General Colin Powell, who served as secretary of state under President George W. Bush, talks to TODAY's Matt Lauer about politics, war and his new book, "It Worked for Me."
Though he believes President Obama has had several significant achievements during his first term, Gen. Colin Powell stopped short of giving him an official endorsement in the upcoming election.
Powell appeared on TODAY Tuesday to promote his new book, “It Worked for Me,’’ a compilation of lessons learned throughout his life. The Secretary of State under President George W. Bush endorsed Obama for president in 2008, calling him a transformational figure who could institute generational change. But while Powell lauds the president’s accomplishments, he is not ready to offer his endorsement just yet.
“I think he has been (a transformational figure), (but) not completely,’’ Powell told Matt Lauer. “There are some things that he has done that I wish he had not done – for example, leave Guantanamo open. I would’ve closed that rapidly. He tried, (and) he was stopped by Congress.”
One of Obama’s most significant achievements has been to reverse a spiraling economy, according to Powell.
“He stabilized the financial system, he brought about stability in the economy, (and) he fixed the auto industry. I think he took us out – not completely out – he took us out of the most difficult problem we were facing at that time, which was an economy that was collapsing. It’s improving, but not fast enough. His number one goal for the rest of this year, as it should’ve been for the whole four years, is to get the economy running again.”
Oct. 19: Appearing on "Meet the Press," former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell – who has been courted by both major party candidates – announces that he will back Barack Obama for president.
When pressed by Lauer about whether his praise for Obama constitutes a similar endorsement to the one Powell gave him in 2008, Powell indicated that he has not made that decision yet.
“Oh, (Obama) knows better,’’ Powell said. “He knows that I always keep my powder dry, as they say in the military. I feel as a private citizen I will listen to what the president says and what the president has been doing, but I also have to listen to what the other fella says. I’ve known Mitt Romney for many years – good man. It’s not just a matter of whether you support Obama or Romney, it’s who they have coming with them.’’
Powell reserves the right to change his mind from the last election if the Republicans offer a better solution to the country’s problems.
“The beautiful part of being a private citizen is you can decide when you want to throw your weight, if you want to throw your weight,’’ he said. “I’m still listening to what the Republicans are saying they’re going to do to fix the fiscal problems. We have to get the economy moving, and I think I owe that to the Republican party.
“I also think that’s the right way to go about it. Too often in this country we simply stick with whatever you said last year even if it doesn’t work out or make sense, so I like to listen to everybody, examine everything and then in due course make a judgment and vote the way I think the correct way to vote is.’’
More: Obama 'somber' in interview about his progress, election
2008: Powell endorses Obama on "Meet the Press"
Candidates clash over Romney's record at Bain
"Meet the Press" roundtable: Obama should focus on strengths
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Matt Lauer, Re: Colin Powell's commentary - How much money does he have invested in the M/I Complex. His poor explanation of your ques. on his statement to the UN - 'Man, you were the Sec. of State' - no balls! Finally, he is part of Romney's 1%. I've known a number of generals personally and never had the feeling they were of Powell's wishy-washy personality - perhaps because he was ROTC. Jim
Yeah, because as we all know, the best officers come out of West Point or OCS. Please, what a dumb thing to say. You clearly have an issue with ROTC, but we had to work harder to get what branch we wanted. I worked my butt off to get an aviation slot and it was 10x tougher to get coming out of ROTC than out of the academy so spare me the BS in regards to better officers come out of the academy. In fact the worst aviation officers, actually officers in general, I ever dealt with came from West Point.
And this from a guy who wouldn't chase Saddam to Baghdad in the 1st Gulf war and would have thereby save us, as a county So much in lost & shattered lives & money.
Sorry I have NO respect for this man.
I don't hold Powell in high regard after that UN dog-and-pony show ~ but it was not Powell's decision to back off on Saddam. That was the decision of Bush 41 and his State department advisers. Although Chairman of the Join Chiefs at the time, Powell was somewhat peripheral in Desert Storm. He put Norman Schwartzkopf in command and didn't interfere with strategy or tactics. That's why we won that thing in hours, not years. But I lost respect for Powell when he learned the truth and didn't resign immediately. His continual "diplomacy" in not condemning Cheney-Rumsfeld-Bush-Rice for the liars they were/are only deepens my contempt for him.
