Monday, April 07, 2008

powell driver

Ok, Jones, main, your folk been putting in some work, albeit I feel I aint got to tell you that. I mean it’s just what I do. But it has been good. I was working with an interior designer, but she was talking crazy for a store for dogs, like it was some retro chic Lenox Mall boutique. I had someone else before her, but it aint pan out. But that being said, the ruminations have still been going on. I admit, I have been trying to stay away from the primaries, but it’s hard so I am going to drop this on you – thanks to a conversation with Kelso, UCLA, rooting against Memphis monkey ass. Otherwise, like I said, it has been good, not because around this time at age 13, Shakespeare penned his first play, which turned out to be Romeo and Juliet, but cause I have ratcheted the fortitude to write about politics once more and because Memphis throttled UCLA.

I have wondered to myself who would, will or would make the best running mate for Barack Obama. This is especially true since the mantra of the Clinton team is experience, experience and experience. It seems they talk and hammer the experience card more than her plans to deal with the recession or the conflicts abroad in Asia (Afghanistan and Iraq).

Unfortunately as the reader may expect, I will not take the “most electable ticket” route. Instead, I have dug deep in the shallow capacity of my brain to figure out what would make the most appealing and winnable ticket. I know the pundits have mentioned a few names, and some of them make sense to me.


The names that I have heard thus far include Senator Bill Bradley, Senator Russ Feingold, Governor Bill Richardson, Senator Chris Dodd, Senator Jack Reed, General Wesley Clark and last but not least, former Presidential hopeful Senator John Edwards. Sure there have been others including Governor Brian Schweitzer, Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Congressman John Murtha, but the last three don’t really cut the cake, especially Murtha with his history or shady political dealings.

However, I must admit there are some strong benefits to some in the first group. Bradley once ran for the presidency, and has strong name recognition, not to mention the championship ring he won when playing with the New York Knicks back in the day. Add to that, he could help him carry New York, thus he has a serious upside. Fiengold, well she is known for her work with the Republican winner, John McCain. For me, she has done enough damage to McCain from the way many in the GOP see it and thus, cannot add anymore by being on the Obama ticket. Bill Richardson has more up than down as well. Not only can he assist with the Hispanic vote, he also is a good man to provide some experience on Defense, AIDS and the economy. Then there is Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas. She would help carry white women and would likely bolster Obama’s policy positions on energy, education and the environment.

I could talk about them all but like the above, I’d be talking about shit folk already know. This is why I don’t see any of the above being able to give Obama a winning ticket, electable yes, winning no. So I suggest that as a running mate, Obama select Colin Powell. Yes former Secretary of State and Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell. Obama is the ma to do it and it would definitely show up John “McCain/Feingold” McCain what reaching across the isle really is. America would love it and bam. White house folk.

Now you may laugh and suggest such is far fetched, but I want to recount the serious amount of thought, wandering thought I have put into this since December. In fact in my book, it’s a essay called remember this name, about Obama, written in 2004 that predicted he would run successfully for the democratic nomination – even against my libertarian sensibilities.

The Harlem born Powell is a Vietnam veteran. On his this second tour he was injured in a helicopter crash yet still was able to rescue his peers from the burning helicopter. For this he was given the Soldier's Medal. He has a MBA from George Washington University and even served as Secretary of Defense and National Security Advisor, under President Ronald Reagan.

So laugh all you want, but this is the winning ticket and don’t play the lottery. Show your hand folk, give me one better. In wrestling this would be called a pile driver, but I refer Powell Driver. Cause if he doesn't, MCain will lkely have Condie Rice as his.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Different. I have never heard this suggested before.

Dancewater said...

I don't want a dumb v.p. - and Powell is dumb.

Anonymous said...

That's a terrific list of potential VP's, but I hope he seriously isn't considering any of our current senators. We need those folks in the senate to keep doing the good fight. They have more power and influence as senators than they would have as VP.

I'm less concerned about this presidential election and more concerned about our congress and senate - they are the folks that can bring real change and unless they change their attitudes, the position of president is basically useless.

America needs a congress and senate that care about the citizens and a whole lot less about the corporations.

Anonymous said...

Powell is up to Bush and Cheney's asshole in the lead-up of lies to this fucked up war.

He deserves no such honor and deserves jail time for not saying shit when he knew.

As far as I'm concerned, this fucker is a traitor.

Definetely not VP material.

Sorry, we finally disagree on something.

:-)

Sista GP said...

Ahh, I miss those days as a kid when I would hang out with my dad and watch wrestling...Andre the Giant...

The only concern I would have about Colin Powell is his age. He just turned 71 this past Saturday.

Of course, like Cheney, he could go into hiding on a regular basis and get some rest...

Don said...

all-mi-t:

Why they keep underestimating Memphis?! Check this out. I played in eclectik's brackets and I ended up picking the correct Final Four and the two teams to play in the Championship game. Imagine that. What's funny is - I forgot to pick the winner (going with Derrick Rose & co.), and I STILL won the challenge.


Good ish, huh?

Submariner said...

Not bad, Torrance but I'll raise you one better.

Obama will never engender the full support of the party establishment. He knows this, or at least he should. He needs Chuck Hagel to win enough Independents to offset the intraparty losses that will result from his ascendancy. It also gives him a fifty state strategy and breaks the electoral stalemate as currently comprised under the American duopoly.

You see, Hillary is right when she says that Obama can't win under this system. The red state - blue state divide is a losing proposition for Barack. He needs to cross the Pyrenees into a fifty state campaign in order to win.

What she and others have been missing is that Obama is doing his version of Ronald Reagan's remake of the electoral landscape. This is a realignment of techtonic proportions. The traditional political calculus no longer applies to Barack. If it did, then HRC would drop out and everyone would rally around Barack Obama. The right wing sees this but they're stuck with the tools of the past. We are sailing in uncharted waters and the instruments at at their disposal have limited utility.

My modest reading of American foreign policy since World War II shows that generals, while compelling and popular figures in their own rights, lack the skills needed to fight political battles in Washington where armchair pugilists like Dick Cheney rule supreme. Colin Powell, Alexander Haig, Maxwell Taylor, Douglas MacArthur, and even George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in their relations with Senator McCarthy were not exceptionally talented in managing civilians. Generals typically fall into the mold of MacArthur or Haig and have a highly inflated assessment of their self-worth or resemble Powell and Marshall, morally stringent, loyal individuals ill prepared for the brutish Muay Thai employed by civilians. On the other hand, Hagel has the rare achievement of being able to defy his party leadership without undermining his own redoubt. He is the archetypal Republican who could possibly attach his fate to Obama. And let's not get too carried away and forget the all too real specter of racism. One black man on the ticket is scary enough for even the most open minded of white folks.

Anonymous said...

Hadn't even considered him - interesting pick.

If you look at this from the acceptability and electability (sp?)standpoint of white America - have to agree with your pick. You could also add in the fact that this would present the combined Democratic/Republic utopia Barack talks about.

On the other hand, Barack would stand to lose those that will never be able to forgive Colin Powell for first, working under the Bush administration and 2nd, for lying to us about those dreaded WMD's. (though some would argue he was only relaying information provided to him by the CIA)

Anonymous said...

what's damn amazing is that i just put up a post about 10 minutes ago about u of memphis basketball. damn.

powell is an interesting pick, showing that you have more imagination than 99.99 percent of all the other pundits on the planet. i doubt he'd go for it, and, like e.b. mentions above, obama might have trouble reconciling his anti-war position with powell's infamous u.n. speech, but it is intriguing.

i have a better name: eliot spitzer for vp. obama would sweep new york, get the much-coveted hooker demographic, and have somebody he could dump on when things got bad in the white house.

go tigers.

Babz Rawls Ivy said...

Powell..ah NO! He lost a great deal of credibility pimping this nightmare of a war/occupation in Iraq. Besides his wife ain't letting him no where near a political career.

So since we are dreaming and dreaming in high Definition--I say Nadar. Why? Why not? He has an amazing record of consumer activism, he has stood up to big business which might mean something to all the bleeding heart liberals. I am no Nadar fan for president, but as a VP he maybe able to tote water.

I would like a woman in the #2 spot if I could get my way. There are only 8 women sitting as Governors, 5 are Dems. (Kathleen Sebelius--my personal pick, Jennifer Granholm D-MI, Christine Gregoire D-WA, Ruth Ann Minner D-DE, Janet Napolitano D-AZ)

And I do like Dodd--I am from CT he has been good here.

Ed & Jeanne said...

I'm hoping he picks Chuck Norris because:

- Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
- Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush
- Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door
- Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is

Anonymous said...

Powell? I can't get past him waving around that baggy before Congress. I'm with buelahman on this. The man didn't speak up when it would have made a difference, then he ratted at a time when it couldn't much help.

I'm not sure who I would like as veep. Still feeling singed over Edwards dropping out, and I guess Edwards has already said no to the veep idea anyway.

Babz Rawls Ivy said...

I am a UCONN Fan, BUT, I will cheer for Memphis tonight. I think there is something to the fact that Memphis hasn't gotten the level of respect their team deserves. They are not UCONN, but they have heart and I love a team with heart, commitment and mental toughness and they have a running game that makes me long for the Running Rebels of days gone by...but I digress.

