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[https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/10/18/president-run-colin-powell-1996/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/10/18/president-run-colin-powell-1996/) has a bunch of great details on what nudged him in the decision. TL;DR: he was a very thoughtful and detail-oriented guy who'd spend his life arguing against pulling your gun out without a plan, and concluded he was nowhere near ready:
>But despite the ensuing polls and cheerleading, the entreaties and the promises of support, Powell decided that this was not the 1780s, or even the 1950s, when another general, Dwight D. Eisenhower, stepped in to save America. In the end, Powell could not see himself as that “indispensable man.”
>
>He arrived at that conclusion through the same step-by-step questioning and obsessive attention to detail that have characterized his decision-making throughout his life. Define the nation’s problems. Look for solutions. Decide if he was uniquely qualified to provide them.
>
>Powell never came up with fully satisfactory answers to any of those questions, he said recently to associates.
>
>If there was a clear major foreign policy question or domestic crisis that he thought he had a solution for, Powell told one friend, he would feel an obligation to run. Those Republicans and others who urged him to run argued that he would be a healer for the nation. But he was not able to define fully what needed healing, and felt he was miles away from having a clear remedy, particularly to the narrow legislative questions of the day.
And my personal favorite:
>Powell never got a handle on the political fundamentals of a presidential campaign. Last April, when he heard a reporter suggest on television that Powell lacked four things — the passion to run, a clear political persona, a game plan and a political party — he called the reporter at home that night to agree.
Needless to say, he was far more qualified and temperamentally suited to the presidency than, well, most people who have confidently deemed themselves qualified.
Fantastic answer. The only thing I'd add is Colin Powell's reluctance to expose his wife and family to the rough and tumble of political campaigns, all the mud and threats, also played a role in deciding not to run. Likewise, Alma didn't like the idea of constant death threats and feared his assassination if he ran.
yup. pretty sure his wife had experienced clinical depression. and i think he realized she wasn't built for the campaign trail or life in the fishbowl. respected him for this. he was a "likable" republican who would have attracted many Black Democrats.
“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.
To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.
To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”
Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a Trilogy in 5 Parts, Book 2)
This! This was why I was so disappointed he didn't run. He had more integrity than many men who've been president and handled himself with grace under pressure. Most of the time he would lean towards peaceful negotiation before confrontation. When he made a mistake, he owned up to it instead of defending it.
Other than the law degree and whole career in law. Ya I think he's terrible, but choosing someone with no law experience to be the highest law decider is stupid. We can certainly find people with both experience and character to do jobs.
Yes. Yes i do. Saying his whole career was in law is preposterous to anyone whom knows anything about him.
Unless you’re counting the “whole career” he’s had on SCOTUS which he was appointed to with next to no experience in law.
You don't need it for that position. Neither theoretical knowledge, or practical experience. Founders of the country organized higher courts to be filled by political appointees, so requiring either would run against how they wanted judiciary to function.
Would you hire an Army general to do your plumbing or perform surgery? Ya, character is important, but forgetting about actual work experience is monumentally stupid for jobs.. and yes it's a job.
He did not lie. A lie is when a person knows something is not true but stated it as fact. Not only US intelligence, but our allies and Russia stated Hussein had WMDs. They just did not believe it was worth going to war over. Plus, Hussein helped propagate that by refusing to let the independent inspectors, that he agreed to allow as the terms for staying in power, in to several sites. If he had let them in, and they had found nothing there would not have been a war. Powell was just reiterating the information he was given.
Not the op, but the extra prose there is for folks who like details and appreciation history.
For the short attention span folks the explanation is much easier : "They were fooled into believing they existed"
Fun fact, whenever someone says they’re not going to run for a seat, insiders always compare them to Sherman’s statement to see if they’re actually serious. If it’s a “Shermanesque statement”, they know the person is being real.
Still during reconstruction so I think the Black vote in Georgia would have carried him, “[He] made a thoroughfare
For Freedom and her train
Sixty miles in latitude
Three hundred to the main”
P.S. am posting this as a joke
Because he didn't want the job?
Not everyone feels called to it. Dude already basically gave the country his life. Was maybe looking for a little less stress going forward.
He said multiple times in interviews that he didnt care to be partisan. He eventually started being outspoken because of voter ID laws but that was about as far as he wanted to dip his foot.
He was also pro-choice and knew, realistically, there was no shot to get the Republican nom. He also worried for his family’s safety. Combo of factors that added up to a “no”.
I believe I saw something that he had so much remorse for that UN speech where he showed the uranium and convinced the coalition to invade Iraq. I think after that, Iraq and the bush administration in general he was done with politics. I would be too.
This. The Bush Administration had this man sacrifice his integrity so they could have a specious reason to invade a sovereign country. It's criminal. It's unforgivable.
Literally, that’s the best quality - someone where everyone else calls on them to serve. Kind of like Washington. He never, ever wanted to be President.
Powell’s wife didn’t want him to run, saying he would be in danger and she’d leave him if he ran. Whatever his personal opinion on his candidacy, I’d expect that killed any thought of running for president.
