Colin Powell Endorses Obama

Former Secretary of State and long-time Republican Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.) endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president.

On "Meet the Press" just about an hour ago, Powell said that although both men are qualified to be commander in chief, Obama is the man that this country and world needs now at this critical juncture in history. He also added that Obama has shown through his steadiness and poise that he is more suited to handle the nation's economic problems as well as improve America's standing in the world.

"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."

As I described in an earlier entry on this very subject, Powell's endorsement is very significant because he is a Republican with unmatched foreign policy credentials, a subject on which Obama is weak.

When host Tom Brokaw asked if Obama's race had anything to do with his decision, Powell responded that it was not a dominant factor in his decision. If he was basing his decision on race alone, he said he would have endorsed Obama months ago.

Powell spoke fondly of John McCain throughout the interview, citing him as a friend of 25 years who he has great respect and admiration for. He also added that he could also be a good president.

However, Powell said that he was disappointed with the negative tone of his campaign, citing that the whole William Ayers issue should not even be an issue and that Obama clearly had a very, very limited relationship with the man. He expressed disappointment that although McCain had said that he "did not care about an old washed up terrorist" in the third presidential debate, he had continued to bring him up and centralize his campaign around the man, as well as condone the robo-calls being made to hundreds of thousands of Americans around the country regarding Obama's relationship with Ayers that he feels are dividing the country.

Powell was also troubled by Republican personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim. Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.

“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.

“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. He also criticized his own party: “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”

Powell also expressed that McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate raised questions about his judgment and about who he would bring into his administration. "I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States," Powell said of Palin. By contrast, he said that Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden, “is ready to be president on day one.”

Powell, as secretary of state under George W. Bush, helped make the case before the United Nations for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. A retired general, he 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.

On Fox News Sunday, McCain said he disagreed with Powell's decision to endorse Obama, and touted that he had been endorsed by four other secretaries of state under Republican administrations.

"Well, I've always admired and respected Gen. Powell. We're longtime friends. This doesn't come as a surprise," McCain said.

Asked whether Powell's endorsement would undercut his campaign's repeated assertion that Obama is not ready to lead, McCain said: "Well, again, we have a very, we have a respectful disagreement, and I think the American people will pay close attention to our message for the future and keeping America secure."

At the end of the interview with Brokaw, Powell said that he does not plan on campaigning for Obama in these last few weeks. When asked whether he would consider joining the next president's cabinet, Powell said that he is not eager to return to that kind of position, but would sit down and talk or give advice to either candidate.

In the end, Powell's endorsement can only help Obama and hurt McCain. It may reassure many voters who were leaning towards Obama but were not quite convinced that he is ready to be commander in chief. This endorsement might also help Obama among veterans in the veteran-rich battlegrounds of Florida, North Carolina and Northern Virginia (with the latter being the most important swing region in the country).

At the very least, it will dominate the news cycle of the next few days and it will bring positive attention to the Obama campaign. It will also help to run out the clock on McCain campaign, which is still looking for a way to turn this race around, but it running out of time.

Here is a clip from his endorsement.

UPDATE: Barack Obama acknowledged and welcomed Powell's support at an afternoon rally today in Fayetteville, North Carolina:

"This morning, a great soldier, a great statesman, and a great American has endorsed our campaign to change America," Obama said. "I have been honored to have the benefit of his wisdom and counsel from time to time over the last few years. ... He knows, as we do, that this is a moment where we all need to come together as one nation -- young and old, rich and poor, black and white, Republican and Democrat."