# Colin Powell endorses Obama **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 19, 2008, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636 "2008-10-19T13:25:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/81 "2008-10-19T21:24:32Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > Did you read any of the replies to that article? The majority of them were complimentary of Powell and called Limbaugh a bigot. Perhaps there’s hope for America, yet. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/82 "2008-10-19T21:26:53Z")
Color me unimpressed with Powell’s endorsement. Why did he wait until Obama was pulling away? Why didn’t he endorse Obama a month ago when the race was neck-and-neck, and the endorsement might have helped tip the scales? At this stage, it just looks like Powell is making a desperate last-minute leap at the bandwagon. It smacks of careerism. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/83 "2008-10-19T21:28:27Z")
> [@Soggy\_Biscuit](#): > > I think her being female was a big factor, but I think the primary reason she was picked was due to her closeness to the fundamentalist protestant right. There were other female politicians who were far more qualified who were passed over because they would not pass the Jerry Falwell litmus test (i.e. Linda Lingle, who was the first Republican governor in a VERY blue state). Thats not comforting. If i wanted a Pope (or vide pope) I’d move to vatican City. Well, Rome…I’m sure they don’t have apartments for rent in the Vatican. 🙂 seriously, if a VP choice is made on a religious basis, I’m not going to like it. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/84 "2008-10-19T21:33:58Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > Coarse, maybe. But McCain could have picked plenty of others that do have the qualifications. He picked Palin because he wanted to appeal to women and HRC fans that might swing his way. I will admit that I don’t know what McCain’s thinking processes are. But thats my reading on it. If I’m proven wrong, she is still a horrible choice, just not one made for her gender. But i don’t really think I’m wrong. I think it’s more complex than that: he had to have a running mate with flair: at the time, McCain’s campaign seemed . . .boring. Staid. People simply weren’t warming up to him. He desperately needed someone with personality, moxie–someone that people would talk about. Palin is someone people like to talk about, and a large part of the reason for that is because she’s a woman who manages to both embody and transgress gender roles: she’s a hyper-aggressive conservative politician and a mother of five, a woman who can hunt moose and, I suspect, make brownies for the PTA fund raiser. A man with all those same qualities would not be nearly as fascinating, and so, I suspect, would never have been picked,but neither would a female version of John McCain. A male politician with the same sort of human-interest element might have been, but I honestly can’t think of anyone as interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/85 "2008-10-19T21:46:34Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > He picked Palin because he wanted to appeal to women and HRC fans that might swing his way. [McCain himself](http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081019/pl_politico/14719) is giving a new reason. > [@](#): > > And McCain challenged [Chris] Wallace’s assertion that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin had become “a drag” on the GOP ticket. > > “As a cold political calculation, I could not be more pleased,” McCain said, calling Palin **“a direct counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America”** and asserting “she’s the best thing that could have happened to my campaign and to America.” [bolding mine] Maybe he thought this would get lost in the manufactured uproar about Obama’s finances. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/86 "2008-10-19T21:49:55Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Color me unimpressed with Powell’s endorsement. Why did he wait until Obama was pulling away? Why didn’t he endorse Obama a month ago when the race was neck-and-neck, and the endorsement might have helped tip the scales? > > At this stage, it just looks like Powell is making a desperate last-minute leap at the bandwagon. > > It smacks of careerism. We don’t know when Powell made his decision and when he made the Obama campaign aware of it. You may be right that he waited until it was safe to make his endorsement, but the reason he made his announcement today is that Obama’s people felt this is when it would make the greatest impact. Throughout the primary and general election, Obama’s campaign has done well with responses to bad news and claims of shifting momentum. When Clinton won significant primaries, for example, they would respond with endorsements by prominent Democrats. I don’t think there are that many votes left to shift at this point, but the it can’t hurt, and news of Powell’s endorsement will help Obama counter the notion that McCain is getting a little momentum going into the last two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/87 "2008-10-19T21:55:31Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > I think it’s more complex than that: he had to have a running mate with flair: at the time, McCain’s campaign seemed . . .boring. Staid. People simply weren’t warming up to him. He desperately needed someone with personality, moxie–someone that people would talk about. Palin is someone people like to talk about, and a large part of the reason for that is because she’s a woman who manages to both embody and transgress gender roles: she’s a hyper-aggressive conservative politician and a mother of five, a woman who can hunt moose and, I suspect, make brownies for the PTA fund raiser. A man with all those same qualities would not be nearly as fascinating, and so, I suspect, would never have been picked,but neither would a female version of John McCain. A male politician with the same sort of human-interest element might have been, but I honestly can’t think of anyone as interesting. I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t prefer Obama over McCain because Obama is an exciting person. Other than being black and carbon based life forms I don’t think I have much in common with him. Thats fine. I don’t want him to be my new “best friend” i want him to be a good president. I don’t want to have a beer with him, or go moose or whatever hunting, and if he bakes brownies for the PTA or makes rice krispie treats for his local Cub Scouts I’ll admire that, but it wouldn’t be a big factor in whether or not he could have my vote. If McCain thought he needed someone to energize his campaign, maybe he should have thought that a lot of people didn’t like what they were hearing on his platform. Selecting Palin and saying “Country First” is laughable. So yes, I might sound haarsh and coarse in this, but its because I’m sick of this crap. Its not “Country First” if you pick a VP solely because it will maybe snatch some votes. You should pick a VP that is capable of running the country should you (as president) have something happen to you. McCain is freaking 72 years old…and not in the best of health. He’s run a bad campaign, spread untruths about his opponent and picked a person less qualified than his opponent to be VP. Yeah, thats what I want in a POTUS. :mad: I’m out of benefit of the doubt. Powell may not be squeaky clean, I think he made his endorsement after considering the facts. Though I’m not surprised that asome cry its “racist”. Maybe they’ll bring more stuffed monkeys to McCain’s next rally. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/88 "2008-10-19T22:04:22Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Color me unimpressed with Powell’s endorsement. Why did he wait until Obama was pulling away? Why didn’t he endorse Obama a month ago when the race was neck-and-neck, and the endorsement might have helped tip the scales? > > At this stage, it just looks like Powell is making a desperate last-minute leap at the bandwagon. > > It smacks of careerism. I’m inclined to agree. But if someone is trying to make up their minds about two candidates they think are equally qualified and they’re not particularly ideological (which Colin doesn’t appear to be), then it’s not unreasonable for that person to wait till the very end to make a decision. The candidates’ true colors show when they’re at the final stretch, bruised and bloodied, and throwing (or dodging) sucker punches. Powell might have made up his mind months ago, but it was wise for him to wait till McCain made a fool of himself the way he has. Only the Rush Dittoheads would find fault with his criticisms. I still don’t forgive Powell for the lies, though. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/89 "2008-10-19T22:19:11Z")
I was quite happy to see Powell endorse Obama. I was looking for a bit of a nice flamewar in the Fark forums - then somebody posted the photo that Powell referred to. [Here it is](http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/09/29/slideshow_080929_platon?slide=16). Not to derail the thread, but that photo hit me hard. I couldn’t help myself from shedding a few tears. It’s so beautiful, but so sad. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/90 "2008-10-19T22:23:29Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Perhaps they’ll attack him for lying about Iraq. We are at war with Eastasia; we have always been at war with Eastasia. As much as I’d like to find a reason to redeem Powell’s esteem, I find myself agreeing with **spoke-** ; Powell has had all the time in the world to endorse Obama (or at least criticize McCain and his continued barely veiled appeal to racial prejudice and bullshit assertion that he has some top secret plan with special sauce that will end the War on Terror) and he’s only now stepped in and thrown down a mitten. Just as McCain has made his Faustian barging, so did Powell, and his public excuses for it have been lacking. Powell could have split the neocons from the rational Republicans a long time ago; now, anyone who would have followed him has either withdrawn from the election in disgust or has already switched over. Thanks for nothin’, Colin; go back to writing your memoirs. The sad and shitty part about it is that Powell could have been a viable moderate Republican candidate in the Goldwater mold; instead, he allowed himself to be co-opted by one side and then remained in the shadow of the other until his appearance is irrelevant. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![JoeElliott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JoeElliott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeElliott)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/91 "2008-10-19T22:59:58Z")
