Colin Powell Finally Does The Right Thing
October 19th, 2008 by Matt IngogliaI’m going to preface this by saying I’m not one of those people who think endorsements are irrelevant. Most people tend to think they don’t matter, and to be fair a lot of them don’t, but this year has proven that the right person in your corner can work wonders for your campaign (I’m looking at you, Oprah). With this in mind, today’s endorsement by Colin Powell of Barack Obama over John McCain is huge.
Powell occupies a priveliged position in the canon of Bush confidants, with the highest favorability ratings of any former Cabinet member. This is despite his position at the center of the Iraq War leadup (which I will never forgive him for). Clearly, there’s something intangible about Powell that endears him to millions of Americans, particularly independents and moderates who will always see him as a man of integrity whose deference to his superiors forced him into doing something he knew to be wrong. They will contend that you can’t fault a military man for following orders, even if he knew them to be flawed.
For these voters, Powell’s resounding endorsement of Obama and subsequent denunciation of McCain’s scorched earth strategy will weigh heavily on their vote. His unique position as a popular Republican and foreign policy expert lends his voice particular credibility with the conservative and military-minded voters Obama has had trouble courting. And as an elder statesmen with no designs on future office, Powell’s decision to endorse Obama will be seen as clearly nonpolitical and eminently patriotic. Put simply, his approval could force a lot of voters off the fence.
Like I said, this endorsement is not for partisans like me. It’s for the voter out there who likes what they’re hearing from Obama, but just doesn’t think he’s ready. It’s for the voter who wishes they didn’t have to watch Powell sell out to Bush and still looks to him as a lone voice of credibility in a sea of liars. And it’s for the voter who used to think the same of McCain until he picked Palin and let himself take his cues from the same gutter politicos who helped defeat him in 2000.
That’s why Powell’s endorsement matters. Coming at a point where it looked like McCain might be ready for a comeback, and sharing headlines with Obama’s record $150 million September fundraising total, it adds to the growing chorus that an Obama victory is inevitable. And based on this endorsement, he’ll have some good people to call on when he’s in the Oval Office and a 3:00am call is on the line.
Tags: Colin Powell, Endorsements, McCain, Obama
October 21st, 2008 at 10:47 am
Colin Powell is well aware of what he did. He knows full well that he was a Judas Goat who lead his country into a disasterous war. His endorsement of Obama is his way of confessing his sin and asking for expiatiation. Mr. Ingoglia is correct in saying that for partisan Democrats like me, the Powell endorsement holds no currency, but, in a very real way, it is aimed at us too. He is asking for forgiveness.
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I’d like to think that Powell is asking for forgiveness, but I think even he knows it’s too late for that. He either didn’t have the backbone to stand up to Bush and not lie about the war or he was a moron and believed the crap Cheney was dishing out. Either way, he looks bad. History will not be kind to him and he knows it. So, his endorsement is not about trying to make things right, it’s about revenge on the party that made a fool of him. If he sways one million people into voting for Obama it won’t save his reputation. He has the blood on thousands of dead US service men and women on his hands as well as the destruction of an entire nation of Iraqis. How many votes do you need to win over to expiate that kind of bad karma?