Powell blasts GOP's "dark vein of intolerance"

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican who crossed party lines to endorse President Obama in 2008 and 2012, scalded his party for harboring a "dark vein of intolerance" Sunday, saying the GOP "has to take a very hard look at itself."

There is a "dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "What do I mean by that? What I mean by that is they still sort of look down on minorities."

As evidence, Powell pointed to a number of statements that were directed at Mr. Obama during the campaign by Republicans - statements that he believes were racially motivated.

"When I see a former governor say that the president is 'shuckin' and jivin'.' That's a racial era slave-term," Powell said of Sarah Palin's description of the president's response to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

He also took issue with former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu's characterization of the president as "lazy" following a tepid performance in the first presidential debate.

"He didn't say he was slow, he was tired, he didn't do well. He said he was 'lazy.' Now, it may not mean anything to most Americans," Powell said, "but to those of us who are African-Americans, the second word is 'shiftless,' and then there's a third word that goes along with it."

Powell also singled out the "birther movement" for criticism, expressing amazement that Republicans have not excommunicated the fringe conspiracy theorists from the party.

"The whole birther movement: Why do senior Republicans tolerate this kind of discussion within the party?" Powell asked, counseling the party to "take a look at itself."

Powell noted, "I'm a moderate, but I'm still a Republican," and fretted that his party may soon be facing obsolescence if it does not reorient itself.

• Poll: Dems again edge GOP in party affiliation
• Repairing the Republican Party

"In recent years, there's been a significant shift to the right" on the part of the GOP, Powell said, "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."

And Powell argued that the problem is more message than messenger - beyond public relations and optics to the Republican platform itself - and advised the GOP to moderate its stance on education, immigration, and climate change to attract new voters.

"Everybody wants to talk about, 'Who's going to be the candidate?'" Powell said. "You've got to think first about what's the party actually going to represent. If it's just going to represent the far right wing of the political spectrum, I think the party is in difficulty."

[TimeToEvolve]

I was watching Powell last night on MSNBC (Rachel Maddow Show) and kept thinking that why is he or any other reasonable person a Republicon. It just doesn't make sense. Powell is not stupid, greedy, selfish or corrupt enough to be a Republicon, as far as I can tell. Plus he is black. Weird.

[Patrickdh10]

Well considering the sources of these extremely moronic remarks it's in no way surprising. Sununu is probably a racist and Palin may not be but her I.Q. give her an excuse. In my opinion. I disagree with Mr. Powell referring to a dark vein of intolerance. I would say it's a blatant streak of racism,hatred,disrespect and total disregard for the less fortunate and middle class in America as well as the President himself by factions of the republican party. It's no secret republican leaders met quietly to form a cabal on the day of Mr. Obama's first inauguration and there conspired to do whatever it took to bring the President down regardless of the cost to America and the American people. Of which we have seen the unpleasant effects of during the last four years. This alone makes me ponder why any average American would continue to support certain GOP members and why those who attended that meeting are not investigated for treason and corruption.

[AttyFAM]

And don't forget the traitor Rush Limbaugh, who in February 2009 declared, "I want Obama to fail." Thus, he declared that ruining the economy for four more years was better than the possibility that a person of color could be re-elected.

[sandy 1027]

Colin Powell is 100% right.Sarah Pslin, John Sununu, Donald Trump ,and others wove a false narrative about the president that played( plays) well with the bigoted who are predisposed to believing such nonsense as Birtherism.As one who grew up in the south, I know that Powell is also right about the coded talk from Palin and Sununu that the president isn't serious, or is "lazy".The leadership of the GOP saw political mileage in this, and said nothing; but if they ignore Colin Powell's accurate assessment of its relationship with minorities, it will be mathematically impossible for Republicans to ever win the White House again- at least not any time soon.

[tonyatq]

They know exactly what they were doing, they just got call on it.

[tonyatq]

They know exactly what they were doing, they just got call on it.

[AttyFAM]

Type_Z replies:
The Tea Party is indeed your enemy if you want to kill the unborn, if you are gay and if you oppose freedom in America.
-------------------------------

WOW! First of all, no one who supports a woman's right to choose an abortion "wants to kill" any fetus. We recognize that the woman's circumstances - which are her own private business - may lead her to that choice and neither you nor I nor anyone - man or woman - has the right to make that decision about her body. Tea Partiers do not want freedom, they want power over the private lives of women, for a start. That denies freedom to more than half the population. And you dare speak of freedom.

So you would deny freedom as well to gays and lesbians. You really do hate freedom, don't you. All you want is power over others, the opportunity to make other people act the way you want them to act. You, Type Z, are a would-be tyrant.

It is troglodytes like you to whom General Colin Powell was addressing his remarks.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

7lucky_seven replies: And North stood up in front of the senate and all the TV cameras in the world and told the truth.
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You're daft.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

7lucky_seven replies: But you are a democrat in fact only.
Since you factually are ademocrat with every statement you make, yet, as all democrats do, you lie about it. Typical Dem.
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You think repubs are truthful do you?
In about 10 seconds,I can put up a list of proven repub liars starting with Nixon, Ollie North, Scooter Libby, Bill Rostenkowski...

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Those who most could benefit by Powell's comments appear to reject them out of hand.
dubya may well go down in history as the last repub POTUS.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Again with the "you dem" stupidity.
I have better ways to spend my time rather than arguing with a slug.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

7, for some bizarre reason, feels compelled to contradict others regarding their own party affiliation.
Powell says he a repub. 7 says no.
I say I'm Independent. 7 says no.
Some kind of disorder no doubt......

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

We have all been called a democrat or some such **** by the azzhole.

I dont think he could project any harder.

wish he would just come out of the "closet"

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

knsn_for_cmn_sense replies: What is seven pizzed off at? He loved Iraq
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I think he's more twisted than pissed.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

7lucky_seven replies: Finally! So you vote Powell is a fool. A useful idiot.
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No I don't.
Powell is a team guy. When told by his superiors that lies were true and he needed to make the case at the UN, that's exactly what he tried to do.
dubya only picked Powell because dubya needed some credibility. Then he prostituted Powell. Read. Learn. Think.