A Powell endorsement?
By Michael J.W. Stickings
It might be coming. (Perhaps on Meet the Press this Sunday.)
Powell doesn't have nearly as much credibility as he had before he Iraq War -- that is, before he sacrificed it all out of loyalty to Bush (or whatever else prompted him to play the mouthpiece for deception, and he certainly had his concerns even as he was voicing the party line) -- but he still seems to be a fairly popular public figure (though I haven't seen any recent approval ratings to back that up), particularly among independents.
I don't want to overstate the case -- endorsements don't usually mean that much, after all -- but I think a Powell endorsement at this point, with the three debates behind us and with Obama having opened up solid leads in the polls and with time running out, would be a significant coup for Obama. It would give him a high-profile boost to his own foreign policy credibility (that is, it would act as a major vote of confidence -- even though polls show he already has the confidence of voters even in what was thought to be one of McCain's strongest areas) and there would likely be overwhelmingly positive media coverage next week (certainly the establishment press still likes Powell a lot). As well, it could be just what Obama needs to win over remaining independents and "undecideds," those voters seemingly waiting for something, anything, to compel them to vote one way or the other.
We shall see.
It might be coming. (Perhaps on Meet the Press this Sunday.)
Powell doesn't have nearly as much credibility as he had before he Iraq War -- that is, before he sacrificed it all out of loyalty to Bush (or whatever else prompted him to play the mouthpiece for deception, and he certainly had his concerns even as he was voicing the party line) -- but he still seems to be a fairly popular public figure (though I haven't seen any recent approval ratings to back that up), particularly among independents.
I don't want to overstate the case -- endorsements don't usually mean that much, after all -- but I think a Powell endorsement at this point, with the three debates behind us and with Obama having opened up solid leads in the polls and with time running out, would be a significant coup for Obama. It would give him a high-profile boost to his own foreign policy credibility (that is, it would act as a major vote of confidence -- even though polls show he already has the confidence of voters even in what was thought to be one of McCain's strongest areas) and there would likely be overwhelmingly positive media coverage next week (certainly the establishment press still likes Powell a lot). As well, it could be just what Obama needs to win over remaining independents and "undecideds," those voters seemingly waiting for something, anything, to compel them to vote one way or the other.
We shall see.
Labels: 2008 election, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, endorsements, news media
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
3:45 PM
5 Comments:
powell has zero cred with me- he just testified at ted steven's corruption trial as a character witness FOR stevens. i believe the word he used to describe ted's character- "sterling"- put that together with being a shill for the iraq war when it was clearly against his common sense- i doubt he will sway any rethugs either.
By
billie, at 3:50 PM
Believe it or not, I still have sympathy for Powell as he is the only one who has expressed shame/regret for his actions. Also, I think his hands were tied in 2003. He might have resigned or blown the whistle anonymously, but he was given all sorts of classified information, and had he done anything to go against the run up to war he might have been court martialed.
By
Anonymous, at 5:29 PM
Like it or not Powells endorsement is very influentiial and istrumental to the Obama campaign . I have a lot of respect for Colin Powell but regretfully I cannot agree with his glorious endorsement of Obama there are toomany unanswered questions of not only his background but his affiliations and remarks he has made , especially in his books . jd
By
Anonymous, at 5:32 PM
This endorsement speaks volumes and I believe it will be a needle mover for two relevant voter segments this election: (1) moderate Republicans who are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the extreme rightward direction of the McCain-Palin campaign and (2) people who are holding back on Obama-Biden primarily because of foreign policy and national security concerns.
Aside from the blemish on his record in relation to the Iraq war, General Powell still garners tremendous respect from the vast majority of Republicans, and every Republican President in the last three decades has sought his advice on National Security and Foreign Policy issues. I hope that General Powell's endorsement will sway the votes of some members of the two above-mentioned segments away from John McCain and Sarah Palin and towards Senators Obama and Biden.
This election is still too close for my comfort, and the excellent news about General Powell aside, it will be important for those of who support Senator Obama to get to the polls on election day (or sooner if you can!) and vote not only to ensure his victory, but also to demonstrate the greater sense of unity and solidarity our country desperately needs right now.
Comments welcome: http://whenelephantsfly.blogspot.com
By
Unknown, at 6:30 PM
Colin Powell was George Bush�s most trusted advisor. He sold the war in Iraq to the American people and the U.N. Selling Barrack Obama should be a �slam dunk�.
By
clatech, at 9:28 AM
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