No formal endorsement yet, but can it be far behind? CNN's Political Ticker reports:
CNN has learned the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain received a check Wednesday from former Secretary of State Colin Powell, providing a symbolic boost to the Arizona Republican's struggling White House bid.McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker confirmed the contribution, telling CNN, "The Senator appreciates the support of General Powell." Powell's office did not return calls seeking comment.
According to a review of Federal Election Commission records, Powell has not donated to any other candidate this year.
While the McCain campaign would not be more specific about the contribution, a source familiar with the matter said the check totaled $2,300, the maximum an individual can give to any one candidate in the primary season, hinting at a likely endorsement in the future.
Read the whole post at the above link. Powell has to be one of the few endorsements that really might help a candidate (most are meaningless). If he follows through and endorses McCain soon, it will give the Senator's campaign a much-needed shot in the arm.
Thanks to Jim Geraghty at NRO's The Campaign Spot for pointing out this story.
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Filed under:
2008 Presidential Race, Campaign Contributions, McCain, Republican
Tags: campaign contributions, endorsement, McCain, presidential campaign
Comments (3)
Jim Addison: "Powell has to... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Drago | August 13, 2007 8:58 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Jim Addison: "Powell has to be one of the few endorsements that really might help a candidate (most are meaningless)."
I can think of no group of Republican Primary voters would view a Republican candidate more favorably simply due to an endorsement by Colin Powell.
None.
Worse, most of the few McCain "fair-weather" fans in the Republican party have already said sayonara.
Only the herd-members of the MSM could be so obtuse as to believe that this donation by Powell to McCain would have any positive effect whatsoever for McCain's campaign.
1. Posted by Drago | August 13, 2007 8:58 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 13, 2007 20:58
2. Posted by ShuShu | August 13, 2007 11:24 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Powell's support wouldn't mean much to a good number of conservative republicans, it might even be harmful. After his disappointing performance at State and his leaking to the press to undercut Bush on Iraq I think a lot of people lost a great deal of respect for him.
I certainly did, as far as I'm concerned he's a RINO. He might help me with Independents but he's got to get past the primary first.
2. Posted by ShuShu | August 13, 2007 11:24 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on August 13, 2007 23:24
3. Posted by Jim Addison | August 13, 2007 11:36 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Independents may vote in the Republican primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and it is those voters in the early states McCain needs most to turn out for him. It's a long shot, to be sure, but otherwise he has no chance at all.
Powell's credibility with many conservatives was undercut by his succumbing to the "Foggy Bottom Disease" so prevalent at State (notice how they don't talk so much about "Condi for Prez" anymore, either, for the same reason), but no so long ago he would have been a frontrunner had he decided to run for the Republican nomination. His endorsement would still carry weight with many.
Whose endorsement would carry more weight in the GOP right now?
3. Posted by Jim Addison | August 13, 2007 11:36 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 13, 2007 23:36