Barack Obama Elected President!

[cct]

Jess, I'm going with your split, although I think I'm still giving Florida to McCain. At this point, if polls hold, though, it won't matter. McCain could get all the toss-ups and still lose.

However, the Bradley Effect is certainly in heavy rotation in my head.

[UCLAN]

I think about the Bradley effect too. But there have been a lot of naysayers on that lately. Check out fivethirtyeight.com and the blog by a canvaser in Western Penn. To say the least it was a pretty interesting read. I'm starting to think economy trumps race in this election.

[bandbfan]

I still think that the cell-phone only people (who can't be polled) and African Americans will offset some of this.

[Jess]

The Bradley Effect is huge in my mind. I see it playing in Virginia and that could cost Obama the election. One of the things with the Bradley Effect, is that Bradley's folks really didn't do that great a job getting voters out. Obama hopefully will.

I think a big African-American turnout could make a difference. I think it could make a difference in Florida and Virginia. Florida has that I-$ corridor which is just rock-ribbed conservatives. If they turn out huge, Florida goes R. I think a heavier than expected African-American and young voter turnout could offset it though.

What's happening in early voting? I wonder if its higher or lower than previous years.

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

I just heard that Mccain called Joe the Plumber and invited him to ride the campaign trail with him. LOL

[bandbfan]

I would imagine it's at least a little better than previous years, or 2004 anyway. The Obama campaign is really encouraging early voting.

[ReddFoxx]

I honestly don't think the Bradley Effect will be a problem, there are just too many serious issues out there for people to worry about race. Obama has energized more people and raised more funds than any candidate has in a long time, I think that's proof that most people are probably not concerned with race.

[Jess]

So Joe the Plumber is really named Sam, he is not a plumber and he doesn't make anywhere near $250,000. McCain's response, take him out on the campaign trail and pretend everything Sam the non-plumber has pretended to be is true. That is nuts!

[David_Vickers]

Colin Powell is on Meet the Press right now and has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama!!!!!!!!!!!! This is big! He also talked about the bad things going on with the Republican party right now, including getting more conservative, Sarah Palin being a poor choice, the William Ayers mess and that senior Repbulicans are stating not to vote for Obama because he's Muslim, even though he IS not. Thank You Secy Powell for your service and honesty.

[marceline]

I don't know how much effect Powell's endorsement will have. It might tip a few undecideds but the right is already playing the Black Crusaders card. It does buy us a few news cycles. I just hope we get a chance to hear Sarah Palin say something about Colin Powell.

[Ryan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081019/pl_politico/14714

Powell endorses Obama as 'transformational'

Mike Allen, Jonathan Martin Mike Allen, Jonathan Martin – 1 hr 36 mins ago

Retired General Colin L. Powell, one of the country's most respected Republicans, stunned both parties on Sunday by strongly endorsing Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president on NBC's "Meet the Press" and laying out a blistering, detailed critique of the modern GOP.

Powell said the election of Obama would "electrify the world."

"I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said. "He is a new generation coming ... onto the world stage and on the American stage. And for that reason, I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama."

As a key reason, Powell said: "I would have difficult with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration."

Powell, once considered likely to be the nation's first African-American presidential nominee, said his decision was not about race.

Moderator Tom Brokaw said: "There will be some ... who will say this is an African-American, distinguished American supporting another African-American because of race."

Powell, who last year gave the Arizona senator's campaign the maximum $2,300, replied: "If I had only had that in mind, I could have done this six, eight, 10 months ago. I really have been going back and forth between somebody I have the highest respect and regard for, John McCain and somebody I was getting to know, Barack Obama. And it was only in the last couple of months that I settled on this."

"I can't deny that it will be a historic event when an African-American becomes president," Powell continued, speaking live in the studio. "And should that happen, all Americans should be proud — not just African-American, but all Americans — that we have reached this point in our national history where such a thing could happen. It would also not only electrify the country, but electrify the world."

Powell, making his 30th appearance on "Meet the Press," said he does not plan to campaign for Obama. He led into his endorsement by saying: "We've got two individuals — either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now — which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time.

"And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities — and you have to take that into account — as well as his substance — he has both style and substance, he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president."

Powell said that he is "troubled" by the direction of the Republican Party, and said he began to doubt Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) when he chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

"Not just small towns have values," he said, responding to one of Palin's signature lines.

"She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired," he said. "But at the same, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made."

The endorsement is likely to help Obama convince skeptical centrists that he is ready to handle the challenges of commander in chief, and undercuts McCain argument that he is better qualified on national-security issues.

McCain, appearing on "Fox News Sunday," sought to minimize the endorsement by noting his support from other former secretaries of state and retired military flag officers.

"It doesn’t come as a surprise," McCain said. "I'm very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state, well over 200 retired generals and admirals. I've admired and continue to respect Secretary Powell."

Powell, 71, criticized McCain and his campaign for invoking the former domestic terrorist William Ayers.

"They're trying to connect him to some kind of terrorist feelings, and I think that's inappropriate," Powell said. "Now I understand what politics is all about — I know how you can go after one another. And that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift."

Powell said he has "heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion [that Obama's] a Muslim and might be associated with terrorists."

"This is not the way we should be doing it in America. I feel strongly about this particular point," Powell said. "We have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way. And John McCain is as non-discriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that within the party, we have these kinds of expressions."

Powell, a four-star Army general, was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Persian Gulf war, when George H.W. Bush was president; and was President George W. Bush’s first secretary of State.

Powell has consulted with both Obama and McCain, and the general’s camp had indicated in the past that he would not endorse.

Powell said that as he watched McCain, the Republican “was a little unsure as to how to deal with the economic problems that we were having, and almost every day, there was a different approach to the problem, and that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had."

Powell said a big job of the new president will be “conveying a new image of American leadership, a new image of America’s role in the world.”

“I think what the president has to do is to start using the power of the Oval Office and the power of his personality to convince the American people and to convince the world that America is solid, America is going to move forward … restoring a sense of purpose,” he said.

[Wales2004]

McCain Counters Powell Endorsement With Soap Opera Actress

Nico Pitney October 19, 2008

[Adam]

^ LOL

Yes, that certainly equates with a former Sec. of State of a republican administration.

I am happy to see Powell endorse, and I had long suspected he would.

[Jess]

I think the endorsement for Obama is just one more way to answer questions about what type person he surrounds himself with.

[EricaKane70]

A soap opera actress?LMAO I love how Powell blasted McCain's campaign tactics. Its really sad that McCain is still trying to depict Obama as a muslim, which he is not, and associates with terrorists. I have no respect for McCain anymore. He talked about obama repudiating a senators comments last week connecting him to racist campaign atmosphere, where is McCaing repudiating these right extremists remarks about obama being a muslim and hanging around with terrorists. An there's still an idiot right extremists going on several news shows complaining about obama not wearing the pin flag. I really feel bad for the republicans that can see through this bullsh!t but yet these extremists represent their party.