Merged Colin Powell to endorse Obama on Meet the Press?

[SezMe]

Other way around. I agree with Cicero, for once.

Quite a few people on both sides of the isle had considerable respect for Powell, pre-Bush. When he tried to sell the UN on that pile of garbage as a reason to go to war, a lot of that respect went straight out the window. I'm not aware of any significant change in this perception since he finally decided to step down.

The media will play up a Powell endorsement as if it's significant, but I really don't think it will affect the race much at all.

Took the words out of my mouth, except I would have expressed a little more trepidation at the fact that I was agreeing with Cicero.

 

[Cleon]

Took the words out of my mouth, except I would have expressed a little more trepidation at the fact that I was agreeing with Cicero.

Don't think for a second that I didn't take a shot of JD before typing that.

 

[BenBurch]

Funny stuff here.

Had he endorsed McCain I am quite certain I would be hearing a different tune from the right-wingers here.

Colin Powell should have been the first African-ancestry President, and would have been had he not helped Bush sell this unnecessary and badly-run war. I think that damaged him enough that this will have a generally neutral effect on this race, but it may help with some number of undecided voters. It won't change the minds of any of the base Repubs, or any of the core Democrats.

Now, the endorsement I think would make a major change would be Condi Rice.

If she endorsed Obama, the election would become a formality.

 

[jj]

Please. Powell, West Point graduate, four star general, former CJCOS, Sec of State, is the one who went to the U.N. with Satellite photos and pointed to vehicles that he said contained WOMD's. What credibility does this guy have with liberals or conservatives?

Even if the libs beleive he was bamboozled by Bush 43, who wants the endorsement of a man with convictions of convenience?

Indeed, look what happens when somebody realizes the administration he is involved in is deeply, catastrophically unethical, and as a result resigns.

What happens? The "right" smears this man's reputation when he dares to speak out.

 

[Oliver]

Seems as if the "yet not confirmed rumor" is new to Obama:

Obama doesn’t know about Powell endorsement
[SIZE=-1]Reuters - 6 hours ago[/SIZE]

 

[Malerin]

A Powell endorsement would be the final nail in the Mccain campaign coffin. It would dominate the news cycle favorably for Obama for at least 48 hours, boost Obama's national security creds, and be regarded as a repudiation of Mccain's positions and inner circle (most of which are the neo-cons Powell despises). Powell has regained a lot of the luster he lost after his disastrous UN presentation.

"Is Gen. Colin Powell getting ready to endorse Sen. Barack Obama on "Meet the Press" this Sunday? Two sources close to Powell, speaking on the condition of anonymity, predict that he will."

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/racetothefinish/archive/2008/10/17/will-powell-endorse-obama.aspx



"In an August Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, more than three-quarters (76 percent) of voters viewed Powell favorably while just 13 percent saw him in an unfavorable light."

...

"More than one in three voters said a Powell endorsement of Obama would make them more likely to vote for the Democrat. (Hat tip to Jon "The Numbers Man" Cohen for the polling data.)"

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/10/why_the_powell_endorsement_cou.html?hpid=topnews

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

Colin Powell has no credibility and deserve no respect in my eyes. He stood up and lied to the world.

Frankly, I don't think his endorsement of Obama will help Obama. If it does, it saddens me.

 

[shemp]

Colin Powell has about as much credibility as Colin Fry.

 

[dudalb]

Colin Powell has no credibility and deserve no respect in my eyes. He stood up and lied to the world.

Frankly, I don't think his endorsement of Obama will help Obama. If it does, it saddens me.

Frankly, I just think you don't like the Military or anybody in it.

 

[dudalb]

Indeed, look what happens when somebody realizes the administration he is involved in is deeply, catastrophically unethical, and as a result resigns.

What happens? The "right" smears this man's reputation when he dares to speak out.

Agreed. And as we are seeing here, some on the Left will never forgive Powell.

 

[TheJim]

I don't care for Powell mostly for his cover up of the Mai Ling Massacre. But, Obama has had my support since his announcement to run and the only person that might have changed my mind was out campaigning for him today, Al Bundy. That said this is great news for Obama, Powell has something like a 80 percent approval rating with single digit negatives and is one of only two people that can make an endorsement that would be actual news at this point, the other being Ross Perot. Malrein is right this will be the story for the Sunday and Monday news cycle effectively running two days off of the clock. With just 17 days and 5 of those Fridays and Saturdays along with Obama getting at least another two day news cycle for his half hour of network time that leaves McCain only 8 days when Obama is not going to have guaranteed positive press.


