Republican strategist, and McCain admirer Mike Murphy gave his assessment of the Colin Powell endorsement in a post at Time's Swampland blog.
Key graphs:
"I am not normally of the view that endorsements mean much in Presidential politics. But Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama today is a real sledgehammer blow to the already staggering McCain campaign. Not just because a Powell endorsement shores up Obama's shaky foreign policy bona fides, but even more because of the content of Powell's remarks on Meet the Press. The General showed he still knows how to launch a brutal offense. Powell's remarks were an across the board indictment of the McCain campaign. He threw a subtly delivered but perfectly targeted series of chops at each of the the major fractures of the shaky McCain campaign...."
Nate Silver also thinks Powell's endorsement will have an impact, particularly in key Swing Region -- Northern Virginia. [More after the jump]
I also think that Powell's endorsement will have a far greater impact than many folks think. And not necessarily with independents, but with moderate and disaffected Republicans who need cover and reassurance to vote for Obama.
Colin Powell just gave them permission to vote for Obama.
Moreover, Powell reinforces the conventional wisdom growing about the McCain campaign and Obama. That McCain has been erratic. That McCain has shown poor judgment. That McCain has been too negative and has gone beyond merely tough political fighting into something far more dangerous and ugly.
I also think that the coming backlash against Powell from the conservative establishment is going to be a real killer for the McCain campaign, especially the implication by some that Powell only endorsed Obama because he was black. Or, it was only self-serving reputation rehab to endorse the front runner.
If there was anyone more beloved in the Republican party than John McCain prior to this year, it was and probably still is Colin Powell. And Colin has the chops and ability to fight back.
Right now, Powell is not planning on going out to campaign with Barack, much less appear in campaign ads. But a few more below the belt hits from idiots like Rush Limbaugh -- and he may change his mind.
Postscript: Incidentally, appropos of nothing, I write this diary while listening to "Turn it on" by Genesis on my iPhone. Nice and upbeat.