So now the question is: how long before the wing-nuts start smearing Powell?

PS-I'm guessing within a few hours...

It certainly gives Obama additional momentum in the final stretch.

not sure we need this kind of game changer. What game do we want to change at this point?

It's not the endorsement. It's how he blasted away at the McCain campaaign and the Republican Party.

Personally, I think Obama has this race won already  .  I don't think a Powell endorsement changes anything because Obama has the numbers already to win this election with or without him.

Powell has the potential to bring in and secure alot of the Independents and moderate Republicans.   However, Powell runs the risk of turing off left-wing liberals who have always been against the IRAQ WAR

When I think of the causation of the Iraq War.....I blame 5 people.   George Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Condeleeza Rice, and Karl Rove.    It is very hard to get away from that mistake and Powell should hold partial responsibility for adding legitmacy to Bush's invasion and not saying NO!

This is awesomeness at it's finest.. wonderful, wonderful news.

I'd add to Mark Halperin's comment "this also makes it much tougher for any kind of "McCain comeback" narrative to break through", that it also makes it much tougher for McCain to separate himself from Bush as Powell clearly has.

I saw a new Obama TV ad yesterday that ends with a clip of what I presume
to be a previous senatorial campaign ad of McCain's in which he looks and speaks straight into the camera bragging about how he's "voted with Bush 90% of the time, more than many other Republicans have".

Devastating, and without spinning a syllable, just letting McCain speak for himself.

He's on teevee in Chicago right now.  Very compelling reasons for his support of Obama.

Greg Sargent:

   "On CNN just now, Mark Halperin pointed out that one reason this is a big blow to McCain is that the press will talk about the endorsement for the next few days, cutting into the time McCain has left."

That's exactly what I said on another blog. Well, different words, same sentiment.

All good comments, but a very good endorsement for the undecideds AND something to throw back in the faces of the wingnuts.  Now if we can get Nancy Reagan to endorse Obama.  From what I understand, she hates McCain.

This is very good. The timing helps as well given Palin's appearance on SNL last night (yes I know it  seems silly BUT this type of personalization of her could be dangerous with the low information swing voter). His endorsement should coop the press she gets from her appearance.

I will still be pissed if Obama puts Powell on his cabinet. I still don't like the man but certainly am glad to see his endorsement.  Look, the Republican movement is so radical currently that seemingly very normal behavior and thought processes is celebrated as being more than it is.  No one but a radical or neo-con who is involved in politics would think it a good idea to have another 4 GOP years. That doesn't mean that the person in it of itself is someone I would support in office either, it just means they aren't as radical as some of the others.

I know, dog bites man....

If I were Obama, I would take him to Florida, Northern Virginia and Colorado.

I realize its a great endorsement, politically speaking, but it also means we have to listen to restored 'credibility' for Powell.

Let's face it, this is a self-serving 'saving face' move by Powell, with nothing to lose and he's just riding off of Obama's coattails to make himself look like he wasn't the one carrying Bush's water to go to war.

I liked that he addressed the Ayers crap and called it demogoguery. I wonder if Fox News will mention that part since it's their main staple these days. They'd have to fill all that air time with something else.

I liked what he said about being Muslim in America.

"Well you know Mr Obama is a muslim.  Powell" The correct answer is: No, in fact he is a christian, but the right answere would be So what if he is?"

It is not a bad thing to be a Muslim-American.  Muslim-Americans also serve and die for the country just like Christians!

This will have a huge effect in VA, NC, and FL, where there are military folks and retired military folks.

For people that like Obama but have a loyalty to McCain, Powell's endorsement in turn gives them "permission" to vote for Barack.  

Could be a "game changer"  (I really hate that term) in NC and VA!

Is that ``Moderate Republican'' is officially dead? One of the things that Powell said openly is that he would be concerned with the party nominating two more nuts, excuse me conservatives, do not exist.

I agree that the most important thing about the endorsement is that it takes away a news cycle or two for McCain to get out whatever message it is that he's peddling today.

Also, among reasonable people it shuts them up about Ayers. On CNN, McCaskill used this quite effectively when appearing with Blount -- all she had to do was ask if Blount thought that Powell would really endorse someone who had ties to terrorists or hated America.

Not that it will shut up Fox news...but at least it puts the narrative back in our court in the normal media.

Who Cares!!!

This one of the prime architects in getting us into the Iraq war.

Everybody who help orchestra this fiasco should have been made to resign and then sent to wander in the wilderness, instead they received the medal of freedom, promoted to Sec. of State or get cushy quasi government jobs.

McCain's campaign and Palin pick has made many moderate Republicans very uncomfortable while at the same time filling their heads with nonsense about Obama. Powell's ringing endorsement of Obama and slam at McCain/Palin will give them cause to actually pushback on McPalin and resist their lies.

Will they actually vote for Obama now - may be not - more than likely many simply won't vote at all - which is good enough to put an end to McCain's game plan.

Considering people relied on Colin Powell to help make up their minds on Iraq, I won't defend him.

And I thought he was quite late to the party endorsing Obama.

However, kudos for him tying it in to the support of Muslim-Americans.

Several undecided voters told me that the Powell endorsement swung their vote.  This area has a lot of military people, and Powell's endorsement makes them feel much better about supporting Obama.

At a rally Sunday afternoon in Fayetteville, NC, Obama responded: "I am beyond honored and deeply humbled to have the support of General Colin Powell."

My, my, What a gusher! Beyond honored eh? And deeply humbled too?    I guess even principles are going the way of credit default swaps. Yup, lets slice and dice Iraq, especially when America's favorite storyteller, Powell, gets converted into principled Obama validator.  Let's drench ourselves in delusion shall we? Afterall, what's left?