...and now we know who will be running against President Obama in November... this is his coming out.
P.S. @ Ben64D-3144466... I hear you man... I retired as a Master Sergeant in 1998, and I have to tell you and Mr. J.M. Zatlukal, I've severed with many officers of West Point origin and OCS and ROTC... I've only met 1 (one) West Point(er) who really got it, West Point, VMI, Annapolis... please they were like the Mafia, "Made Men" that only needed to flash that ring, and most were privileged jerks checking a box on "daddy's" checklist to get the family money.
By no stretch of the imagination am I a big fan of Gen. Powell, but he made his way the same as others, politics and ass-kissing, some just didn't like the way he played the game, but please do not try to suggest that because he was ROTC that he was any "less" than those that he rose to COMMAND. Yeah... I can see how that would piss off the "privileged military elite"... and I'm not talking about of SF's.
This is huge. Powell endorsed Obama in 2008, yet he refuses to endorse him this time. That means Powell felt he had to endorse Obama the first time as a duty to the race, but now feels Obama's performance is not worthy of a second chance.
No... you read too much into this or this is what you want it to mean... I think he (Powell) indorsed Obama in '08 because he wanted Obama to offer him a job... but now all I see is Collin Powell trying to have it both ways... waiting for something. Oh, by the way... did he indorse Romney?
82,
Powell did the bro a favor and the bro blew him off. In 2009, Powell the retired general recommended to Obama not to do the surge in Afghanistan. Two months later, Obama the Nobel Peace Prize winner sent in 10,000 more troops. That alone is enough for Powell to stick it to his bro.
so what mr. powell is saying is, he disapproves of obama because he didnt close guantanamo. welcome to one of the things liberals and progressives have been screaming all along.
and that the economy hasnt recovered 'quickly enough'. where have we heard before?
he at least gets his toes wet and hints that republicans in congress have been doing everything they can to throw sand, wrenches and the kitchen sink in the gears.
im sorry. you cannot, with a straight face, claim that obama has failed at anything without acknowledging that republicans have wanted to ensure that he did. you cannot pretend to be an honest participant in the debate without accepting the fact that republicans have figured out that their political careers and the future of their party are all better served if the situation continues to deteriorate.
the truth is, mr. powell is one of the few republicans left with a shred of honesty. of course, it is only a shred. his endorsement of obama in 2008 enables him to point and say 'well im not a complete partisan hack', just so he can go back to the same catastrophic failed policies his party has had for the last 40 years.
pardon my cynicism mr. powell, but you will remain a partisan hack to me until your burn that bridge with the republican party. you will remain a partisan hack until you acknowledge that they are the problem.
@ Road Warrior..."Powell endorsed Obama in 2008, yet he refuses to endorse him this time".
You may want to reread the article. Didn't say he refuses to endorse Obama...says he is listening to both sides and shall base his decision on who they are, what they say and the team them bring with them. Powell has not 'refused' anything.
Smart man - wish everyone would view elections this way instead of following their party title. Makes perfect sense.
...funny, I read Cheney is going to 'raise money' for Romney.....THAT is a laugh...who the hell would want any connection to Cheney whatsoever....kiss of death.
No... you read too much into this or this is what you want it to mean... I think he (Powell) indorsed Obama in '08 because he wanted Obama to offer him a job... but now all I see is Collin Powell trying to have it both ways... waiting for something. Oh, by the way... did he indorse Romney?
82AllAmericans, LEARN HOW TO SPELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before you can talk politics, you need to understand the basic English language. It's "endorse." Idiot...
82: If the spelling police don't like what you have to say, they will get you for poor spelling, if you give them the chance
@Road Warrior... I saw the interview. Matt Lauer (like most journalist nowadays) was bating Powell to either endorse or not endorse Obama. What Powell said was he's reserving judgement until he's heard and considered both sides. He did not DECLINE to endorse as the tone of this article's headline implies.
