Powell says he's still on fence

He wants to side with who ever is likely to win.

Powell please. Take a stand and redeem yourself from the Republicans. YOU NEED REDEMPTIPN FROM BEING PLAYED BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

Get off fence Powell. Palin make good president. She hot she shoot moose she build bridge to somewhere. No wait she no build bridge to somewhere build to nowhere. She shoot hot moose she beauty queen and McCain be vice Pres cause he crash plane in Vietnam. He croak we have hot president attack russia shoot moose . Powell why you on fence. She hot.

Obama never asked anybody to vote for him because he is black. NEVER

i think him saying he told Barack that he would not vote for him just because he is black is a sign that he is going to endorse Obama. He is trying to make sure that people will not accuse him of endorsing a democrat just because he is black.

gen powell has shown again that america comes first. HE WILL NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA BECAUSE HE IS BLACK. I WISH OTHER AFRICAN AMERICANS GET OFF THE RACE CARD AND VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE BEST TO SERVE THIS GREAT NATION. TO ME THAT WAS HILLARY CLINTON BUT SHE IS NOT IN RACE.
OBAMA IS GETING 90 % OF BLACK VOTES BECAUSE HE CLAIMS TO BE BLACK. MOST OF THOSE 90 % EVEN DID NOT BOTHER TO LOOK AT HIS PERFORMANCE AND THEN THEY BLAME WHITES TO BE RACIST. TO ME IT IS RACISM IN REVERSE.
I WISH ONE DAY GEN POWELL IS READY TO TAKE THE HELM OF THIS NATION
ONE CANNOT BLAME OTHERS TO BE RACIST WHEN THE RACE CARD IS BEING PLAYED OPENLY BY OBAMA.

Any voter that is still undecided hasn't been paying attention. A debate is a one time event or in this case a three time event.

Of all the possible choices, McCain chose a running mate whose views and vaules are the same as Bush.

PALIN IS BUSH!


I want change!

McCain/Palin: The Bridge to Nowhere.

Anybody paying attention knows that Powell must NOT be "...watching both individuals". Obama IS getting into the issues, always has been. In fact that very common expression (lipstick) was being used while discussing issues, his own and John McCain's economic policies. It's the McCain camp that continues to discuss kindergarten sex education (a deception), lipstick on a pig (a deception), experience (ooops, not that anymore, i mean 'change'), etc.

Even if Powell thinks obama is better for america
people will only think
he choose obama because they share a similiar skin color.

So which means a powell endorsement of mccain would be huge
a powell endorsement of obama would be insignificant..

Unfortunatly for obama
the whites will hold him to a higher standerd
than one of their own.

Obama has to be twice as better than mccain in debates..
for example take the saddleback forum
obama was choosen to go 1st and they said mccain was in a silent room
and had no access to the questions and answers as it turned out mccain was inside a car with his campaign advisors.

Mccain gave quick one liners "life begins at conception"
the crowd erupts! wow mccain your smart..
and then he started talking about which supreme court justices he would have nominated b4 he was even asked that question..
i think he had a heads up

Also i think its fair to ask
IF "country first" then why wear a Israel flag pin instead of a usa one?

Lipstick on a pig!

sis boom bah colin powell!

If, from your experienced pedestal, you can't figure who to back, how do you suppose average Americans will know which candidate to vote for?

After you got thrown under the fucking bus by the Bush administration, can you possibly endorse John McCain? Forget Sarah Palin. We all know why the cat dragged her in.

War hero? Don't know, don't care. I know a lot of Viet Nam Vets. They are all heavily medicated sociopaths. I have seen nothing to indicate that John McCain is any different. OOPS. Except for the fact that he was born with a silver spoon in his
priveledged mouth.

Can you possibly think that this election can or should be about race or gender?
It's about neither, in spite of McCain's smoke and mirrors.
What the Fuck?

How can you possibly be undecided?

What do you have to gain by sitting on your hands?

