Magical Realism: Colin Powell 2012
posted at 9:26 pm on July 13, 2009 by CK MacLeod
[ Politicians ] regular view
Maybe Reihan Salam just wanted a title that would catch someone’s, anyone’s interest in the middle of July, when what he really wanted to talk about was market-based health care reform, but is there someone, anyone who imagines Gen. Colin Powell – who has managed to offend and betray more elements of the Republican coalition than anyone even knew existed – as a viable presidential candidate for a Republican Party remotely interested in, y’know, winning an election?
Someone, anyone other than Salam, that is:
Powell could be exactly the presidential candidate Republicans need. Consider Powell’s interview with John King on CNN’s State of the Union last weekend. For whatever reason–perhaps to preserve his reputation as an independent, above-the-fray voice–the former secretary of state raised serious questions about President Obama’s leadership. Powell is convinced that the president is expanding government too much and too quickly, a view he shares with the Republican base. Rather than couch his objections in ideological terms, Powell used the sober language of fiscal responsibility. He didn’t advocate limited government for its own sake, and he acknowledged that American voters consider the many issues the White House is tackling to be very important.
How… equable!… of Powell. Def the candidate we want if equability seems on the verge of sweeping the nation come Spring 2012…
Or maybe if Obama’s so bad off in 2012 that a 75-year-old man who’s never run and won a political campaign, and who would be looking for support amidst the splinters of his blasted party, can beat him, then some fiercer competition might turn up…
…and that’s about as much turbulence as this particular trial balloon can stand, in my estimation. As for the particular balloonist and his health care ideas, I think I may be ready to think about them seriously very soon, maybe even as soon as Prez Powell’s inauguration.
Cross-posted at Zombie Contentions
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Greenroom Feed
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Powell has become the poster boy for the adverse side effects of affirmative action and it’s close cousin, nepotism.
Skandia Recluse on July 13, 2009 at 9:56 PM
Ugh, Powell and 2012 in the same sentance makes me sick.
boomer on July 13, 2009 at 10:01 PM
Powell could be exactly the presidential candidate Republicans need if they want to become the political equivalent of an evolutionary dead end.
How I hate incomplete sentences. Much better now.
Physics Geek on July 14, 2009 at 8:37 AM
I can just see the Powell 2012 campaign stickers now.
Powell, disingenuousness we can trust
Assenting exploitation approved Colin
Surely our masses are keen on Powell
Colin Powell, adjustments we suppose in
Powell, a candidate without resolve
Powell, a man of the purple party
Americannodash on July 14, 2009 at 10:33 AM
If this is the plan for 2012 for Repubs, bring on the 3rd party right now. Go Sarah!
Kissmygrits on July 14, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Someone needs to tell Reihan Salam that cocaine will make a person ignorant.
Percy_Peabody on July 14, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Don’t be surprised if DuhOne picks him to replace Plugs Biden. Hillary will have jumped ship by 2012.
SouthernGent on July 14, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Powell would be the PERFECT republican candidate.
He’d draw some of the black vote off Obama, and no right-thinking conservative would vote for him. This makes it possible for Palin/Cheney to run as a third party and win.
Daggett on July 14, 2009 at 2:36 PM
I despise the air Obama breathes but I’d rather vote for Obama than EVER consider voting for Powell.
elduende on July 14, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Powell 1996? Yes. Powell 2000? Yes. Powell 2008? Yes. Powell 2012? No. Once Powell started hawking big government solutions to protect Obama from his GOP critics, that was the last straw for me.
Patrick on July 14, 2009 at 2:38 PM
I want to laugh. I want to shrug this off … but I realize this moron is serious.
darwin on July 14, 2009 at 2:39 PM
That’s quite a misspelling of “Democrats.”
Jim Treacher on July 14, 2009 at 2:43 PM
No RINOs thanks, we did the McCain thing already.
Spiritk9 on July 14, 2009 at 2:46 PM
F, f’in, NO!
tickleddragon on July 14, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Powell and Meghan McCain on the same ticket!!!
WhatsRight on July 14, 2009 at 2:53 PM
No way, he lost all my respect when he supported obama and big government/taxes. He should convert to the dumdocrats.
farright on July 14, 2009 at 2:53 PM
Oh yeah. That’s why he’s been backpeddling. No doubt in my mind. Now if you don’t vote for a “”"”main stream”"” “”"moderate”"” black guy, you are RACIST!!!! Jesus H, this guy stands for nothing, and his core is closer to Obama than to Cons.
marklmail on July 14, 2009 at 2:53 PM
+1
jbtripp on July 14, 2009 at 2:53 PM
So many RINOs, so little time.
Renascent on July 14, 2009 at 2:55 PM
Not just NO….but F*CK NO!!!!!!
Winebabe on July 14, 2009 at 2:56 PM
Criticisms of the man himself aside, I can’t imagine Powell’s official endorsement of Obama last year would lend any credibility to him were he to run against Obama in 2012.
Caiwyn on July 14, 2009 at 2:57 PM
Clearly, the best move for the GOP is to nominate a guy who endorsed the other party’s candidate in the last election.
Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
Nominating Powell after McCain would be an undeniable sign that the GOP has a death wish.
tsj017 on July 14, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Powell has a better chance at winning the Democratic nomination that the Republican nomination where he has zero chance.
exceller on July 14, 2009 at 3:04 PM
for WHAT party?
SDarchitect on July 14, 2009 at 3:10 PM
If the GOP runs Powell in 2012, it will be the first time I won’t cast a Presidential ballot since I first voted for Nixon in his 1972 landslide. I will vote for all other offices and if the appropriate candidate runs a 3rd party I would cast a ballot there.
chemman on July 14, 2009 at 3:13 PM
So he’s going to run against the incumbent President that HE ENDORSED?
