habit.
Like the pearl at the end of the video about “actual goverance”, not to take away from anyone else, but Frum clearly implying Palin has not such experience. So it’s OK to chop down a Governor who voted Republican and not OK to answer questions about a former Secretary of State who switched sides at the last minute?
They call this place la la land.
Hog Wild on May 12, 2009 at 9:23 PM
No stinking 51% by being Democrat Lite.
ddrintn on May 12, 2009 at 9:24 PM
Didn’t LeMay run for Prez or Veep back in 1968? I can’t remember, I was too busy smoking bananas that year.
Del Dolemonte on May 12, 2009 at 9:19 PM
LeMay was George Wallace’s VP when he ran for President in 1968. They actually won my voting district in North Austin that year.
Powell is a good example of affirmative action at work. A second-rater all the way. Thank G-d we weren’t fighting a real hard-ass opponent.
LeMay was a tough old brutal bastard, but he saved my dad’s life by bombing the crap out of Japan and averting a horrific invasion.
TexasJew on May 12, 2009 at 9:25 PM
And the second he got up a point, or two, he started pandering to Hispanics, telling them how he was going to help shove his Shamnesty down our throats as one of his first acts in office.
McCain is a prick beyond words.
progressoverpeace on May 12, 2009 at 9:25 PM
Colin Powell has never actually been a “Republican”. What he was, was whatever was expedient and suited his purposes. He “left” the party – nobody shoved him out of the tent. I have no doubt that, had McCain won, Powell would have quietly gone about the business of getting along. He doesn’t have to now. His man won…so it’s safe to come out of the closet, so to speak.
uncivilized on May 12, 2009 at 9:25 PM
Ugh, enough of this douche. He makes Meghan McCain look like a brilliant strategist.
Kensington on May 12, 2009 at 9:25 PM
Yes, LeMay ran for VP in 1968. With George Wallace.
Curtis was of course smeared by his opponents for associating with Wallace, despite the fact that he had long advocated desegregating the US military.
Once again, a double standard.
Del Dolemonte on May 12, 2009 at 9:26 PM
And the “him” I’ve had enough of is old clapper-head Frum.
Kensington on May 12, 2009 at 9:26 PM
Don’t you f****ng know who Frum is?
Upstater85 on May 12, 2009 at 9:26 PM
But you know what? Frum is at least marginally easier to take when you envision him sounding like a South Park Canadian with the top of head clapping up and down.
Seriously, try it. It’s kind of funny.
Kensington on May 12, 2009 at 9:27 PM
Agree with the first part.
Second part almost… He would have stayed around and begged McCain for a job. It seems that that’s what he’s doing right now. I think he wants to scrub some toilets or something.
Upstater85 on May 12, 2009 at 9:28 PM
UFC yeah. Let’s hope there’s plenty of blood and guts and a fatality or two. The stronger needs to destroy the weaker. Survival of the fittest baby.
JiangxiDad on May 12, 2009 at 9:28 PM
To anyone out there who thinks Bush made no mistakes… I know of one. He hired Frum.
Upstater85 on May 12, 2009 at 9:28 PM
Yeah, no thanks… look how that turned out for Obama ///sarc
Upstater85 on May 12, 2009 at 9:29 PM
LeMay was my sorta guy!! I’ll tell you who we need around now, more than ever..CHARLES MARTEL…he KNOWS how to deal with the muslims…
right4life on May 12, 2009 at 9:32 PM
Frum needs to follow Gen. Powell over to the dark side.
-Dave
Dave R. on May 12, 2009 at 9:34 PM
Same here.
Del Dolemonte on May 12, 2009 at 9:34 PM
Not nearly as much as the absolutely worthless, corrupt and incompetent Democrat Party.
I can’t think of one Democrat politician who ISN’T an absolute piece of rotten garbage. Or one who isn’t totally corrupt. Or completely incompetent.
NoDonkey on May 12, 2009 at 9:34 PM
Cruising? What? Into a men’s room? What the f**k are you talking about? His campaign was going nowhere until he brought Palin on board; and that was after a very public, ‘Should we tell the rest of the party to go ***k themselves and nominate Joe Lieberman as VP?’ debate. Palin was a last ditch attempt to gain some kind of traction in his own party. McCain never had a chance.
Yes, his campaign was poorly managed. But the bulk of the problem with the McCain campaign was the ‘McCain’ part of it. Uncharismatic, old, out of touch, arrogant, and held his own base in contempt. Could we have found a worse candidate? I guess. But only if we had drawn one from the Democrat party. We wasted the nomination on a bum who never had a chance. We deserved to lose, and we did. All Palin did was get us over 100 electoral votes.
If you honestly think McCain ever had a chance to win against Obama, even without the economy tanking, I know a drug dealer who would love to make your acquaintance. His business is down. Let me know if you want an intro.
austinnelly on May 12, 2009 at 9:36 PM
Well some are using that pesky thing called their opinion and saying that Powell can leave the party if he wants to–and a few others take it as far as asking him to leave. I don’t agree with that, but it’s not my job to tell others what to think, just what I think is the better course.
How quaint that I should make my politics more like John McCain’s to keep Colin Powell in the party so that we can get more people voting for Republicans, when Powell himself is no guaranteed vote for the Repubs, even if somebody iwth the politics of McCain runs.
Tell me how the moderates make sense?
Axeman on May 12, 2009 at 9:37 PM
I don’t know what you mean, Kensington. Now pull my finger! Ha-ha-ha.
andycanuck on May 12, 2009 at 9:38 PM
Frum is saying that the Republicans should embrace whatever politics Powell believes in because he apparently is credited with winning a war.
Well, the simple follow up question would have shown that Frum embraces Powell’s bigger government beliefs: “Should the Republicans embrace Powell no matter what political beliefs he has?”.
Only doing interviews on CNN means never having to answer the obvious follow-up question. Frum knows they will protect his fallacies.
Buddahpundit on May 12, 2009 at 9:39 PM
Yeah, I’m not big on anyone asking him to leave the party – although I don’t know of any elected GOP members that are saying that.
“Moderates” demanding that we change or else claiming we “kicked them out,” doesn’t make sense to me either.
Upstater85 on May 12, 2009 at 9:40 PM
No tent is big enough for Frum. He’d take Pol Pot if he put an (R) after his name.
Cicero43 on May 12, 2009 at 9:41 PM
Actually, there’s a freshman congressman from Idaho, Walt Minnick, who put out an alternative to the stimulus bill that was great. Fiscal responsibility seems to be his main issue. I think there are a few blue dog Dems that are far more fiscally conservative than the RINO hoards.
I also think that if term limits were instituted across the board, we’d have a lot better behavior in DC. They’d be able to focus on representing the taxpayer rather than safeguarding their own position of power.
califcon on May 12, 2009 at 9:41 PM
hey, relax — i corrected myself, but i still stand by the assertion that the election was totally winnable. McCain never had a chance?
Calm down, drop the emotion, and think.
Look how close he came. Obama beat him, but it wasn’t a washout for McCain.
With a 3 to 1 spending advantage, people angry with Bush, the media behind him, and a poor economy, that’s all Obama could do?
After the convention, McCain started to do well, and developed a lead. His team blew that lead when they started suspending things only to go vote for bailouts.
If McCain’s campaign developed a coherent strategy, things would have turned out very different; and the closeness of his end result to Obama’s end result testifies to this.
McCain had plenty of chance. I cringe at what could have changed if his campaign just bothered to do a handful of things differently.
blatantblue on May 12, 2009 at 9:44 PM
Obama had EVERY advantage in the book, and pulled off a mediocre win.
That SAYS something about the winnability of that election for McCain.
blatantblue on May 12, 2009 at 9:44 PM
That’s not good enough.
It’s like being a member of the Gambino crime family and throwing street parties for kids. Hire a few clowns, hand out candy and all of a sudden, you’re not such a bad guy.
Bull. At night, the Gambino capos are selling drugs, shaking down merchants and bribing crooked politicians like the appalling Harry Reid.
The Democrat Party is organized crime. Any association with them, down to the janitors who empty the trash cans at the DNC of giz and sputum, is vile.
NoDonkey on May 12, 2009 at 9:45 PM
I agree. Sooner or later, it’s them or us. No use sugarcoating it. Not sure who will win.
JiangxiDad on May 12, 2009 at 9:48 PM
To be totally fair to Powell, he didn’t endorse Obama and betray his good friend John McCain until it was pretty clear that the latter had no real chance to win. It’s not like Powell went Democrat based on some sort of “principle” or anything like that.
Kasper Hauser on May 12, 2009 at 9:48 PM
That’s one way of looking at it…you can also so that Obama didn’t do all that grear…
ladyingray on May 12, 2009 at 9:51 PM
+1
Hey Frum I guess if we’d only have nominated O’bama we’d have “won”….
I mean Powell would have been on board eh?
Yeah I know Ogabe has some issues with moderate Republican values let alone Conservative ones….but “all the cool kids like him”……
he needs to get bent
sven10077 on May 12, 2009 at 9:52 PM
OK, so Frum is saying that because Benedict Powell served, even though he endorsed and voted for Obama, we should listen to him because if we don’t Benedict Powell will leave the party and we don’t want that. Even though having Benedict Powell in the party didn’t mean that he would actually endorse and support the party’s nominee.
OK, now what was it that Frum wanted us to do?
/do these people even think about what they are saying?
AZfederalist on May 12, 2009 at 9:53 PM
Uh, when that “successful” general, the one whose inability to finish the job in the First Gulf War directly led to the Second, publicly announces his belief that we all want bigger government and more taxes for more government services, it is time to admit to yourself that he never was a Republican in his beliefs and we are better off without that kind of public figure diluting our message until it is indistinguishable from the opposing party’s.
Good riddance.
hillbillyjim on May 12, 2009 at 9:56 PM
What about the Dem governor of Montana that signed that pro-2nd amendment bill the other day?
FloatingRock on May 12, 2009 at 9:56 PM
What is “he isn’t one of our most successful general by a long shot” Alex. Also, why would that even matter? I’m sure in 1864 plenty of Copperhead Frums were arguing McClellan (who shares a lot in common with Powell I think)was one of our most successful generals. Doesn’t mean the Republicans should have fought to keep the defeatist in the party.
jarodea on May 12, 2009 at 9:57 PM
It’s a brilliant strategy.
Find out who the Democrats nominate, nominate him/her immediately afterwards and Republicans will never lose another election!
And think of all the money they’ll save on campaign ads, GOTV, campaign experiences, etc.
While we’re at it, we can outsource our Army to the Chinese, our Navy to the Russians and our Air Force to Al Qaeda.
And our pundits to roto-rooter.
NoDonkey on May 12, 2009 at 9:58 PM
Does this numbnuts ever get a clue, if his girl dumps him does he go to jail for stalking her or maybe just some pepper spray in the face does the trick.
Chasing after Powell is stupid and proves just how important the Conservative message is far beyond those who don’t care about it anymore.
Speakup on May 12, 2009 at 9:58 PM
I agree. But, sadly, I don’t see all that much difference with many elected Republicans. Which is why, like many people, I don’t really identify as a “Republican” any more. I am a fiscal conservative and I will vote for whoever is more in line with my thinking on that, regardless of party.
That’s where the current gang of squishy, unprincipled morons has led today’s GOP. At least for me.
califcon on May 12, 2009 at 9:59 PM
who the heck is David Frum and why is he a spokesperson for the Republican party?
Why is Meghan McCain a spokesperson for the GOP?
Why are we letting these people tell the media what conservatism is?
Why do we let them plan our party’s future?
When will somebody speak up?
joey24007 on May 12, 2009 at 10:00 PM
Rubio vs Crist will be the gop civil war to end all gop civil wars. Club for Growth, rightwing radio vs moderate goopers. Will John Cornyn get thrown under the bus by Limbaugh for backing Crist. And you know if Crist gets elected he will join Collins and Snow, voting wise. And quite possibly he could jump ship after he’s elected. The possibilities are intoxicating. You know Crist endorsed Obama’s stimulus, even appearing with Obama at a Florida rally. If Crist wins the primary he will probably be a shue in. Will the Limbaugh wing sacrifice a Senate seat in their hatred for moderates. I can’t wait for this dogfight, “lets get ready to rumble.”
athensboy on May 12, 2009 at 10:02 PM
Free snickers bars for all yooze kidz.
Democrats suck, period. They are irredeemable. Why the hell would anyone who respects the Second Amendment, be a part of the Democrat Scum Party?
It’s like Adolph Hitler endorsing Kosher Hotdogs.
NoDonkey on May 12, 2009 at 10:02 PM
I don’t know. I would suppose he/she is in the wrong party. Where I live, NY, where it’s essentially a one party state, if one democrat wants to challenge another, one becomes the republican (Giuliani, Bloomberg, etc.) Maybe Montana is similar. To challenge a Republican there, another Rep. becomes a democrat. I bet there’s not much diff. btwn Rep’s and Dems’s in very blue and very red states. But the national parties as a whole certainly are different. I don’t know why a Gov. of Montana would want to be associated with wanda sykes.
JiangxiDad on May 12, 2009 at 10:03 PM
Not me, I’m a proud Republican.
I’m not a huge believer in this inept party either, but it is the best organized opposition to the Democrat Scum Party, you have to admit. And that’s enough for me.
Any organization or party so blindly hated by Democrat scum has to be good.
NoDonkey on May 12, 2009 at 10:05 PM
Frum is a putz. When was the last time you heard him defend a conservative as robustly as a moderate or leftist in the Republican party. I for one never would have joined the party if not for the like of the ones (Rush,Cheney) he is constantly throwing down the stairs.
Bald Igle on May 12, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Colin Powell voted for Obama over his friend John McCain. How could he have voted for one of the most liberal senators & call himself a Republican. I can’t remember, but did he ever actually declare himself a Republican or has he always been a closet Democrat?
redridinghood on May 12, 2009 at 10:14 PM
Who has to wonder about that? Obama is a Statist who believes that bigger and more intrusive government, and higher taxes, are the answers to every problem (real or imagined). He is the antithesis of everything the GOP is supposed to stand for. If voting for Obama is not a repudiation of Republicanism, then what the hell could ever be?
AZCoyote on May 12, 2009 at 10:17 PM
With the greatest military force in human history Colin Powell managed to drive a fifteenth rate tinhorn despot out of tiny country and then failed to depose or kill said dictator, or even stop him from immediately sending his regrouped military out ~in helicoter gunships~ to destroy the popular Iraqi uprising, that he and GHW Bush encouraged, and then abandoned to the slaugher for months.
Then a piddling little “no fly” zone was established.
Helluva general, right?
Obama is welcome to this ineffectual turncoat.
Frum is welcome to take a much-needed enema.
profitsbeard on May 12, 2009 at 10:19 PM
When was Powel a successful General?
All of Powel’s successes have been political. He hasn’t done a damn thing in actual battle.
Greg Q on May 12, 2009 at 10:21 PM
Did not Colin Powell endorse Obama? He did! He is therefore a Democrat.
Dasher on May 12, 2009 at 10:27 PM
Why is this Frum bird on a Hotair main post yet again?
He get’s almost as much Hotair front page billing as Megan McBigmac.
Most, if not all, of the personages at the all but hidden GreenRoom are more enlightening and edificatious than they are.
Why not start moving some of them down here and move the Frum bird and Meagan McBigmac up there? Or better yet establish a new room for the two of them. Maybe call it the Turkey Chamber.
MB4 on May 12, 2009 at 10:29 PM
Very well said Splunge.
Great point about Winston.
notagool on May 12, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Let me get this straight…………….
…….. Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama, a Democrat for the President of the United States.
Colin Powell voted for Barack Obama, a Democrat for President of the United States………..
…………. within 120+ days of his Presidency, Barack Obama, a Democrat, is in the process of turning the United States of America into a Marxist/Socialist country, and I have not heard one word of concern or dissent from Colin Powell.
And in conclusion, David Frum thinks that the Republican Party needs to have a big enough tent to include Colin Powell……………..
……………. and the interview was done on CNN.
Yea……..
…………… let’s listen to this a$s-clown.
Seven Percent Solution on May 12, 2009 at 10:38 PM
Successful general? Powell beat Saddam’s poorly prepared, demoralized, ragtag army. That’s about as difficult as anyone with an IQ over 70 destroying Frum in a debate.
Have you seen Frum’s New Minority recently? Most posts have very few comments and many have none. Frum could screw up a one-car funeral. Buckley took a shine to Frum, maybe because Frum spelled “color” with a “u.” With enemies like Frum, conservatives don’t need many friends.
bw222 on May 12, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Powell did not beat Saddam, Powell was the Chairman to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, an advisory position to the SecDef. Schwarzkopf beat Saddam. Since the Goldwater-Nichols Act of ’86 the Chairman has actually no formal role overseeing combat operations.
Hansmeister on May 12, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Need a strategy for losing?
Frum has it.
Nothing like coming in second every election, right, Dave?
New Jersey is a perfect laboratory for this thesis.
Greg Toombs on May 12, 2009 at 11:00 PM
I want to call him clueless, but he’s not. He’s just not sharp. Gimme Krauthammer’s takes any day over this loser.
Quetzal on May 12, 2009 at 11:08 PM
He didn’t just vote for Obama, he endorsed Obama. And just because he can distinguish a donkey from an elephant doesn’t mean he is a Republican. He just owes his career to Republicans.
And Crist is the first sign of things to come. The entire Florida Republican contingent helped Obama get elected, and time will tell if the Republican voters that knew McCain would lose will forget it.
If Crist wins the nomination, it will be the first time in my life that I vote for a democrat. I will never vote for Crist for anything.
JeffinOrlando on May 12, 2009 at 11:08 PM
Thanks for sharing that, kid.
Now go back to bed, it’s a school night.
Del Dolemonte on May 12, 2009 at 11:18 PM
BTW, several years ago, Colon Powell was formally charged with war crimes at The Hague.
Charges were dropped in 2008 after he endorsed O’bama.
Claude Rains is spinning in his grave.
Del Dolemonte on May 12, 2009 at 11:27 PM
Collin kind of quit after he endorsed Obama, right?
What about Cheney? Isn’t he kind of a hero too?
Cheney is taking a huge risk.
I think the guy is taking the Admin on.
And I think we should back him. We need a voice and he’s out there ripping the party. He is leading. And his direction, is not too bad. Worse then the alternative?
Who would have thought – the most reviled man in the previous Admin would suit up and try … I’m going to listen and learn.
seesalrun on May 12, 2009 at 11:45 PM
This reminds me – back when the candidates’ passport records were being accessed without authorization – did NO ONE look up Stanley Ann’s travels? Should have been easy enough to see where she was on Barry’s birthday – if indeed that is his real birthday…
disa on May 12, 2009 at 11:54 PM
i
What are they going to do to him?
disa on May 12, 2009 at 11:55 PM
Yeah, and when you get to 51 percent this way, you can’t do anything useful because large chunks of the 51 percent voted for bigger government, while many of those elected by the 51 percent care mostly about what the WP and NYT says.
pearson on May 13, 2009 at 12:00 AM
I’m sorry, when referring to most successful general, I’m pretty sure that “successful” doesn’t quite mean what he thinks it does
Canadian Imperialist Running Dog on May 13, 2009 at 12:02 AM
Cheney is taking a huge risk.
He has nothing to lose and has zero popularity so the sky is the limit.
seesalrun on May 13, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Can I please clarify this one issue?
To Colin Powell: Please, get the F Out of my Party.
Thank you.
seanrobins on May 13, 2009 at 12:24 AM
Can I please clarify this one issue?
To Colin Powell: Please, get the F Out of my Party.
Thank you.
[sound of door striking officious a-hole in the a]
seanrobins on May 13, 2009 at 12:25 AM
I shook his hand at the Palin rally. He’s gay. He married to fool people into thinking he’s straight.
Rubio is the horse to back in that primary.
Crist is gonna be Specter of the South.
Sapwolf on May 13, 2009 at 12:48 AM
Frum is so messed up, I think he’ll have a 1099 from Ax-Rod come January of 2010.
So completely wrong-headed.
Sapwolf on May 13, 2009 at 12:55 AM
Overturning Roe is a core component of the Republican party. Roe is the ultimate example of judicial activism and its horrid results.
