Just Another N*****r for Obama

I try every now and then to take Rush Limbaugh seriously. Then he has to go and ruin it by saying things like this:

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, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with.

Just an ugly thing to say. First off, I don't know of any non-presidential endorsements he's ever made, so it'd be tough to come up with any other black candidates. Secondly, fuck you, Rush. Ya bastard...

It's understandable that conservatives would react badly to a Powell endorsement. He helps Obama in a number of ways. On the most obvious level, you've got a very popular guy who's pretty much universally respected saying he's going to vote for you, which always helps.

Then there's the fact that he's one of maybe two living generals (along with Petraeus, who can't endorse anyone as he's still in uniform) whom your average American can name. Having his endorsement, particularly for a candidate trying to persuade undecided voters that he can handle being Commander-in-Chief, is a big deal.

The way Powell went about explaining his endorsement also helped Obama more than a typical endorsement. As a moderate Republican, it is damning that he talked of the GOP becoming a narrower, less "big tent" party. It says to any Republican who might ever vote for Obama (i.e., not the die-hards) that maybe the party is moving away from them.

Finally, having a black man who many white voters have already gotten used to as a serious national leader will help undecideds make the leap toward Obama.

Given that Powell is one of the few Americans whose endorsement can move votes, I get why Rush et al would want to try to tear him down. I didn't expect, however, that they would try to turn him into just another n****r for Obama.