Former Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday, primarily to speak up in support of former Sen. Chuck Hagel's (R) nomination to be Secretary of Defense. And sure enough, the former general presented a spirited defense of Hagel.
But towards the end of the interview, David Gregory asked Powell about his party affiliation, and if you missed it, the response is worth watching.
The host noted that Powell sometimes refers to Republicans as "they," and asked, "[O]n what basis are you still a Republican? Do you feel like this Republican Party has left you or have you left it?" Though Powell said he remains a Republican, he conceded, "I think the Republican Party right now is having an identity problem."
"[I]n recent years, there's been a significant shift to the right and we have seen what that shift has produced, two losing presidential campaigns. I think what the Republican Party needs to do now is take a very hard look at itself and understand that the country has changed. The country is changing demographically. And if the Republican Party does not change along with that demographic, they're going to be in trouble."
The lengthy, off-the-cuff answer suggested this is an issue Powell has thought about quite a bit. Whether his party cares about the critique, however, is far less clear.
Powell criticized the GOP on immigration policy and systemic voter-suppression tactics used in 2012 to "make it hard for these minorities to vote." He lamented Mitt Romney's "47 percent" rhetoric and the racially-charged attacks made against President Obama by Sarah Palin and John Sununu.
Powell specifically said there's "a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party," featuring GOP voices who "still sort of look down on minorities." As proof, he added, "The whole 'Birther' movement -- why do senior Republican leaders tolerate this kind of discussion within the party?"
The former Bush/Cheney cabinet member concluded:
"I think the Party has to take a look at itself. It has to take a look at its responsibilities for health care. It has to take a look at immigration. It has to take a look at those less fortunate than us. The party has gathered unto itself a reputation that it is the party of the rich. It is the party of lower taxes. But there are a lot of people who are lower down the food chain, the economic chain, who are also paying lots of taxes relative to their income and they need help. We need more education work being done in this country. We need a solid immigration policy. We have to look at climate change."
Powell, in other words, seems to want a Republican Party that bears no resemblance to today's Republican Party, and adopts an agenda that the vast majority of the party currently finds offensive. It was a roadmap for how the contemporary GOP can move back towards the American mainstream, but it's advice Powell's fellow Republicans appear to have no use for.
Indeed, for all the post-election reflection on what ails today's GOP, Republican officials appear convinced that they need to change ... nothing. Aside from the party's leadership suggesting they're slightly more open to comprehensive immigration reform than in the last Congress, today's GOP seems entirely convinced that nothing is wrong; advice from people like Powell is unnecessary; and with some slightly better rhetoric, everything will be fine.
As for why Powell remains a Republican, he never actually said what he likes about the party, talking only about what he doesn't like about the party.
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Note to Powell: No, the problem is not that Republicans keep losing elections. The problem is that they are corrupt, lying, immoral defenders of the most greedy people ever to inhabit the earth. The fact that you don't quite see that suggests that for all the reasonable talk, you simply lack a soul.
Did you listen to what he said, because your comment doesn't speak to his statement or the article?
Absolutely Amber, Powell isn't your a-typical republican these days. Dan, I don't think you listened or read the article/clip.
Everything he said would clearly indicate that he does in fact "have a soul". Take a deep breath, close the browser window that you currently have opened to MoveOn.org and really listen/read what he has to say.
Extreme, or knee-jerk reactions are unnecessary, regardless of which side is guilty of them. Everyone on this board would lambaste a Republican if they behaved similarly, and rightly so.
Way over the top, Dan.
I have an issue with what dan said above, since Powell's statement bears zero resemblance to his comment...
But I have just as big an issue with the people who voted for it. We're better than that.
No, Dan. General Powell is an officer and a gentleman. He is thoughtful, analytical, gracious, and civil.
I took it that Dan meant the repub "party" lacked a soul...not that Powell lacked one. Read the rest of his comment and this idea fits better.
Finally, it let me in to comment. I misread Dan's comment above but could not correct my comment so...nevermind. What you got against Powell, Dan? A man willing to apologize when he thinks he's wrong...a man willing to listen to opposition and you think he lacks a soul because he does not get as honest as you about members of his party. About as good as it's gonna get from a party member...but lacking a soul? Come on Dan... a hateful comment huh.
As with all voices of reason he will be vilified outright , be called a RINO or worse.