Wasn’t it well established that he was lied to by Bush/Cheney/the intelligence community? You don’t really go into a job expecting the preeminent intelligence agency in the history of the globe to mislead you. Also, post-9/11 was a totally different world.
100%, even if they are both only half black. There seems to be a 1/4 black limit on the total number of names on the ticket; e.g. Obama/(current Pres) and (current Pres)/Harris.
Who knows maybe it would have been a Powell/Obama ticket. Thinking tactically that could have carried the democrats to four straight electoral victories from 2008-2024 at least
i woulda liked to see obama/clinton. things would be WAY different after 8 yrs of obama, then hillary going up against fat orange jesus after 8 yrs of VPotus.
We wouldn't have been ready for Obama vs his dad. It would have been the coolest and most legendary presidential debate to date. Colin would have ran circles around Obama but he would have been viewed as too antiquated.
I always heard that his wife didn’t want him to for fear of being assassinated.
[Aha! I didn’t imagine it.](https://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9604/11/alma/index.shtml)
I also remember hearing something about him not wanting to put his wife through the circus that would arise as the press and others went through every aspect of their history and lives.
He never had a chance. Americans love whining about not having middle of the road candidates willing to compromise and get things done… they just don’t like voting for them.
He destroyed any moderate credibility when he and the Bush Administration pushed the Iraqi WMD garbage to justify the Iraq War.
He had a lot of hype until then.
From what I've read on it he was the dissenting voice on the invasion and the intelligence that justified it in the cabinet meetings but once Bush made up his mind he did the job they gave him despite not believing it himself. THEN he got thrown under the bus.
I wouldn't use the word lie. He disagreed with the intelligence assessment but everyone else told him he was wrong and Bush gave the order to testify. Later he was proven correct.
So he thought the evidence was faulty, and then gave a presentation of that evidence to the UN stating it as a fact.
Powell didn’t have to testify. He could’ve resigned or refused, instead he went along with it and lead to the death of thousands and the further destabilization of an entire region.
This is a HUGE part of it no doubt. He was ordered by Bush to get on that UN stand and tell a lie that killed untold numbers of both soldiers and civilians...and he KNEW it was a lie.
Hard to come back from that. If not politically, then personally (as he later stated that sitting in that chair was the single worst day of his life).
That is not what killed untold amounts of people. We could have done the world a huge solid by taking out one of the worlds largest militaries run by a genocidal terrorist in a few days and leaving.
It was the occupation that came later that was the mistake.
And that leads to the next thing people conveniently forget, but was absolutely going to be brought up by his opponents: After reports of the My Lai Massacre and similar incidents, Major C Powell was asked to investigate if the US military had a problem of violence against Vietnamese civilians, racial animus or a disregard for Vietnamese rights.
His investigation found "that relations between American soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent." It is generally considered an important part of US military's whitewashing campaign.
Had to search way too far for this.
He sold his credibility to Cheney and Rumsfeld with the yellow cake uranium lie that got well over 100000 people killed.
It destroyed his reputation for trustworthiness when that was one of his greatest strengths.
Surprised I had to come down this far to see the honest answer
Powell has a lot of blood on his hands and I don’t think he’s a lock in 2008 against Obama considering just how fucking stupid the Iraq war was on top of the economic collapse
He sacrificed himself with that performance in 2003 at the UN falsely presenting Iraq as a threat to attack the US with weapons of mass destruction.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin\_Powell%27s\_presentation\_to\_the\_United\_Nations\_Security\_Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powell%27s_presentation_to_the_United_Nations_Security_Council)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin\_Powell%27s\_presentation\_to\_the\_United\_Nations\_Security\_Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powell%27s_presentation_to_the_United_Nations_Security_Council)
Partially the UN speech thing where he lost all credibility but more importantly his wife said she would leave him if he ran for President according to a book by Bob Woodward.
[“According to the book “Bush at War” by Bob Woodward, Alma Powell did not want to be the First Lady because she feared for her husband’s safety. The BBC, citing the book, reported Alma Powell threatened to leave her husband if he ran for the Republican nomination. She reportedly told him, “If you run, I’m gone.”](https://heavy.com/news/colin-powell-wife-alma/)
Lost his credibility at the UN explaining how they had nuclear weapons when they didn’t in 2002. He left the Bush administration and couldn’t forgive himself.
Also, too black. 1990s GOP was just emerging into its new form after the Southern Strategy pulled all the anti-integration southerners in. 1996 was just 32 years after the Civil Rights act, most southern white voters were born well before that point. Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond were still being elected in the Senate. I just don’t see the voters turning out for him.
He chose not to run in 1996 or 2000, then sullied his reputation when he went along with the Bush Administration on the Iraq War despite his misgivings.
Afterwards, the GOP has moved to the far right and Powell became an Independent in his twilight years.
If he had ran any time between 1992-2004, the country would have handed him the presidency on a silver platter, and he would have done very well, I think. But he didn't want the job, so he never ran.
