The conventional wisdom holds that John McCain should lean to his right in making his choice for a vice presidential candidate. This wisdom is completely wrong. Most of the names being bandied about would make terrible choices for McCain. I don't claim to be a political expert in the manner of Dick Morris, but I think the best choice for McCain would be Colin Powell.
Yes, Colin Powell. And here are the reasons why. First, Powell has an independent mind. He is not a captive of the right, and consequently he reinforces the public perception that McCain is not a pawn of Bush. True, Powell served in the Bush administration, but his disagreements with Bush are well known. Obama is trying to portray McCain as a Bush clone. Powell will help McCain convince independent voters--the ones he needs most--that his administration would not constitute a third Bush term.
Second, Powell has experience. The man has served honorably and responsibly in more high positions than Obama and all the other Democratic candidates combined. Moreover, Powell has gravitas while Obama merely has the gift of the gab. So Powell helps to highlight how green and goofy Obama really is. The point is not to contrast one African American with another, or to show how Powell like Obama has immigrant roots. Rather, it is to dissolve the race issue by showing that capability and experience, not race and skin color, are the real issues here.
Finally, who apart from the Obamorons can doubt that Powell would make a capable president? This is especially important given the fact that McCain is over seventy. A Powell choice would also reinforce the big question about the man at the top of the Democratic ticket: Is he ready? I am not going to say that Obama can never be a good president, but I seriously doubt that he is mature enough to climb into the saddle. Who would you trust--Powell or Obama--to better handle a national emergency?
Now all of this could be idle speculation, because Powell may not want to be vice president. I keep hearing about how his wife is so completely against the idea. But this could be one of McCain's first tasks: to persuade Powell to do it. This wouldn't be the first time that this soldier has been asked to put personal considerations second and to take on a great challenge for the future of his country.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 13)
1. DoubleD, you actually wrote a good speculative piece, much more intelligent than the past weeks fluff.
JefFlyingV at 5:18PM on Jun 15th 2008
2. McBush's problem is if he does not go right all the Jesus Cult members will stay home or vote for Bob Barr. McBush and Bush agree 95% of the time. Plus who are you kidding your a right wing ding dong too..............
Larry at 5:23PM on Jun 15th 2008
3. It may come down to a man of integrity, Powell, is needed to save the republican party. But since Powell has integrity he will not join the ticket.
JefFlyingV at 5:33PM on Jun 15th 2008
4.
Powell has demonstrated an integrity to great for the job.
I doubt he will accept any offers, if any are made.
mac at 5:45PM on Jun 15th 2008
5. ... and don't forget the main point here black people, McCain might croak any day.
not-pboyfloyd at 5:47PM on Jun 15th 2008
6. Larry - Nice try, but you're just not the same without Curly and Mo. And that should read "you are (or you're) a right wing ding dong."
PBO - None of us knows how long we are going to live, but thanks for that warm, fuzzy reminder about McCain kicking the bucket.
Jeff - Yeah, tell me all about that Democrat integrity. Has William Jefferson come up with a good explanation for the $100,000 in the freezer yet? And did you Dems just get the memo last week that the other William Jefferson (Clinton) is a womanizer? And GW Bush is supposed to be the dumb one?
Dave at 6:10PM on Jun 15th 2008
7. It must be galling for many in this country, that 2 black men (Obama and speculatively Powell) will determine what direction we will politically go in the future.
JefFlyingV at 6:18PM on Jun 15th 2008
8. JetFlyingV -- Your right. It will be galling to people like Dave.
Larry at 6:23PM on Jun 15th 2008
9.
Hey Dinesh, let's ask Powell, get an answer straight from the horses mouth, as it were....
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/06/13/colin-powell-sees-mccain-obama-race-as-tough-choice/?mod=googlenews_wsj
--------------
Do you know something Mr. Powell doesn't?
mac at 6:25PM on Jun 15th 2008
10.