Colin for president.
We dont care what the other guy did or where they have been. What are you going to do to make this country better? We are headed in the wrong direction so where will YOU lead us? Higher taxes?higher unemployment?Better health care?
BE INDEPENDENT! DO the right thing .

if Powell ran he would have won

> And I'm interested to see what the debates are going to be like because we have to get off of this 'lipstick on a pig' stuff and get into issues," Powell said.

Then he should vote for Obama. McCain is now trying to use his POW status as an excuse for being out of touch. Even his fellow POWs are disgusted with him.

Collin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama will start the rumbling and will start the shifting weight towards Obama.

I feel the same way, just cannot figure who would make us safe

I'm on the fence as well. If Powell was running, my decision would be clear... :P

Ignorance and hate are still prevelent in our country, and when joined with stupidity,they are nearly impossible to overcome. In order to wipe out the soot of this blight, our most respected leaders must cease to be silent and must come forward and speak out forcefully for the right leadership. Every thinking person knows we cannot allow McCain to advance. Not a thinker, opportunist, and has proven he lacks sound judgement. (Palin) What kind of person would continue after some 40 years to cash in on something he really had no control over.(capture} Would he even have been nominated if it were not for the hero tag?

I'm always troubled by people who say that their first concern is to "keep us safe".

Putting security first and keeping the military strong is what every fascist regime in history has offered. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin... you name it. They peddled their dark philosophies by making people afraid and then offering to keep them safe.

What's more important is to "keep us free".

Who will best safeguard our freedoms, from dangers both foreign AND DOMESTIC ?

The same Republican administration that claimed to be keeping us safe from terrorism is the one that has eroded our freedoms at home and our reputations abroad. Do we really want four (or eight) more years of that same party in power?

I agree with Colin Powell decision. Everyone should look closely at all involved in this important decision. I have concerns on both sides. Is McCain able to make rational decisions? His VP choice worries me. I feel like that was a popularity move, not a move that is in the best interest of all American. Is Obama youth an issue? I do feel he would restore our credibilty throughout the world. Let's face it, we have lost so much in 8 years. We are in so much debt. Its like we are Rome and about to fall. Also can a person that has lead a privilaged life relate to a regular person that does not make 5 million a year , 7 fully furnished and staffed houses( McCain idea of middle class).

Bingo! Mr. Powell has hit the nail right on the head. What he said about Iraq " If you break it you will own it" was so true. It is ashame that Colin Powell was mislead about the information he presented to the World and the United Nations with references to Iraq's Nuclear ambitions. However, he is absolutley right about the needed debates between these two candidates.The rest of the propaganda is all B.S.

I don't trust Colin Powell.

I am mystified that anyone would be completely polarized by any of the candidates, yet most people are. Certainly no candidate could align perfectly with anyone's view. There are way more than two dimensions at stake and there is plenty of time to think about it. The bulk of the information we have has been positioned, processed, optimized for sale, then spoon fed to us by the media. The media is no more evil than capitalism itself, but some things you just have to do yourself. The debates are really the only first hand opportunity we have to evaluate the candidates. I knew Powell was a smart man.

He never told his boss GWB that he knew the source of the Plame leak. He is no friend to Republicans. He will vote for the African-American.

Racism in any form is Anti-American

Dear Mr Colin Powell.
I believe that you have been a great and important contributor to the integrity of the United States. At times, I wished that you had the courage to take up the gauntlet and run for president. Perhaps I still wish that, but I am dismayed that you could still be "on the fence". The comment of not supporting Mr Obama, "just because he is black" is offensive to my sensibilities. The ruinous and careless "shoot from the hip" direction that Mr. Bush has taken this great country on the international and domestic fronts is despicable. Although Mr. McCain is a great American and has also served the country well and "may" have it's better interests at heart. To see the correlation of the voting record of Mr. McCain with Bush sends shivers up my spine. Please sit down soon and give it a careful think. I would like you to get off that fence and help us plan for a better future outcome for our nation, the world and our children. You can make a difference !

B.T.W. I am a Caucasian registered as a Republican.

Ask Colin Powell who first suggested the "surge" .

