The Myth Of Colin Powell's 'Obama's One Of Us' Vote

To hear Rush Limbaugh tell it, it sounds like a scary story shared around the fire when he's at sleep away camp in the "pro-America" parts of the country: Colin Powell, the once Trustable Brother? He's possessed! He's voting for Barack Obama!

Why?

Why? Because they're both black...ish. They've got that light-dark-skinned soul brother thing going on. It's the only, ONLY reason Powell is voting for Obama!

Though Limbaugh is an admitted satirist and I'm sure is just making ironic comment on Powell's eloquent, heartfelt, cogently explained reasons for supporting Obama.

By reducing those reasons to race. (Though, no, Powell hasn't endorsed any, as Limbaugh puts it, "inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates." He's just supported an inexperienced, very conservative, white candidate for years.)

Unfortunately, there might be a few people on the far, far right who don't get satire -- the folks who did the 1/2 Hour News Hour, for example -- who might actually buy into the nonsense that blacks are giving Obama "he's one of us" votes. That, in turn, forces me to take time from my busy schedule to prove the right wrong.

Limbaugh, and Pat Buchanan, too (whom I work with at MSNBC and who I will say is decent even when he's way wrong, so I will cut a little slack), make their "he's one of us" vote claim regarding Powell in particular (blacks in general) in spite of the fact that a person of color has run for the White House in every presidential election over the last 24 years: Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988. Gov. Douglas Wilder of Virginia in 1992. Former ambassador and conservative activist Alan Keyes of Maryland in 1996 and 2000. Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois and the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York in 2004.

Plenty of opportunities for Powell and other blacks to willy-nilly support a brother (or a sister).

Conservatives may argue that, well, none of those candidates was even worth Powell's attention. But if Powell is -- if blacks are -- just going to vote for a "darkie," then won't any "darkie" do?

None carried the black vote to any significance. Certainly not Keyes. Not Wilder and Braun, arguably the most qualified candidates at that time. Jackson had some strong showings, but could not come close to closing the deal.

And what about Sharpton? Shouldn't he be the closest comparison to Obama in terms of blacks just "giving him" their votes? Sharpton, too, gives a good speech and he ran most recently.

In 2004, in the District of Columbia primary, Sharpton came in second to Howard Dean. D.C. at the time was 70 percent minority. Sixty percent black. Yet the minorities and the blacks "gave" their votes to Dean. In South Carolina, only one in five blacks voted for Sharpton.

Clearly -- more important, factually -- most blacks don't vote for blacks just because they are black.
This should have been evident in the early stages of Obama's campaign, when Sen. Hillary Clinton initially out-polled Obama among blacks, to the surprise of everyone except people of color, who knew going in we weren't a monolithic voting bloc. Should've been evident when blacks and liberals had to ask the inane question: "Is Obama enough?" Even Michelle Obama was reduced to saying that one day black America would "wake up and get it" with regard to voting for her husband based on race.

Beyond the merit of that, or of any of those positions, it does not appear as though black America is handing Obama a "he's one of us" vote.

Rather, the majority of black Americans are giving their votes to the man who, as Powell said, has passed the tests of leadership, particularly over these last seven weeks.

I think the confusion is with the conservatives. Simply because they have a "he's NOT one of us" vote that is applied with a very narrow litmus test -- macaca, uppity, people from non-pro parts of America -- it does not hold true those with a more progressive nature have or use the opposite.

For more insight, visit That Minority Thing.

Comments

[pbr90]

Very disappointed in Colin Powell's low blow at Palin, and unqualified endorsement of Obama as illegitimate and narrow thinking.

The only conclusion one may draw is that race must have been a factor, and this from a man who probably could have won the Presidency several years ago when asked - without having to rely upon race to win votes.

Of all of the Presidents America has been stuck with in the past, it may have reached a new low in the Obama carriage coutre of 2008, and must be paved with someone else's gold for America has no more to give.

Whoever screwed up America this time did a first class job; bringing in an outside manager like Obama sounds logical since we obviously can't do it for ourselves. But who is doing it for us - is the real question - who's behind this hyper red carpet we call home this time?

[papapj]

You conclude that 'race must have been a factor' is WRONG. One can only coclude from your erroneous utterances that you did not read the above article, and instead chose this forum as a vehicle for your erroneous preconceived notions....

