Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama

[garnett_21]

WASHINGTON - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president on Sunday, criticizing his own Republican Party for what he called its narrow focus on irrelevant personal attacks over a serious approach to challenges he called unprecedented.

Powell, who for many years was considered the most likely candidate to become the first African-American president, said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was not supporting Obama because of his race. He said he had watched both Obama and his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for many months and thought “either one of them would be a good president.”

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He's going to get alot of, if he hasn't already, grief because they are both the same race. I dislike how so many things are turning racial now - you don't see Bill Clinton being called a racist for supporting Obama....what gives?

Anyway, I think this is a good thing - having someone like Colin Powell backing you means you are doing something right!

[streicher187]

I figured this was coming when fox news started linking the race card "he's black so he's supporting the black man" type thing.

If people listened to it they would see why he REALLY endorsed obama, They kept running on the bottom of fox news it was because of Palin etc. but that was only part of it. I would say of all the endorsements I have heard he is the only one who gave reasons for it..

[randallcards]

WASHINGTON - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president on Sunday, criticizing his own Republican Party for what he called its narrow focus on irrelevant personal attacks over a serious approach to challenges he called unprecedented.

Powell, who for many years was considered the most likely candidate to become the first African-American president, said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was not supporting Obama because of his race. He said he had watched both Obama and his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for many months and thought “either one of them would be a good president.”

More...

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He's going to get alot of, if he hasn't already, grief because they are both the same race. I dislike how so many things are turning racial now - you don't see Bill Clinton being called a racist for supporting Obama....what gives?

Anyway, I think this is a good thing - having someone like Colin Powell backing you means you are doing something right!

Bill Cinton isnt not cause he wants to but its because of whats expected of him, hes a former Democratic President. If he Endorsed McCain he would be singled out by the Democrats just like Joe Liberman

[jlzinck]

He's supporting Obama because he was traded like a rented mule by the administration. They left this honorable American hero flying in the wind.

Also if you think race has 0% in his endorsement then I have a bridge to sell you.

If he was still part of the current administration you wouldn't hear boo from him.

[WilyWestbrook0]

I have great respect for Powell, and I am sure he has his reasons for supporting Obama; the man is not stupid and wouldn't vote for him just for something as surface as racial background. I remember from one of the political quizzes I took that Powell is closer to the center than many Republicans anyway, so some cross-party support shouldn't be all that surprising.

[garnett_21]

Bill Cinton isnt not cause he wants to but its because of whats expected of him, hes a former Democratic President. If he Endorsed McCain he would be singled out by the Democrats just like Joe Liberman

Ok, well you get my point. I'm not going to go find some caucasian person who may've been a republican, or voted for a republican at one time, just to make my point. I think you understand what I am saying.

Also if you think race has 0% in his endorsement then I have a bridge to sell you.

Unfortunately, it probably does have something to do with it at times, but I doubt that is the reasoning behind this endorsement.

I have great respect for Powell, and I am sure he has his reasons for supporting Obama; the man is not stupid and wouldn't vote for him just for something as surface as racial background.

Thank you. :-)

[garnett_21]

This is not directed at anyone, more just some food for thought. Please don't turn this into an attack thread. This should be a good discussion thread. I do NOT want to see this having to be closed:

It really bothers me how everything has to have a racial turn on it. Why? What's the point? What good is it going to do? The answer is none. It will only make things worse. We are at a point in American history where we may see our first African-American president. People, that is a GREAT thing. In 40 years time, we've gone from Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy being gunned down because they tried to stop racism to our first major political party nominating an African-American for the highest office in our country. To me, that is a very, very great thing, and we should all be glad that we live in a time where we don't have as much to worry about, in terms of racially motivated crimes.

[OnePimpTiger]

It really bothers me how everything has to have a racial turn on it. Why? What's the point? What good is it going to do? The answer is none. It will only make things worse. We are at a point in American history where we may see our first African-American president. People, that is a GREAT thing. In 40 years time, we've gone from Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy being gunned down because they tried to stop racism to our first major political party nominating an African-American for the highest office in our country. To me, that is a very, very great thing, and we should all be glad that we live in a time where we don't have as much to worry about, in terms of racially motivated crimes.

I'm happy to see how far we've come and I really think one of the main hurdles left to jump is for people to stop looking for racism. But people still talk about it because the fact is it is still present. Things are getting a lot better, but there's still a ways to go. Believe me, I live in an area where it is still very present. I'm sad to say I have family members who still look at the color of skin over the character of a person. I do hope it all goes away one day, but people keep bringing it up because it hasn't gone away yet.

[streicher187]

Wow I can not believe people still listen to the hipocrit drug addicted racist Rush Limbaugh. After hearing what he said he is even a bigger joke then I thought..

As far as the endorsment he even said it was PART because of the history of the candidate BUT as he has said if it was the main reason he would have endorsed him months ago since he was still black then..

I think it has more to do against mccain then for Obama, Like a lot of people he doesn't like the campaign that Mccain has run and the terrible lack of judgement in palin and the economy. You can not keep using smears like Terrorist, Un American parts of the country , baby killer.. Without turning some people off.

The point that I loved Powell made was the Arab/Muslim point, Obama isn't either but so what if he is, for the last 7 years those titles have been slurs and looked down on. The thing that upsets me is how the right is painting powell as Unamerican racists for voting for the unqualified black man..

[aw00d05]

He's supporting Obama because he was traded like a rented mule by the administration. They left this honorable American hero flying in the wind.

Also if you think race has 0% in his endorsement then I have a bridge to sell you.

If he was still part of the current administration you wouldn't hear boo from him.

then why has lebron james and so many other famous african americans endorsed him, when they have never been in politics before a black man is running for president...