Back when former Secretary of State and retired General Colin Powell endorsed then candidate Barack Obama for president in the 2008 campaign, we described it as a “symbolic endorsement” — the best sort of endorsement in our Fix Endorsement Hierarchy.
(Not familiar with the Fix Endorsement Hierarchy? For shame! Short answer: It’s an attempt to rank every sort of endorsement based on its importance or lack thereof. Long answer: here. And scroll to the bottom of this post for a full list of the categories in the endorsement hierarchy.)
So, when we heard the news this morning that Powell was “sticking” with Obama in 2012, we — and the world — wondered: Is it still a symbolic endorsement?
Answer: No. It’s a national endorsement — still potentially powerful but less meaningful than a symbolic endorsement.
Why?
First and foremost because there’s no element of surprise here. In 2008 when Powell announced his support of Obama, it was the country’s most beloved general (and a Republican to boot) saying he had confidence in the foreign policy judgment of this decidedly inexperienced Senator from Illinois. No one expected it from Powell and when it happened, the endorsement was widely regarded as of “final piece of the puzzle” moment.
As we wrote back in 2008:
“With polling — both in the key battleground states and nationally — showing that voters trust Obama more than John McCain to handle the current economic morass, one of McCain’s last hopes is that the the election turns back somehow to a foreign policy focus. If Powell does endorse Obama, it would shore up the Illinois senator even if that eventuality occurred; it would be hard for McCain to slam Obama’s approach on the war if the Democrat had a Powell endorsement sitting in his back pocket.”This time around, the element of surprise is gone. And, while the Obama team is already using the Powell endorsement as proof that there is only one real commander-in-chief in the race, it’s hard to see the endorsement having the same sort of lift that it did four years ago.
That said, Powell’s endorsement is not without meaning — particularly since he took time to not only support Obama but also bash former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
“Not only am I not comfortable with what Governor Romney is proposing for his economic plan, I have concerns about his views on foreign policy,” Powell said during an appearance on “CBS This Morning” — adding that the Republican nominee had “some very, very strong neo-conservative views” and describing Romney’s foreign policy vision as a “moving target”.
Our guess is that those quotes will find their way into an Obama ad in the very near future. And, as we noted in 2008, Powell remains among the most popular and trusted figures operating in American politics, which should give his words some heft. (A CNN poll in May 2009 showed that seven in ten people viewed Powell favorably while just 17 percent saw him in an unfavorable light.)
To be clear: Romney would have loved to win Powell’s endorsement. (There is nothing so powerful in politics as a turnabout.) And Powell’s endorsement of Obama could well firm up the incumbent’s lead over Romney on the commander-in-chief question. But, Powell’s 2012 endorsement simply doesn’t carry the same weight that the 2008 version did.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/10/25/colin-powell-and-the-fix-endorsement-hierarchy/?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics
Colin Powell endorses President Obama
In an interview with CBS Thursday morning, former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed President Obama for a second term.
“When he took over, the country was in very, very difficult straits,” Powell said. ”Generally, we’ve come out of the dive and we’re starting to gain altitude.”
On foreign policy, Powell added, ”the president got us out of one war, started to get us out of a second war and did not get us into any new wars.” He added that he thought “the actions he has taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very very solid.”
As for Romney, Powell said, ”Not only am I not comfortable with what Governor Romney is proposing for his economic plan, I have concerns about his views on foreign policy.” He said that while Romney largely agreed with Obama on Iraq and Afghanistan in Monday’s debate, at other points the Republican candidate has expressed “some very, very strong neo-conservative views.”
Obama’s campaign told reporters that the president had no advance warning of Colin Powell endorsement. Before taking the stage at an event in Tampa, Obama called Powell to thank him, though there was no discussion of any joint appearances. Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the campaign is “very excited” about the endorsement: “We think it sends a strong signal about why he should be sent back for another four years to be commander in chief.”
Powell endorsed Obama in 2008 as well, calling him a “transformational figure.” In the CBS interview Powell says he is still a Republican, but “of a more moderate mold … That’s something of a dying breed, I’m sorry to say.”
Former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took a shot at Powell on Fox News Radio after the endorsement, saying, “General Powell, you disappoint us and you have harmed your legacy even further by defending what is clearly the most feckless foreign policy in my lifetime.”
Earlier this year Powell criticized Romney on foreign policy, saying some of the Republican’s advisers are “quite far to the right.” At the time, however, he said he was not ready to endorse, saying he was still listening to Romney’s proposals.
Condoleezza Rice, who replaced Powell as Secretary of State under George W. Bush, has endorsed Romney and campaigned for him, saying that the former Massachusetts governor will “put this country back to work.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/25/colin-powell-endorses-barack-obama/
“When he took over, the country was in very, very difficult straits,” Powell said. ”Generally, we’ve come out of the dive and we’re starting to gain altitude.”
On foreign policy, Powell added, ”the president got us out of one war, started to get us out of a second war and did not get us into any new wars.” He added that he thought “the actions he has taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very very solid.”
As for Romney, Powell said, ”Not only am I not comfortable with what Governor Romney is proposing for his economic plan, I have concerns about his views on foreign policy.” He said that while Romney largely agreed with Obama on Iraq and Afghanistan in Monday’s debate, at other points the Republican candidate has expressed “some very, very strong neo-conservative views.”
Obama’s campaign told reporters that the president had no advance warning of Colin Powell endorsement. Before taking the stage at an event in Tampa, Obama called Powell to thank him, though there was no discussion of any joint appearances. Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the campaign is “very excited” about the endorsement: “We think it sends a strong signal about why he should be sent back for another four years to be commander in chief.”
Powell endorsed Obama in 2008 as well, calling him a “transformational figure.” In the CBS interview Powell says he is still a Republican, but “of a more moderate mold … That’s something of a dying breed, I’m sorry to say.”
Former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) took a shot at Powell on Fox News Radio after the endorsement, saying, “General Powell, you disappoint us and you have harmed your legacy even further by defending what is clearly the most feckless foreign policy in my lifetime.”
Earlier this year Powell criticized Romney on foreign policy, saying some of the Republican’s advisers are “quite far to the right.” At the time, however, he said he was not ready to endorse, saying he was still listening to Romney’s proposals.
Condoleezza Rice, who replaced Powell as Secretary of State under George W. Bush, has endorsed Romney and campaigned for him, saying that the former Massachusetts governor will “put this country back to work.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/25/colin-powell-endorses-barack-obama/
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