They have swagger, and I can't resist swagger!

Unknown said...

Memphis all the way!!!!

I like Powell. He had moments of "WTF" but his character stands. Good choice.

Anonymous said...

You all are just memphis nothing special. The point guard from Chicago help move your squad. Don't burn down the city if you all win. I don't see what's so special bout memphis dun. SON, I don 't understand been there help me out. King died here, beale street, ribs and blues which I can care less about.


Maybe I been in NY to long. Maybe I'm mad one sided.

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

jeff - not your fault u a fuck boy, what i should dis u cause malcom X was killed by brothers in NYC? reason u a fuck boy number 1. Two: You just a hater. ill send my address if u the truth and want some folk

Moody - Memphis I hope we win

Babz - good look, albeit we beat UCONN this year by 17 in NYC

Doug - it will be alright LOL

VE - i was hoping u would have said bruce lee

Bookfraud - get one of my books home boy and do me justice MEMPHIS all the way


Exquisitely Black - u know i am outside the box, i mean go figure, my daughter's mom has bipolar and calls me crazy LOL

Sub - too many brain cells, good look, and u make an exceptional point.


Don - very good, shoot me an email got something to tell u on the low

Bernice - still a baby compared to MCCAIN


buelahman - its cool, i know u respect and have nothing but love for me as i do u


Miss - i agree completely and hanks for the drive by and do return pls

Dancewater - i respect that

anon - aint it though

Anonymous said...

I think the ship sinks with Powell. As others have said, despite his change of heart, I don't think people are ready to absolve him of his role in taking us into war.

His personal combat credentials are honorable, but he's just too close to the Iraq fiasco. The media would shred the Obama campaign to bits if he chose Powell.

Edwards? Hmmm. I'm guessing that his not having endorsed anybody by now means that he's still perhaps trying to keep his VP options open? Given the extent to which it may have really helped Obama for him to have done that a while back, I, personally, don't like him. But it's not about what I like...

So, I'm not quite sure, but it's a damned good question. Dunno.

Ed & Jeanne said...

I definitely would have picked Bruce Lee if he were alive. Every one knows he put Chuck down!

Anonymous said...

I forgot to mention--all the years of "experience" of our collective Washington posse? What the hell has it gotten us--really? I think "experience" has been part of the problem with why nothing productive and worthwhile *seems* to get done in Washington.

After having given it a little more thought, I do like the thought of Nader--I like his views on some things much more than those of other folks, and I think his background as an Arab-American might be helpful? Or, it might just freak everybody the hell out as I'm sure there would be all kinds of assumptions, stereotyping and fear-mongering going on...

Unknown said...

you think they are really ready for 2 black men in the white house?
I mean I agree he would be a great running mate especially with the Clintons always barking about experience and all...

Jaded said...

I can see where the resentment for Powell comes from in the comments, but I really think the man was lied to. The anger he seemed to have when he came to the realization that nothing was as he thought it was made me think that he had to use every ounce of self control not to freak out on the administration. I'm not saying he's 100% without blame, but I don't hold him accountable in the same way I hold Bush accountable. I really like Powell. I don't think he knew just how much of his soul he'd be expected to sell once he got a job in politics. Ok, technically it was a job in the government, but, it's all about politics.

I don't know who the dream running mate should be. Edwards says he won't do it, even though I like him. Maybe Joe Lieberman? It might be interesting to watch the righ wing conspiracy theorists freaking out because a black man and a jewish man are trying to run the country. It would never occur to them that these men are just Americans who want to do right by the people.

Christopher said...

Colin Powell? Colin Powell?

Puhleeze. This chump ass fool has been carrying water for "whitey" for 40 years. Plus, he lied to the Congress about the My Lai massacre.

I can't stand him.

My man Barack can do much better than asking Powell to be his veep.

Anonymous said...

Jaded--I totally agree with you about Powell, but I think the problem is that too many of us can't think ourselves out of a cardboard box, so dissociating Powell from the Bush Administration is asking way too much. Kind of the same way people have super-glued Obama to Wright for the rest of eternity no matter what Obama says or does, wright, wrong, or anywhere in between (sorry, couldn't resist).

I thought Lieberman already endorsed McCain?

Miriam said...

Hmmmm.... Chuck Norris?


lol too funny!

PrettyBlack said...

I agree with that. White folks love him, and Black folks respect him. I came to respect him more after he left the Bush house of madness...So yeah I definitely could see it.

Tabu said...

You always come by my blog and spread a little cheer, I wanted to try and do the same for you.

