Yeah the "race" card thing has already started.  Living in Kansas, my hometown paper, well the comments section anyway is pretty much a Palin rally...and they are all saying that he only picked Obama because he's black.  I'm sure none of them actually saw the interview on Meet the Press, because well I'm sure some church was airing their sermon - but it's a bit disgusting really.  I lost about 99% of my respect for Colin Powell after the speech at the UN but these type of endorsements are important...now if he'd just admit he was wrong about Iraq.

It allows the few Republican moderates left to vote for Obama.  It will hurt McCain in battleground states.  In addition, it helps bring the nation together after the election.

I took a quick gander at the freeperville site and saw the word 'traitor' being thrown about alot regardling Powell. I also noticed Obama being referred to as a 'communist'. The Republican bullying via hurling anti-american and/or pro-terrorist slurs at anyone who disagrees with them is appalling, and the best reason I can think of to make sure their political back gets broken. This is America, the land of the FREE last I heard, including freedom of thought and expression. What do they want - a Republican theocratic dictatorship? Wait, don't answer that ;)

It seems George Will is falling in line with the "race" argument.

From FireDogLake:
http://firedoglake.com/2008/10/19/george -will-colin-powell-endorsed-obama-becaus e-hes-black/

I would like to remind everyone that Colin Powell was a strong supporter of rhe war.  He went to the UN and SOLD the war to america, europe, and elsewhere.  And some of what he said was total fing bullshit.  Remember the model biological weapon trucks.  PLEASE.   The tubes for centrifuges to enrich uranium, PLEASE.  I could go on and on. Colin Powell is as responsible as Bush for the mess and i am sorry but he is them not us.

david

way, WAY overblowing the impact of powell. No one gives a shit about colin powell anymore, on either side. The left despises him for cashing in his reputation to ensure the Iraq war happened, and the right despises him because after cashing in his grossly undeserved reputation, he has nothing else of value for them to abuse. Colin powell is the walking dead.

The greatest value of this endorsement is that the media is going to gush over this for days, denying McCain precious news cycles about Joe the fake plumber or whatever gimmick they are coming up with this week...

I admire Colin Powell.  If the choice were Powell and Obama, I would consider Powell, although I wouldn't say for certain that I would vote for him.  He is a fine communicator, although not charismatic, and he makes sense when he talks.  I think a large segment of middle-of-the-road voters will listen to what he says.  

Powell has both military and diplomatic experience.  He is probably to only African American in the US whose endorsement might sway a significant number of white Americans.  

This will help Obama, and he probably didn't need it.

I like Colin Powel

His place in history is well deserved.

the race card, anyone catch this gem at FoxNews.com a few days ago?

Colin Powell showed off his hip-hop moves at an 'Africa Rising' celebration in London Tuesday, fueling speculation that the former secretary of state is about to endorse Barack Obama for president.

Hip-hop moves = Obama endorsement, naturally.

Link: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/15/ colin-powell-fuels-speculation-possible- endorsement/

Predictable that conservatives would try and make this about race.

Sad, but predictable.

<blockquoteThe Republicans may try to play the race card in an attempt to discount the importance of today's news,</blockquote>

Just a few minutes ago, on the Sunday Hardball, Pat Buchanan did just that.  Joan Walsh said, "Pat, I am so sorry you went there."

It occurs to me that I was totally right a week or two ago. I said that if McCain's strategy and unwillingness to deal with his unruly crowds kept up, then some high-profile, well-respected Republicans would speak up. Colin Powell did. If it continues, he won't be alone.

Oh man, I'm such a west wing nerd.  I read this whole post and thought it was a great point, but all I can think of is that it's Arnie Vinick, not Arthur.  

Anybody catch Fareed Zakaria  on CNN today?

Fareed Zakaria endorsed Obama at the end of his Sunday international news discussion show. I was surprised! I didn't think Television news celebrities did that. I certainly wouldn't expect Wolf Blitzer to openly endorse anyone.