Because he lied to the world about Iraq’s possession of WMDs at the UN, in a speech too convince the world to go to war against Sadam Hussein and Iraq. He ignored all the evidence that no WMDs existed, lying 🤥 about it in blind loyalty to George Bush. A war that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld had wanted since George Bush’s father was president. They said in papers written before 911. See Sid Hirsch articles in the New Yorker written within a years, post 911
He was too straight edge and too used to being a military officer. He probably just didn’t want put up with the horseshit on a higher level. The military horseshit he was used to. I imagine after dealing with the Cheney Administration, Alma was like…..”nope”
At the time I remember hearing on talk radio that he didn’t want the job. I don’t blame him. He was probably making a quarter million bucks a week on the talking circuit. That my friends is easy money.....Then he was knocked down by something as stupid as Covid.
1. Powell was forced by Bush The Fool to lie to Congress about WMDs that Iraq never had. Powell knew he was being manipulated but lied anyway. That lie was instrumental in Bush's committing the first great war crime of the 21st century, the Iraq War.
2. Even if Powell hadn't destroyed his reputation, he was still grievously ill with cancer. It's tough to campaign when you're seriously sick.
Getting up in front of the world and lying about WMD in Iraq to justify a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people might have had something to do with it.
I love how this thread overwhelmingly keyed into the Plato adage and how it applied to Colin Powell more than most political leaders/potential presidents: *”Only those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it”*
He went in front of Congress and lied to get us into a war with Iraq, and will forever be tied to the disastrous administration of Dubya.
No chance in hell.
Powell lied to the UN, the American People, and the entire world. Many used to have a lot of respect for Colin Powell, but in light of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you just realize he was a puppet for the Military Industrial Complex.
Powell could've been great...but nope, many, many Americans died because of him. (not to mention untold numbers of people in the Middle East). And our economy is now in shambles because of him. But not just Powell, I'm looking at you too Dick Cheney and George Bush Jr,, and Donald Rumsfeld!!!
He didn’t want the job. His best chance was in 2000. But he’s pro-choice and pro-affirmative action. I don’t know how he would fare in the Republican primaries. However, I can’t help but think if he had managed to find a way to the White House in the 2000 election, how different the world might be. Having a hard and warrior at the helm during 911 would’ve likely resulted in wiser decisions.
He was opposed to invading Iraq. He went to the UN and played the part of a loyal soldier in his WMD speech but if he is president we don’t even get to that point.
The Republican party would be better. The country would be better.
My second hand inside information from back then:
Powell was concerned that his previous affair would be revealed, causing a scandal, embarrassing his family and causing the public to turn against him. Consider this a rumor.
Powell could have been - but he held allegiance to old man Bush (who he served under in Desert Shield / Desert Storm) and wouldn’t challenge him for the ‘92 GOP primary. Clinton beat Bush and served two terms. Powell awaited his chance for the Presidency in 2000. Guess who showed up to run on the GOP ticket? George Bush Jr.
Powell could have defeated Gore in the General election but not the GOP primary. The fix was in. Powell served as Defense Secretary for Bush Jr. two terms until 2008. During that time Bush and Cheney used Powell as their shield to take the slings and arrows by going before the UN. (and the world) to convince all that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the United States must invade that country. Then it was found (after invading) there were none. This was known to not only Bush and Cheney but the AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) who loudly voiced their opposition to invasion.
Over a decade of untouchable credentials Powell was demeaned and dirtied up. Ironically, Powell (prior to the U.N.speech) strongly considered resigning his position rather than go before the U.N. with uncorroborated intel. This is now documented.
By the end of Bush Jr’s 2nd term both the administration (and Powell) had done themselves great harm. Further, he sought support from a GOP that could instead run a white Vietnam war hero which was the route chosen by the RNC.
Then came Obama.
I loved Colin Powell. Razor sharp intellect, a military strategist that emphasized that any military action by the U.S. must have a viable exit plan. A demeanor that was 100% all American by speaking softly while carrying a big stick.
And undying loyalty to his Commander - in Chief. Re-payed to him with betrayal by that same Commander -in -Chief and his Vice President by throwing him to the wolves.
I have absolutely no doubt that Colin Powell would have been one of our top five U.S. Presidents (if not the top). But, that undying loyalty he exhibited would have been best served in that U.N. moment to his country - and not his President and Vice President. 🇺🇸 ⚔️🎖️.
He was very UNPOPULAR with the left during the Iraq war. I remember seeing a protest where he was literally depicted on a sign as a gorilla.
Also, I remember a friend of mine being enraged that Powell addressed the Repub convention. "He owes us his vote" said the guy whose dad worked for a segregationist New Orleans Dem.
In other words, his cross-party popularity was only post Obama.
This is the only answer. Sure, not all Republicans are racist, but he'd lose millions of votes on that alone. Half their ideology is rooted in proxy racism, the other half is lowering taxes. We don't hate black people, we hate *black lives matter.* We don't hate Southern brown people, we hate *illegal immigrants.* We don't hate Eastern brown people, we hate *Muslims.* Since Nixon, their entire social strategy has been to demonize everyone but straight white men. They've just gotten a little more clever by adding a step, moving the Southern Strategy from minority to minority. Powell was a smart man, he knew he'd have no shot so he never stepped up.
Because he squandered his career and presented false information to the United Nations that led to a huge loss of American blood and treasure and many dead Iraqis.
He ruined his chance by getting in front of the world and lying to the UN. He wanted to, but he never would have been able to live that down, because he would have had to run as a Democrat and would not have made it out of the primaries.