Have a good weekend.

Unknown said...

uh... that is an interesting concept. I can't say I've thought about that one.

Curious said...

T, Dollar Bill Bradley? I'm from New Jersey where he was senator and even I've forgotten about him, so why would you think people in New York think about him, because he played ball 30 years ago for them?

And a choice of Obama and Powell would be just as crazy as McCain and Rice. Neither one would bring anything new or vibrant to either tickets. They both represent policies of Bush Junior making them attractive to no one.

No my friend, I cant think of anyone right now but Obama needs someone who is going to bring in Florida, Ohio or Texas for him because it's all about the electoral college and what states you can win.

A thought, maybe if Richardson could help him win the vote in Texas, then they might as well order the u-haul vans now and start heading for the White House cause that would be a shoe in.

KELSO'S NUTS said...

T:

Congratulations on beating UCLA. Sorry about losing to KU. I was rooting for you in that one.

Powell is a non-starter for me. I can say 4 good things about him and about 1000 terrible ones.

GOOD
1) He is as you describe him: bright, well-educated and capable.

2) He is scholarly and was once courageous enough to give a speech on criminal and racial injustice before the 2000 Republican National Convention that would be considered a powerful one at a conference of criminal defense attorneys

3) He already shot his jizz killing about 30,000 folk down here for no damned good reason but Pappy Bush wanted a bigger piece of Noriega's yeyo business. So, perhaps as Obama's VP, he'd keep clear of Northern South America with the "been-there-done-that "argument"
4) His reflexive chain-of-command philosophy runs so deep in him that he'd reflect the views of the more compassionate Barack Obama than his own

BAD
1) Lied the US into a war
2) Operation "Just Cause" -- they've left the neighborhood is it was...it's a mindfuck
3) My-Lai. Lt. Calley's "Winston Wolf"
4) "the Powell Doctrine"
5) Powell v Noriega: If I'm stuck with a military strongman in charge, I'd take Manuel Noriega in a flash...Both are completely indifferent to human suffering, but Noriega was about Noriega not about "serving" a President or "serving" an Officer with more medallions or "serving" a Military, thus Noriega knew where to draw the line. You didn't fuck with him, he didn't fuck with you. Powell has no concept of a line. His "line" is wherever someone above him tell him it is.

For all of Powell's speech on the need for criminal justice reform, Powell's stated positions on the subject mirror Bush's exactly. Noriega was never that mean!

6.....) the remaining 100000s you'll find mouldering into dust around the world and in Arlington

In sum, Colin Powell throughout his career has been more of a Nazi than Goebbels, Goering, Himmler, Schleicher, and all those guys ever were. Powell is blessed with great intellectual gifts and possibilty of personal (not military) bravery and has never shown it. Following orders has been his pole star. The the Nazi Party men above there wasn't ONE with either Powell's intellectual gifts or personal good sense which makes Powell far more destestable.

In some ways, I think my positive point #4 about him may have the best valence. If you are right,and Powell would add to Obama's electoral strength, he's be a perfect VP because all Obama would have to do his show Powell the Obama playbook, and Powell would salute smartly and charge up the progressive hill BEHIND Obama.

Obama's a very good poltician whose heart is in the right place and is learning as he goes. Obama is a guy I'd trust as US president and it's taken me along time to get to that point. All Obama would need to is to tell Powell to forget everything Cheney told him and give Powell the new rule book with the instructions to be as big a bastard in helping me achieve my ends as you were for Cheney.

On the other hand, as VP under Obama, Powell might go for a coup to overthrow Obama if someone way up, like a George Bush, Sr., were to convince him that Obama was somehow "ruining the miiitary." It would be a bloodless coup, of course, some bullshit impeachment of Obama over nothing, the deatils of which Powell would provide.

If it were me as Obama, I'd take Tim Kaine as VP, make Hamilton or Nunn NSA and be done with it.

Kelso's Nuts is dormant for the time being. Doing my blogging over the Hellions at

http://thedisbrimstone-dailypitchfork.blogspot.com/

Depending on how much traffic I bring them, I may or may not start cross posting.

I'll be in touch.

KELSO'S NUTS said...

Oh, by the way, T:

Let me congratulate you on not only your eclectic range of posts and no-holds-barred style but also for assembling a huge following every single one of them is thoughtful, respectful, and wise in the sense of separating rhetorical effect from personal effrontery and all of whom like you write from the heart without fear or favor.

Dale, mi hermano

Anonymous said...

Great! Just give some bigot two targets to go after instead of one! J/K but seriously Colin would have went for the presidency but his wife had serious reservations of him being the first black president so she talked him out of it.