The Powell Factor
is his an endorsement that counts?
2008-10-20
By Eric Easter

“It isn’t easy for me to disappoint Senator McCain as I have this morning, but we need a president who will not just continue the policies of the last few years. We need a transformational figure. We need generational change.”

Colin Powell’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama proves that when the general chose not to run for office himself, America may have lost an expert politician. His endorsement followed his war doctrine, swift and overwhelming. Just how many nuances can you squeeze into a short interview?

In a matter of about a dozen well chosen sentences he debunked the notion that African Americans are making a decision based only on race, called McCain old, unstable and wrong on the economy, pronounced Palin unqualified and called for his party to get back to its reasonable center. It was an amazing thing to see.

But it wasn’t exactly a risky move. Like the smart soldier that he is, he didn’t jump into the fray without adequate cover. By some measure, other centrist conservatives like Christopher Brinkley, Andrew Sullivan, Christopher Hitchens and George Will gave Powell protection by already loudly expressing their distaste for McCain’s tactics and his choice of running mate.

Still, he represents the tip of a growing iceberg and if the others have helped walked people to the cliff, Powell’s endorsement may well be the final push over the edge.

The general also opened the door for those Black Republicans who have been so silent at dinner parties lately because of their own internal conflicts between duty to Party and duty to history. He framed his decision within the context of taking the measure of both men and finding one more worthy than the other, while still allowing that there was an importance to being on the right side of history.

His own history may have been on his mind as well. Was the Powell endorsement influenced by a desire to put his legacy on the right track given the stain on his reputation brought on by his UN speech? Perhaps in part, but Powell has always seemed a man confident in decisions he believes to be correct, whether they are popular or not. Ultimately his legacy would have been fine without this move.

More likely he was looking to restore both soul and conscience to a Party that has been betrayed by its president and overtaken by its extremist right flank. And those that follow him may find that there is a place at the table even if they lose.

But will it translate to votes? This may be the only endorsement that actually does.

Eric Easter is Chief of Digital Strategy for Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. He writes about politics, culture and technology for Ebonyjet.com.