The photo Powell was speaking ofNot to diminish Colin Powell's endorsement -- this is wonderful -- but any human in their right mind would have no other choice but to endorse Obama.
Think about it.
Think about all the games the McCain camp has played. The one that says a lot to me was the one that Tina Fey highlighted, Palin asking Joe if she could call him Joe so she could throw in some zingers. To the McCain camp, this has been a game.
Think of the desperation.
Think of the year-long attempt to smear Obama. Has McCain been involved? Not overtly. Has he stopped it? No.
We need a grownup in office.
"We've got to stop this nonsense," Powell says about the foolishness coming out of the McCain camp and the republicans' ongoing barrage of character attacks on Obama. Powell singles out Michelle Bachmann. Powell sets everyone straight on Ayers and the character attacks like the wise dad. He debunks the attack that Obama is stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Taxes are for the common good, he says. Powell says he's still a republican. There you go. Hallelujah!
Think about it.
Think about all the games the McCain camp has played. The one that says a lot to me was the one that Tina Fey highlighted, Palin asking Joe if she could call him Joe so she could throw in some zingers. To the McCain camp, this has been a game.
Think of the desperation.
Think of the year-long attempt to smear Obama. Has McCain been involved? Not overtly. Has he stopped it? No.
We need a grownup in office.
After months of hints and speculation, former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama this morning, a huge vote of confidence in the Illinois Democrat with just 16 days left before the November election.Expect Obama to mention this at his Fayetteville, NC rally today at 1:30.
"He has both style and substance," Powell said of Obama on NBC's "Meet the Press". "I think he is a transformational figure."
"We've got to stop this nonsense," Powell says about the foolishness coming out of the McCain camp and the republicans' ongoing barrage of character attacks on Obama. Powell singles out Michelle Bachmann. Powell sets everyone straight on Ayers and the character attacks like the wise dad. He debunks the attack that Obama is stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Taxes are for the common good, he says. Powell says he's still a republican. There you go. Hallelujah!
Powell speaks to the press post endorsement
On Meet the Press
On Meet the Press
Powell tells it like is:
MSNBC: Powell also said he was “troubled” by Republican personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and Republicans’ recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, the founder of the radical ’60 Weather Underground.
Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.
“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.
“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”
I'll add more as it comes.
See McCain's reaction to the endorsement.
HP: Former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski tells the Huffington Post that Gen. Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama represents a "comprehensive indictment" of the McCain-Palin ticket.
In his Sunday appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, Powell laid out an expansive endorsement of Obama, saying he is convinced that the Illinois Democrat has "met the standard" of perhaps becoming "an exceptional president" and a "transformational figure."
Brzezinski said he thinks Powell's endorsement to play a major factor in the race. "I was impressed by the comprehensive indictment of the current Republican ticket that was implicit in Powell's statement. It was not just about foreign affairs, it was a comprehensive statement that conveys the message that the more traditionally centrist Republicans are coming to view the McCain-Palin ticket as some sort of deviation -- some sort of break -- with the genuine traditions of the Republican Party."
Transcript
Obama thanks Powell:
Obama called Powell on Sunday and thanked him for his endorsement, communications director Robert Gibbs said.Why the endorsement is important:
In their 10-minute conversation, Obama said he looked forward to taking advantage of Powell's advice in the next two weeks and hopefully over the next four years, Gibbs said.
Powell served as Secretary of State under President Bush from 2001 to 2005.
Time: The decision is not only symbolic but, in terms of timing, one of great tactical importance. Powell is a brand unto himself in American politics, and clearly transcends the media's tendency to hype endorsements more than their actual importance to voters. However, the indisputable benefit that Powell brings Obama is that the former Secretary of State and general is sure to block out any chance McCain has of winning the next two or three days of news coverage, as the media swoons over the implications of the choice. It is simple political math: McCain has 15 days to close a substantial gap, and he will now lose at least one fifth of his total remaining time.
Powell's decision brings other clear benefits as well. He is so trusted for his judgment on national security (even in the wake of his role in the current Iraq War) that his confidence in Obama to become commander-in-chief will resonate with many elites and voters. The Democrats' ability to play the Powell card for the next two weeks makes it much harder, even if there is an unexpected international crisis, for Republicans to suggest Obama simply isn't qualified to protect the country. Powell reinforced Obama's qualifications on "Meet the Press": "Senator Obama has demonstrated the kind of calm, patient, intellectual, steady approach to problem-solving that I think we need in this country."
