Word: coline
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...Colin Powell, of course, is much more than a mere John Wayne. But President-elect Bush was fully aware of Powell's "American hero" status and knew he'd hit a home run when he tapped Powell for secretary of state. Powell, after all, brings to the table a true-blue Horatio Alger story - black kid from the Bronx made good with no special favors - as well as a remarkable track record in the military, an almost unprecedented wealth of goodwill from across the political spectrum and a commanding moral authority. It's that special sort of Cinderella moral authority...
...Colin Powell's persona invites instinctive trust. We feel safe in his hands as we watch him on TV, and find ourselves subliminally imagining James Earl Jones - not the Darth Vader version, but rather the stern but loving father figure of "Field of Dreams" or "The Lion King." That quality which once made Powell so attractive as a possible presidential candidate will probably also make his confirmation hearing one of those festivals of bipartisan deference usually reserved only for Alan Greenspan...
...where does the fantasy we project on Colin Powell end and the real Colin Powell begin...
There's a temptation, in a nation that builds its icons on templates forged in Hollywood, to imagine Colin Powell as some kind of movie hero. Just like those we love best on the big screen, he's handsome, commanding, possessed of a sonorous voice and a compelling story - all of which combine to stir feelings of admiration, comfort and well-being. His triumphs satisfy some of our unspoken emotional desires...
...defines his role in that episode reveals some things about his rise through the ranks. He may be championed these days as a "Gulf War hero," but Colin Powell is no "Stormin' Norman" Schwarzkopf. His military career was that of a manager and organizer rather than a strategic visionary. For a man who rose so fast, Powell has remarkably few enemies - but his renown was earned as that of a no-nonsense facilitator who could make the trains run on time, rather than as a thinker or innovator. When the time came for war, he organized the winning team...