Republicans Need Colin Powell

Joe Scarborough: Embrace Powell, or party may not survive
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 15, 2013 1:46 PM CST
Republicans Need Colin Powell
President Obama talks with reporters after a meeting with former Secretary of State Colin Powell, left, in 2010.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Colin Powell's criticism of the GOP Sunday did not go over well with many members of his party—but Joe Scarborough thinks moderate, electable Powell is exactly what Republicans need. As the late William F. Buckley put it, conservatives need to take reality into account. Or as Scarborough puts it on Politico, "History casts an unforgiving eye on political parties that don’t adapt to changing times." So the GOP is doomed if it can't "keep pace with the rapid change in demographic realities." That means voting for someone electable, if moderate, rather than continuing to champion far-right candidates (or, as Scarborough puts it, "idiots") who will never win a general election.

Powell is that electable-but-moderate choice. Sure, Scarborough used to scoff at him back in the '90s, but he now understands that Republicans are actually lucky Powell still considers himself one of them. "This war hero with historic accomplishments ... should still be one of the leading voices of my Republican Party, especially since it faces demographic trends that could spell its doom," writes the MSNBC host and former congressman. If the GOP actually starts listening to and using Powell, it could also start winning elections again. If not, the party may not survive. Click for Scarborough's full column. (More Joe Scarborough stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X