Even Mourning Joe said it . If they are calling me a RINO.....
I read through some of the comments about it on Mediaite this morning, and was appalled. What a cesspool of "the only real racism is calling out racism," affirmative action "jokes," and even Holocaust denying.
Them calling him a RINO doesn't begin to cover what they're doing. It's sick.
And the problem is people like Mr. Powell who continue to defend the Republican party despite the fact that it has gone past their own individual belief system.
But then, after Mr. Powell dissembled the 'intelligence' on Iraq that he knew was false, I lost pretty much all respect for him then.
no, on the show he said they believed the intel to be right it was the followup after the fall of Baghdad that was wrong. this is from a 2004 interview on NBC: "Powell continued: “At the time that I made the presentation, it reflected the collective judgment, the sound judgment of the intelligence community. But it turned out that the sourcing was inaccurate and wrong and, in some cases, deliberately misleading.” so he has drifted away from his "we were wrong" and back to "they mislead us" crap. i respect Powell more than Cheney but you can be the judge about how much Powell gets.
Bingo.
The day they decide to do something about immigration reform is the day before they declare open warfare on the federal minimum wage standard.
For a Powell, the alternative to being republican, i.e. - becoming a democrat, is unpalatable.
I think that Colonel Powell's position as a republican is what gives him the access to the media to call for change in the republican party. If he were just another democrat would anybody listen or care that he thinks the GOP is on the wrong track? As a republican he may be able to reach others who are disenchanted with the way their party is heading.
n starr: Problem is that he can't reach other Republicans. Can anyone name a single Republican currently in government who on the record supports Colin Powell?
That's General Powell.
Cheers.
There is a place in this world for people like Colin Powell who have watched in dismay as the Republican party has gone around the bend. It is called the Democratic party which has remainded relatively sane and centrist in a crazy political world.
Used to be once upon a time , if the Republicans got elected you could shrug your shoulders and say oh well , knowing while you disagreed with their policies , you could be assured that at least there would be responsible governance (see Nixon EPA, OSHA etc) . Now .... not so much . Just look what the Republican supermajorities are doing to the states in which they have control.
Like I said once upon a time.....
Yes....it is in the States that has become our challenge...There has been a quiet coup going on over the years that has surprised me and others at the voracity that these winger governments have trashed our rights at the state level....this is probably the product of a collection of think tanks who thought up this strategy...brilliant...and it needs to be stopped...now.
Once upon a time, that center-right ideal was called the Republican party. Today's Democrats are Reagan Republicans. If Reagan ran today, he'd never be elected as a Republican, he would be too far to the left.
I personally don't want the "moderate" Republicans to switch parties because the last thing the Democrats need is a bunch of folks who sit silently while extremists take over.
Ideologues and fanatics don't adjust to the real world around them. They revel in their martyrdom, insisting that the world is wrong while they possess the only Truth. Ideological extremism is a mode of psychological adjustment to fear and uncertainty. When people commit to an absolutist ideology, they seek certainty in an uncertain world, more certainty than a functioning adult has any right to expect. Once that commitment is made, once they take that leap of faith, they filter out what they don't want to see or hear, and use righteous indignation to convince themselves that their truth is the only Truth.
Ideologues and fanatics have taken over the right wing. Republicans courted them, and benefited from their zealotry for a while, but when you embrace madness, it gets you sooner or later. This is why we have Mourdoch and Akin, Joe Walsh, forced birth and anti-gay fanatics who simultaneoulsy say they're against big government, and a Speaker who can't control the cabal of wrathful maniacs he helped create. Eisenhower was a Republican. Today, he could be a speechwriter for Presiden Obama. Powell apparently still sees the possibility of returning to that form of Republicanism. I think he's a good man, so I hope he's not waiting for Godot.
Powell just needed to get all that out of his system yesterday
Let be real Both Parties on many fronts are not worth a damn.
Republicans have long used the "everybody does it" argument to justify any level of corruption and misdeeds. While neither party is close to perfect, if you can't see a gigantic chasm between the two parties, then you need to do a reality check.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I thing that Powell is going easy on the GOP, hoping that they get the message. However, I seriously doubt that they will.
What I'm really waiting for is for Powell to say what really happened in the lead up to his UN speech; how he was manipulated into presenting faked intelligence on WMDs and so on. He must be really p***** off, and has stories to tell.
