Colin Powell’s decision will not make him a liberal darling, but it will influence voters unsure of Barack Obama‘s military experience, writes Michael Tomasky in The Guardian.

“Powell’s announcement on Meet the Press was thoughtful and deliberate, and while there will surely be a segment of the US population who will dismiss Powell’s move as an act of racial solidarity, I felt he managed to make a broader case that most fair-minded people will find convincing.

“Powell – who affirmed, for what it’s worth, that he is indeed still a
member of the Republican party – said he liked John McCain tremendously. But he doesn’t like his choice of running mate, he thinks his party has moved too far to the right and declared himself “disappointed by some of the approaches” the McCain campaign had taken against Obama.”

Read the full blog post here.