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Sunday, Oct 19, 2008 6:34 PM UTC

Powell endorsement incites right-wing rage

Chorus from the right: Powell's race explains everything.

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Topics: 2008 Elections, Barack Obama, War Room,

So what does the right wing think about Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama? One word: Race.

Rush Limbaugh sets the tone:

From Politico’s Jonathan Martin:

“Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race,” Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. “OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I’ll let you know what I come up with.”

In “Affirmative Action at Its Highest Level,” RedState diarist Andrew Bolton follows suit:

So Colin Powell has endorsed Obama. Let’s see, Powell is pro-abortion. So is Obama. Powell is pro-affirmative action. So is Obama. Powell has stated repeatedly that tax policy should ensure fairness. Obama likewise wants to “spread the wealth.” The endorsement of Obama only demonstrates what unpaid prognosticators could have told those million dollar a year experts years ago. Powell never was a Republican. He has been aligned with the Democrats from the day of his retirement from service.

… Affirmative action is now at its zenith here. A unqualified candidate for president who has never run anything; who has never governed anything; and who has policies precisely on line with Karl Marx — is going to be put into our highest office solely due to his race. Doubt me? Just ask if Obama would be where he is at if he were a white man. The answer is inevitable.

National Review’s Mark Steyn doesn’t play the race card directly, but merely accuses Powell of currying favor with the front-runner.

The staterooms on the bandwagon are pretty much taken. Standing room only now … A “transformational” president with a Pelosi House and a filibuster-proof Senate. Thanks, Colin!”

But for the true taste of rage, FreeRepublic is your one-stop shop. As excerpted by DailyKos diarist pucklady:

POWELL IS DESPICABLE!! He owes EVERYTHING to Republicans, but BLACKNESS is the ONLY thing that matters!!! Obama want to RUIN THE MILITARY and bring down MAERICA to THIRD WORLD STATUS!!

… Dr. King’s dream is dead. It’s totally about the color of skin for these people. The content of ones character has ZERO bearing on their decision.

Andrew Leonard

Andrew Leonard is a staff writer at Salon. On Twitter, @koxinga21. More Andrew Leonard.

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