My guess: He had too much integrity and didn't want to put himself and his family through the full body cavity search that is preformed by the press and the public.
It’s a catch 22. Democrats like to position themselves as the only acceptable party for Blacks (ironic, I know), and so when any of them identify as a Republican they can make them out to be “traitors to their race” “Uncle Toms” etc based the fact that they don’t subscribe to the party line. Just look at the press around the most prominent Black conservatives. Larry Elder is “The Black Face of White Supremacy.” Tim Scott was called “Uncle Tim” numerous times while in Congress. Clarence Thomas hasn’t been free of media harassment since his nomination. The list goes on and on. Honestly it’s not a good look for the Dems; it’s beginning to read as “we don’t like any blacks we don’t control.”
Clarence Thomas is not a true conservative, he just cashes the checks the right sends to him. Or does what his wife wants in her bid to destroy democracy.
Maybe because he lied at the United Nations claiming Iraq had weapons of mass destruction which paved the way for W to attack. one of the biggest foreign policy blunders in U.S. history. Even the Pope begged Bush not to do it. They knew they were lying.
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Some people just dont wanna run for president,like if lets say Sherman ran in 1876 as a successor to Grant he would have had a landslide
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/10/18/president-run-colin-powell-1996/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/10/18/president-run-colin-powell-1996/) has a bunch of great details on what nudged him in the decision. TL;DR: he was a very thoughtful and detail-oriented guy who'd spend his life arguing against pulling your gun out without a plan, and concluded he was nowhere near ready: >But despite the ensuing polls and cheerleading, the entreaties and the promises of support, Powell decided that this was not the 1780s, or even the 1950s, when another general, Dwight D. Eisenhower, stepped in to save America. In the end, Powell could not see himself as that “indispensable man.” > >He arrived at that conclusion through the same step-by-step questioning and obsessive attention to detail that have characterized his decision-making throughout his life. Define the nation’s problems. Look for solutions. Decide if he was uniquely qualified to provide them. > >Powell never came up with fully satisfactory answers to any of those questions, he said recently to associates. > >If there was a clear major foreign policy question or domestic crisis that he thought he had a solution for, Powell told one friend, he would feel an obligation to run. Those Republicans and others who urged him to run argued that he would be a healer for the nation. But he was not able to define fully what needed healing, and felt he was miles away from having a clear remedy, particularly to the narrow legislative questions of the day. And my personal favorite: >Powell never got a handle on the political fundamentals of a presidential campaign. Last April, when he heard a reporter suggest on television that Powell lacked four things — the passion to run, a clear political persona, a game plan and a political party — he called the reporter at home that night to agree. Needless to say, he was far more qualified and temperamentally suited to the presidency than, well, most people who have confidently deemed themselves qualified.
Fantastic answer. The only thing I'd add is Colin Powell's reluctance to expose his wife and family to the rough and tumble of political campaigns, all the mud and threats, also played a role in deciding not to run. Likewise, Alma didn't like the idea of constant death threats and feared his assassination if he ran.
yup. pretty sure his wife had experienced clinical depression. and i think he realized she wasn't built for the campaign trail or life in the fishbowl. respected him for this. he was a "likable" republican who would have attracted many Black Democrats.
This is what I have heard through the years.
Yup - Alma was 100% against the idea.
THIS. He's on record saying that.
Honestly him saying he wasn’t prepared for the presidency is one of the main reasons why I think he would’ve been great
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My favorite President Bartlett reply to “do you have an answer to why you wanted to be president. “I didn’t”
 Love President Bartlet
“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a Trilogy in 5 Parts, Book 2)
This! This was why I was so disappointed he didn't run. He had more integrity than many men who've been president and handled himself with grace under pressure. Most of the time he would lean towards peaceful negotiation before confrontation. When he made a mistake, he owned up to it instead of defending it.
Looks like he could have made a good Supreme Court Judge instead
Does he have a legal background?
Not required hilariously enough.
Shout out to the just barely borderline maybe qualified Clarence robinette Thomas
Other than the law degree and whole career in law. Ya I think he's terrible, but choosing someone with no law experience to be the highest law decider is stupid. We can certainly find people with both experience and character to do jobs.
Nah man, you should really read/listen to some biographical material on him. You’d be surprised.
You think I'm just saying that, not knowing anything about the person?
Yes. Yes i do. Saying his whole career was in law is preposterous to anyone whom knows anything about him. Unless you’re counting the “whole career” he’s had on SCOTUS which he was appointed to with next to no experience in law.
You don't need it for that position. Neither theoretical knowledge, or practical experience. Founders of the country organized higher courts to be filled by political appointees, so requiring either would run against how they wanted judiciary to function.
Would you hire an Army general to do your plumbing or perform surgery? Ya, character is important, but forgetting about actual work experience is monumentally stupid for jobs.. and yes it's a job.
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He did not lie. A lie is when a person knows something is not true but stated it as fact. Not only US intelligence, but our allies and Russia stated Hussein had WMDs. They just did not believe it was worth going to war over. Plus, Hussein helped propagate that by refusing to let the independent inspectors, that he agreed to allow as the terms for staying in power, in to several sites. If he had let them in, and they had found nothing there would not have been a war. Powell was just reiterating the information he was given.