Have to agree. Powell, a very gifted veteran, learned his lesson about politics. When he served in the military, his opinion commanded respect - He knew what he was talking about. Then he took the job for Bush - And all his skills and knowledge meant nothing.
As for McCain, he has chosen his position with regards to America's defenders - Caved on the "torture legislation," and opposes the veterans' benefits package -
So, he "supports" the troops, as long as that "support" includes biased "interpretations" of the Geneva Conventions, or actually backing the troops up when they return home.
Not only would Colin say no to somebody like this, he's likely to vigorously work against such an A-hole. Career politicians think of little else than party agenda (hence McBain's caving), where career soldiers put the Constitution and fellow servicepersons first.
So if you see Colin on the ballot, don't assume that it'll be McCain he runs witn....
ex-christian at 6:48PM on Jun 15th 2008
11. I still remember Colin in front of the U.N. displaying the mobile bioweapon buses. He looked foolish then and just thinking about it makes me cringe.
Monty at 7:00PM on Jun 15th 2008
12.
Another point to consider, is that McVain is 70 years old - and would be used the way your sith lord Ronnie was, DD.
Take a really old guy, put him in office, then you can do whatever you want, remember? Selling weapons to both the Iranians and Iraqis, take that money to buy weapons for terrorists - and invest heavily in the weapons' manufacturers.
Being a christian and a scumbag war pig is a win-win situation - you can profit handsomely, and claim that you did it for god.
You really make me want to vomit, Dinesh.
ex-christian at 7:15PM on Jun 15th 2008
13. DoubleD, you thought McCain was a stiff back in February, and you still think McCain is a stiff. Is Powell the only hope that could help the republicans retain the White House?
JefFlyingV at 7:42PM on Jun 15th 2008
14. Jef; I'm curious what point you're trying to make @ 7? What is galling about 2 black men deciding the country's political direction?
fanman at 7:56PM on Jun 15th 2008
15. Dinesh,
You stated:
“The point is not to contrast one African American with another…”
Then you stated:
:”… Rather, it is to dissolve the race issue by showing that capability and experience, not race and skin color, are the real issues here.”
How I ask?
Based on previous posts in which you all but stated that Obama is where he is merely because of his skin color, I can only conclude that the answer is, by “contrasting one African American with another.”
If this were a stand-alone post, I could take you at your word but alas, it is not.
You are a neocon hack and the neocons are getting desperate. They realized that they reached too far, too soon and now the pendulum is swinging back to the left with such force that it may lodge itself there for quite some time, which is why you are all of a sudden calling for a moderate running mate, but the mistake here, as JefFlyingV first pointed out, is that Powell has too much integrity to complete this ticket.
Your view of race relations in this country is so farcically skewed by the neocon buddies who smile to your face and then proceed to refer to you as a neocoolie behind your back, is so juvenile that it never occurred to you that Powell might actually feel insulted at being asked to join McCain as his running mate in this particular election cycle.
Do you have any idea of how naïve, ridiculous and insulting it is to suggest that McCain choose a black running mate just to offset the fact that the democrats are running their own black candidate for the presidency which is precisely what you are suggesting regardless of what else is written here.
You also wrote that you are not going to say “that Obama can never be a good president…” Well your characterization of him as green and goofy pretty much indicates what kind of president you think he will be.
You also “seriously doubt that he is mature enough to climb into the saddle” as well, but one thing is for sure, Obama did not build a career on disrespectfully smearing people of opposing viewpoints with logic and arguments so absurdly thin that any slob from the general public (like myself) can poke holes in your posts large enough to swallow the sun.
PS. Powell wouldn’t be running for president that would be McCainiac. The same McCainiac that your former boyfriend, Ann Coulter recently referred to as a lickspittle who doesn’t even deserve to kiss George W’s butt.
That’s the world you live in.
rabidmccain at 8:34PM on Jun 15th 2008