Colin Powell's Presidential Endorsement

Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama can prove decisive in a rough race for the presidency. Powell found presidential material in both Obama’s style and substance.

The well respected Republican almost guarantees that Obama has what it takes to be a good president. And this guarantee comes at a time when the McCain campaign is attempting to make the democratic candidate look like a risky choice for president.

Yesterday, Colin Powell turned and said – without a shadow of doubt – that it was John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, who was not ready for her task in the white house. That is, the one who has to be politically and personally ready to to take over as president.

Experience has been John McCain’s best argument in the struggle against the much younger and more inexperienced Barack Obama.

He has even suggested that Obama could be a good presidential candidate in a few years. And many American voters do see Obama as a relative unknown with a background large groups of voters cannot identify with.

That is why Colin Powell’s endorsement means a lot to Obama.

The former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff – under the first President Bush, and secretary of state – under the second President Bush – is a member of the very exclusive club of Americans who enjoys general respect with his countrymen.

There are polls showing that around 75 percent of Americans have faith in Powell’s assessments, even if that may not mean that they will all take his advice.

In all presidential campaigns, some will transgress party lines. Joe Lieberman, Democrat Al Gore’s vice-presidential candidate eight years ago, is now calling himself an Independent, traveling around as John McCain’s supporter. Still, it is not every day that such a prominent personality as Colin Powell recommends his countrymen to vote for a presidential candidate from a different party than his own. Powell is not just a Republican, he is also a good friend of John McCain.

Most important is perhaps the way Colin Powell is doing this. He is portraying Barack Obama as a man of the future, and is talking of an almost absolutely necessary generational change in the White House.

That’s another bitter pill to swallow for 72-year-old John McCain.

But Powell also talked about Obama’s qualities as a leader and a politician, and vouched for his ability to be commander-in-chief. Powell liked both his style and substance.

It must have hurt the McCain campaign when Powell accused them of a negative campaign against Obama, which takes focus off the real issues. With his low-voiced authority he probably set a lot of things straight for undecided voters.

The NBC interview with Colin Powell aired Sunday afternoon (Norwegian time) was important. But how important was it really?

It was exceptionally important when it comes to his stamp of approval of Obama as president and commander-in-chief. But one should also realize that Powell’s endorsement of Obama has been expected, and that it probably will not move large groups of Republican voters.

Powell’s endorsement can, however, mean that a lot of the undecided voters will now vote democratic. And according to a fresh poll 49 percent supports Obama and 43 percent supports McCain, while 8 percent are so-called independents.

The battle for these voters is extremely important with two weeks to go.

Colin Powell has always been a favorite with the media. That is why it is speculated that he will be easier to believe for the average American. That makes it easy to forget the position he had during the first gulf war, even if he failed in the second.

He is seen as a man with the type of integrity that raises him above the daily political squabbles – even when he is taking part in it.

Like Colin Powell now is.