When the media caught wind of a Retired Gen. Colin L. Powell appearance on "Meet the Press," they became frenzied with excitement. This could be a significant story in the making. Mr. Powell may finally break his silence on the his pick for president. Would the retired general and respected Republican drive another nail into Sen. McCain's coffin? Would he stick with his party and trumpet praise for the Republican nominee? The talking heads were like children on Christmas Eve, waiting eagerly for Santa to arrive. So I decided that instead of sleeping in, I'd set my alarm for 10:25, enough time to journey downstairs and grab something to eat before settling down to say good morning to Tom Brokaw.
As the program began, my anticipation mounted. Mr. Powell is an extremely well-respected Republican, admired by members of both parties. His approval was an important one. He began by acknowledging his respect for both candidates, and described how he took great care in learning all he could about the two men vying for his approbation. He discussed Sen. Obama's "intellectual vigor." Then he began his "blistering, detailed critique of the modern GOP." He chastised the McCain campaign's use of Bill Ayers, and the allegations that Obama is a Muslim, and the insinuation that being Muslim is a "bad" thing. He told the sad tale of a fallen Muslim soldier. "Sen. McCain says he a washed-up old terrorist — then why does he keep talking about him?" Powell asked, referring to Mr. Ayers. "They're trying to connect [Obama] to some kind of terrorist feelings, and I think that's inappropriate," Powell said. "Now I understand what politics is all about — I know how you can go after one another. And that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Gov. Palin has indicated a further rightward shift."
Powell also mentioned that he has "heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion [that Obama's] a Muslim and might be associated with terrorists. "This is not the way we should be doing it in America. I feel strongly about this particular point," Powell said. "We have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that within the party, we have these kinds of expressions." He also mentioned that he was "troubled" with the far-right direction of his party, amplified by Gov. Sarah Palin. This brought him to his strong endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama:
"I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming ... onto the world stage and on the American stage. And for that reason, I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama."
Sen. McCain appeared on "Fox News Sunday" in an attempt to diffuse the situation. He cited that "this doesn’t come as a surprise. But I'm also very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state ... and I'm proud to have the endorsement of well over 200 retired generals and admirals. I respect and continue to respect and admire Secretary Powell." Some conservatives blasted the endorsement as being all to do with race, or the fact that Obama is already ahead in the polls, or to "make up for what he regarded as not being treated well by the Bush administration, not being given the due deference he thinks he deserves."
I cannot help to think that Mr. Powell's endorsement is important. He was a four-star Army general, national security adviser to President Reagan; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and under George H.W. Bush; as well as President George W. Bush’s first secretary of state. This is a real heavyweight. For a military and national security expert such as Mr. Powell to throw his support behind the "naive, inexperienced" Democrat from Illinois is a huge deal. I do not believe for one moment the excuses some conservatives have made, mentioned above. Such a powerful figure does not play the game the way others do. He is "a man who I admire as much as anyone in the world," according to Sen. McCain. Mr. Powell served as an informal adviser to the McCain campaign in its early stages, which highlights the evolution of the campaign throughout this election cycle.
On a more... strategic aspect, the timing could not have been better. With sixteen days left to turn things around, McCain cannot afford to lose the news cycle. And that is exactly what has happened. This is one less day he has to turn the tides. We shall see what unfolds in the days ahead, and perhaps be able to understand more fully the affect of the Powell factor.
While I very much like Colin Powell (and would have loved to see him run for president if Bush hadn't disgraced him), I don't think it's necessarily true that he's well respected on both sides of the isle- he's pro-abortion and pro-gun control. That doesn't make him especially popular with Republicans, and also doesn't make his endorsement of Obama very surprising.
However, do you think this will have a great effect on independents, who care less about the social issues and more about the economy and foreign policy?
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"Qui plume a, guerre a."
-Voltaire
That's true- and despite the fact that Powell made a fool out of himself in front of the United Nations, I think Americans still respect him, or at least feel sorry for him. Plus, the big thing with Powell is that he's a military man- and he bucked his fellow soldier.
This was a very good tactic on Powell's part. As you said McCain loses air time. i also agree with Powell's views about how the media and the McCain campaign is distorting information to try to make Obama appear to be a terrorist. this is absolutely unacceptable.