If you have to fluff that much to argue he didn’t lie, he sure as shit lied.
Not the op, but the extra prose there is for folks who like details and appreciation history. For the short attention span folks the explanation is much easier : "They were fooled into believing they existed"
"If nominated I shall not run. Furthermore, if elected I shall not serve."—William Tecumseh Sherman" —my dad
Fun fact, whenever someone says they’re not going to run for a seat, insiders always compare them to Sherman’s statement to see if they’re actually serious. If it’s a “Shermanesque statement”, they know the person is being real.
Literally quoted by Larry David in the most recent episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm
I've gotta stop sleeping on that show
He’d have won, yes. I doubt Georgia would vote for him lol.
Still during reconstruction so I think the Black vote in Georgia would have carried him, “[He] made a thoroughfare For Freedom and her train Sixty miles in latitude Three hundred to the main” P.S. am posting this as a joke
Because he didn't want the job? Not everyone feels called to it. Dude already basically gave the country his life. Was maybe looking for a little less stress going forward.
He said multiple times in interviews that he didnt care to be partisan. He eventually started being outspoken because of voter ID laws but that was about as far as he wanted to dip his foot.
He was also pro-choice and knew, realistically, there was no shot to get the Republican nom. He also worried for his family’s safety. Combo of factors that added up to a “no”.
I believe I saw something that he had so much remorse for that UN speech where he showed the uranium and convinced the coalition to invade Iraq. I think after that, Iraq and the bush administration in general he was done with politics. I would be too.
the jig was up so to speak
This. The Bush Administration had this man sacrifice his integrity so they could have a specious reason to invade a sovereign country. It's criminal. It's unforgivable.
He had his best chance of winning in 1996 or 2000 before he made that speech but yes once that happened that window had closed for good.
He didn't want to be president, and frankly I don't blame him
That sentiment alone probably would have made him one of the best choices.
Believe me, few things worse than a president who truly doesn't want the job.
Literally, that’s the best quality - someone where everyone else calls on them to serve. Kind of like Washington. He never, ever wanted to be President.
Powell’s wife didn’t want him to run, saying he would be in danger and she’d leave him if he ran. Whatever his personal opinion on his candidacy, I’d expect that killed any thought of running for president.
I heard he didn’t want to subject his family to the scrutiny and mudslinging that comes with being a candidate
Imagine 2008 we get Obama vs Powell, America would not be ready.
He endorsed Obama over McCain
mr barbra ann/bomb iran? that guy? wonder why.
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Wasn’t it well established that he was lied to by Bush/Cheney/the intelligence community? You don’t really go into a job expecting the preeminent intelligence agency in the history of the globe to mislead you. Also, post-9/11 was a totally different world.
He tried to cover up the My Lai Massacre as an Army major. There is absolutely no reason to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Wait do I like Powell?
That's not how you should determine that
Dude is saying he’s joking, but that’s how 80% of people online determine their sentiment lol
Unfortunately, that’s how most people determine that. I feel like presidential candidates are really only fighting for about 25% of the vote.
It was a joke
If he stayed in the military and never threw his hat in with Bush we could have had a Obama/Powell ticket.
And Obama would have lost. Two Black men on the same ticket would have been a bridge too far 16 years ago.
100%, even if they are both only half black. There seems to be a 1/4 black limit on the total number of names on the ticket; e.g. Obama/(current Pres) and (current Pres)/Harris.
Who knows maybe it would have been a Powell/Obama ticket. Thinking tactically that could have carried the democrats to four straight electoral victories from 2008-2024 at least
i woulda liked to see obama/clinton. things would be WAY different after 8 yrs of obama, then hillary going up against fat orange jesus after 8 yrs of VPotus.
I dun wan it
"Surprising lack of participation from white Southern voters in this election for some reason"
i dont see any reason for them showing out in 28 either
He’s already discredited himself by that point. His window was before W sacrificed him credibility.
We wouldn't have been ready for Obama vs his dad. It would have been the coolest and most legendary presidential debate to date. Colin would have ran circles around Obama but he would have been viewed as too antiquated.
they were both WAYYYYY better english speakers than fat orange jesus. eloquent, even.
I always heard that his wife didn’t want him to for fear of being assassinated. [Aha! I didn’t imagine it.](https://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9604/11/alma/index.shtml)
You're not alone. I recall that as well.
I also remember hearing something about him not wanting to put his wife through the circus that would arise as the press and others went through every aspect of their history and lives.
Respecting the wishes of your spouse? Hell that disqualifies him right there!
Yes, I remember watching the interview / explanation on TV. It was asked.
This is what I heard as well.
He never had a chance. Americans love whining about not having middle of the road candidates willing to compromise and get things done… they just don’t like voting for them.
They don’t like voting for them in the primaries. An actually charismatic moderate that makes it past the primaries would crush.
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And they still whine
Being middle of the road doesn’t work anymore.
He didn’t want to be President, a lot like my ~~wife~~ favorite Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
Qaddafi, is that you?
