Washington Post Crashed, Burned, and Smoking Watch (George Will Edition)

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama, and George Will's head explodes:

George Will: Colin Powell Endorsed Obama Because He’s Black:

SNUFFLEUPAGUS: We just found out that former Sec. of State General Colin Powell has said he's going to vote for Barack Obama. Big impact?

WILL: Some impact. And I think this adds to my calculation -- this is very hard to measure -- but it seems to me if we had the tools to measure we'd find that Barack Obama gets two votes because he's black for every one he loses because he's black because so much of this country is so eager, a, to feel good about itself by doing this, but more than that to put paid to the whole Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson game of political rhetoric.

Firedoglake:

Huh?

Excuse me, but what the f--- do Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have to do with George W. Bush's Secretary of State, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a lifelong Republican endorsing Obama? Oh, right -- they're all black. Pretty incredible that no one on the panel challenged Will's blatant racism (America's voting for the black guy out of white guilt) but based on the batshit crazy wingnut comments on Faux News' website, Will is just articulating what the GOP base is telling itself: Powell's just going with the brother because he's a brother.

Indeed, Rush Limbaugh says:

Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race.... OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with...

How about George W. Bush, in 2000?

Comments

[Neil B.]

Yes we know George Will is an asshole, and there's also the interesting custom (which Snuffleupagus (good nickname) continues) of packing these talk panels with conservatives, when we throw in Scarborough etc. We know why (corporate media owners don't want penetrating real liberals like Glenn Greenwald, bloggers (even mild ones like Kevin Drum) etc.) and it's dismaying to watch. On McLaughlin's groups, just about worthless now with Eleanor Clift taking up the liberal cause shrilly against the odds and oddballs.

[Lee A. Arnold]

Well, Limbaugh is a lower form of life, like the worms or the rats, although he is more wholly despicable, because they are mere animals of nature.

But it seems to me that George Will has just revealed that he is voting for Obama, and, perhaps not ready to say that he agrees with Powell, he managed to slightly mangle a response that didn't meet Stephanopolous' question.

What is the "two for one" Will mentioned that Firedoglake did not investigate?

Well, there are many fascinating things about this election, and one of them is that there is likely to be a segment of white voters who will consider to vote for Obama, partially on the hope that electing a black man will make race relations better in this country -- at once putting an end to guilt-tripping by the likes of Sharpton while giving blacks a supreme and lasting symbol of just what you can do if you put your mind to it. Will just signaled to a portion of the Republican voters that this is precisely the thing to do -- and every little bit helps, brother!

[jeff hoffman]

Neil B: Poor Eleanor Clift gets to wrestle with three right wingers on a PBS show.

[bigTom]

I'm kinda with Lee here. I don't know if Will is trying to signal that it is OK to vote for Obama, but clearly it is not an unreasonable thing to conclude, that one of the attractions of an Obama presidency, is the fact that it may finally allow the US to put a lot of her past safely into the past. I feel no shame in admitting that that same calculation is a small part of the reason I have supported Obama. That may not satisfy the demand for a totally color-blind vote, but I think advancing the social and political life of the nation more important than purity to the ideal of colorblindness. And perhaps, if enough whites are making the same calculation Wills statement could be correct. Personally I doubt it, but in the absence of evidence for/against it is at least a semi-plausible assertion.

[John]

This is the same George Will who said Jesse Jackson wasn't qualified to be president because he didn't know what the Louvre Accords were, but thought it was wonderful that George W. Bush didn't know anything about the world when he became president. Not surprising.

[dennisS]

"How about George W. Bush, in 2000?"

How'd you come up with that so quick. Are you like a college perfesser or something? There should be a law!