The way articles bend the tone and tenor of what is said and not said makes me (as it should everyone) question the validity of what they purport to be the truth. This is not the first time what I heard during an interview is misconstrued by both sides of the political isle. I AM SICK OF IT!!!
None of them are impartial, none of them know how to report the news without some kind of slant to their own personal view (or that of their network or corporation), and they are always baiting the hook to see if they can get someone to say something explosive and controversial.
It is not unusual for public figures to withhold judgement and not blankedly endorse every time someone runs for office, yet they made it seem like Powell refused. He did not. He simply said when he's ready to endorse Obama or Romney - he will. I repeat - HE DID NOT REFUSE TO ENDORSE OBAMA!
@CC-3668800... and I suppose that 16 EXCLAMATION POINTS (!) MEAN THAT YOU'RE really EXCITED... peeing in your pants, go away jack-ass. (Did I spell that correctly?)
Road Warrior-252445:
"This is huge. Powell endorsed Obama in 2008, yet he refuses to endorse him this time. That means Powell felt he had to endorse Obama the first time as a duty to the race, but now feels Obama's performance is not worthy of a second chance."
To which 'race' is Powell to be loyal? These racist insinuations are just so tired beyond comprehension. Look, and look very closely, for you are as blind as your racist insinuations reveal you to be. Both Powell and Obama are of mixed-race heritage. In your book, 'one drop' is all it takes to bespoil the race, and you're not the first or last to embrace such an ignorant notion. Both of them can claim until Judgment Day that they are 'black' or 'Martian' or whatever, but they are both undeniably and irrefutably of mixed race, and you know this to be fact. But, as many racists and 'one-drop' adherents are wont to do (not to mention the Tea Baggers and their buddies the 'birthers'), regardless of the kind of mix or the degree of 'mixture', they're just 'black'.
So, in your sad little mind, regardless of how either of them is 'mixed', they'll always just side with their 'true' nature, their 'true' "race".
How about you just put your Klan robe back on and hold a cross burning out in the sticks? Obviously, you do cannot and do not understand either the experience of multiracial Americans nor the thinking of an experienced, life-long military man. Come to think of it, you do not comprehend politics, either. The only 'warrior' you understand is the off-road three-wheeler you have to wrestle out of the back of the hitch during Sturgis, and that is no 'warrior' by any stretch of the imagination.
More bad news for Obama;
"The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows Mitt Romney attracting 49% of the vote, while President Obama earns support from 44%."
This is among 'Likely Voters', which is far more accurate than polls of 'Registered Voters'. Rasmussen was perhaps the most accurate pollster for the 2004 and 2008 Presidential elections, with an average error of only about 1%.
I hate politics. He can point out big achievements but NOT endorse to continue on these??? Just annoying.
URGH
Thank God I'm not alone! ALL data should be considered, and changes made in accordance to present and (predicted) future status...
Hey Pop... it's called "hedging".
Pansy
He wimped out on the big lie , and did the stooges in the Republican Party a favor by keeping his mouth shut so georgie could keep his job - and now he wants to talk about things ? He wants to reason? bull
I lost all respect for the man when he didn't stand up to the VP and fellow war mongers at the cost of lives to his fellow servicemen and women.
It’s not just a matter of whether you support Obama or Romney, it’s who they have coming with them.
Powell is one of the few public figures I really take seriously. Like he said, being a military man he always keeps his powder dry.
alsophia, that was one of the things he said that made me go, "hmmmm."
HA HA!
I cannot recall what Colin Powell did for me to lose my trust in him. I used to think he was extremely close to infallibility but a while ago he lost my trust, this article only enforces that loss. Obviously more intelligent than most (myself included), he could have taken his leadership abilities to get America out of this continuing downward spiral but he chose the cowards way again. My belief is use God given attributes to the benefit of all and he is squandering his.
He lost my respect when he supported invading Iraq under false pretense, holding the vial of "white powder" at the UN giving the speech. Why he didn't push back against dubya and condi and darth cheney are beyond me.
