This is the photo Powell refers to:
Monday, October 20, 2008
Fmr. Secretary of State Powell endorses Obama
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama for president on Sunday's edition of "Meet the Press." Powell is a significant figure in American politics, especially because he served in a Republican administration and has thrown his support behind the Democratic nominee. What, if any, will the effect of this be on the race?
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30 comments:
I think it will have a sizable effect on Obama's campain(good for Obama, not bad), because he was serving in the Bush administration (or so my parents say), and people might think "Oh, look, he's supporting Obama, and that could change the views of some undecided voters.
I'm not actually sure which way it will turn the tables. It looks to obviously move the weight of the votes to Obama's side, but it is possible that it will uncover many issues that will effect both parties. I believe that the fact that Mr. Powell did state that both candidates were qualified and patriotic will dampen the effect of this message. It is, however, ultimately possible that Mr. McCain's campaign will gain a boost or, if you will, a shot of adrenaline that could propel it to new heights in this race because it is a bit of a wakeup call to this campaign: Mr. McCain needs to draw the focus to how Barack may be unqualified or tied with certain individuals who are not seen in the highest likings of the average American voter. We will just have to wait and see.
John Hanlon
It is extremely likely, I add, for this to effect the current race so far. Also, the economy might sway enough voters to McCain's side because they agree with and trust his views on this economical basis over Senator Obama's
@John H: how exactly does this highlight that Sen. Obama is unqualified? I thought part of the power of Powell's endorsement is that he is uniquely qualified to address whether Obama is right for the job, and at the end he talks about how is qualified to be a good-- and even exceptional-- president.
@ Mr. Yedid:
I was not saying that it clearly highlights that he is NOT qualified, I am saying that it could unearth a stand from McCain's campaign, which could, in turn, discover possible faults or issues with Senator Obama, which I believe is where Mr. McCain's interest should turn based on Powell's remarks. Not that I like either candidate, I just believe that of the available choices, Mr. McCain is the better choice. Of course, this can only grind as fine as opinions supporting facts.
John
I think that Republican voters who are not from the far right will be more influenced by this endorsement than anyone else. Powell has said that he doesn't like how far to the right the party is going, and people who have agreed with his opinions in the past will be most inclined to listen to him. As a result they more often will base their vote partially on his statement.
Since Powell is so well known and respected people who were voting for McCain might look at why Powell is supporting Obama and will probably give Obama some more supporters.
I think that this will sway many voters toward Obama because Colin Powell knows both Obama and McCain and because he is a Republican. I think the voters that have decided from this will be the ones who are not extremely conservative or liberal. Since Powell thinks his own party is going to far this might convince voters that Obama is more in the middle. This would be enough to sway them towards Obama. I also think Colin Powell was critisizing the Republican party more than he was critisizing John McCain.
This will definitely move many of the undecided voters over to Obama's side because they will see that this high-ranking government official, even though he was a republican, supports Barack Obama and believes in what he wants to do for the country. This, of course, will greatly help the Obama campaign.
I think this will help Obama win the election because Powell is a very respected government official and is a republican who is voting for a demarcate. I that is significant because even though he traditionally votes for republicans with republican standards he is voting for a democrats with different standards. He basically saying yes, Mccain is that bad. He is forcing Powell to cross party lines to vote for the better man, in Powell's opinion.
I think this will have somewhat of an effect on the race. Some people who have not made up their mind and think highly of Mr. Powell and value his opinion may be swayed to Obama's side helping Obama, but like John Hanlon said in a comment above this could be a good kick in the pants for McCain's campaign urging them to win some votes back from those who follow Powell's example.
I think this will help Obamas champaign because first out Colin Powell is a Republican voting for a democrat. Also he is thought of highly so people might follow his lead of voting for obama.
oh yeah i really like the picture
I think it is very good for obama that Powell just endorsed him. It tells all the republicans who aren't very conservative that if a former republican secretary of state is voting for him, they might be making the right choice for voting for obama. My question is... has anyone endorsed mccain from the democratic pary? if so, why haven't we heard about it?
I think that Mr. Powell's vote will surely effect Obama's campaign because it will make him have a lead and a lot of people think that Mr. Powell is a strong adviser and should be represented so maybe more people will vote for Obama after what Mr. Powell has said to the world.