He did speak about it in the MTP interview. He defended it, saying he believed the intelligence to be real.
Lets be real Both Parties on many fronts are not worth a damn.
So what is your solution then?
William: What a load!!! Obviously one party has shifted way right while the other one has shifted to the center. The Democrats are not nearly perfect, but to say what you say is exactly what the far right loves...
Powell, Huntsman and Joe Manchin are the way for the GOP...but will they realize it? We need a viable two party system...which is the way to progress. Currently we have one party and the shambles of a second party, Powell is so correct on so many issues.
We need a viable two party system...which is the way to progress....
Have you ever noticed your never hear that from a Republican?
It's sad, but we've got to find a way to affect positive change whether or not this party wants to participate.
We can't afford to stand by and wring our hands as the Republicans destroy our nation's ability to lead in effective global change.
Watch Republicans say that Powell's saying the things he's saying because black people stick together. And then they will subsequently say that they're not racist for saying that because they have black friends.
The very disturbing thing about Mr. Powell is how he must have been severely coerced into appearing before the Congress and the public, waving the bag of "anthrax". Even with all his intelligence, integrity, influence and political skill... I believe something without a shred of human decency was calling the shots that day.
And that 'something' has been making huge strides- in the wrong direction- ever since.
Since the tea party is really just the fascist John Birch Society with a different name, decent Republicans should just reform the old republican party under a different name if they need to. That way we have a least three parties until the green party or some other entity can reform with real progressives in it and leave the democrats to be the DINOS
"..they're going to be in trouble."
Hate to burst your bubble there Mr. Powell. The Democrats are "in trouble", the Republicans are toast. I'd have to say the ideologue pander-bots could learn a thing or two about whom actually butters their bread and on which side.
what some reasonable moderate type republicans say, and what the media repeats, is that if the republican party doesn't adjust to the changing demographics it's in trouble - the thing is, it shouldn't be about what happens to the party, it should be about what it's doing to this nation. It doesn't matter that the republican party isn't adjusting to the changing world for it to be harming us as a nation and since we are a global leader it's also harming the world. The right and it's hate for everything but especially science has us saying insane stuff that is slowing progress no matter how much the left and our scientists fight it. We have given up the dream that was nasa.. we are dealing with creationism in our textbooks, we are fighting for last centuries technologies to continue rather than leading on tomorrow's. Who cares about what happens to the party.. it's about what happens to us that matters.
And now you can 'cue the OUTRAGE'. Jennifer Rubin (cheerleader for the far right) saying on Chuck Todd 'HE CALLED US RACISTS! He should APOLOGIZE for that!!!' Yep you really 'got it' Jennifer.
Powell--a voice of reason. I hope someone in his party listens.
Watching that clip made me a little sad because if he hadn't destroyed his credibility advocating for Dubya's unnecessary war, he could have made an EXCELLENT president.
If the party is to survive it will have to embrace the philosophy that they currently disparage with the term RINO. In other words the party will survive IN NAME ONLY. What it has devolved into is doomed.
I think that it will take a couple more election cycles for this to sink in combined with attrition as the old school members simply die off or get seriously ill. Even Lee Atwater saw the error of his ways on his deathbed.
Who are the "THEY" of the Republican Party? Are they a group of rich men sitting on top of the mountain telling the rest what to do? I once read a book by Taylor Caldwell about 12 men who ruled the world. I see this might come true.
General Powell is one side of the not so civil war going on in the GOP today ... hopefully the winning side.
He represents that segment of the Republican Party that still believes in a role for government and believes that those in government should focus on governing rather than campaigning.
He posits that a party that demands ideological purity and conformity, rather than growing and embracing diverse viewpoints and thinking, is a closed system destined for entropy and political death.
His reference to that "dark vein of intolerance" that runs through his party is simply speaking truth to power. By openly acknowledging and naming the tone and tactics of those who are the loudest voices in his party today, General Powell has begun to remove the veil of false civility that so many hide behind.
When one looks at how the GOP has ignored issues of immigration reform, demonized marriage equality, conflated Black people with welfare, set up obstacles to Democratic voter turnout, arrogantly legislated how women should deal with their own bodies and embraced the hubristic hypocrisy of having created the recession then actively fighting efforts to address it, the term "dark vein of intolerance" seems more benign than accurate . .. yet true none-the-less.