Your 'outside manager' comment is revealing. Who is this 'us' that you speak of?

READ THE ARTICLE!

[QUANTUM101]

Well it seems the winds of change have already occurred and no one knew how much. It is obvious that the Civil Rights leaders of our past no longer represent us. This dynamic has occurred in every fabric of America, even the more conservatives have left party to become citizens. The conservative talk people have been given the same eviction notices that the liberals have given the old guard. They are siding with the rest of us and taking back their country. We have learned a hard lesson, only we the people can save our country from extremism be that liberal or conservative. I suspect that the conservative talk show people are like the old factory worker, who won’t retire, or retrain anyone on what he does but he just stays on, stay the course…sounds familiar? He is in the end a relic of old, impotent, and refusing to see that the winds have changed. He should retire out gracefully but they will probably not go "gentle unto that good night". Pat Buchanan and Limbaugh should know that our country has changed and that their rhetoric and divisiveness no longer resonates with the greater populations as it once did. Leave the stage with grace, it really is the mark a good person and it shows statesman like maturity.

[QUANTUM101]

Oh yeah, I am the first person that I know of who predicts that Obama will win by a land slide!
(criteria of a land slide: The Media will call it that...)

[VSamuels]

Affirmative Action is reduced to its characterization of being a program of 'unqualifieds.' Here Rush and Pat's tact is to remove attention from what drives the 'Affirmative Action' response; and drive a wedge using poorer whites to become agitated that non-whites are taking something from them, when in fact it is the rich whites who are the ones keeping everyone bogged down in financial worry as they have unfettered access to things unique to them, not as white souls, but as rich souls.

This is not satire, it is class warfare which continues to use the poor white to see non-whites achievement as the reason for their failure in American society. it is what makes, the knee-jerks here characterize any non-white's success as Affirmative Action, because it is how the dialogue from the Republican Party has evolved in America, to ensure their hands are securely tighten on the reins of political and economic power.

Time will determine if Obama can advance the case that it is class warfare which undermines us as an American society, not race. Race then is the fuel used by the rich to drive their message and keep the poor divided and fighting each other when they should be natural allies in pushing for better wages, education and healthcare.

[VSamuels]

The chief and fundamental issue I find disturbing about your POV Ridley, is your hesitancy to confront the false premise of the Limbaughs and Buchanans with historical fact. These two men exist in an environment where past is prologue; they merely continue to promote 'racial notions' destroyed by the truth, simply because they lack personal honesty. We, understand that 'race' in itself is a bogus concept and we know that skin color is not a 'true' predictor of one's biological make-up; but it is a shelter for those two, who find comfort in stoking the flame that people in America, are either 'black' or 'white.' Like, those critics who claim Jesse and Al want to keep 'racism' going so they have jobs, so are Rush and Pat desirous of keeping a cut-and-dry racial framework in place, so that they can advance their ideological poison.

Both sets of men, choose to avoid the scientific and cultural blending that paints an unique story on race in America, one where millions of white skinned Americans share African DNA, and where millions of dark skinned Americans like Obama have European ancestry. But, the race questions remains stagnant simply because those like yourself choose to answer their nonsense at face value than provide background.

Limbaugh and Buchanan don't want to deal with 'passing' no more than Jesse or Al do, for it leads to the emptiness of their arguments; which keeps racial fury inflamed.

[sonshine]

Jon Stewart just asked Christopher Buckley of national review and conservatism fame, if he endorsed Barack Obama because he's Black.

I wonder if Rush Limbaugh and Pat Buchanan know that their former cohort who is white, votes for people based on race?

[VoteDem2008]

Great stuff John...as far as I'm concerned they just can't believe they are losing to a black man
and that's why they don't know what strategy to use...Americans aren't accepting the attack politics of
the past Republicans are at a loss for what to do against an opponent that takes the high road every time they try and stick it to Obama.

[STParker]

African Americans do not vote simply based on race.

The evidence is the many black Republicans who've gone down in spectacular fashion.

[harobamason]

Oh please leave Colin Powell alone.

How come no one is talking about Libermann's support and endorsement for Mc Cain?

The only way he has explained himself is by attacking O bama. And not very tactfully either.

Not one complimentary or honorable word for the Sen. from Illinois.

Powell is his own man whereas Liibermann's become another Republican puppet.

[harobamason]

hey john,

You forgot to mention Rep. Shirley Chissom

[sonshine]

Went to law school with her nephew so I had to do this: its Chisholm.

