Political Perceptions: What Can Powell Do for Obama?

With just over two weeks left in the campaign, it certainly can’t hurt to be endorsed by a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State. That’s what happened when Colin Powell endorsed Sen. Barack Obama on “Meet the Press” Sunday, and Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin of Politico gauge what difference it might make: “The endorsement is likely to help Obama convince skeptical centrists that he is ready to handle the challenges of commander in chief, and it undercuts McCain’s argument that he is better qualified on national security issues,” they write. Rush Limbaugh and Sen. John McCain himself dismissed its significance, and some Republicans said the move was Powell’s retaliation for what he perceives as his mistreatment by President Bush. “But others in the party were less dismissive, acknowledging the heft of the respected retired four-star general and the popularity he enjoys across the country,” Allen and Martin write. “ Kevin Madden , a GOP veteran ... (link)