Got it!
juanito on July 14, 2009 at 3:15 PM
You mean, for HER.
juanito on July 14, 2009 at 3:16 PM
I think it is crystal clear that Powell intends to run in 2012. That that is why he supported radical leftist Obama against the middle-of-the-road Republican McCain. 1. He could not, as a republican, have run against McCain in 2012. But he can run against a democrat. 2. It allowed for the glass ceiling of a black man becoming president to be broken, and has now opened the door for all of those people who voted for Obama for racial reasons to feel guilt-free in voting for a second, ‘more moderate and less radical,’ black candidate. 3. Powell can run as the more competent candidate.
As the economy worsens and Obama’s foreign policy fails we will begin to see Powell taking gentle shots at Obama – he already has criticized the spending excesses and debt. The gentle shots will sharpen over time and he will begin to say things like, “I didn’t know they would go so far to the left.” and “Clearly President Obama’s policies have been the wrong moves.” and “Unfortunately President Obama has taken the country in the wrong direction.” etc.
He will also use similar tactics at Obama’s foreign policy.
Powell has been playing a very Machiavellian game all along.
Mr A on July 14, 2009 at 3:27 PM
Our presidential candidate in 2012 will have a last name that starts with a ‘P’, but it won’t be Colin. For someone with a distinguished military background he sure has trasnformed himself into a limp noodle.
Go hang with your bro Obama, we don’t want you.
fogw on July 14, 2009 at 3:33 PM
I want to like Reihan Salam, he’s a young fresh face to our side, but this is moronic at best.
thebrokenrattle on July 14, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Guys like him, Murtha, Cleland, Scowcroft and even McGovern prove that enlisting and serving don’t make you all-knowing on military matters. Call me a chickenhawk if you want but I know bettah than the lot of them.
thebrokenrattle on July 14, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Advancing Powell’s and Noonan’s careers was the worst thing President Reagan ever did.
Lou Budvis on July 14, 2009 at 3:57 PM
And then there’s that other military expert senator who served in Vietnam. I heard that somewhere. Yeh, I’m sure. He did serve in Vietnam. For four months. LOL.
fogw on July 14, 2009 at 4:04 PM
The way things are going, Hillary could run as a Republican and win in 2012. Just imagine all the campaign ads of Obama’s broken campaign promises we will be seeing in 2012.
BobbyDank on July 14, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Like a hole in the head.
CynicalOptimist on July 14, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Your comment predictably makes lightyears more sense than this bizarre post and the idiotic story behind it. Powell couldn’t get elected Alderman as a Republican, and if he was actually serious about running as one, it would only be to guarantee O’Bonehead a second term.
Jaibones on July 14, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Please oh please let Powell be the republican candidate, with someone fantastic like Charlie Crist or John McCain as VP.
Then let Palin/Romney run on a 3rd party ticket. As long as the republicans lose again, that’s what I want. I am starting to hate the GOP for abandoning me, it is because of their big spending that we now have Obama destroying my country.
JustTruth101 on July 14, 2009 at 4:40 PM
OK. I have now found the GOP candidate that will convince me to campaign vigorously for O.
Dusting off the Mao jacket now.
Sapwolf on July 14, 2009 at 5:05 PM
If the GOP runs Powell, then I am 100% for a new party (I’d be for secession outright, but that’s another thread).
Nobody could convince me otherwise.
Sapwolf on July 14, 2009 at 5:07 PM
That actually makes a little sense.
Sapwolf on July 14, 2009 at 5:09 PM
General Powell is a BIG FAT WEASEL. HE WILL NOT HAVE MY VOTE. HE BETRAYED ME WITH THE ENDORSING OF THE SOCIALIST HUSSEIN.
GIVE ME LIBERTY. OR GIVE ME DEATH. : )
hawkman on July 14, 2009 at 5:25 PM
What you’re talking about would be reminiscent of the 1850s – back when turnout in the U.S. was in the mid-high 80%’s and everyone loved politics so much they decided to fight a war over it, while parties mutiplied electoral college votes. It’s also reminiscent of Weimar, Germany.
Just talking about de-stabilization of the political system, not trying to suggest any underlying parallels.
I don’t think that Colin Powell cares enough to go down to flaming defeat for the broken Republicans as the Conservatives fought for a plurality, with their best performance concentrated regionally, in the South.
But a LOT can happen between now and 2012. There’s no absolute guarantee that Obama will even be running for re-election. If you’re going to start getting serious about speculative unconventional scenarios – e.g., Obama not running or extremely weak, yet a split on the right, all taking place amidst deep political/economic/etc. crisis and violent disagreement over what to do about it – you have to start thinking about the electoral college: Once upon a time, forcing the election into the college was a major tactical consideration, not just a fun what-if? scenario.
The thing is, the weaker the Dems look, the more incentive the opposition will have to unite.
Maybe Powell as Palin’s VP!
CK MacLeod on July 14, 2009 at 5:46 PM
If THAT happens, I’m outta politics forever!
Lanceman on July 14, 2009 at 6:31 PM
When hell freezes over.
Midas on July 14, 2009 at 6:51 PM
I’m lost. Powell through off his party to vote FOR Obama. Now an idea that Powell would run AGAINST Obama. How idiotic, since his running against Obama MUST show he’s a poor judge of people for endorsing him in the first place. A no winner.
Jeff from WI on July 15, 2009 at 3:57 AM