Maybe I'm wrong.
Under The LobsterScope

then why didn't the GOP actually nominate him? If he had run, the entire right wing of the GOP would have died. There were more racists around 12 years ago, which would have hurt Powell immensly when you consider his left of center views, de-energizing the party, and the right wing racists. His stance on gays in the military would have brought liberals out in force against him. His policies if he had tried to go economically right, would have been simply linked to Gingrich. i'm not gonna take those polls which show he would have won, because he was never in the campaign at any point of time. That poll only reflects the media image of him at the time.

Second, why is Colin Powell so revered? Anyone wonder why? He sold the war, and prevented gays from being in the military. I strongly suspect if he were white, he'd be just another neo-con. This is NOT playing the race card. Its playing the truth card. He is simply a "magic negro" in the mold of Bagger Vance.

Trying to cover up war crimes

Reported by the awarding winning former AP/Newsweek reporter, Robert Parry:

"A letter had been written by a young specialist fourth class named Tom Glen, who had served in an Americal mortar platoon and was nearing the end of his Army tour. In the letter to Gen. Creighton Abrams, the commander of all U.S. forces in Vietnam, Glen accused the Americal division of routine brutality against civilians...

Powell's Response
The letter's troubling allegations were not well received at Americal headquarters.
Major Powell undertook the assignment to review Glen's letter, but did so without questioning Glen or assigning anyone else to talk with him. Powell simply accepted a claim from Glen's superior officer that Glen was not close enough to the front lines to know what he was writing about, an assertion Glen denies.
After that cursory investigation, Powell drafted a response on Dec. 13, 1968. He admitted to no pattern of wrongdoing. Powell claimed that U.S. soldiers in Vietnam were taught to treat Vietnamese courteously and respectfully. The Americal troops also had gone through an hour-long course on how to treat prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions, Powell noted.
"There may be isolated cases of mistreatment of civilians and POWs," Powell wrote in 1968. But "this by no means reflects the general attitude throughout the Division." Indeed, Powell's memo faulted Glen for not complaining earlier and for failing to be more specific in his letter.
"In direct refutation of this [Glen's] portrayal," Powell concluded, "is the fact that relations between Americal soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent."
www.consortiumnews.com

Call 911.  You've OD'd on STUPID pills again.

Powell's eloquent endorsement is a definite plus to Obama's chances.  Whatever they may be thinking there are clearl 5-10% undecideds out there.  They are clealry unhappy with McCain, yet uncertain about Obama's (relative) lack of experience, youth, etc.  At least some of these voters (maybe 1-2% of likely voters) may be swayed by Powell's endorsement.

I can tell who has dealt with the military, especially the over-40 military people.  And by this I mean former members of the military.

This is HUGE news.  People who have served respect Powell.  Period.  Not all of them see him the same way, but he is not the same as so many others...think of him is the same light as Eisenhower, and you get a fairly good idea.  

Yeah, he really screwed up on Iraq.  And I believe, as a former military man, that he really DOES regret it.  And I feel he does feel shamed at being duped.  Military people who are military first, political second have a VERY hard time crossing over into either politics or corporate settings without getting blind-sided.  Does this excuse his mistake?  No.  But I am SURE every one of the 4000+ deaths haunt him right now and that is why he is doing what is right with this endorsement.

And many people in the middle/undecided camp will look over his endorsement and it will make them feel a lot more comfortable with Obama.  This is a GOOD thing.  Hell, I wanted Powell to be asked to be VP!  And I do think that giving Powell a seat in the Obama admin would be VERY good in looking non-partisan AND give Powell a chance to make amends for the giant barrel of S$#T he stepped in under King George III.

If you want to know more as to why I thnk this, I will be happy to expound.  I just don't want to go on and on about it for no good reason.  :)

*The man the Republican Party wanted to be its standard-bearer in 1996 has endorsed the man the Democratic Party chose as its standard-bearer in 2008.  The closest comparison in my mind might be 1940 Republican Presidential nominee Wendell Willkie accepting a prominent role in the FDR administration"*

Or maybe the man who the Democrats actually did choose for VP on their ticket in 2000 campaigning relentlessly for the Republicans just 8 years later?

Realignments are slow and need many reinforcements.  Socially liberal, fiscally conservative Republicans in places like affluent suburbs have been tilting away from Republicans steadily.  Powell is popular and well respected in these communities, and this is another reinforcement for them that if the Democratic party is safe enough for Powell it can be acceptable for them too.