He has failed in my eyes (and I'm a veteran) as a military leader. He was and has been compromised. And it's very telling he is hawking (no pun intended) a book on the Today Show.
Very sad indeed.
Now he wants to stand on priciples? Couldn't have said it better!
I could tell right away he wasn't from the academy when he came to Ft Carson. Instant change for the good the short time he was there so you have no idea his capabilities. Sec of State does not out rank the president so he can only voice his opinions against which he did on several matters...... remember the two wars...... one down one to go
He is a POG
Powell's endorsement does not carry a minor impact.
If you have ever heared him speak, he is intelligent, quick and diplomatic. One of the very few respected mebers of the Bush Administration.
He is, correctly, not going to give his endorsement prematurely.
I wonder if Romney will choose him for VP?
I seriously doubt that he would accept VP with Romney. Being a good military man he probably hates bullies.
That would be surprising because Powell makes no secret of how much he enjoys the combination of freedom and influence that he has today as a highly respected ex-politician. I would definitely be surprised if he could be lured back into the crosshairs of politics. I get the sense from him of a man who feels like he has paid his dues and wants to finish as a trusted private-citizen advisor to the nation, which is a role the nation gets, and is on-board with.
But if Romney could swing it it would be genius. Because, conservatives will vote for Romney with no other viable choice. But Romney will need to reach out and snag votes from the other side and Powell could help with that if he has any desire to do so.
On the other hand Powell has witnessed first-hand how thankless the VP role is. I doubt that's attractive to a man who has already achieved the level of stature that he has.
I always thought he would make a good VP or President. I understand his wife had a lot of angst over that because as a black President he would be a target for the crazies in that they might try to kill him. Now that we have a black President who is surviving fortunately, maybe her thoughts about this has changed.
lulu98:
"Now that we have a black President who is surviving fortunately, maybe her thoughts about this has changed."
That is the Dumbest comment I have seen in a long time!!!!
Why so?
So why are you blaming OBAMA for being c-blocked by Congress?
That's all those jokers are good for any more....standing in the way.
I don't really care what he thinks, personally. He admits Mr. Obama did a lot of good things and admits the economy is turning around, he admits he would have done more if Congress had allowed him to do so, and then says he'll see who Romney picks. Whoever he picks he will still be Romney...whoever that may be on a given day. Whoever he chooses I will still vote how I planned to vote.
The only reason he endorsed him to begin with is because he's half black.
How many white left wing communist liberals did you endorse prior to 2008 Colin?
Oh, if only you understood the word 'communist' sufficiently to know how improperly you just used it.
I love when people pretend to know more than they actually do!
How very racist of you.
Yep, thats tex-ass for ya, always spewing hate!!!! Mabe we should kick tex-ass off into the Gulf Coast and let it floate back to Mexico, they want to break-away from the union anyway, I think we should help them do it.....and take that idiot perry with you.
Texas is the only state that could break of from the union and be self reliant. They are the only state with its own power grid. If they decided to break off, they would leave half of the midwest without power. I would love for them to break off, it would be a sure fire f you thrown right at Barack Odickface.
It always amazes me on how much someone gets voted up on these boards when they loosely use the words socialist or communist (especially in the same sentence) when it usually has nothing to do with the topic whatsoever.
Two questions, is the same impact and meaning implied when it's right wing fascists conservatives?!?! - Are these just as bad (and the problem with this country), because I never hear about those individuals (even back when Bush was President)! Just curious.
~Ind
oops.......... buyer's remorse General?
We must sell "papers" mustn't we?
The misleading headline: "Colin Powell declines to endorse President Obama" could have been "Colin compliments Obama but is still deciding" or "Colin likes 'em both... yet to decide".
But we must sell papers.
I respect Colin Powell. But I still cannot believe he made that U.N. speech. He's a closet Democrat afraid to commit. Too bad. He could finally make the difference he wanted to make. Because he endorsed Obama and then sat back and let the last 4 years happen to us, he has lost a great deal of the "weight" he speaks of.
