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Colin Powell Hammers GOP: Their 26% favorability rating ought to be telling them something
Colin Powell brought reality down on the Republican Party in an appearance on ABC News special inauguration day coverage with Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos this morning, saying, “26 percent favorability rating for the party right now. It ought to be telling them something.”
Powell also criticized the Republican Party’s crutch of changing their messaging instead of adapting their policies. “The Republican Party ought to be out there not restricting voting by voter ID, but saying we want everybody to vote. It’s a party that has to stop saying, ‘We are going to appeal to you with new messages.’ You need policies — the country is becoming more minority.”
Watch here via ABC:
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Powell said Republicans have hurt themselves by not calling out the lies of birthers, “Republicans have to stop buying into things that demonize the president. I mean, why aren’t Republican leaders shouting out about all this birther nonsense and all these other things? They should speak out. This is the kind of intolerance that I’ve been talking about where these idiot presentations continue to be made and you don’t see the senior leadership of the party say, ‘No, that’s wrong.’ In fact, sometimes by not speaking out, they’re encouraging it. And the base keeps buying the stuff.
“And it’s killing the base of the party. I mean, 26 percent favorability rating for the party right now. It ought to be telling them something. So, instead of attacking me or whoever speaks like I do, look in the mirror and realize, ‘How are we going to win the next election?’”
Right now, Republicans think they’re going to win the next election by cheating and by better messaging. They are going to stop insulting immigrants and stop using the word rape. They have no plans to change their actual policies that restrict freedom for women and treat immigrants like criminals.
Powell endorsed Obama for both of his presidential runs, but is still a (hopeful) Republican. He’s doing the tough job of trying to kick the party back into sanity and national viability. In case you’re not sure if he’s still a Republican, he did blame Obama for not reaching out to Congress enough, when the facts are that Republicans held a secret meeting four years ago on Obama’s first inauguration, plotting to derail the President at every turn. They’ve carried that agenda out, to the nation’s detriment.
It is not the President’s job to force Republicans to grow up and do their jobs. If Powell really wants the party to change, he’s going to have to go all of the way and hold them accountable for their actions. They chose to be obstructionists. Blaming the President for that is simply enabling Republicans’ childish behavior.
The Republican Party won’t change until they address their policies. They can’t forge forward on a meaningful path until they face their failures and admit that their policies are out of step with the public. If they can’t win by stoking resentments, they’ll have to come up with a real platform. If they come up with a real platform of fiscal responsibility, they will have to admit that they’ve been ballooning the deficit every time they are in power. They’ll have to admit that revenue is necessary. This requires that they turn their backs on the Koch brothers and other huge donors who are driving them off the crazy cliff.
If Republicans are going to get serious about what they stand for, they need to stop wasting money on showboating. “The Bipartisan Policy Center has calculated that last year’s debt ceiling fight will ultimately cost taxpayers $18.9 billion over 10 years, due to elevated interest rates between January and August 2011. “This is what they wasted last year,” said Steve Bell of the center, and a former GOP Senate aide.”
The party of fiscal responsibility would not have wasted 18.9 billion dollars refusing to do their constitutionally mandated job of raising the debt ceiling, and President Obama would be an irresponsible president were he to attempt to meet those folks in the middle of crazy. No, it’s not the President who needs to move to the middle; it’s the GOP who needs to move to reality and responsibility.
The party that drove up the debt and brought our credit rating down for no reason other than to cater to the extremist Tea Party caucus is the party of birthers, legitimate rapers and self-deporters. That party is not a national party in any real sense, and while they hardly deserve to be one, the country functions best with at least two viable parties.
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22 Responses to Colin Powell Hammers GOP: Their 26% favorability rating ought to be telling them something
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Reynardine
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 3:09 pm
As long ago as ’96, Powell said he would not run for President because the whackwing of his own party would paint him as Willir Horton. Well, guess what? The whackwing now *is* the party, and it won’t change. Those Republicans yearning for the party of Eisenhower to return are just going to have to start a new one.
Sugapea
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Brilliant piece, Sarah!
Hope they are reading what you wrote.
RMuse
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 3:42 pm
The GOP will never come to grips with their dysfunction or demise because they are true believers and ideologically incapable of seeing their irrelevance. That is what makes them, and their rabid supporters, so dangerous. Wild beasts are most likely to lash out at anything when they’re dying and injured, and with their well-stocked armories, it is just a matter of time before they start shooting.
Shiva(Moderator)
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 6:40 pm
“Right now, Republicans think they’re going to win the next election by cheating and by better messaging. They are going to stop insulting immigrants and stop using the word rape. They have no plans to change their actual policies that restrict freedom for women and treat immigrants like criminals.”
that is the key thing that we have to be onto all through the next 4 years. These idiots are balancing the religious dickwads that are trying to run the party, the tea thugs and the real republicans that are fleeing the party.
