Julia Thompson questioned:
Hell, no - I was being extremely flippant (and quite possibly using an expression which is taken differently on the other side of the Pacific). But the same thing applies now - Since 9/11 he has become such a public figure that it seems inconceivable that he was ever unknown to anybody. Who would have been Al Gore's S of S? How well known was he in Y2000?Hell, half the population of the USA hadn't even heard of Colin Powell pre 9/11.Do you have a cite for that statistic? I find it hard to believe. I think the percentage of the population of the US that knew who Colin Powell was was greater than 50%. But I could be wrong.
What I was trying to convey was that significant demographic segments of the population in a country with optional voting simply don't care about political figures beyond their immediate precint (ie they know their mayor, their governor, and their president ) whereas the kind of keen enquiring minds that represent the US contingent of Brin-L take more interest in what's going on around them. Even though Powell has a high (and favourable) profile now, it seems to be largely a result of the last 2 years work, rather than his long and distinguished career away from the spotlights or with JCS during the Gulf War.
And another only vaguely related question - regarding his colour - would coming from a Jamaican family be seen as the same as coming from, say, a Louisana African American family? I have no idea how West Indian blacks are seen in the US.
Cheers
Russell C.
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