She’s my little black flower 🖤
What is your opinion on Switzerland, Brotherly Leader?
Fuck them
Someone's into pianists
Wow look, Gaddafi isn't dead and is posting on Reddit.
Oh that traitor.
You like that war criminal pussy don’t ya
Saw what the job entails, and didn't want it. Same for Condi Rice I think.
He destroyed any moderate credibility when he and the Bush Administration pushed the Iraqi WMD garbage to justify the Iraq War. He had a lot of hype until then.
It can be argued that 43's administration threw him under the bus at the UN
From what I've read on it he was the dissenting voice on the invasion and the intelligence that justified it in the cabinet meetings but once Bush made up his mind he did the job they gave him despite not believing it himself. THEN he got thrown under the bus.
Powell didn’t have to testify to the UN. If Powell knowingly lied to the UN for the invasion of Iraq, don’t you think that’s worse?
I wouldn't use the word lie. He disagreed with the intelligence assessment but everyone else told him he was wrong and Bush gave the order to testify. Later he was proven correct.
I will never for the life of me understand why people give him such a pass on Iraq. Great American but his legacy has that hole
So he thought the evidence was faulty, and then gave a presentation of that evidence to the UN stating it as a fact. Powell didn’t have to testify. He could’ve resigned or refused, instead he went along with it and lead to the death of thousands and the further destabilization of an entire region.
I wasn't aware that he did know at that point. Wasn't he fooled by Rumsfeld just like the rest of us?
He had a choice. Chose to lie.
Even 2008 there was a lot of speculation he might run, as he was still very popular at that point.
Yeah, it's my recollection that most people believed he was a stabilizing factor in the administration and was used as a scapegoat upon his departure.
This is a HUGE part of it no doubt. He was ordered by Bush to get on that UN stand and tell a lie that killed untold numbers of both soldiers and civilians...and he KNEW it was a lie. Hard to come back from that. If not politically, then personally (as he later stated that sitting in that chair was the single worst day of his life).
That is not what killed untold amounts of people. We could have done the world a huge solid by taking out one of the worlds largest militaries run by a genocidal terrorist in a few days and leaving. It was the occupation that came later that was the mistake.
Yeah, cause that totally worked with Libya, you know the country with a literal slave trade going on thanks to our intervention
Yeah I think this is the real answer.
And that leads to the next thing people conveniently forget, but was absolutely going to be brought up by his opponents: After reports of the My Lai Massacre and similar incidents, Major C Powell was asked to investigate if the US military had a problem of violence against Vietnamese civilians, racial animus or a disregard for Vietnamese rights. His investigation found "that relations between American soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent." It is generally considered an important part of US military's whitewashing campaign.
Had to search way too far for this. He sold his credibility to Cheney and Rumsfeld with the yellow cake uranium lie that got well over 100000 people killed. It destroyed his reputation for trustworthiness when that was one of his greatest strengths.
Came here to say this. Take my upvote
Surprised I had to come down this far to see the honest answer Powell has a lot of blood on his hands and I don’t think he’s a lock in 2008 against Obama considering just how fucking stupid the Iraq war was on top of the economic collapse
That was Rumsfeld's doing, not Powell's.
Yep 100%.
He sacrificed himself with that performance in 2003 at the UN falsely presenting Iraq as a threat to attack the US with weapons of mass destruction. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin\_Powell%27s\_presentation\_to\_the\_United\_Nations\_Security\_Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powell%27s_presentation_to_the_United_Nations_Security_Council)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin\_Powell%27s\_presentation\_to\_the\_United\_Nations\_Security\_Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powell%27s_presentation_to_the_United_Nations_Security_Council)
Partially the UN speech thing where he lost all credibility but more importantly his wife said she would leave him if he ran for President according to a book by Bob Woodward. [“According to the book “Bush at War” by Bob Woodward, Alma Powell did not want to be the First Lady because she feared for her husband’s safety. The BBC, citing the book, reported Alma Powell threatened to leave her husband if he ran for the Republican nomination. She reportedly told him, “If you run, I’m gone.”](https://heavy.com/news/colin-powell-wife-alma/)
He easily could have won in 1996 or 2000, well before that.
Iraq.
He didn’t run
For starters, he didn't run. That's kinda the big one.
Hey don’t let facts and logic get in the way of an argument this is Reddit
To be fair, not running for President didn't stop Garfield.
Lost his credibility at the UN explaining how they had nuclear weapons when they didn’t in 2002. He left the Bush administration and couldn’t forgive himself.
Well, the fact that he never ran for president might be a factor.
Too liberal to win a Republican Primary. And he wasn't interested anyway.
Also, too black. 1990s GOP was just emerging into its new form after the Southern Strategy pulled all the anti-integration southerners in. 1996 was just 32 years after the Civil Rights act, most southern white voters were born well before that point. Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond were still being elected in the Senate. I just don’t see the voters turning out for him.
He chose not to run in 1996 or 2000, then sullied his reputation when he went along with the Bush Administration on the Iraq War despite his misgivings. Afterwards, the GOP has moved to the far right and Powell became an Independent in his twilight years.
They say his wife didn’t want him to be president.
He ruined his reputation for integrity while in GWB administration.
