On 19 October 2008, Powell endorsed Barack Obama for President. Powell said that Obama was a "transformational figure coming into the world stage" <ref>http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/19/colin-powell-endorses-obama/</ref> and expressed disappointment in what he called the "negative tone" of McCain's campaign, as well as in McCain's choice of [[Sarah Palin]] as the Republican vice presidential nominee <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/19/colin-powell-endorses-barack-obama-for-presiden-1/</ref> saying that she lacked experience even as he was supporting a candidate with one year of experience in the Senate before running for President. Powell went on to criticize other Republicans for what he claims is insistence on their part that Obama is a Muslim stating, "I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the Republican Party say... such things as 'Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim'. Well the correct answer is, 'He's not a Muslim, he's a Christian, he's always been a Christian'. But the really right answer is, 'What if he is?' Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is 'No', that's not America."<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7678788.stm</ref> Powell did not give examples of anyone within the Republican Party who had called Obama Muslim, instead choosing to make a general claim. A month ago Powell had said that the thought of an African American President was 'electrifying'. In his speech backing Obama, he also said he did not want to see the appointment of Conservative [[Supreme Court]] Justices.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27265369/</ref>
According to both conservative commentator [[Rush Limbaugh]] and liberal commentator [[Juan Williams]] argue that , Powell's endorsment endorsement of Obama was mainly influenced by the fact that Obama is black, however others argue that these ideas are simply applying a racial stereotype that says that black people will stick together.<ref>[http://voices.kansascity.com/node/2492]</ref>
After endorsing Obama, he was offered a position in a hypothetical future Obama administration, in a possible case of [[quid pro quo]].<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081020/ts_alt_afp/usvoteobamapowell_081020141241</ref> In a Meet The Press interview with Tom Brokaw, however, Powell denied any interest in a potential position in an Obama administration saying "I served 40 years in government, and I--I'm not looking forward to a position or an assignment...I am in no way interested in returning to government."<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27266223/page/3/</ref> Although he did state that he would "... sit and talk to any president who wishes to talk to me..." he was not, however, "...anxious to rule it[a position] in."<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27266223/page/3/</ref>