[NTO08]

The Mayor of London drinks the Kool Aid, and comes up looking like a fool:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2008/10/21/boris_johnsons_silly_endorsement_of_barack_obama

[Mom4Choice]

The fact that this discussion is even taking place saddens me. I am a white woman in my mid-forties, and I live in Alabama. I've read both of Obama's books and have followed his career since his speech at the 2004 DNC. I was convinced early on that he'd one day be president (although I figured he'd wait until 2012), and I knew his wisdom and strength of character would ultimately transcend his race.

The night Obama gave his acceptance speech at the DNC, I let my kids stay up late to watch it, and explained to them why his nomination was historic. But they had a hard time understanding why it took so long for a black man to get this far. You see, they have friends who are black, white, Hispanic and Asian. And they've never once considered any of them as "different," except that one's skin might be a little darker or lighter than another's. So naturally, they were quite upset to learn that one of their friends might be treated differently because he/she isn't white. My daughter asked, "Why? I'm not any better than them."

Let's all do ourselves and each other a favor, and stop questioning people's motives behind the choices they make in this election. I don't assume that every white voter for McCain supports him because he's white; so why make broad assumptions about why black voters choose to support Obama? Let's be fair here.

[sonshine]

I feel your concern and I was sick to my stomach when all of this started. Since then I've talked myself down by looking at historical transformations in America and other nations. These things take time and that this national conversation is a stepping stone to minimizing the issue of race in our great nation (last part said like SP ha ha)

[Heidfeld]

You are on the right track... but why dont you take a minute to stop and really think about it. Your kids, like all kids, don't see any racial differences because that is normal/natural. Everyone more or less starts off that way.

Then what? Well then you have people (yourself in this case) talking about Obama's nomination being historic. And THIS is what first plants the idea in their head that black people (or any race) are somehow different to others. Then, everytime BO or MO goes on tv and talks about race/complains about race, this is further ingrained. Throw in your usual tv reactionaries (Al Sharpton...) and your occasional government program and there it is... your kids (like all kids) are actually tought that there is a difference between races.

Sure, they are being told that there is not... but in the process, they are subconsiously dividing them into different groups in their heads. They may truly believe that blacks, whites, asians, latinos, scandinavians... are all the same, but it doesn't matter. Cause now they seem them in those groups, and not just as people.

The whole discussion around this election is a joke. Nobody is born racist, it has to be taught to you... and our society just keeps on teaching. The minute we shut up completely about race. The minute that people stop complaining AND praising (hello Obama) along racial lines, is the minute we actually move toward a society free of racial differences.

[bodo]

America has still not emerged to the point where the color of your skin makes no difference. There is no point denying that because we all know it is so. It has more to do with American history than with present-day conditions. The only country on Earth where skin color is really meaningless is Brazil. People of all races freely intermarry, and mixed families such as Obama's are not an exception but the rule. The very fact that this article was written is proof that we have a long way to go yet. Perhaps Barrack Obama will make it possible some day, but we all heard what Jesse Jackson Senior said.

[nagor76]

Confusing post. It's not racist for AA voters to want one of their own. It's not assumed that all AA voters who will vote for Barack will do it for that reason. In fact the only way to know is to ask; it's an individual decision. It's also not racist to not vote for Barack. Even his running mate has expressed doubts recently at a fundraiser. And as for Colin Powell. He has managed to lose his friends on both sides of the aisle. Barack is his port of last resort.

[Savojah]

I love your argument. There is a setiment in the black community that says that "why vote for him, he won't win anyways" statements that has hurt black candidates in the past. And as a black man, I would never want a candidate running as a race candidate, even if he was for black folks, because as the President, you're running for all americans, not just one bloc and I would have trouble voting for a candidate like that for blacks, or any other certain groups of americans. Obama and Colin Powell are like alot of black americans that no one speaks about. Intelligent americans that make thoughful decisions on who they're voting for, not because he's black. And these people minimize our intelligence, and that was a direct low blow Limbaugh said about Powell, saying that he doesn't have the intelligence to make a decision that is not based on race, when he made the best argument I ever heard to vote for Obama. Desperation is sad, and I definitely see it with the right, and it's kinda sad. They need to just realize this is a race that you're destined to lose, and throwing divisive setiments are just hurting the country.