http://www.berniceking.com/

Maybe if enough people yell and wave their arms around about standing for smaller government, and individual rights people will eventually forget the last decade and believe them again?

Exiled, the way you put it is a no-brainer. That’s easy. But the harder question remains: what should the GOP’s attitude be if Powell wants to stay?

Limbaugh hasn’t recommended excommunication, but he is implying that if Powell stays, he deserves to be treated like the worst of pariahs, because he is disloyal, and in his view no longer belongs ideologically. (that last bit, “he’s a full fledged democrat” is the weakest part of his “argument’ such as it is, BTW.)

I don’t think Limbaugh deserves to be lambasted for complaining that Powell supported the other side’s guy in the most important contest to the party. IMO, it’s fair and legitimate to ask “Does Powell deserve a mulligan on it for reasons of race?”

Now, my answer to that is, “hmm, yeah. I think he probably does, history considered.” But it’s a fair question, and I think both answers are defensible. I am fine with a political party being just what its members decide it should be. That’s democracy.

If 4 out 5 douches are Republicans, is it fair to have one right douche and one left douche post per week or should the fairness be based on a proportional amount of douches?

And then we have those borderline douches; not almost or just douches, but borderline left and right. For example, is Arlen Specter a left douche or a right douche? Sure, he’s jumped over to the Democratic Party, but he’s acting for all the world like a right douche.

And can we just make any post about a douche, or does the douche have to actually do something to warrant a post? Most of the left douches have been pretty quiet lately. Seem kind of silly to drag Michael Moore out of hiding just to meet your douche quota.

This fairness doctrine is tricky when get down to implementation….

IOW, he already has the perfect dream job, and knows it. That makes what he says at least half bluster. But again, he preaches to his choir daily and at length. And his choir is loyal and of substantial size. And it’s a population that’s important to the GOP.

So I don’t see how he can hang himself, because his big loyal audience will certainly forgive any over-the-top, loose-cannon bluster. Which is all that matters when it comes to keeping his job: ratings.

And no one else CAN hang him. Not progressives, whose perspective plays no role that can diminish or undermine Limbaugh’s support. And not conservatives, who can’t risk alienating Limbaugh’s choir.

So given that you foresee Limbaugh orchestrating his own demise due to his “prurient” desires, I would love to see you sketch out how you think it could unfold. I agree that if, say, he decides to run for President, he would come undone. I just don’t think that’s anymore likely than say Bill Clinton on the Supreme Court. They’re both fevered dreams. Or nightmares, if you prefer.

The fact that Colin Powell is not an “actual politician” is a major part of his attractiveness as a political candidate–especially for the White House.

I suspect there are others who will share this view.

Meanwhile, Limbaugh is now just playing out rope by the yard for his own hanging. Eventually, his own prurient desires will lead to his undoing.

That’s not an “if”… that’s a “when.”

Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com

And that’s too bad for the GOP, because someone well-spoken , thoughtful, capable of public leadership, and with ideas of substance needs to take on Limbaugh and push him back to sideshow status. If Powell was really a politician and actually had the skills, he’d be the perfect guy to push back.

I too think Limbaugh is a bit of a fool and a huckster, because at its root he is, let’s face it, an entertainer. But he is also a preacher, because as most sensible folks know, entertainer, salesman, and preacher are not exclusive from one another. Limbaugh speaks daily and at length to substantial nationwide audience of conservatives, and he’s pretty far to the right, and there is frankly no give or compromise in this preening peacock.

That’s a problem for the GOP even if you think Limbaugh is right about Powell.

Now where is that fairness-doctrine-dictated post on the lefty douche of the week?

“Americans are looking for more government in their lives, not less.”

Seriously General? Wtf are you doing in my party? Since when is “more government, not less” a plank in the Republican platform? If General Powell had made this comment on a conservative blog he would have been labeled a “concern troll”:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=concern+troll

And that’s all he is, a glorified concern troll.

You would’ve thought that all the republicans would’ve left already then. Powell is one of the few in their party that has any integrity left, it would only be fitting for him to leave. But limberger is a wind bag who makes 400 mil a year catering to the fringe, and honestly I don’t think he’s much worth talking about.

I can see an exception for ethics issues, but IMO, any Republican who endorsed Obama over John McCain left the party. Likewise to any Democrat who endorsed Mccain over Obama. The only viable reason to break ranks is over corruption.