JohnJ on May 13, 2009 at 1:17 AM
Yep. At least if McCain had voted against the bailout, he could have said he lost because of his principles.
Speedwagon82 on May 13, 2009 at 1:22 AM
What an idiot. It’s called the Grand Old Party — not the Colin Powell Party.
Blake on May 13, 2009 at 1:27 AM
So by Frum’s insane logic it doesn’t matter if the GOP drives farther left than the DNC as long as it wins? What happened to principles? What happened to values? What happened to having a soul and standing up for one’s beliefs? Frum has shown his true colors: a political whore willing to bed anyone for his immediate gain.
chicagojedi on May 13, 2009 at 1:43 AM
Who threw him out of the party? He decided to leave, just so he could vote for a black man.
I think one fairly common rule in all of politics is: if you’re not loyal to your party, you can’t expect the party to be loyal to you.
ThereGoesTheNeighborhood on May 13, 2009 at 1:46 AM
Id say Colin Powell got more from the Republican party than the party ever got from him. Speaking on purely political terms.
His service to country before he was Secretary of State I will always be thankful for, after? Not so much.
What he allowed to be said and done to the Bush administration that he could have prevented shows a disloyalty I wouldnt expect from a former soldier.
Opportunity Costs on May 13, 2009 at 2:08 AM
When they start kicking people out, is when I return.
Tim Burton on May 13, 2009 at 2:15 AM
You would think that when enough of us stop sending in the money that they make their living on…………….
………. they would get the message.
Seven Percent Solution on May 13, 2009 at 2:26 AM
Fee, fie, foe, Frum
I smell the stench of a RINO scum.
LegendHasIt on May 13, 2009 at 3:15 AM
I did the research,
but can’t decide who’s who!
http://www.juf.org/jewish_learning/glossary_entry.aspx?id=7894
“Let’s Roll”
On Watch on May 13, 2009 at 3:37 AM
“How can our party not be big enough for one of our most successful generals?”
Nonsensical question. There’s plenty of room for Shwartzkopf.
Random Numbers (Brian Epps) on May 13, 2009 at 4:09 AM
Both parties have been infiltrated (sounds McCarthyish I know) by Leftists. When a couple of the Socialist parties back in the ’20s (I believe) folded, most went over to the Democratic Party in order to continue their agenda. Some, however, did go over to the Republican Party.
Also, I was one of these that used to assume that generals and other high ranking officers were automatically Conservatives…that’s what I’ve been taught through Hollywood mainly, you know, like in Dr. Strangelove and probably all other films portray U.S. officers that way.
But, consider someone like General Smedley Butler. Pretty obvious in my book that he was a Communist, or at least a sympathizer…and he had a very distinguished career in the Marine Corps. It’s always harder for most Conservatives to criticize the politics of those who have served honorably in the Service.
Dr. ZhivBlago on May 13, 2009 at 4:32 AM
So I guess if John McCain wasn’t the right candidate, Gen. Powell would have voted for Mrs. Clinton. What? No? Why, because she’s a woman?
Cindy Munford on May 13, 2009 at 6:32 AM
Frum, you dope, HE LEFT US, if he was ever with us. IMHO he was always a libturd.
He supported and voted for Hussein and all his talking points arrrrre libreal (New word, just coined it) not conservative.
So no, basically we dont have room for democrats in our party.
dogsoldier on May 13, 2009 at 6:49 AM
Having been a good XO all me bloomin’ life, it has become clear to me that you dance with the one that brung ya…..
Or you are just someone who is a pretender. You use what is convenient to get yourself fame and fortune, and then you leave them when they are no longer useful to where you wanted to go in the first place, and you become a loser and a betrayer of principle. It is a recipe for personal disaster, and personal experience has verified it.
Colin Powell is a good Man. But he let other good Men down when he got his feelings hurt because the Boss didn’t take his advice, and he picked up his marbles and went home. I know how being a good soldier can wear you down after a while and you see everyone else getting what they want by being opportunistic. But being a loyal and dedicated public servant is more important than generating some kind of glorious personal history at the expense of those who brought you to the dance (his troops, his President, and the party that welcomed him with open arms).