I'm glad to learn that Powell is seriously considering voting for Obama. My guess is that he will come out for the Democrat after the first debate between the two contenders. Powell is well qualified to judge which man will keep the country safer.

I wish Powell was running for president. He would get my vote.

M. Powell,
I believe you when you say you love your country, so why didn't you run? Or better still, why not launch a write in campaign now? Write your own ads.

Big Joke Powell,, I know exactly who you are going to vote for, please spare us the suspense..

issues are not important, didn't he hear McCain's camp say this is a contest for personality?

The interesting thing about Colin Powell's attitude is the fact that Barack Obama never said he expected Powell to vote for him "because he's black".

In fact, since the outset of the race, Obama's tactic has been to AVOID the topic of race entirely which, ironically, got him into trouble with the same media Powell buddied up to in order to press his lies on the American public so he could shore up support for Bush's garbage 'War On Terror'.

Colin Powell's a lying Uncle Tom. Not only did he lie to the entire nation, but he lied on behalf of none other than the Bush Administration while doing Bush's filthy bidding. Now he wants to diminish Obama's campaign simply because Obama's Black...which only matters to intellectual midgets. He's a moron.

Who cares what Colin Powell thinks? I lost all respect for the man when he knowingly allowed George W Bush to proceed with the lies leading up to the Iraq war. Had Colin Powell had the guts to stand up for What Is Right, had he resigned before the last election, we'd have been in FAR better shape than we're in now, and W would be nothing more than a laughable memory. Good bye, and good riddance, Mr. Powell.

Powell would be a excellent addition to either side, as a cabinet member. I would be confident in either side with him as an adviser.

Headline: "Powell says he's still on fence"
What, Fence ??? (Just spit it, out: STUPID !! )
McCain ? Or ... Obama ? Sounds simple enough to me.
Or, Colin ... is it that the real problem is that you need another 8 years of being their concsripted lackey to loyally and blindly taking their orders of lying for their wars ?
Is that the real fence you're on, homey ?
Colin Powell you are despicable and History won't treat you well. Talk about the old days. (Not to be implying any racist remark...) Powell's legacy and historical significance has become nothing more than that of a true ~ ~ "Uncle (Step n' Fetch It) Tom". Had the Moxie and didn't do it: That's the worst kind of person. The one that was given the Historical moment to be a man and didn't seize the moment.

General Powell, the statement you made re: being an' American first' is truly the statement of someone that has totally left behind the idea that it is the colour of a persons skin that makes the person, or the candidate! Thank you for making us [at least me] proud of you! It is so refreshing, to hear somebody that is not persuaded by the rhetoric of the public and the newscasters that purport to "know",who is best to represent the wishes and the concerns of all of us, before there has been Any public debate between the candidates, to express the patience 'to wait and see'. At the end of the day I Wish that the American public were so measured in their decision making but I am so afraid that voters are apathetic and truly Resist change and that we may end up with a status quo vote of 'more of the same'. So to get down to the crux of the situation. We both Know that whomever becomes the elected, is only as good as the team that they assemble and the elected one's ability to forge agreement across party lines to accomplish legislation that they propose. McCain, maverick, steps on toes goes his "OWN WAY". Obama, consensus builder, directing and directed to the best decisions for ALL of us. Will FORGE Peace and make the decision to use the STEEL if
Absolutely necessary, for us; and the rest of the WORLD. PRESIDENTof all of us, all of us.

I still say the best ticket would be Colin Powell and Condi Rice.

Yes the republican's are trying to hide behind "lipstick on a pig" , "celebrity" and "hockey mom" that's because when it comes to the issues they have no new idea's other than BS failed trickle down economic of the tax cuts for the super rich

A high ranking republican who says he's still undecided sounds like a vote for Obama.

Colin Powell is a man of honor. He is not willing to jump on any one's bandwagon because of race or expectations. If only McCain and Obama would both read the book What If Everyone Lived Next Door to Jesus? (Hannibal Books) they might understand Powell's heart-felt desire to do what is right...not just what the crowds want him to. He definitely has my respect. I just hope Powell plays a major role in the next administration!.