And they are failing because while they might have learned the lesson, they are not allowed to show it
Powell should defect.
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 8:33 am
Minorities, including Hispanics, identify with the Democratic Party’s vision and every aspect of the Democratic Party. The Repubs will not attract them.
Sidnee
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 6:57 pm
I don’t think Powell has to become a Democrat–nor does he want to. I believe he thinks that people within the GOP can change the direction of the party. Saner heads need to prevail within the GOP in order to make the party viable in the 21st century. The moderates, the RINOs the wackadoodle base love to call them–they are the ones who will have to wrest control of the heart and soul of the party away from the crazy base who are holding everyone in the party hostage. The GOP leadership made a huge mistake in aligning with the Tea Party in 2010 because they thought it was an easy way to get power back. The Tea Party was not going to be pushed aside by the establishment. Now the crazies are running the asylum–and it cost the GOP not just the presidency, but a lot of Congressional races as well. The base can snipe and whine and make fun of Powell, but he will be the one with the “I told you so” when what he says comes to pass if the GOP don’t head his warnings.
Bob Scott
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 7:15 pm
Thank you Colin Powell. Finally, someone with stature speaks out about the sad state of affairs in the Republican Party. Between what I call the possum Republicans and the teabagger/republicans, I do not recognize the Republican Party I grew up in and devoted 40 years of my life to build in Arkansas. I registered as a Republican in 1952, voting damn near a straight Republican ticket through 2000, split my ticket in 2004, voting for Senator John Kerry, and was so disillusioned by 2006, voted my first ever straight Democratic ticket and have continued that aberration since and will continue until there is some degree of sanity returning to MY PARTY’s leadership. Sadly, I watched the Southern Democratic Party, predominately a racist party, convert to the Republican Party, also now predominately a racist party by Lee Atwater and Karl Rove through the Southern strategy, following the passage of the voting act by President Johnson in collaboration with the sane Republican Party of the 1960s
majii
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 11:02 pm
Bob,
You need to become a speaker and travel the country to educate today’s republicans on what type of party the GOP should be. I’ve noticed that many of today’s republicans believe a greatly revised version of the history of the GOP–a version that has no relation to history, or facts. The GOP has become so extreme that republican politicians like Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Ford, Nixon, and even Reagan wouldn’t stand a chance of winning a GOP primary today.
laingirl
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 9:45 pm
When you have a Republican congressman advocating outlawing abortion, then finding out his ex-wife had two when they were married, with his agreement, and when you have another congressman, who was the Republican candidate for VP, co-sponsoring a Personhood bill, there is no hope for Republicans appealing to anyone other than the most fundamentalist of people and pure wingnuts. Since Petraus blew his wad, General Powell has the most appeal of any Republican; he has no interest in running, and wouldn’t be elected by today’s Republican party if he did. Today’s so-called conservative party is not conservative with respect to taxpayer money, human life (unless it’s a fetus), or the earth’s riches. They are a pox on our country, which I pray runs it course very soon.
eddieVroom
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Of course, the conservatrons will just reclassify Powell as a RINO. And the crazy train keeps rollin’.
Sam
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 8:37 am
LOL…. Exactly. The best comment.
Rudy Gonzales
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 10:18 pm
I didn’t think the TEA-type run Republican party has a 26% favorability rating? I was under the impression it was lower. That means we are going to have to work harder because we know the TEA party fringe will be out in force in those regions where they have already gained office. TEA-types have said they were going after the Republican party itself. These TEA-types and other fringe movements have taken to run under the (R) even though they are more probable to be TEA(T), Evangelical(E), Birthers(B), Libertarian(L) or other fringe sect. The 2014 mid-term election is a-coming! Get ready to get out the vote. The TEA-types are out in force in certain regions. It’s going to take work – Now, Let’s get to work – Time’s a wasting! The 2014 mid-term election is a-coming!
Isidro Garcia
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 10:22 pm
As a FORMER Republican, I applauld Mr.Powell’s attempts to reform the party. Alas it is all in vain as the GOP has surrendered to the most extremist elements in the party and will only move further and further into lunacy. As far as Mr. Powell is concerned, I still haven’t forgotten his part in the lies of WMD’s that dragged this country into a useless and illegal war.