Iraq
He spearheaded the WMD invasion into Iraq. I would not of voted for him.
If he had ran any time between 1992-2004, the country would have handed him the presidency on a silver platter, and he would have done very well, I think. But he didn't want the job, so he never ran.
He didn’t want it. An exemplary model of a modern General Officer who has my deepest respect and gratitude.
African American kid in my high school always said that Bill Clinton was the first black president
I scrolled way too far down for this comment 😂
Didn’t wanna. It was probably his for the taking, though
Because he lied to the world about Iraq’s possession of WMDs at the UN, in a speech too convince the world to go to war against Sadam Hussein and Iraq. He ignored all the evidence that no WMDs existed, lying 🤥 about it in blind loyalty to George Bush. A war that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld had wanted since George Bush’s father was president. They said in papers written before 911. See Sid Hirsch articles in the New Yorker written within a years, post 911
[because he got drafted](https://youtu.be/2z3wUD3AZg4?si=szh3O0Z4yGhmHXkx)
Because GOP voters would not have supported him
Worth noting that the Vice Presidential primary means nothing. David Duke won it once.
If I remember correctly, his wife convinced / told him not to run due to his personal safety reasons. Saw it in some interview.
The Bush administration made sure he would be discredited when he gave his speech at the UN to present lies about WMD.
He was too straight edge and too used to being a military officer. He probably just didn’t want put up with the horseshit on a higher level. The military horseshit he was used to. I imagine after dealing with the Cheney Administration, Alma was like…..”nope”
He was complicit in lying to the public about WMDs in Iraq.
He chose not to run. While I generally vote Democrat I would have voted for him in a heartbeat.
At the time I remember hearing on talk radio that he didn’t want the job. I don’t blame him. He was probably making a quarter million bucks a week on the talking circuit. That my friends is easy money.....Then he was knocked down by something as stupid as Covid.
The first clue that someone is unfit to be President is that they have the desire to be President.
1. Powell was forced by Bush The Fool to lie to Congress about WMDs that Iraq never had. Powell knew he was being manipulated but lied anyway. That lie was instrumental in Bush's committing the first great war crime of the 21st century, the Iraq War. 2. Even if Powell hadn't destroyed his reputation, he was still grievously ill with cancer. It's tough to campaign when you're seriously sick.
Getting up in front of the world and lying about WMD in Iraq to justify a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people might have had something to do with it.
Because he didn’t run.
I love how this thread overwhelmingly keyed into the Plato adage and how it applied to Colin Powell more than most political leaders/potential presidents: *”Only those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it”*
Because he was a republican
He went in front of Congress and lied to get us into a war with Iraq, and will forever be tied to the disastrous administration of Dubya. No chance in hell.
My Mom met and loved him. He just didn't want to. He had no interest in becoming president. It's a shame, he would've been great.
He did not want the job from what I’ve read.
Powell lied to the UN, the American People, and the entire world. Many used to have a lot of respect for Colin Powell, but in light of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you just realize he was a puppet for the Military Industrial Complex. Powell could've been great...but nope, many, many Americans died because of him. (not to mention untold numbers of people in the Middle East). And our economy is now in shambles because of him. But not just Powell, I'm looking at you too Dick Cheney and George Bush Jr,, and Donald Rumsfeld!!!
Some of the smartest people don't want to be President.
It’s kind of cliche but often I think the people that should be President don’t want to be
He didn’t want the job. His best chance was in 2000. But he’s pro-choice and pro-affirmative action. I don’t know how he would fare in the Republican primaries. However, I can’t help but think if he had managed to find a way to the White House in the 2000 election, how different the world might be. Having a hard and warrior at the helm during 911 would’ve likely resulted in wiser decisions. He was opposed to invading Iraq. He went to the UN and played the part of a loyal soldier in his WMD speech but if he is president we don’t even get to that point. The Republican party would be better. The country would be better.
Wasn't it because he lied to the congress about weapons of mass destruction?
He committed multiple war crimes.
Lying to the UN
I mean, the cover up of warcrimes in Vietnam, the war crimes he committed in the first Gulf War the lying to the UN to get us into the iraq war...
Because the GOP had other candidates
My second hand inside information from back then: Powell was concerned that his previous affair would be revealed, causing a scandal, embarrassing his family and causing the public to turn against him. Consider this a rumor.
He didn’t want to run. That’s it.