Colin Powell is a military leader who served in a Republican administration and knows both the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees "extremely well." Yet he is NOT convinced that the best candidate to lead our country and keep us safe is the Republican nominee, the one who served in the Navy from 1957 to 1980 without ever rising above the rank of captain, a rank to which he was promoted in 1979.

This is the man who in 1968 dismissed the My Lai massacre and gave Calley a free pass.
This is the man who presented (you know when) the certainty of WMD to the world at the U.N.

If Mr. Powell knows each of the candidates "extremely well" as he says, he should know already who will get his vote. Mr. Powell is a capable man who has made weighty decisions in the past, some good, and as stated above, some not so good. This is just way too coy on his part. Politics.

unfortunaely, General Powell has decided his personal life is not something he wants to expose to the liberal microscope. His leadership is a great example for all of us. Thank you! Gen Powell for your service to our country. M B

Amen...Colin Powell for Secretary of State..2009

"I am an American first." What does that mean? What is the alternative? I am Black first?" This is a false dichotomy that only plays on non-Whites. McCain is never in a position to have to say that he is an American first. What is his alternative? That he is White first? It makes no sense. It is a divisive distinction that is applied only to non-Whites. It implies that being Black is not being American whereas being White does not. This is a dangerously subtle put pernicious falsehood that needs to be challenged and then stopped.

When Powell or Obama or anyone else is asked "Do you consider yourself to be an African American or an American?" the answer should be "What's the difference?"

General |Powell, get off the fence and lead. You where born to lead. You are a great American leader. Lead!, the country needs your God given leadership.

After the events of the last eight years I cannot understand how any American regardless of party affiliation can vote for the candidates of a party, that produced and supported the Bush – Cheney administration.

I know how he feels. Each candidate has pluses and minuses, both offer approximately the same number of disadvantages. As an independent voter, I have drifted from fair support for Obama to (now) mild support for McCain which is growing ever so slightly stronger as the days pass. Oh, how I wish Nader had the backing of big bucks or at least some coverage by the media. I think Nader would be my *first* choice.
If Obama 1) were less proabortion, 2) more for school choice via vouchers, 3) and hadn't voted to allow the telecoms off the hook for doing illegal things. If he were only consistent on these things and (seemingly) less prone to sell out his ideals for a vote. . . I would have stuck with him. Oh well.

Someone needs to ask Palin what she means by Energy Security. Doee she actually know what this means or is she just mimicking her advisiors? Is energy security the path to stepping up the hawkish military industrial complex-their fix to the devsing economy? Or is energy security facing up to the wold wide issue of climate change and energy, making this an economic oportunity for change

If someone as intelligent as Colin Powell is even considering voting for McSame/ Palin ( an unexperienced but good lier), then the the USA is in very very serious trouble indeed
it's scary
really scary
My god, are the mercs going to do another Bush like fiasco yet again?

Evidently Powell doesn't want to be seen as voting for Obama just because he's black. I don't see his problem. Any study of McCain's Bushlike voting record in Congress should tell him who's right for the job no matter race or skin color.

He's an "American first"? Really. He should have thought about that before tucking his tail between his legs when Bush told him to put on his war uniform (after deciding to go to war without his input). What a load of crap. Sounds like he is a Republican first and trying his best to find a way to support his party even though they have damn near bankrupted this country.

This is an expression of a true American, and I am proud he is face of who we are.

I have decided to support Obama months ago with the information I had available to me. It was a very easy decision. It amazes me that a Powell can not make up his mind by now one way or the other with all of the information he has available to him. The way the Bush admin used him, I would think his decision would be easy for him to make. Come on Powell ,it is not that complicated.

Well, Colin Powell is a name brand, but did he stand up to the Bush neocons when they invented reasons to declare war on Iraq? Did his go-along-to-get-along stance make us safe - I don't think so. The Iraq war has killed and maimed our men and women, damaged their families, caused unimaginable death and destruction to the Iraqis, shattered our reputation around the world, bled our economy, defied morality. Wasn't Powell Bush's sidekick when war was declared? I ask: Colin Powell, what would you bring to the party?