I read what Secretary Powell said about the president and that was as close to an endorsement a non-endorsement can be. Powell counters most of the false propaganda that has been thrown at the president. While the headline seems negative, the interview was positive (from the president's perspective).
Ivy League yuppie Barack Obama queered the US military. Payback occurs Nov. 6.
Really? You don't think the tens of thousands of homosexuals already in uniform didn't do that before Obama?
Fred,
Good response.
I can, selling the Iraq war to the UN. One of his only moments of disappointment in my mind, but a substantial one.
I endorse Obi Wan Obummer for dog catcher. Can sell the meat to his Indonesian and Kenyan friends for deficit reduction.
Can these silly names you guys come up with get any more stupid? Seriously, do you and your friends actually laugh at these? They are beyond lame.
What, you're disappointed in the mentality of the average American college student? Don't be, they love wallowing in their own ignorance while trying to convince those actually capable of analytical thought that they have something on a box of rocks.
It's been shown time and again that conservatism equates to lower IQ. The more conservative the less intelligence is what the tests show. Ultra-conservatives are a little above baboons in the testing. These guys here are just proving it.
interesting, can I see those tests?? I know a lot of very smart conservatives. Love that you guys don't show your facts on how you come to these conclusions.
Another attribute of conservatism is that if the conservatives cannot face the truth they collapse the post. LMAO
Don't believe what I said just do some searches. There are certainly many available to back up my statement. Collapse this post also if you wish. Doesn't change the fact that conservatism equates to lower IQs and ultra-conservatism equates to stupidity at best.
pslthinkerdude,
This is a great link because it has a big bold chart in bright red just so the mentally disadvantaged can at least see, even if they probably won't understand. Notice the little block down at the bottom left that shows "ultra-conservative". http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/201003/why-liberals-are-more-intelligent-conservatives
Here's another one. There are pages full of this topic, and you can search for yourself if you wish. Don't be lazy now! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224132655.htm
My own take on this, and I have wondered about the reasons why for years, is that the ultra-conservatives aren't that good at original thought and usually fall off into following blindly what someone else tells them when it fits their emotional state, which is usually a sour mood due to their intellectual inability to deal with their life issues.
There are, however, some very very intelligent conservatives! These are the intelligent ones that hold their personal gain to be of such importance that they play upon the less advantaged conservatives to implement their agendas, and in doing so have to wave the conservative flag to get their attention. I really think these leaders of the conservative movement are neither conservative nor liberal.......they are power hungry and greedy and unethical, that's all.
Booker and Powell condemning Odumbo with faint praise.
Can't say I blame him ... I wouldn't endorse him either if I were in his position. He hasn't done anything monumental in the last four years that wasn't already in motion during the Bush administration.
The only monumental motion left behind by Bush was the the last BM he left in the White House crapper.
The only thing in motion during the Bush administration was the country spiraling down the drain, and that giant sucking sound you heard, those were our jobs that Republican fascists have been sending over to China or anywhere else that they could pocket an extra nickel. You're completely deluded if you think Bush did anything good for this country. He robbed us blind and your party sat and cheered.
that just a drop in the bucket..more and more people are seeing president erkel for what he is...a under qualified idiot...
Say the folks that sent us Perry, Bush, Cheney, et. al.
Nicely said Amused !
Says the texan who can't spell Texas ... what is it they say about rocks and glass houses?
WHO CARES WHAT THIS BUZZO THINKS--HE IS A HAS BEEN. EVEN HIS OWN PARTY REJECTED HIM. He now simply wants to make money and tag on to the Wall Street crowd.
I lost respect for Powell when he got up and told the UN things he knew (or at least felt) were not true about Iraq's alleged WMDs. He is a big pussy, somewhere along the line he lost his backbone.
Let's not forget, Powell is still a republican, one of a few that I respect, because the man is honest. He is not like these neo-cons we have in politics today, boner, backman, ryan, cartoon and the bunch are an imbarresment to the Nation...we need to vote them fools out of office if we are to have a future. America will have no future with right wing neo-cons, if it were up to them we'd still be living in the dark ages. We got rid of the dark times with bush and stuper dick, let us not return.
