I don't mean whether or not it would be a good idea, but...

The notion of a Powell/Obama '08 race seems fascinating, as would've been a Powell/Clinton one. As we can see from the election of Obama, race along cannot deny you the presidency. Powell, perceived to share many of Obama's personal qualities (intelligent, socially progressive, confident speaker) might've captured many otherwise disaffected conservatives and many from the democratic rump.

I suppose, as he did with so many things, Bush II destroyed Powell's credibility in a very public way with the run up to the Iraq War and he never really recovered. Also, I understand his wife was dead set against him running out of fear of the obvious. Put those two issues aside and the 08 race might've been even more remarkable than it turned out to be.

He never decided to run.

If Powell was going to run, it wasn't in 2008. He would have run in 1996.

Supposedly, Clinton was sure Powell was going to run and was very worried about it.

From Wikipedia Page. Beats Politics.

Colin Powell couldn't win a GOP primary today. He is a pro-choice moderate that endorsed Obama in 2008. Another example of the GOP letting the hard right chase off their best candidates.

Powell isn't a very good politician. He seems to have pretty strong consistent beliefs, and that just doesn't fit the politician role. Seems like a good guy though.

I'm sure the GOP thinks people who endorsed Obama are their best candidates.....LOL even democrats are running away from obama

Powell was worried about the Bradley effect in 1996.

yeah, there's that little issue of his fraudulent speech to the United Nations in 2003...

you remember, the one he threatened the night before not to give because he knew it was all bulls**t, but Cheney and Libby made him do it anyway?

yeah, that mistake kinda tarnishes his legacy pretty thoroughly. Among other "good soldier" mistakes he made, leery of upsetting the Cheney apple cart.

Eh? Powell's social positions are the least of his problems as far as running as a Republican. His stated position reveal him as no fiscal conservative either.

Best candidates? Powell is a joke.

According to your philosophy, McCain should have been the perfect candidate for the GOP. Everytime the GOP trots these moderate wishy-washy jackasses out there they get slaughtered.

I think this is a logic fail. He says Powell couldn't get the nomination because he's too moderate and you say the bolded?

Yeah, the last time the GOP nominated a moderate general for President they got absolutely slaughtered.

JayTeeMe.. Oh I disagree with that... The GOP Leadership is dumb enough to rally behind and nominate someone like Powell (see Dole, see McCain)

It's a logic fail, furthermore, idk if GWB could win the nomination (as a fresh Texas gov) atm because of his views on immigration and spending. The republicans are leaning pretty hard to the right, the question is whether or not it will be a fiscal right, a social right, or both.

McCain's loss had little to do with McCain and a lot more to do with Bush.

McCain had more passion for his "conservatism" in his primary battle against Hayworth than he did against Obama. That tells you all you need to know about this political jerkoff.

I agree it was going to be a bad year either way, but McCain didn't do a damn thing to help his chances and would have very likely lost to Obama in a neutral year as well.

errr wut? In a electorate that shifts to the left because of a negative right incumbent, moving to the right isn't the right thing to do. You're letting your view of mccain trump basic strategy.

Wrong. It's the failure to stand up for conservative principles. He had a golden opportunity to seperate himself and he blew it. If McCain stands up to TARP, while Obama caves to it, he has a chance to win.

Shocking that a politician would play up conservatism more in an election filled with mostly-conservative Arizona Republicans than in an election with all American voters.

McCain consistently polled better than the other Republican candidates in hypothetical matchups. He was fairly competitive up until when the financial crisis hit.

I actually agree this might have been an good electoral strategy, but not because it would show him "standing up for conservative principles." It's because he was the underdog and needed to make a risky play to have a chance of winning. If McCain was leading comfortably at that point, supporting TARP would have been the electorally superior move due its lower risk.

We'll have to disagree on the makeup of the American electorate. http://www.gallup.com/poll/120857/co...cal-group.aspx

McCain and Obama ran nearly identical campaigns except for Obama being younger, more energetic, and a better bull****ter.

Even taking this at face value, the Arizona Republican primary electorate is undoubtedly more conservative. And it shouldn't be taken at face value, because if it were an accurate indicator we'd see much higher support for conservative policies. Since "liberal" became something of a dirty word, many people who would have previously identified as "liberal" now identify as "moderate".

Well, I don't recall Obama accusing McCain of being a socialist. Regardless, this does little to support the hypothesis that "true conservatives" are more likely to be electorally successful.

Speaking as a liberal, I absolutely love the fact that the idea of "running to the right" as a way to win national elections is taking hold in the Republican party. I think this idea is going to be even further ingrained by this November's elections, which should see quite a few tea party candidates win seats. This should embolden the hard right and lead to fun times down the road.

Most Americans are pro choice, so let's run a candidate who thinks abortion should be banned even in cases of rape and incest.

Most American's like Social Security, so let's run a candidate who wants to get rid of it.

Seriously, please keep this up. Please run Palin.

these sorts of sentiments are ingrained in group think today and always directed at Bush/Cheney but in my mind would make him out to be a real puss if true

"I will always be seen as the one who made the major public presentation of that intelligence. I regret that it was wrong but, at the same time, we had every reason to believe it was correct," Powell said of the false WMD evidence. Mainichi Daily News phone interview 2010

"It was the intelligence that was wrong. I did not make up this information; I did not invent it; I did not pull it out of the air. It was information that our intelligence community stood behind," he stated. - ABC interview 2005

A Slam Dunk, if you will.