I totally disagree with Mr.Powell he mad a bad decision.
soren,(in the politest way as possible) please change your picture! it greatly disturbs me.....uuhhhh.........(puke)
that picture that colin powell refers to is really touching, it was cool how the tombstone was excatly like what he described it to be. how did you find that picture mr yedid?
I think it might have changed some people's opinions. Due to the fact that Powell is a republican and knows McCain even better than Obama, that certainly plays a role. He states that both candidates are capable of running the country, but one might have more advantages. In his 'speech' he clearly focused more on the faults of McCain and the topic of racism. Even if he doesn't agree with the Republican Party since they are apparently racist, that doesn't mean that McCain feels that way about muslims. Obama does have qualifications of a good president, but so does McCain so it depends on the issue which Powell only addressed certain ones. But he probably did change some peoples votes since he is the Secretary of State and an important leader in America. 'As opposed to a hobo.'
-Latterich
I think that it help obama;s campain, because he was a lifelong repulicain and he has just siad, that he is endorcing obama who is a democrat/
I think that this will affect the people that were undecided lean more to obama's side like many people have stated. i also thought that it was interesting how Colin Powel was claiming faults in his own party. If they are evident enough for a republican to notice then it is definately a concern of the people. I also really enjoyed that picture because so many people have a misunderstanding of muslim culture and I think that it is important for powerful leaders to talk about these issues.
I think that his comments won't affect the outcome...but could affect the margine that B.O. wins by. Personally I think McCain is the better choice but I can't forsee any circumstance where he might win especially with all the negative press he and his campaign have been getting recently.
I believe that Colin Powell's endorcement will affect the votes of many. He is such a reliable, intelligent man, that it is easy to listen to what he has to say and react to it. The really interesting thing about this endorcement is that Powell is a well known republican, and has been friends with John McCain for the past 25 years. He has studied both McCain's and Obama's views and has come to the conclusion that Obama is the best choice for president. There is something to be said for that. Obviously there is a reason that he feels this way, and I have to admit it has even sawyed me. He brought up very good points that we may not have realized before, but they are extremely important and should be looked at. I'm very glad Powell came out with this endorcement. It is something to think about.
Whoa, did 8th and 9th graders invade?
That's amazing! I mean, Powell's a Republican, and he's criticizing the direction his own political party's taking. I agree that recently the GOP's becoming more and more right wing, and I don't like it either. :'(
I agree with Rachel P, i think that she explained it clearly and simply. First, the endorsement may help Obama win undecided voters (& even republican voters) because Powell is republican yet is voting for Obama, a democrat. This shows that he obviously believes strongly in Obama. And second of all, Powell is an important and respected man so his vote will be valued and may influence others.
does anyone know what Mr. Yedid meant by the voter turnout blog entry?
It might or might not effect the race, because not everybody is going to follow Powell and vote for Obama. You can be a certain party and vote outside of that party, like Powell. Its a personal opinion.
I think Powell's endorsement of Obama will have substantial effect on the election. Republican voters who have an open mind and who highly regard Powell's opinions will most likely be influenced by his endorsement. Powell gave good reasons to vote for Obama, which may influence some staunch Republicans into looking past voting for McCain just because he is a Republican. Powell's reputation is obviously a major factor in the influence he has over people, and I think because he is so well-liked by both Republicans and Democrats, his endorsement of Obama will create a ripple in both McCain and Obama's campain.
Shannon Smith
I think it would cause a few voters to go for Obama, (also saying that a few voters are a big deal in this election) but mainly, Mr. Powell's endorsement should not change a ton of voter's minds.
-keane
I believe that this will not change the outcome of the presidential election much, or even at all. I understand that Colin Powell was a very respectable republican who has been a part of the United States military forces. I just don’t think that one man’s opinion would have that much of an effect on an undecided voter’s choice in an election. Colin Powell did point out many things that should be taken into consideration in the decision of an undecided voter, but I do not think that it will have an overall significant effect on Obama’s poll results. If I was able to vote and was undecided, I would think about what he said, but not base my decision on one man’s opinion. Instead, I would make my own decisions.
-Sarah Aiello
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