4 more years of Kenyan Barry and we can change the name of the country to AL Caponia or Loonistan.
"The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president."
You get an A+ in cutting and pasting.
Shamrock - nice job plaigairizing.
And doing it on a debunked quote from an Eastern European newspaper.
Apparently Shamrock does not believe the USA is smart enough to be a republic any longer and therefore I assume he now believes we should embrace fascism.
Thank you, Cathy. KMC, never claimed it as mine. I don't know who to give credit to for writing it, I just liked it. I believe we need a new Govt. the one we have, has gone wild. How's that hope and change working for ya? That was a nice joke about hope at that $40,000 a plate Clooney fundraiser. How many of you guy's attended? Steelers the USA smartest move is selling off to the Chinese. I see Collin Powell has had a change of heart since 2008.
Solid man, exceptional General Officer, would make a great VP choice for Romney. One is pro-business and the other pro military, a good combination. Many people villify big business, but they sure do put food on the table for alot of Americans. Or we can stick with Obama, who is pro dependency programs reinforcing an addiction to the money my hard labor produces. Yeah, let`s cut military spending where the armed forces go to work everyday and people invent great things like the GPS we use everyday so we can give money to people to sit on their behind and scratch lottery tickets. After Romney, Powell would be a nice segway to being our first true black President. I am deployed right now in Afghanistan, imagine my relief at tax free earnings right now even if there are people trying to kill me!
Agreed!!!
Thanks for you service brother!!!
Chief Petty Officer, US Navy, Retired
I doubt if Powell would have anything to do with rumney. Powell is a true republican, rumney is a lieing right wing neo-con. Besides, mixing them two would be like mixing dirt with water....you'd get mud.
Mike: I thought you were in CT?
Michael, true black President. What does that mean? Do you mean he's 100% black.
Yes, that is what I mean. He is the first fully qualified black( African, whatever) American man that would have my vote as president. The fool we have now is just another guy who really hasnt accomplished much before and during his presidency and only happen to come along at the right time to get elected. Reagan would have crushed this professional student.
Silly names? Silly is voting for someone named Barack Hussein Obama. Correction. Not silly, disastrous.
Silly, is a grown acting like a child...like you. Grow up.
you mean George W. and disastrous...... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! and that is how I LMAO
Colin Powell......where do I begin. As an AA he has been a huge dissappointment. He made a decision to not only go along with the lies his administration propogated, but he went before the United Nations and knowingly LIED TO THE WORLD. His fabricated testimony along with the fake "evidence' he provided is directly responsible for the death of thousands of Iraqis. As we now know the "evidence" was in fact part of an old graduate thesis.
He had an opportunity to achieve great things for his people, his country and the world. He could have been president, or anything else he wanted. Instead he chose to participate in one of the greatest murder plots in history. He has blood on his hands and in the name of justice must pay for his crimes.
From someone who has been to Iraq, you need to get a clue. Saddam deceived the world so as not to look weak to Iran. He violated UN Sanctions, invaded another country twice and wanted to invade Saudi Arabia next. He murdered more Iraqis than we ever did in just his one 8 yr war with Iran and he gassed his own people. Bush did the world a favor, albeit under faulty intelligence. Powell I think, was fooled like alot of smart people back then, but years from now Bush will get credit if a somewhat recognizeable populaly elected government takes hold in Iraq. FYI.....Bush is a hero with the Kurds! My interpreter told me many times he is alive thanks only to President Bush. If Saddam had eventually gotten WMD( which he told his FBI handler he would have done if we looked the other way) its people like you who would be saying why didnt Bush get him before he became a world menace again. I love Liberals defending Dictators, they are easy to blow apart. I am glad Bush didnt take the Clinton approach....lob a few missles here and there while he is distracted trying to define the word "is". Say what you want about Bush, but everyday that man woke up worried about the security of the United States. My current CINC goes to pep rallies and does appearances on "The View". He cheapens the office.