General Colin Powell Endorses Obama
Although a Republican, former Secretary of State, National Security Advisor and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell loudly announced his support for Barack Obama, the Democrats’ candidate for the 2008 Presidential Election. He is reported to have donated significant amount to the fund Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign but decided to withdraw his support in favor of the Democratic Party’s standard bearer.
Colin Powell expressed that though he regrets his action, it does not mean he does not have as much respect for Sen. McCain as for Barack Obama. Colin Powell said the country is in need of a generational change and has seen Obama as the transformational figure that change needs. Powell added that Obama’s innate ability to inspire as well as the inclusion promised in his campaign convinced him to support the young senator from Illinois.
About Colin Powell
General Colin Powell is a distinguished military officer. As a military man, Colin Powell has always looked for less violent means to resolve conflicts. As much as possible, Powell used military tactics that secured victories with little casualties. This zeal was soon dubbed as the ‘Powell Doctrine.’ Colin Powell applied the said approach during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, where he used an overwhelming force, prompting the other side to hasten their surrender.
Colin Powell quickly rose in his ranks and was signed by the late President Ronald Reagan as his National Security Advisor from 1987 to 1989. But prior to that, he already served as a White House Fellow under President Richard Nixon. When President George H.W. Bush took oath, Powell was raised to full general status and was named as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Under President George W. Bush, Colin Powell became the 65th Secretary of State. But even with President, Colin Powell was still resilient with the Bush Administration’s policies on the 2nd Iraq Invasion. In an interview in 2007, Colin Powell tried his best to dissuade President Bush to invade Iraq but failed.
Colin Powell is an active supporter of the America’s Promise, an organization he founded n 1997 to help children from all socioeconomic sectors to have better lives.