I'm for the guy who had the good sense to vote against the war, the guy who is not only intelligent and has excellent judgment, but who also has the ability to lead in a righteous way. President Barack Obama.

My hat's off to Colin Powell with the statement on getting off this 'lipstick on a pig' stuff. As a one time democrat who keeps voting for my republican congressman, and a moderate independant for five years I also am waiting to hear how the two presidential candidates stand on the issues. I am tired of hearing what the other guy is not going to do. I want to know how they would solve the different issues.
As a governor for only two years I also want to hear specifics from Sarah Palin since she would be stepping into John McCain's shoes if he was elected and could not finish his term(s). And right not I am not impressed. I will not vote for McCain just because he has chosen a woman for VP

Count Powell in the Obama column, folks. If you're a Republican and it's less than two months before the election, and you're not already on board with your party's candidate, you're not voting the party line this time around.

And thus beings the Obama landslide.....

well done #2, i read "Plan of Attack" by Bob Woodward and know what you mean.

Since Powell is an intelligent man, i find it hard to believe he'd vote for war-monger McCain and his (obviously) psychotic choice for VP. This woman is EVIL...must be related to Cheney. She has NO experience to assist in running this rundown country (thanks, dub-ya.....dumbass). Me thinks Wilma Flintstone should go back under the rock where she came from and take her drug-addicted son and slut of a daughter with her (she probably threatened the loser's life who knocked up the daughter). Getting married...how laughable is that? That pyscho-bitch is completely out of touch with reality.

Way to go Colin Powell I agree

# 41: I really don't think Obama is "proabortion" - nobody is "proabortion." I know many people who are pro-life yet who feel abortion should be a legal option. If my daughters got pregnant, I would try to help them through the difficulty to make what I view as the moral choice to give birth. If they decided they could not, or if they were alone or impoverished with no health care or support and decided to terminate their pregnancy in the first trimester, I would want that to be legal and safe. Like Hillary, I think abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare." Obama thinks that too. Everyone is so entranced that Sarah Palin "chose" to have a trisomy 21 child, like she's a big saint. But wait - if she lived in the world that she advocates, there would have been NO CHOICE involved - she would be forced to carry to term, or she would be a criminal. That would be her choice.

Colin Powell is a very smart man, I would have supported him for president. He was used by the Bush Administration and I am sure he will vote for and endorse Barack Obama.
With the Republicans using the "abortion issue" every time they run, citizens should have learned by now that they are the ones being Used big time. It is true , no one is for abortion. It is all about the legal system, it must remain legal, but it must be rare. Liberals believe in "life" and are "pro Life" , the Republicans have turned this into a game, it is very sad. Americans need to wake up and look at the real issues facing this country and vote according to that.
OBAMA BIDEN '08

If hes less than two months from the election and can't decide to go with his party ...he must have some big reservations about McCain/Palin. When he can't quickly back them... and he knows them... why should I? I am a Republican and live in a place where it isn't good to say you like the democrats but I can't trust McCain anymore either. So I say I'm pro McCain and wear my Palin button but on Nov 4 I'll probably go into the voting booth and not vote at all or vote for the other guy.

Mr. Powell gave an outstanding presentation on WMDs at UNO a few years ago and thus became responsible for the initiation of Iraq illegal war. His presentation was similar to Sarah Palin's speech at Republicans convention which was also based on a few lies but articulated in an appealing fashion. So if you are seeking truth, Mr. Powell should listen to Obama as to what he has been saying about Iraq's illegitimate war and bringing our troops home. I am sure you will spend the rest of life regretting your speech at UN which was based on concocted facts fabricated by Bush administration.

# 3 .....you are killing me! I've not laughed so hard in a long time. Thank you.
To the other comments. I'm encouraged to hear so many thoughtful insights.
I registered as a republican for the primary, and have now changed to
Obama / Biden 08