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10/23/2008

Powell's Endorsement Will Hurt McCain

Excerpted from The Kansas City Star

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WASHINGTON — Colin Powell, a retired general who'd often been mentioned as a Republican presidential candidate himself, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president Sunday during the taping of NBC's "Meet the Press" television program.

Political analysts said Powell's endorsement, coupled with a blistering critique of the campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain, especially of the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, was a serious blow to McCain's candidacy, particularly in swing states with large numbers of undecided voters.

"It was a devastating critique. He gave a convincing national endorsement. That's what made it so damaging," said Larry J. Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "This is a more important endorsement than Oprah's."

Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa, said that Powell appeals to independents who are socially liberal, fiscally conservative and moderate on defense issues. Because they shun party labels, they are more swayed by personality, and Powell is a respected national figure. Independents make as much as 9 percent of voters in swing states.

The timing of the endorsement is key as well. In some swing states, voting has already begun. And in Florida, early voting begins Monday. Obama will be campaigning in Tampa.

"That is why this is a prized endorsement," MacManus said. "I can't think of a more important endorsement at this point in the campaign."

G. Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania, echoed this comments.

"This is a huge endorsement, maybe the most significant endorsement he's got," Madonna said. "For undecided voters who are looking at their concerns about national security and defense, this is a plus."

Obama, in Fyatteville, N.C., said he was "beyond honored and deeply humbled" by Powell's endorsement.

McCain, interviewed on Fox News, discounted the potential impact. "This doesn't come as a surprise," McCain said. "But I'm also very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state, Secretaries Kissinger, Baker, Eagleburger and Haig. And I'm proud to have the endorsement of well over 200 retired Army generals and admirals."

McCain made it clear later in a conference call with Jewish leaders that he intended to hammer home his attack on Obama's economic and tax policies, a strategy he said is working.

"I believe Sen. Obama's comments to Joe the Plumber in his driveway that they need to 'Spread the wealth around,' I think, is having an impact on the American people. I guarantee you," McCain said.

McCain also promised to continue to bring up Obama's ties to former Vietnam-era radical William Ayers, though he told the Jewish leaders that discussion of Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, was off the table.

Powell said that McCain's emphasis on Ayers — whose fleeting relationship with Obama, Powell said, was irrelevant to America's concerns now — was one of the reasons he found McCain's campaign disheartening.

In a seven-minute explication of his reasons for endorsing Obama, Powell also critcized McCain for his response to the economic crisis and said that McCain's choice of Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate led him to question McCain's judgment.

"Now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president, Powell said.

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McCain / Palin Will Say Anything Do Anything To Win

McCain once said he would rather lose an election than lose a war.

However these days, it seems he would rather lose his honor, his dignity, and everything else than lose an election.

McCain and Palin are saying anything and doing anything these days in a desperate attempt to turn the tide and win against a leading Obama. This includes accusing Obama of doing the very thing McCain himself is doing (saying anything and doing anything to win).

The truth is Obama is leading because people are sick and tired of failed Republican domestic and foreign policies. The very same policies that got the United States quagmired in 2 wars for 7 years in Afghanistan, and 5 years in Iraq. That's longer than World War II. The United States won WWII in less than 5 years. Yet we, who claim to be the world's lone superpower, are quagmired in Iraq and Afghanistan. And on top of the the economy is in the biggest mess it has ever been in since the Great Depression. Thank you Republicans!

People are sick and tired of failed Bush policies, most of which McCain will continue if he wins. Heck, I think McCain / Palin will be far far WORSE that Bush / Cheney. It was McCain after all who proposed going to war against 4--YES...FOUR--countries soon after 9/11, after America recently toppled the Taliban. He thought the US could just "muddle through" Afghanistan and laucnh wars against Iraq, Iran, Syria all at the same time. That's INSANE.

Palin thinks the Iraq war is a "mission from God". That's even more INSANE. If these 2 win, they'd start WWIII for sure! That freak's me out! And it should freak you out too!

Obama has shown himself to be calm and level headed in a crisis. McCain has proven himself to be erratic, a flip-flopper and indecisive. All one needs to do is look at how he responded to the economic crisis. He "suspends" his campaign so he can "rush" to Washington...except he really doesn't...he does a bunch of interviews first before going to Washington. And when he gets there...he just sits in a corner and says nothing during Bush's meeting with senators and Henry Paulson, and the chairman of the Federal Reserve. He did not do what he promised to do (bring both sides together to come up with an agreement). He said nothing when the Republicans rebelled agaisnt their own party's wallstreet baillout plan. Heck, all McCain seemed to be doing there was waiting for a photo-op so he can claim credit for whatever baillout bill was passed. That blew up in his face didn't it? The bill failed to pass, McCain looks like an idiot and he has no choice to be "unsuspend" his campaign which was never really suspended to begin with (he was running attack ads the whole time it was supposedly "suspended").

So tell me reader...who do you REALLY WANT as commander in Chief? An erratic, unstable, McCain who once wanted to go to war against 4 countries at the same time, or a calm, cool-headed Obama? We don't need another "shoot first, ask questions later" president. We need someone who can keep his cool in a crisis, ask the right questions, and take the country in the right direction. That man is NOT McCain!

Who do you think can get us out of this economic mess? An old, very wealthy out-of-touch man, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, who owns 7 houses? Or a man who has middle class roots and only owns one house, and far better understands the challenges common folks like you and I face?

Don't believe McCain when he says he's fighting for Joe the (fake) plumber. Obama had it right when he said McCain is really fighting for Joe the CEO and Joe the Hedge Fund Manager!

NO McCain NO Palin!

Obama for President!

Vote Obama / Biden 2008!