Advertisements

Prominent Republican figure, and four-star General, Colin Powell, caused a big splash this past Sunday when he endorsed Barack Obama for president. But he’s not the only prominent Republican figure to offer an endorsement of Obama. Yesterday, former White House Press Secretary under George W. Bush, Scott McClellan, went on DL Hughley’s new CNN program “DL Hughely Breaks the News” and essentially gave Obama his official endorsement.

Hughley, the famed comedian, asked McClellan if he would endorse either of the two presidential candidates, all the while joking that McClellan should not let Hughley’s being black affect his endorsement.

McClellan responded by saying, “From the very beginning I’ve said I’m going to support the candidate who has the best chance of changing the way Washington works and getting things done. I will be voting for Barack Obama.”

Advertisements

Watch the video for yourself:

While Powell’s endorsement may have made a bigger splash because it got more media play, McClellan’s endorsement is actually nail in the coffin for John McCain. Powell was involved with the Bush White House but chose to step away and cut ties nearly four years ago. Besides, most people following the first Bush term could easily tell that Powell was never comfortable with the limitations and dictations the Bush Administration placed on him in that role. And anyone watching knew that the Bush inner circle (of which Powell was never a part of) mistreated and abused Powell. Powell never quite fit into the administration.

McClellan is a different story. McClellan is a Texas native and has known Bush, and worked with/for him for a long time. McClellan followed Bush to the White House from Texas, eventually becoming Press Secretary. He was part of the Bush inner circle. Granted, many will argue differently, considering the fact that Karl Rove and “Scooter” Libby lied to him. But I would submit that McClellan was part of Bush’s inner circle; Bush said he and McClellan would be sitting together on rocking chairs in old age at McClellan’s farewell press conference. McClellan was not part of Rove’s or Libby’s, and certainly not part of Cheney’s, and it was these three men that occluded McClellan from certain truths.

A former Press Secretary who was in on the daily dealings and functions of the White House, a member of the Bush sanctum, someone who felt so betrayed by his friend/boss at such a fundamental level coming out and endorsing the opposition candidate just drives that stake deeper into the heart of McCain’s election chances.