Shiva(Moderator)
Jan. 21st, 2013 at 10:42 pm
There a re a few books you can read on the subject. The 1% Doctrine is a nice one, and helps explain how he was took to the cleaners
TigerLily
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 1:04 am
GOP agenda: Destroy jobs. CHK! Destroy ANY AND ALL jobs and especially infrastructure jobs bills. CHK! Blame Pres Obama as you destroy anyone’s hope of getting a job. CHK! Make people stand in lines for hours –including your own constituency as you deny those pesky poor whites –but mostly non whites– their right to vote. CHK! Deny ALL WOMEN their basic right to choose..ANYTHNG after we’ve had these rights all these years! Since the GOP thinks women can’t think for themselves and need them to do it. While they strippded jobs and shipped them out..the SS started going broke. Now the very destruction they created they are using to make Obama cut SS for so many new seniors coming into retirement. THIS ONE YOU WON’T GET AWAY WITH. Like President Obama said..with or without you CONGRESS we will not touch SS Medicare or Medicain. fdI’M GONNA CREATE JOBS! You watch. The jobs will be created. MORE PEOPLE WILL PAY INTO SS. YOUR MAIN GOAL BEING THWARTED! The SS will build again. Then what GOP? What freak story lie will you tell your seniors then? What will you deny the people again to make Pres Obama look bad? You’r running out of things. BUT 2014 is coming. After that you are history. THE WHOLE GOP SHOULD BE BEYOND ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR DENYING AMERICANS JOBS, HOPE, DREAMS, PROSPERITY while they take it all for themselves and their KOCH bros and the rich. DISGUSTING PARTY AND FOLLOWERS. And definitely NOT AMERICAN!
diane
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 7:07 am
Powell should not be worried about the next election.
If his party is so bad, why would they want him elected?
He should be worried that his party has been co opted by the fringe fundamentalists. Why would he want them in power?
Doesn’t he understand that the American people see very clearly what the republican party stands for???
Sam
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 8:42 am
”’Doesn’t he understand that the American people see very clearly what the republican party stands for???”’
This is why minorities want no part of the Repub party. They know what the Repubs stands for.
dontpanik
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 8:12 am
I am a registered independent and have been since I first registered to vote. I have voted for both parties, but won’t go near the republican ticket in any race here in Florida. My questions for the Republicans who have jumped ship…wouldn’t it be better to hang in there with your party and vote in the primaries (the real vote that can oust the fringe members)? If all the moderates leave the party, the only people left will be the whack jobs who will try to out crazy each other during primaries leaving no hope for congress. Many people (on both sides of the aisle) vote straight party ticket without researching beforehand. If they see an (R) next to a candidates name, they will vote for them even if the candidates policies are more right wing crazy and are not a true republican. Maybe we should ALL go register as republican, vote in the primaries to get the party back on track and vote the way we choose in the general election…..hmmmm.
lm945
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 2:20 pm
The GOP are like the stalker ex-boyfriend.
The majority of Americans have made it clear we don’t want them, but they refuse to take “no” for an answer.
They’d rather destroy this country than see us happy with someone else.
djchefron(Moderator)
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 2:56 pm
The gop are not trying to destroy the country.They are here to save it.From this man…
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fedded-up
Jan. 22nd, 2013 at 5:11 pm
To my mind, a very large part of the problem is FOX news and the plethora of RWNJ radio commentators and their extremist relentless propaganda machine drilling this message of ugliness and hate into the public airwaves 24/7/365. I truly believe the only way we’re gonna be able to reclaim our country to the land of sanity is to reinstate some version of the Fairness Doctrine, and force them to stop this. There was a very good reason it was created – to prevent moneyed interests (also heavily conservative, naturally) from shutting out all others. Gee, guess what we have now? There are millions of people in this country who listen to nothing but this sewage every day. They live within a closed system where nothing gets else gets in. They are progressively brainwashed – and it is becoming worse every year.
Eddie Powell
Jan. 23rd, 2013 at 8:02 am
One must realize that the current republican party is a logical reflection of what it was all the time. The closet KKK racists are out of the closet. I remember the KKK leader (David Duke) stating about 20 years ago that their Klan would be wearing 3 piece suits. They would be in the halls of congress with power and sitting at the heads of powerful companies and corporations. These southern racists still will speak of understanding what the nation want but their sole plan is to bring back the power of the white man. White power is their sole ideology. History is trying to repeat under the guise of Teabaggers since KKK strikes disgust in most heart and minds. “We the people” are the only ones that can strike them down as they were during the Civil Rights movement. “We the people” has to realize that their ideology has nothing to do with a better nation for all. The Ted Nugents, Sarah Palin and the like of this nation are growing. An ideology that goes back to the early beginnings of this nation. An ideology that gave rise to the confederacy states. What we see now with the cream removed from the top of the republican party are these true racists that truly want what many have died for to prevent. Continue on Colin Powell but please watch your back because these crazies are very dangerous in mid and body….