For political observers, the events of the day always provide an opportunity to learn a new lesson, or to reinforce an old one. Nearly every headline provides a teachable moment, but all too often, those who would benefit most from the learning experience never take it to heart.
The death of Gen. Colin Powell offers yet another chance for Republicans to learn why they always end up heartbroken when they try to court the support and approval of liberal Democrats. Those attempts never end well. Their advances are rejected and they never succeed in winning over the other side. And when the opportunity presents itself, the left will viciously turn on those who have acquiesced to them and patronized them.
There are a number of parallels between Powell and John McCain. That's why Powell's betrayal of McCain in the 2008 presidential race was especially ironic.
McCain tried to stake his political legacy on his "maverick" reputation. He often took great delight in opposing the policies and principles of the Republican Party. He became the quintessential RINO. He refused to run a hard-hitting campaign against Barack Obama, appeared far too deferential to him during and after the 2008 race, and maintained that posture in his final days as a United States senator, casting a decisive vote against the repeal of Obamacare in an act of defiance to conservatives.
One would think that McCain's positions would have been right up Powell's alley. Frequently mentioned as a wished-for GOP presidential candidate, Powell never entered the political arena after his service as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later as secretary of state. He initially supported McCain's 2008 presidential run, but then pulled one of the most amazing about-faces in American presidential political history.
Powell chose pigmentation over policy, and threw his backing behind Obama, snubbing McCain. The change in direction from the man who had served for a time as Ronald Reagan's national security adviser didn't go over well with Republicans who had been supportive of Powell and his career. Some even took to calling him "Colon" Powell in response to his betrayal of his principles.
What usually happens when Republicans court the affection of Democrats is that they not only fail to win the liberals over, but they lose the love from their own side. It certainly happened to McCain. He never succeeded in winning over the left, and he became a pariah among the base of the Republican Party. He'll be a poster child for RINOs for years to come. Even in death, he didn't get the warm fuzzies from the Democrats that he'd spent much of his political career chasing.
The same thing happened to Powell. Within a few hours of his death, before the ever-changing news cycle had gotten a chance to move on to the next headline, the term "war criminal" was trending on Twitter. The liberals, whose approval Powell had sought for many years, were turning on him due to his support for the Iraq war in 2002. Even in death, he couldn't get the bipartisan approval he craved.
It's a lesson from which Republicans should take heed. We're seeing it play out on national and regional stages every day. Members of Congress such as Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are playing to the liberals by siding with them in their battles against Donald Trump. But it's still common to see leftists complain about their voting records, while at the same time the faux Republicans have torpedoed the grassroots support from their own party. Illinois Democrats were so grateful for Kinzinger's anti-Trump support that they have attempted to gerrymander him out of his House seat for next year's elections.
This scenario is ongoing in Kentucky politics, as well. Secretary of State Michael Adams is often criticized by Republicans for capitulating to Gov. Andy Beshear on temporary voting procedure changes that were implemented last year, some of which were made permanent. Yet some liberals are also on his case over some of the steps taken to combat fraud and ensure election integrity. By playing to both sides, he's made enemies of both. No wonder he's mulling a race for Kentucky's vacant 3rd District congressional seat next year, especially now that state Sen. Julie Raque Adams has indicated she doesn't plan to run.
Legislative leaders in the GOP-dominated Kentucky General Assembly have drawn the ire of the left for standing against many of Beshear's executive mandates regarding the Wuhan Chinese virus, but the GOP rank and file are angry with them for not fighting back hard enough. They see the recent special session as a lost opportunity to enact reforms such as making employers liable for workers compensation claims as a result of vaccination requirements, or prohibiting forced vaccination in order to get or keep a job or otherwise participate in society.
Donald Trump weighed in on Powell's death on Tuesday in his typical outspoken way. Trump haters immediately pounced on Trump's language, but nothing he said was untrue. It could have been phrased a bit more diplomatically, but the substance of Trump's observation was correct. Powell was a RINO who failed miserably when he coddled liberals.
Powell's passing is noted here. It is not celebrated as some did before his family had an opportunity to make funeral arrangements, but neither is it mourned. But the lesson in how his death has been noted is something that conservatives and Republicans should take to heart when they cast their lots with the left and seek their devotion and approval, and abandon their core principles in search of acceptance.
