The Powell 'Republicans'

Toby Harnden:

Amid much ballyhoo, Colin Powell, former Secretary of State in the Bush administration, went on "Meet the Press" last October and endorsed Barack Obama for President.

His move was no real surprise and had been anticipated for at least a year but he timing and manner of it seemed designed to wreak the maximum political damage to his old friend John McCain.

So why does Powell now seem to think he has the right or credibility to lecture Republicans on how their party should be run? Just as he did not just go quietly into the polling booth and vote for Obama, Powell is not working discreetly behind the behind the at party gatherings to press his case.

No, he did his business on a Sunday television talk show, CBS's Face the Nation, today - watch it here.

Now it's easy to feel some sympathy for Powell. He was clearly marginalised during the Bush administration, lost the big arguments and yet was the man who will be remembered ever more for his UN presentation in which he pressed the case for war with Iraq based on evidence that has since crumbled.

Vice President Cheney was perhaps unnecessarily cutting when he said that he assumed Powell had already left the party. Being goaded by Rush Limbaugh about having voted for Obama "solely based on race" must be very difficult to take.

But thinking you can vote for the Democratic presidential candidate - and one assumes that Powell still supports Obama and will vote for him in 2012 - and remain a senior figure in the Republican party is trying to have your cake and eat it.

...

Another Republican moderate was on television today - Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania governor and Homeland Security chief, who appeared on John King's State of the Union. Transcript here.

As expected, Ridge duly laid into Cheney and Limbaugh. Then, when he was asked whether he would support the Republican nominee in the Pennsylvania Senate race if it were (as is highly likely) Pat Toomey he pointedly declined to do so.

After Ridge said that he had a "secret ballot"and was "going to wait to see if the people that I know whom I might support decide to make the difficult decision to run" King - as usual - posed exactly the right follow-up.

"Why should any Republicans listen to you if you won't commit to voting for the Republican nominee?" King asked.

Ridge responded: "Well, it begins on the message and the messenger. You know, I'm a strong, strong, Republican, but I'd be - I've never, ever, ever voted straight Republican ticket in my life and I never will."

...

John McCain was probably closer to Colin Powell's positions on most issues than he was to Rush Limbaugh, but Limbaugh was the one who supported the party nominee, and now is being attacked for not being more inclusive. Ridge also seems more rigid in his interpretation of a Republican than conservatives.

While I support conservatives, I oppose all Democrats. I guess that is how I become a big tent Republican, but when the inter party fight takes place for candidates it appears that conservatives will be more loyal.