\>\>On Meet the Press right now Colin Powell just endorsed Obama in a terrific speech outlining the failures of the McCain campaign and the successes of the Obama campaign.\<\< So a better run campaign is a reason to support someone for President? I hope not. This isn’t a contest to see who does a better job of campaigning or debating. This is about ideas and philosophy. In addition, Powell mentioned the lack of experience of Palin. Well, what about Obama. What experience does he have? Oh, I forgot, he’s qualified simply because he’s eloquent and runs a good campaign. Get ready for your Messiah America. Let’s see if he can deliver. Can he change the world? Can he? Joe Elliott ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/92 "2008-10-19T23:15:46Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Color me unimpressed with Powell’s endorsement. Why did he wait until Obama was pulling away? Why didn’t he endorse Obama a month ago when the race was neck-and-neck, and the endorsement might have helped tip the scales? > > At this stage, it just looks like Powell is making a desperate last-minute leap at the bandwagon. > > It smacks of careerism. Careerism? Seriously? The man has had one of the most successful careers in public service that you can imagine. National Security Advisory, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Secretary of State - he never has to work for anyone again, if he doesn’t want to. He can make a fine living, and exert real influence, just by writing books, giving lectures, whatever. Pretty much the only higher office he might aspire to is the Presidency - and he doesn’t want it. We can talk about the UN speech - but there is a deep, deep strain of integrity in Colin Powell, and it cheapens the man to pretend it isn’t there. I think he spoke from the heart this morning, and I’m glad he did it. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/93 "2008-10-19T23:17:36Z")
> [@JoeElliott](#): > > So a better run campaign is a reason to support someone for President? I hope not. This isn’t a contest to see who does a better job of campaigning or debating. This is about ideas and philosophy. There are a lot of things people talk about prior to an election that really have no bearing on how a person would be as president, but I don’t count running a campaign among them. Good ideas and philosophy are well and good, but useless if you lack organization within your administration to realize them. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/94 "2008-10-19T23:24:34Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > We can talk about the UN speech - but there is a deep, deep strain of integrity in Colin Powell, and it cheapens the man to pretend it isn’t there. I think he spoke from the heart this morning, and I’m glad he did it. So why didn’t he do it a month ago? A: He was waiting to see who would pull ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/95 "2008-10-19T23:26:24Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > While I still believe that the major effect of Powell’s endorsement will simply be to win Obama a positive headline for the next couple of days, denying McCain publicity he desperately needs to reverse the polls right now… I agree. If you look over at the supertracker at [fivethirtyeight.com](http://fivethirtyeight.com), you can see that the momentum has shifted from Obama to McCain since the debate. There had been whisperings for over a month that Powell was going to endorse Obama, but nothing was seen. This announcement is well-timed for the Obama campaign, and I feel that the timing was deliberate. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/96 "2008-10-19T23:31:28Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > [Rush speaks.](http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/Limbaugh_Where_are_the_inexperienced_white_liberals_Powell_has_endorsed.html)I’m shocked, shocked, I say, to hear this. :rolleyes: > [@JoeElliott](#): > > \>\>On Meet the Press right now Colin Powell just endorsed Obama in a terrific speech outlining the failures of the McCain campaign and the successes of the Obama campaign.\<\< > > So a better run campaign is a reason to support someone for President? I hope not. This isn’t a contest to see who does a better job of campaigning or debating. **This is about ideas and philosophy.