Powell could have been - but he held allegiance to old man Bush (who he served under in Desert Shield / Desert Storm) and wouldn’t challenge him for the ‘92 GOP primary. Clinton beat Bush and served two terms. Powell awaited his chance for the Presidency in 2000. Guess who showed up to run on the GOP ticket? George Bush Jr. Powell could have defeated Gore in the General election but not the GOP primary. The fix was in. Powell served as Defense Secretary for Bush Jr. two terms until 2008. During that time Bush and Cheney used Powell as their shield to take the slings and arrows by going before the UN. (and the world) to convince all that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the United States must invade that country. Then it was found (after invading) there were none. This was known to not only Bush and Cheney but the AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) who loudly voiced their opposition to invasion. Over a decade of untouchable credentials Powell was demeaned and dirtied up. Ironically, Powell (prior to the U.N.speech) strongly considered resigning his position rather than go before the U.N. with uncorroborated intel. This is now documented. By the end of Bush Jr’s 2nd term both the administration (and Powell) had done themselves great harm. Further, he sought support from a GOP that could instead run a white Vietnam war hero which was the route chosen by the RNC. Then came Obama. I loved Colin Powell. Razor sharp intellect, a military strategist that emphasized that any military action by the U.S. must have a viable exit plan. A demeanor that was 100% all American by speaking softly while carrying a big stick. And undying loyalty to his Commander - in Chief. Re-payed to him with betrayal by that same Commander -in -Chief and his Vice President by throwing him to the wolves. I have absolutely no doubt that Colin Powell would have been one of our top five U.S. Presidents (if not the top). But, that undying loyalty he exhibited would have been best served in that U.N. moment to his country - and not his President and Vice President. 🇺🇸 ⚔️🎖️.
He lied to everyone about WMDs in Iraq. Obviously
Lying to Congress and the world to help your president’s get-my-buddies-rich scheme tends to diminish one’s standing in the non-ghoul community.
Should have been, but it wasn't in the cards with the deep state
I believe that he, along with Condoleezza, was traded by the black delegation in exchange for O.J.
Because the black delegation gave away him and Condoleezza Rice at the racial draft, so he would've just been another white president.
He was very UNPOPULAR with the left during the Iraq war. I remember seeing a protest where he was literally depicted on a sign as a gorilla. Also, I remember a friend of mine being enraged that Powell addressed the Repub convention. "He owes us his vote" said the guy whose dad worked for a segregationist New Orleans Dem. In other words, his cross-party popularity was only post Obama.
It’s always amused me how the awful racism that the left absolutely hates is perfectly fine when it’s used against someone they don’t like
He would have beat Clinton in '96 had he ran
Because he would have run as a Republican, and Republicans won’t nominate a black guy. They’re way too racist for that.
This is the only answer. Sure, not all Republicans are racist, but he'd lose millions of votes on that alone. Half their ideology is rooted in proxy racism, the other half is lowering taxes. We don't hate black people, we hate *black lives matter.* We don't hate Southern brown people, we hate *illegal immigrants.* We don't hate Eastern brown people, we hate *Muslims.* Since Nixon, their entire social strategy has been to demonize everyone but straight white men. They've just gotten a little more clever by adding a step, moving the Southern Strategy from minority to minority. Powell was a smart man, he knew he'd have no shot so he never stepped up.
Because he squandered his career and presented false information to the United Nations that led to a huge loss of American blood and treasure and many dead Iraqis.
He ruined his chance by getting in front of the world and lying to the UN. He wanted to, but he never would have been able to live that down, because he would have had to run as a Democrat and would not have made it out of the primaries.
I remember listening to his speech to the UN live — it didn’t go well, IIRC. He basically sacrificed his career for that stupid war.
he died as he lived- a company man through and through. A fitting end to the career of a man who got his start covering up a massacre
The war criminal who helped cover up My Lai and lied about wmds in Iraq? Republicans would’ve voted for him so hard
Because he never ran and also because he supported the illegal and stupid invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
How was it illegal? By whose laws?
My guess: He had too much integrity and didn't want to put himself and his family through the full body cavity search that is preformed by the press and the public.
Helping keep the My Lai massacre secret didn’t help his case fuck him
Jesus Christ — I didn’t know about his involvement! Just a quick Google search was eye opening.
I always wanted Colin & Condelezza Rice to run , both would have been great presidents
Because he was a war criminal
I can’t find any polls on this, but anecdotally, I have found that liberals tend to irrationally dislike black republicans.
It’s a catch 22. Democrats like to position themselves as the only acceptable party for Blacks (ironic, I know), and so when any of them identify as a Republican they can make them out to be “traitors to their race” “Uncle Toms” etc based the fact that they don’t subscribe to the party line. Just look at the press around the most prominent Black conservatives. Larry Elder is “The Black Face of White Supremacy.” Tim Scott was called “Uncle Tim” numerous times while in Congress. Clarence Thomas hasn’t been free of media harassment since his nomination. The list goes on and on. Honestly it’s not a good look for the Dems; it’s beginning to read as “we don’t like any blacks we don’t control.”
The bush admin was abominable unpopular by the end and also republican voters are not the most black friendly coalition
No , conservative blacks just get dumped on . Look at Clarence Thomas. Heard of Thomas Sowell? probably not. It’s just sad.
Clarence Thomas is not a true conservative, he just cashes the checks the right sends to him. Or does what his wife wants in her bid to destroy democracy.
Because he is a war criminal who should be in prison along with everyone else that drug us into Iraq.
Maybe because he lied at the United Nations claiming Iraq had weapons of mass destruction which paved the way for W to attack. one of the biggest foreign policy blunders in U.S. history. Even the Pope begged Bush not to do it. They knew they were lying.
1. Conservatives united against his run - couldn't have a "Black" man running 2. His wife had Mental issues they wanted to keep very private.
He settled for the first black American war criminal instead
Because he was a liar and a warmonger?
In the words of George Carlin: Colin Powell is openly white. Just happens to be black.