On Sunday’s Face the Nation, Colin Powell went on the defensive. Apparently Mr. Powell doesn’t like the fact that Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh have called him out on essentially throwing the Republican party under the bus.
In addition to voting for Obama, Powell freely admits to voting for Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter. Stating that he believes in voting for the best person for the job, not party affiliation. Powell did note he voted for Reagan, Bush 41 and 43. I guess between 1980-1992 and 1999-2004 were Powell’s so called true Republican years. He was a staunch Republican during the years which benefited his career the most. One can ponder whether he ever was truly a Republican at heart, or if he played one to advance his own career.
Powell obnubilated the reasons why Republicans have lost power with nonsensical rhetoric about not reaching out to others, not realizing Americans want bigger government and higher taxes. As if he’s taking talking points straight out of the James Carville playbook.
You just don’t get it Mr. Powell. A little over two years ago, Republicans dominated with power. Republicans didn’t lose because Americans suddenly realized Republicans were too exclusionary and insanely obsessed with abortion, guns, and gay people. Republicans lost because they weren’t Republican enough. They weren’t sticking to their core values. Those core values attracted the Blue Dog Democrats and Independents who voted for Reagan.
The Republican Party has taken the carrot from Democratic Party’s stick and it has cost them. Not only is it helping to define the Republican Party negatively, it has caused tremendous amount of in-fighting amongst Republicans.
Becoming more like Democrats is not the solution to winning back power. Using minor issues as a litmus test for defining a true Republican is myopic and destructive. The real litmus test for Republicans should be whether one believes in the core values of a fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and smaller government. It’s like getting into an argument what constitutes a true Christian. Either you believe in Christ as your savior or not. Believing the government is your savior or not, should determine party affiliation.
Republicans need to come clean with the American public on losing sight of being the party that defends the American wallets from a bloated government. The Republican Party needs to win back trust by admitting mistakes and learning from them. To quote from Bill Murray in the movie Stripes, the Republicans need to become a lean, mean (big government) fighting machine.
Powell needs to leave the party before he loses his last shred of credibility and tarnishes his historical legacy. Powell should realize beating up on the Republican Party will eventually raise questions about his own contribution to controversial mistakes made as Secretary of State.
