General

Powell’s Decision

The decision by former Secretary of State Colin Powell to endorse Barack Obama surprised more by the logic of his choice than by the actual selection. Clearly, it was a severe indictment of John McCain’s judgement and temperament. His references to the Palin nomination and McCain’s performance over the last few weeks during the financial crisis seemed in line with the views of many observers, including noted conservative columnists.

This is not good news to the McCain camp, despite the obvious counterspin. Though McCain can count on the support of other former Republican secretaries of state, Powell’s endorsement is significant and comes at a bad time for McCain.

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