Sorry I forgot to mention this. McCain has also used up one of his last late nite appearances too with Obama still presumably having another Letterman plus a Leno while McCain presumably has just a Leno. So again he is at disadvantage here also. It also seems that likely that Obama will have an NBC nightly news interview after McCain.

 

[Oliver]

I don't care for Powell mostly for his cover up of the Mai Ling Massacre. But, Obama has had my support since his announcement to run and the only person that might have changed my mind was out campaigning for him today, Al Bundy.

Reason: "NO MA'AM"

 

[jj]

Agreed. And as we are seeing here, some on the Left will never forgive Powell.

And in this case the right is counting on that.

After what the 'W' administration did to Powell and Whitman, to name two people ruined by their corruption, someone has the nerve to castigate the victim, and hope for a similar reaction from their reactive opponents.

 

[Cain]

Powell has always been a press untouchable, and nearly everyone in the mainstream media fawns over his loyalty to superiors even if it's at the expense of truth. And had Powell resigned in the run-up to war, I'd have bet money Cicero would have talked **** about him then.

From a metaperspective, the endorsement is important because it solidifies the view that the adults are in charge. It gives Obama another stamp of approval from the establishment, and on the military-side from this highly respected figure. What we're actually talking about here is political currency, which is valuable because people think it's valuable.

I waver on Powell. I very clearly remember overhearing people on Feb. 6th (Ronald Reagan's birfday) saying Powell sold them. This young white woman in an economics class said, "Well, I was unsure, but he changed my mind." I think it was U.S. News and World Report who quoted Powell saying "this is ********" when he was vetting evidence to put forth at the U.N. Liberal Powell lovers want to sell this story about the guy deceived and bullied; a well-meaning but unwilling enabler, and perhaps that's partially true. Powell's loyal aide Larry Wilkerson has been on a bunch of documentaries criticizing the administration, but mostly focusing on post-invasion incompetence.

You have to separate the man from the position. I know people who hate their job, hate having to be dishonest to customers, or be complete aholes and bitches, but it's basically a job requirement, they need to eat, and it's not something they want to do forever. Powell decided not to go on for a second term, but he was still lying. He might be a nice guy, but he also made the decision to undermine his own credibility.

Ben and Chris Rock are both right -- he could've been president. In retrospect I think we can say he's not up to the job (Donald Rumsfeld walked all over him).

 

[mhaze]

If that happens, what effect do you folks think it will have?

Ah...it would prove he is gullible and easily duped ?

 

[Puppycow]

If that happens, what effect do you folks think it will have?

Not much.

Ah...it would prove he is gullible and easily duped ?

That has actually been proven already. George Tenet and the CIA duped him that they had reliable intelligence when in fact it came straight from "Curveball" a congential liar whose story kept changing.

 

[Dragoonster]

I would assume that some folks might think Powell a little less a traitor...Others will think he has switched teams.

He was duped into that whole UN thing, and came away like a tool. Remember the "Anthrax" vials? Please.

He was a great military leader, that got conned by the Bush/Cheney administration, that can never be forgotten.

However, if he comes out against that UN deal, and the Bush administration, I will forgive him...otherwise, I stiil vote Obama. (and think that Powell was a tool)

I won't forgive him. Once again he'd be johnny-come-lately. First he's duped and sells the Iraq justification and the war effort. Then he announces his resignation ten days after Bush gets re-elected. Now he'd be endorsing a guy with a substantial lead three weeks out. It's like he has a pathology of loyalty or something that makes him only speak up or take a stand well after doing so would actually change things. Same thing with Scott McClellan's book--why didn't you do this when it actually mattered???

Ignoring my personal views, the endorsement would be a net boon for Obama. A lot of liberals that were and are staunchly against the war wouldn't care or it wouldn't affect their support of Obama; but those who are more ambiguous or supportive of the war would probably see it as slightly significant.

 

[Pookster]

I don't see it changing anything. His Bush years hurt him significantly with many Democrats. It could have helped McCain though.

 

[Nova Land]

I don't care for Powell mostly for his cover up of the Mai Ling Massacre...

Do you perhaps mean the My Lai massacre?

 

[Dr Adequate]

What if he said sorry?

"With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that Senator Obama was right about Iraq, and I was wrong; frankly I was duped by the Republicans whom I foolishly chose as my colleagues."

Now that would be an endorsement. Not that it's likely to happen.