Powell Immunizes Obama
It's hard to say who will be swayed by Powell's endorsement of Obama. One of possible 'October Surprises' has been a possible terrorist attack, which most people feel would to McCain's advantage because of his military experience. But I think Powell's endorsement, coming from the best known, highest ranking, and trusted (despite the WMD debacle!) may have immunized Obama against concerns about his ability to respond to a military emergency.
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It strengthens Obama's credibility and weakens McCain's.
The gravitas of a retired general, former national security advisor and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff makes McCain seem like a mere military brat.
October 19, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
It might have worked that way if Republicans weren't so quick to completely disqualify their own people who expres different views. In this case it's being spun as a mere racist endorsement; if Powell was white, they'd have thought of something else, like "anti-Americanism".
October 19, 2008 8:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
What I think is going to help Obama in this regard, though, is that people have come to know him as a steady and smart leader. According to the post-3rd-debate polls, they are beginning to trust him as much or than McCain even on matters like national security. So I think even a major national security event would be unlikely to cause a major shift in McCain's direction.
October 19, 2008 8:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you're basically right, JumpyJack, but I do think that authority figures function for a lot of voters, especially 'undecided' ones (who are waiting for something/someone to tell them how to vote), and Powell is a particularly reassuring figure whose vote of confidence would go a long way if there were some national security crisis.
October 19, 2008 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink