The idea that anything Colin Powell says is taken seriously is a stretch. The fact that he has - to the surprise of no one - endorsed Barack Obama for president only makes his political impotence complete.Powell has no standing in the Republican party, or the conservative movement, nor in the Democratic party for that matter (considering how they slimed him with charges of "collusion" with Bush in war crimes).The press is making this a big story because Powell may still garner respect among some "independents." But the idea that this endorsement will help Obama is wildly overblown. It has about as much impact as an endorsement by Bruce Springsteen - which is to say little or nil.Still, it is interesting that Powell did not endorse Obama for his foreign policy views but rather because Powell believes he would be better at handling the current economic crisis: Obama displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge," Powell said. ...(Read Full Post)