Powell endorsing Obama = Something Unexpected from McCain

In one weekend, Barack Obama received crowds of 100,000 and 75, 000 respectively in Missouri, his campaign announced raising more than $150 million in September, he's up in Virginia and North Carolina and Gen. Colin Powell endorsed him Meet the Press.

This is a lot, A LOT, of good news going into Monday and if we've learned anything from the last few go 'rounds the McCain Campaign cannot allow all this to become the news story du jour. None of this is helpful to the Republican candidate. This is so much "rah rah rah Obama" news that it will completely block out Gov. Sarah Palin's tethered performance on Saturday Night Live.

I don't think the appearance hurt her in any capacity, but it further solidified the point that she's limited in her scope. The best bit was in seeing her sway side-to-side while Amy Poehler performed a hip hop number in her honor.

But seeing her and Tina Fey quickly cross each paths like a pair of voodoo black cats isn't enough to silence Powell's statements that the narrowing scope of the campaign and McCain's judgment in selecting Palin as veep sent him running to Team Obama.

So what stunt will be pulled Monday? Where will the juggling bears and the dancing girls come from this time? Just how many trick ponies does John McCain own? I prepared for the Republicans to do their best to explain why Colin Powell is no longer relevant. That pretty much started the minute the interview was over with.

On Face the Nation, Missouri Gov. Matt "Little Boy" Blunt told Bob Schieffer the endorsement didn't matter, then dug into the crates with the "Obama = celebrity" meme when explaining how The Great Hopemongerer pulled 175,000 folks in Missouri rallies. Did I mention Matt Blunt is a highly unpopular governor who chose not to run for re-election rather than face certain doom to the Democrats this year? He took one for the team and got out of the Missouri Republican Party's way so they could at least have a shot at the retaining Jefferson City.

Blunt had his talking points. Endorsements don't matter. Even when they're from the guy behind the "Powell Doctrine," who is generally liked by both parties, is an iconic military figure and has played ball with the Republicans for the last few decades.

And Powell and John McCain are "friends."

But saying that alone isn't going to make it go away. It'll take something crazy and unexpected. Perhaps something clever involving Donald Trump and Heidi Montag, or Sarah Palin suspending her campaign to go hunt Osama bin Laden. Or McCain naming Joe Lieberman and "Joe the Plumber" as Palin's co-veeps. Or McCain calling for some random person within government to "step down."

Maybe he'll challenge Obama to a duel. Anything to keep the Irate Talk Express rolling and straight jacking for news cycles. Whatever it takes!

Colin Powell May Endorse Hopey McChange Sunday

Gen. Colin Powell, seen here getting his swerve on at the Africa Rising music and fashion festival in London, is going on "Meet the Press" Sunday. Washington is a-buzz that the former Bush Secy. of State and leader of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (under the Poppy Bush) will throw himself onto Team Obama.

Earlier in the campaign, Powell was offering some foreign policy advice to Barack Obama, but had spoken favorably about both candidates throughout the election. Conventional wisdom is that it will be shocking if Powell doesn't endorse Obama, considering that backing McCain would be a non-starter (and not-really-earth shattering,considering Powell is a military man who worked for two Republican Administrations. Granted, the last one shut him down once they'd used up all his credibility, but it was within the same political family).

FOX News has hilariously tied this potential endorsement with a news clip from Powell's visit to London where he got up and did a little dancing with a musical act from Nigeria.

His address at the "Africa Rising" celebration inside London's Royal Albert Hall fueled speculation that an endorsement of Barack Obama is imminent.

Powell -- who has yet to back a candidate -- told the audience: "I stand before you as an African-American. Many people have said to me you became secretary of state of the USA, is it still necessary to say that you are an African American or that you are black? And I say yes, so that we can remind our children."

"It took a lot of people struggling to bring me to this point in history," Powell told the audience. "I didn't just drop out of the sky. People came from my continent in chains."

I don't know. Maybe this is part of some revealing "Oh my God! Colin Powell is some common Negro" journalism. Maybe seeing him with other black people, dancing of all things, then giving a speech where he acknowledged that African Americans have roots in ... gasp ... Africa, disturbed their sensibilities. I wonder if they remember his speech to the RNC a few years back and the large gaps of silence when Powell spoke about the reality of race in America. Just because you don't agree on the role of government in American life or you have an actual foreign policy/war "doctrine" named for you, doesn't make you magically stop caring about issues that effect black people. I swear.

Thanks reader Nichelle for the link!