Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell announced yesterday that he will
be voting for Barack Obama, citing the Democrat's "ability to inspire" and the
"inclusive nature of his campaign."
"He has both style and substance. I think he is a transformational figure,"
Powell, a Republican, said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"Obama displayed a steadiness. Showed intellectual vigor. He has a definitive
way of doing business that will do us well," he said.
Powell, a retired US general and a Republican, was once seen as a possible
presidential candidate himself.
He said he questioned Republican presidential nominee John McCain's judgment
in picking Sarah Palin as his running mate because he doesn't think she is ready
to be president.
Obama also said he was disappointed with some of McCain's campaign tactics,
such as bringing up Obama's ties to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers.
Powell served as secretary of state under President George W. Bush from 2001
to 2005.
