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.”The other point worth mentioning is that this likely confirms that Powell has no interest in running for President himself in the future. If he had, he would have looked to avoid alienating other Republicans. Then again, if some of the stories told about his time on the Bush cabinet at true, he may feel they have already alienated him.
But he said McCain’s choices in the last few weeks — especially his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice presidential running mate — had raised questions in his mind about McCain’s judgment.
Updated 10/20 with video of the endorsement
good argument
YanıtlaSilArcher,
YanıtlaSilThe stuff around the argument is good (the tone, the Ayers thing, Obama is more intellectually curious and "steady" in the crisis) but his basic reason is that Obama is more liberal. He didn't like the selection of Palin because she is conservative, he doesn't want conservative justices, he thinks Obama is more "inclusive"... it's all code for Obama being more liberal. Powell has always been that way, but got kudos from Republicans because he was a general who ran a war well and was Bush's Secretary of State.
His final comments about the hope, change, transformational figure sounds good, but you have to look deeper.
I want change, I have hope, I want someone transformational, but I don't want the change Obama is making into socialism/Marxism. I want to get back to a limited government and the principles of freedom that were espoused at the founding of the country.
And I should mention, I don't think McCain is much better at getting what I want, but he won't move us as far in the wrong direction as Obama will.
This may be unworthy, but I have to say I wonder how much is a reasoned, logical decision and how much is enjoying a thumb in the eye of GWB and his cabinet who allegedly abused Powell so much in their first 4 years.
YanıtlaSilPowell has never been a social conservative. It sounds like he was waiting for McCain to give him the excuse to allow him to speak out for Obama. And the bailout bill and the economic stumbles gave him that chance.