On the Powell Endorsement

A couple of folks asked me what I thought of it. Well, no big surprise obviously as a lot of people were expecting it. I mentioned some time back in my "Don't Panic" piece that it would probably happen and at a time beneficial to Obama.

My only mild surprise was just how thoroughly damning Powell's comments are about McCain. Having someone that well-regarded and respected say out loud what so many have been privately thinking -- that's devastating to McCain's rapidly imploding candidacy.

Oh, and the nasty comments from right-wing pundits directed at Powell -- no surprise there of course. These people reveal their true nature on a daily basis.

New York Times Flashback

Since John McCain's inept and floundering campaign is now trying to shoot the messenger by going after the NY Times at every turn, I thought it might be worth a look back to this past January:

Editorial
Primary Choices: John McCain

Published: January 25, 2008

We have strong disagreements with all the Republicans running for president. The leading candidates have no plan for getting American troops out of Iraq. They are too wedded to discredited economic theories and unwilling even now to break with the legacy of President Bush. We disagree with them strongly on what makes a good Supreme Court justice.

Still, there is a choice to be made, and it is an easy one. Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field.

We have shuddered at Mr. McCain’s occasional, tactical pander to the right because he has demonstrated that he has the character to stand on principle. He was an early advocate for battling global warming and risked his presidential bid to uphold fundamental American values in the immigration debate. A genuine war hero among Republicans who proclaim their zeal to be commander in chief, Mr. McCain argues passionately that a country’s treatment of prisoners in the worst of times says a great deal about its character.

It's not the NY Times that has changed -- it's McCain.

Powell: Obama Win Would be "Electrifying"

The very popular retired Republican general and former Bush Secretary of State is still not ready to endorse a candidate, but this should definitely be heartening to Obama supporters who feel their candidate could use the sort of "electric jolt" they would get from Powell's endorsement. Since both candidates are pushing factors such as change and bipartisanship, this would be a real feather in Obama's camp (cynicism about race notwitstanding). A few interesting excerpts:

The election of an African-American president “would be electrifying,” Powell told a George Washington University audience, “but at the same time [I have to] make a judgment here on which would be best for America.

“I have been watching both individuals, I know them both extremely well, and I have not decided who I am going to vote for. And I'm interested to see what the debates are going to be like because we have to get off of this ‘lipstick on a pig’ stuff and get into issues,” he said.
...

“As always, he is holding his cards close and waiting for more information," one adviser close to Powell told CNN’s John King.

...

“I have voted for members of both parties in the course of my adult life. And as I said earlier, I will vote for the candidate I think can do the best job for America, whether that candidate is a Republican, a Democrat, or an independent,” he added.

Powell also offered praise for Obama, calling him an “exciting person on the political stage.

“He has energized a lot of people in America,” said Powell, who briefly weighed his own run for the White House in the mid-1990s. “He has energized a lot of people around the world. And so I think he is worth listening to and seeing what he stands for.”

Last month, a Powell adviser told CNN that "he likes and admires John McCain, and that would be a factor in anything he does if he decides to get more involved."

Another source close to Powell said that he has known McCain for more than three decades “and likes him, and is looking for a reason to vote for him. He hasn't found it yet."