I believe he made his choice because of race. While I don’t disagree that, as a black man, he may have had harder times than some folks, I have come to know plenty of white and Hispanics who started out just as poor and just as persecuted as any black man in America today….. and they turned out to be good citizens struggling to better themselves. If you can do that with your life, then, black or white, you’ve done well. Blacks should remember that. Baldilocks is one of my favorite examples of a black person who does their duty and deserves the respect and admiration of us all. Gen Powell also fits the bill. But he compromised the principles of Loyalty and Duty to his Country to vote for someone who was bad for it just because that man was the same race as Powell.
I think we should all be Winston for awhile, even if we lose a few more elections. You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.
Subsunk
Subsunk on May 13, 2009 at 6:54 AM
So allow him to undermine the republican party and ultimately America with direction from his demofascist handlers? Rrrriiiiggghhhhtttt.
peacenprosperity on May 13, 2009 at 7:03 AM
powell got to the level he did by being competent and by the republicans and Reagan deciding he would be valueable for pr puposes also. The republicans giving him opportunities put him in a position where he very possibly could have become president. The truth is that he was a coward and was afraid to throw his hat in the ring because he knows he’s not tough enough and would rather hide behind his manufactured persona. The republicans need to tell him to put up or shut up. I’m guessing that he lives in virginia. Step up powell and run against a popular democrat. The democrats will tear you to pieces and leave you a quivering mess, your weakness and vanity naked to the world. powell, you are a useful idiot to the demofascists.
peacenprosperity on May 13, 2009 at 7:10 AM
Uh, Frum and his idiot wife promoted and voted for Obama. They are neither republicans nor conservatives. Hell, they are not even Americans but cannuck carpetbaggers. So, psycho frum needs to go away. And yes, I’m kicking him out.
Blake on May 13, 2009 at 7:48 AM
Uh…I’m no military expert and I don’t want to pose as one, but wasn’t Desert Storm about Norman Schwartzkopf from beginning to end, the end actually coming when General drippy-pants Powell advised President Bush to call off the dogs?
Hadn’t Schwartskopf been preparing for this type of war his entire career? It seems abundantly clear that Powell had exactly nothing to do with it, and only f*cked it up in the end.
Jaibones on May 13, 2009 at 7:50 AM
Uh…no, he didn’t.
Jaibones on May 13, 2009 at 7:51 AM
Blake, why do you guys keep saying this? How many times do I have to correct this? A little help, AP?
Jaibones on May 13, 2009 at 8:02 AM
Rush pointed out that Powell, claiming to be a moderate Republican, should have fallen all over himself to endorse McCain, the moderate Republican. He endorsed, worked for and voted for Ogabe. This should prove that he voted strictly for skin color. He is a racist, opportunistic, calculating POS and deserves a warm spot on the ash heap of history. Frum can be his blanket or his mattress, depending on his mood.
SKYFOX on May 13, 2009 at 8:13 AM
Both Cheney and Frum are on wrong sides of the issues. Frum wanting the GOP to become part of the radical environmental movement rather than oppose it. Now Cheney endorsing Jeb Bush! No good Mr. VP! Cheney is one of the unrepentant open-borders Transnationalists (along w/the Bush Family) who’ve literally destroyed the GOP and driven the Nationalistic Base away.
What a freakin’ mess! Now we have in-fighting within the party among factions that are both just as wrong as they can be!
Darvin Dowdy on May 13, 2009 at 8:37 AM
Powell endorsed Obama over a middle ground candidate. He is welcome to return to the Republican party, but conservatives have principals and don’t care about the Republican party.
The Republicans need to have principals and not care what idiots like powell say. Instead, he wants the Republicans to not have principals and abandon their conservative roots.
I really wish these so-called experts would just be honest and not try to twist everything to fit their world view.
By the time Powell took over in Iraq, Schwartzkoff(no idea how to spell it) had already won the war.
jeffn21 on May 13, 2009 at 8:45 AM
Frum, which party do you support? Powell left us before we ever left him.
What did Republicans ever do for Powell? A lot. What did he do for us? Endorsed and voted for Obama. Thanks for helping, Colin. Maybe if you endorse a REPUBLICAN for President next time, we’ll let you into the tent.
hawksruleva on May 13, 2009 at 10:19 AM
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