** > > In addition, Powell mentioned the lack of experience of Palin. Well, what about Obama. What experience does he have? Oh, I forgot, he’s qualified simply because he’s eloquent and runs a good campaign. Get ready for your Messiah America. Let’s see if he can deliver. Can he change the world? Can he? > > Joe Elliott > [www.thescribblingsage.com](http://www.thescribblingsage.com) Yes, it is about ideas and philosophy. > [@Colin Powell](#): > > “He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America,” Powell said. "Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, “He’s a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.” This is not the way we should be doing it in America. There’s an idea there. > [@Colin Powell](#): > > I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that’s what we’d be looking at in a McCain administration There’s another idea, wanting some balance in the SCOTUS. > [@Colin Powell](#): > > found that he was a little unsure as to how to deal with the economic problems that we were having," Powell said. "Almost every day there was a different approach to the problem and that concerned me, sensing that he doesn’t have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had. Powell says he thinks McCain seems out of touch on the economic problems. I think Powell has some ideas about what image of America he wants presented to the rest of the world, and the intelligent, articulate, multi-ethnic candidate seems to share his ideas. I’ve also spoken with lots of Europeans and Asians in the last year, and they all have expressed hope that Barack Obama is elected, and that his election would go a long way to restore much of the international respect that the US lost during the last six years. Let’s hope he delivers. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/97 "2008-10-20T00:19:52Z")
> [@JoeElliott](#): > > So a better run campaign is a reason to support someone for President? I hope not. This isn’t a contest to see who does a better job of campaigning or debating. This is about ideas and philosophy Good thing Powell never said anything like that then. > [@](#): > > In addition, Powell mentioned the lack of experience of Palin. Well, what about Obama. What experience does he have? He has a ton more qualifications than Palin does, starting with a far more impressive academic and pre-political professional background and ending with far more relevant elected experience. He’s also demonstrated a depth of knowledge and intellectual acuity that Sarah Palin can’t even spell. > [@](#): > > Oh, I forgot, he’s qualified simply because he’s eloquent and runs a good campaign. Get ready for your Messiah America. Let’s see if he can deliver. Can he change the world? Can he? Nobody thinks he’s the Messiah. That’s a tiresome strawman. > [@](#): > > Joe Elliott > [www.thescribblingsage.com](http://www.thescribblingsage.com) Spamming personal websites is frowned on here. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/98 "2008-10-20T00:20:51Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t prefer Obama over McCain because Obama is an exciting person. Other than being black and carbon based life forms I don’t think I have much in common with him. Thats fine. I don’t want him to be my new “best friend” i want him to be a good president. I don’t want to have a beer with him, or go moose or whatever hunting, and if he bakes brownies for the PTA or makes rice krispie treats for his local Cub Scouts I’ll admire that, but it wouldn’t be a big factor in whether or not he could have my vote. > > If McCain thought he needed someone to energize his campaign, maybe he should have thought that a lot of people didn’t like what they were hearing on his platform. Selecting Palin and saying “Country First” is laughable. So yes, I might sound haarsh and coarse in this, but its because I’m sick of this crap. Its not “Country First” if you pick a VP solely because it will maybe snatch some votes. You should pick a VP that is capable of running the country should you (as president) have something happen to you. McCain is freaking 72 years old…and not in the best of health. > > He’s run a bad campaign, spread untruths about his opponent and picked a person less qualified than his opponent to be VP. Yeah, thats what I want in a POTUS. :mad: I’m out of benefit of the doubt. > > Powell may not be squeaky clean, I think he made his endorsement after considering the facts. Though I’m not surprised that asome cry its “racist”. Maybe they’ll bring more stuffed monkeys to McCain’s next rally. I am not saying it was a good choice. It was an awful choice. But it wasn’t just because she was a woman, it was because she was a personality. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/99 "2008-10-20T00:26:11Z")
The personality would be meaningless without the tits. McCain wanted to appease social conservatives in his own party while simultaneously making a play for Hillary supporters outside the party. He succeeded on the first count (the one he didn’t need) and failed on the second. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636/100 "2008-10-20T00:30:13Z")
Palin was a personality? AFAICT, she was a personality all right, but for the religious right leaders that pressured McCain into selecting her. “Just because you are a character doesn’t mean that you have character.” -From Pulp Fiction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-endorses-obama/468636.md?page=6)