Dec11
Colin Powell: Palin needs to stop talking about small-town values
It’s unbelievable to me that the Colin Powell who has been on television as of late is the same Colin Powell who served George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. It causes me to wonder if he served in Republican administrations out of a sense of duty since it was Bush 41 who elevated him to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It’s obvious that it’s not because he holds conservative principles.
Today, Colin Powell was interviewed on CNN where he took a shot at not only Sarah Palin but folks like me who live in small towns all over America. General Powell insists that in order for conservatives to gain ground they will have to abandon the discussion of small town values because most people don’t live in small towns anymore, which, he argues, makes her comments polarizing:
When Sarah Palin talks about small-town values, she isn’t being literal. The phrase “small town values” is a reference to a closeness or a sense of community that people feel toward their friends and neighbors. It means supporting one another and pitching in when someone needs help. When someone is friendly to a stranger who needs directions to somewhere, he’s exhibiting small town values. But these values aren’t exclusive to small towns.
How are these attitudes and behaviors polarizing? How is talking about helping each other out when they’re in need a bad thing? Don’t we want more Americans to be kind to each other? I think Colin Powell needs to rethink his comments a bit.
Hat tip: Hot Air
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abandon small town values? might he be referring to the pro life beliefs so many republicans hold dear?
Excellent point, Monica. I don’t know why I didn’t see that immediately.
Why is it that everyone thinks Powell is a conservative or Republican? He voted and endorsed Obama! He kept his political opinions quiet while serving under the Bush presidents. At most, he is an apolitical opportunist. I have yet to see any sort of deeply held principle by this man. Just because he was in the Army, does NOT make him a conservative.
Both views are wrong. Why can’t we support all Americans, small town and big towns. Palin seems to say only white americans are who she represents. Is there any republican for all Americans?
Curtis,
This is what we are talking about. Palin never brings race into anything. Most GOP, more than the Dems, leave race out of politics. The GOP strives to be race neutral. That question “is there any republican for all Americans?” is disingenuous. Any Republican candidate is a candidate for all Americans. It is the Democratic Party that tries to split us into smaller and smaller factions, based on sexual preference, perceived race, politics, etc….Is there a Democrat for all Americans? I don’t think so. The Democrats continually strive to divide us against one another. Conservatives don’t do this. We see “real Americans” as those Americans that support this country; that don’t blame America first; that do not believe that this country is just the same as any other country. Real Americans are those that take ALL of the Bill of Rights seriously. Real Americans don’t try to invent new “rights” through judicial action. Real Americans don’t try to suspend the enumerated rights that they find inconvenient.
Does this mean that I think Bush and Co. are “real Americans” by this definition. Heck, by this definition, 99% of ALL THREE Branches of gov’t FAIL the test. This is why Conservatives want SMALLER government.
I always wonder why it is, that when conservatives talk about “Real Americans”, liberals always think that they are not included…..Could it be that, deep inside, they identify with an anti-American ideal?