Colin Powell endorses Obama, and tackles racial/religious polarization
Click to viewThe rumors have been going around, but it's finally official: Colin Powell has endorsed Barack Obama for President. This is pretty major, as Powell is a good friend of McCain's and a lifelong Republican. McCain responded to the endorsement by citing the four previous Secretaries of State that have endorsed them, but to my knowledge none of those men had to reach across the aisle in endorsing a candidate. This is a solid nod to the bipartisan potential of Barack Obama's presidency, and the possibility (though unlikely) of Powell serving as a member of the cabinet is thrilling.
What I especially admire, though, in Powell's endorsement is that he's the first politician I've heard cut through the heart of the "What if he's a Muslim?" argument. Every time that we counter that question by saying he's not, we're reinforcing the idea that our Presidents must be Christian, that this is a Christian country run by Christian people, and that religious (and ethnic) plurality is a fringe benefit of our democracy. Powell makes that plurality central again. Instead of saying "Obama's not a Muslim," he resoundingly says "So what if he is?" I've always respected Powell, but this has brought my respect for him from a distant affirmation of his expertise to a more poignant respect for him as a person.
Not surprisingly, the media isn't covering Powell's comments about the religious and racial fears, when in truth, I think this is the most significant part of Powell's statement this morning.