POWELL ENDORSES OBAMA!!!!

[gridlore]

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama for president

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president Sunday, describing the Illinois senator as a "transformational figure."

Powell said both Obama and Republican John McCain are qualified to be commander in chief. But he said Obama is better suited to handle the nation's economic problems as well as help improve its standing in the world.

"It isn't easy for me to disappoint Sen. McCain in the way that I have this morning, and I regret that," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"But I firmly believe that at this point in America's history, we need a president that will not just continue, even with a new face and with the changes and with some maverick aspects, who will not just continue basically the policies that we have been following in recent years," Powell said.

"I think we need a transformational figure. I think we need a president who is a generational change and that's why I'm supporting Barack Obama, not out of any lack of respect or admiration for Sen. John McCain."

Powell's endorsement has been much anticipated because he is a Republican with impressive foreign policy credentials. At the same time, he is a black man and Obama would be the nation's first black president.

Powell said he was cognizant of the racial aspect of his endorsement, but said that was not the dominant factor in his decision. If it was, he said, he would have made the endorsement months ago.

Powell served as secretary of state in President Bush's first term, and helped make the case before the United Nations for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. A retired general, Powell also was the nation's top military commander, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the first Gulf war under President George H.W. Bush.

A life-long Republican, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, former Secretary of State, and a man so popular that both parties considered trying to get him to run in 2008... this may well be the Mortal Kombat "Finish Him" moment of the campaign. Having a four-star general say Obama is qualified to be C-in-C destroys that argument. Having a former SecState endorse Obama ends the foreign policy experience debate. And a moderate Republican of his stature is going to bring a lot of voters across party lines.

This is the 10-run homerun that John McCain was looking for. Sadly, he's on the mound watching it fly into the stands.

Comments

[pauldrye.livejournal.com]

It's sad...in a different, better world this election would have been Obama vs. Powell. But his chances were gutted by the lies he was fooled into telling to the American public and the UN.

[chaotic-nipple.livejournal.com]

Why does Colin Powell hate America?!?

[pauldrye.livejournal.com]

The same reason so many other people are coming to hate America: the xenophobic, anti-intellectual politics of your Republican party.

[pauldrye.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know you were joking, but it was a good question to answer seriously.

[claidheamhmor]

Awesome. Powell's comments were really good too.

This is good, but ...

[capplor.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many of the under-educated Palinites will look at this & say "Well, he's black too." & thus write it off to "reverse racism."

Well, besides "all of them."

Re: This is good, but ...

[capplor.livejournal.com]

Didn't speak too soon did we? Rash Limbo hath spoken, an article at http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/Limbaugh_Where_are_the_inexperienced_white_liberals_Powell_has_endorsed.html says:

Rush Limbaugh said Colin Powell's decision to get behind Barack Obama appeared to be very much tied to Obama's status as the first African-American with a chance to become president.

"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."

As for Powell's statement of concern this morning about the sort of Supreme Court justices a President McCain might appoint, Limbaugh wrote: "I was also unaware of his dislike for John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia. I guess he also regrets Reagan and Bush making him a four-star [general] and secretary of state and appointing his son to head the FCC. Yes, let's hear it for transformational figures."

Good old dependable Rush, who stands to lose his job if some of Obama's ideas for FCC regulations come down.

two words why he endorsed Obama:

[redc1c4.livejournal.com]

"J*b Security"

He endorsed on Sunday, and on Monday he has a position in the Obama Administration......

How Chicago can you get? Looks like the politics of "Hope" & "Change" are just the same old same old.

color me unimpressed.

Re: two words why he endorsed Obama:

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no chance in the world that he actually meant what he said, right? The man (who is in his seventies, draws two pensions, gets book royalties, and serves on two corporate boards) is so desperate for a job that he throws his life-long membership in the Republican Party under the bus.

No offense, Red, but watching the GOP flail around in anguish as conservative after conservative supports Obama is hysterical.