Character Is Never Irrelevant

Nearly all the glowing tributes for the late Colin Powell included wistful references to the promising presidential campaign he passed up in 1996. Columnist Maureen Dowd flatly declared: “General Powell was the best America had to offer…. He could have been president.”
At a jammed press conference in November of 1995, with his inspiring memoir My American Journey riding high on national bestseller lists, the charismatic four-star general made a long-awaited announcement: that he had registered as a Republican and planned to back the GOP, but declined to become a candidate himself. “I believe I can help the party of Lincoln move once again close to the spirit of Lincoln,” Powell pledged…. Click here to read the full column at Newsweek.com.