As we reported earlier, former Secretary of State Colin Powell handed away this morning attributable to COVID problems, per a message his household shared on Fb.
He was 84.
Powell, who was married and had three youngsters, was maybe finest recognized in political and media circles for the 4 years (2001-2005) he served beneath President George W. Bush’s administration the place many on the left and within the media alleged that he was being “used” by Bush to protect the administration from the ridiculous criticism that the President was hostile to the black group.
Different critics on the time, additionally on the left and within the media however just a few on the precise as properly, argued that the case he made to the United Nations in 2003 about Iraq was the tipping level in convincing the American people who the USA should wage warfare on the nation a yr and a half after 9/11. In 2005, Powell known as the speech a “blot” on his document.
Inside the Republican get together, opinions on Powell have various extensively over time as he was seen as a deeply polarizing determine even earlier than he left the Bush administration, more and more sounding an increasing number of like a Democrat by the day, which he unofficially grew to become when he backed former President Obama in 2008 and 2012, then failed 2016 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Hillary Clinton, after which Joe Biden in 2020. In January of this yr, Powell advised CNN he might “now not name myself a fellow Republican,” which got here as a shock to utterly nobody.
Normally my view on the passing of public figures is to, out of respect, let the grieving course of roll by for the household for some time earlier than I begin assessing their legacy in a public discussion board. Clearly, others consider in a different way, which is okay. However one scorching take given at the moment within the aftermath of the announcement of Powell’s loss of life rubbed individuals all types of the incorrect means, and it got here courtesy of CNN’s editor-at-large Chris Cillizza, who readers of his website properly know is famous for the new takes he usually offers that go over about in addition to a lead balloon, to not point out his notorious and hilarious declaration in 2016 that learn: “Let me say for the billionth time: Reporters don’t root for a aspect. Interval.”
In a bit printed this morning at CNN and which he shared on Twitter, Cillizza’s scorching tackle Powell, which he expounded on in his article, was to – get this – level out that “The Colin Powell Republican now not exists within the Republican Get together.”
Effectively, duh – perhaps that’s as a result of he was a Republican in identify solely beginning even throughout his time as Bush’s Sec. of State, maybe sooner. The get together was already drifting additional proper in lots of respects on the time and Powell was clearly a reasonable (to place it charitably) with leanings that lined up extra with liberal Democrats than they did with supposed “centrist” Republicans.
He more and more fell out of favor with Republicans the additional left he went, and as soon as he went all in voting for Obama, there was no turning again.
His take was not obtained properly by many individuals who responded to him in type, questioning why he’d selected to present a take that was apparent to everybody and went with out saying:
Effectively….. Colin Powell wasn’t a republican, so… https://t.co/ibYQIpEhhe
— Storm Paglia 🇺🇸 (@storm_paglia) October 18, 2021
I imply, RIP to Colin Powell; I do have a whole lot of respect for him. However yeah, it’s type of tautologically true that there should not a whole lot of Obama-Obama-Hillary-Biden Republicans… https://t.co/UulTgIpHdi
— Tony (@realtonysm1th) October 18, 2021
I imply, clearly, Cillizza was conscious that Powell was solidifying himself as a “Republican In Identify Solely” going means again, as evidenced by this tweet he posted in 2012 noting Powell’s endorsement of Obama over Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who on the time was arguably extra carefully aligned with Powell on the problems contemplating than individuals thought:
“I voted for him in 2008, and I plan to stay with him in 2012.” — Colin Powell on President Obama.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) October 25, 2012
The probability for Cillizza’s rant was to make individuals suppose that President Trump was the straw within the camel’s again, so to talk, for Powell selecting to now not name himself a Republican, as evidenced by this paragraph from his write-up:
Powell’s private journey from potential — and much-coveted — Republican presidential candidate within the mid-Nineties to pariah inside the Trump-ified GOP tells the story of how the get together went from one which acknowledged the altering face of America and the necessity to adapt its insurance policies consequently to at least one organized across the often-intolerant views of a single man who, it’s value noting, spent much less time as a Republican than Powell did.
CNN ought to simply rename themselves OMBN = the Orange Man Dangerous Community, as a result of their obsession with the previous President has really gotten out of hand, and is simply downright embarrassing at this stage within the recreation.
Flashback: Chris Cillizza’s ‘Evaluation’ of Why Republican Belief within the Media Has Plummeted Is One thing Else
About Post Author
