One more appeal for Colin Powell

Jim Lehrer (PBS) interviews Colin Powell sometime in the last year or so. Powell speaks eloquently about the US presence in Iraq (and very politely separates himself from GW Bush), reminding me of just what a solid candidate for President Colin Powell would be.

Give this a listen to hear what an erudite leader sounds like, and also what informed, but apolitical opinion sounds like.

One last try, before the primary season slips away: Powell for President!



as a side note, when did generals stop running for higher office? Sure, Wesley Clark tried in '00, but he's a flake. We've had guys like Ike, Grant, Jackson, and Washington. In general (pun intended), I'd much rather have a President who's background was leading troops than someone who's background follows an arc from lawyer to politician (Biden, the Clintons, Dodd, Edwards, Guiliani, Hunter, Obama, Thompson) (Or worse: theologian to politician (Huckabee.))

Gore vs. Powell - becoming slightly more likely.....

Christopher Hitchens in the linked article shines a light on a notion that I've been predicting for a while: that Al Gore - after winning the Nobel Peace Prize - declares himself a candidate for President.

(I've been predicting this, as well as a "Draft Powell" movement from the Republicans.)

I think this would be justified, appropriate, and exciting. I think there's a great deal of discontent towards the early '08 candidates, and I don't think anyone has really fallen in love with any of the leading candidates (Clinton, and Rudy, as far as I can tell.)

Only a former VP with huge party connections and massive media recognition could competitively enter the Democratic race at this point, given the massive fund raising to date by Clinton.

Even without fertile, untapped fund-raising territory, it may be a strategic advantage to be a late comer to the race. Every candidate has aired out various economic and healthcare packages, which if not already, will be stale by the time that voters head to the primary polls. Gore would enter with the ability to criticize the existing plans and repeat his Iraq and global warming points ad nauseum, without really having to forward plans, especially ones involving a lockbox.



All this being said, I'm unlikely to vote for Gore, as I've been turned off by how he handled the 2000 election debacle. My impression is that he's waaaay too sore of a loser, as it wasn't the 500 or so vote difference in Florida certified by the Supreme Court that cost him the election - as he often laments - but rather his inability to carry his own state, and even his own congressional district, and his inability/unwillingness to cut a deal with Ralph Nader.

(With Nader earning ~90,000 votes in Florida in 2000, I think if Gore wants to identify who "cost" him the election, it's not the 9 Supremes, but rather Ralph Nader.)

Better luck this time, Al.