Colin Powell: Rare Voice of Reason

On Sunday, October 19, 2008, former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama on "Meet The Press." Although this endorsement can only help the Obama campaign, Powell's measured tone was more important than his message.

Powell, 71, was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State under George W. Bush.

During Powell's appearance on "Meet The Press," host Tom Brokaw observed that Powell had made a donation to the McCain campaign. Over the next seven minutes, Powell explained why he decided to cross party lines. With the exception of a couple of throat clearings, Powell's delivery was smooth and calm. At the same time, it was obvious that his decision was difficult and painful.

Powell began by saying that he had known McCain for twenty-five years and Obama for only two. He described McCain and Obama as "distinguished Americans dedicated to our country" and said that either man "would be a good president."

I must confess a bias in favor of Secretary Powell on this issue because Powell articulated many of the concerns about McCain which I discussed in my recent piece "Sarah Palin Passes Debate Test but Character Issues Dog John McCain." The former secretary of state opined that the last six or seven weeks of the presidential campaign had been a "final exam" with an emphasis on the current economic crisis. Powell said that McCain seemed "unsure of how to deal with our economic problems" while Obama displayed a "steadiness," "substantive knowledge," and "intellectual curiosity" about the issues of our time.

Powell was also troubled by McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as a running mate. Ever the diplomat, Powell praised Governor Palin as a "distinguished woman" and "someone to be admired" before saying, "I don't believe she is ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president."

Much of the rest of Powell's explanation of his endorsement of Barack Obama was a plea for societal unity, a subject that we haven't heard much about from either candidate lately, although Obama had initially made it a centerpiece of his campaign. Powell said that he believed that Obama had a more "inclusive, broader reach to the American people" and was disappointed by the emphasis that McCain and other prominent Republicans have put on issues such as William Ayers, which distract from the serious problems America faces.

In addition, Powell said that he was disturbed by senior Republicans' repetition of the canard that Obama is a closet Muslim terrorist. "John McCain is as non-discriminatory as anyone I know, but I'm troubled by the fact that within the Party we have these kinds of expressions," said Powell.

This campaign has been the most vitriolic since the Jefferson-Adams hate-fest of 1800. With the advent of the blogosphere and instant communication, it's actually much worse. As Bill O'Reilly might say, any loon on the planet with a computer and a modem has a worldwide soapbox. In such an environment, Secretary Powell's statements are deeply refreshing.

If you didn't hear Colin Powell, please watch him now on the Washington Post Website. When I saw Powell on television, I couldn't help marveling at the civility and fundamental decency he displayed. That's been a rare commodity in politics in recent years. If Powell had endorsed McCain, my opinion of Powell would be no different. It was his reasonable tone, not his opinion, that was most important. Powell's demeanor stands in sharp contrast to that of many Americans, especially the punditocracy, left and right.

Numerous comments below the Washington Post video and accompanying article are fair-minded. Unfortunately, roughly the same number are written by people who could benefit from serious psychiatric intervention.

I used to agree with Mr. O'Reilly that the hatred on the left was much more intense than on the right, but now I'm not so sure. I'm particularly disappointed in the syndicated radio talk show host Monica Crowley.

I've been listening to Ms. Crowley, a conservative, for years. Although I didn't always agree with her, I found Monica Crowley to be a very polite and classy lady. But during her October 18 broadcast, she launched into a full-bore tirade on Barack Obama, saying that he would shred the First and Second Amendments. Part of this screed appears on her October 16 web log.

During her radio broadcast, Crowley also made the risible assertion that Barack Obama believed the jokes that he told at the recent Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City, including those about his being Superman and a Greek god. Apparently, Crowley was offended that unlike McCain, Obama chose to poke fun at himself instead of other people.

Hey, Monica, sometimes jokes are just jokes. Both McCain and Obama received high marks for their good humor, a welcome respite from the long-running presidential brawl. But Crowley turned a positive note into a discordant accusation that Obama is a delusional, narcissistic upstart with dictatorial designs on America.

Ms. Crowley, who holds a PhD in international relations, often has informative guests discussing foreign policy on her program. Dr. Stanley Michalak, a former government professor of mine who is also a senior associate at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, told me in a recent email that international relations is now a "crazy field." Having sampled Dr. Crowley's bitter medicine, I can understand Michalak's reaction.

During an October 19 airing of "The McLaughlin Group," Crowley denounced Barack Obama's tax proposals as "anti-American." And it's not just Crowley. Other supposedly mainstream conservatives, such as Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota), have been using the same language. Syndicated radio talk show host Laura Ingraham has strongly suggested that Obama is a Marxist. Shortly after Mr. Obama secured the Democratic nomination, Sean Hannity renamed his nationally syndicated radio program the "Stop the Obama Radical Express."

This is the same shrill tone that the left used against George W. Bush in the aftermath of the 2000 presidential contest. Many accused Bush of being an illegitimate president who "stole the election." They've been hating him ever since. My fear is that no matter who wins in 2008, he will be seen by his opponents in the same way.

Perhaps my concerns are overblown, but I sense that the current political atmosphere is dangerously close to violence. Folks are furious with their government for rewarding corrupt corporate titans for their misdeeds with a $700 billion rescue package. The hatred expressed toward Obama adds fuel to that fire. With the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression and a multi-front war against terror, America doesn't have the luxury of engaging in civil unrest.

If you want to attack Obama's proposals on health care, education, and taxes, that's fair game. So are his controversial foreign policy pronouncements and disturbing associations. But do it with critical analysis instead of hateful epithets. People who call Mr. Obama an enemy of America are crossing a perilous line. Today's America needs uniters like Colin Powell, not shrill dividers.

As of this writing, Barack Obama stands a better than even chance of becoming the next president of the United States. I know that the winner of the election, whether it's John McCain or Barack Obama, will have my best wishes. For America's sake, I hope that you, gentle reader, can say the same.