Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama
With an announcement coming this morning, former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell has oficially endorsed Barack Obama, even though he has had a good friendship with John McCain for 25 years. From My Way News:
WASHINGTON (AP) – 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.
A lot of people will put Colin Powell down the road for this endorsement and while I certainly do not agree with it, it is important that we remember something about Powell. He is very well respected in Washington and he has felt slighted over his treatement during his tenure as Secretart of State in George W. Bush’s first term in office. Let’s not be too harsh on the man. We can disagree with him without making him seem like a villan. He has his reasons for this endorsement; we need to respect that and focus our energy on Barack Obama himself. He is the danger, not Colin Powell.
That’s my take!
Larry
Larry, thank you for your words on this very touchy subject. As my wife and I watched the news this morning, we felt betrayed and hurt beyond compare. I served my country in the military for 20+ years, and would do so again.
When General Powell endorsed Senator Obama, though, I lost all respect for him. That’s harsh, and I know it, but the truth is, we don’t need the Illinois senator to take us down the road to socialism, and that’s certainly where he wants us to go. The bigger the government, the more he will like it.
No, General Powell has deeply disappointed me today, but I don’t find it hard to believe, either. How sad. Wake up, America.