Powell still undecided, says Obama win would be 'electrifying'

Matt Commentary: I have been told by friends that they don't understand why I do not support Barack Obama yet, as I have always been a democrat, and other than Mike Bloomberg, the NYC Mayor, have never voted for a republican. Well, I cam across this story on Colin Powell. I've always admired him. I feel like he feels. I'm not there yet. I just have still not gotten on the Obama bandwagon. I need to hear more from him, that he's not just another unqualified presidential candidate....we've had too much of that...Ok...that's it....MM

Powell, a Republican, has said he may not back the GOP pick this cycle.

(CNN) — Former Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that he has not yet decided which candidate to back in this year’s presidential race.

The election of an African-American president “would be electrifying,” Powell told a George Washington University audience, “but at the same time [I have to] make a judgment here on which would be best for America.

“I have been watching both individuals, I know them both extremely well, and I have not decided who I am going to vote for. And I'm interested to see what the debates are going to be like because we have to get off of this ‘lipstick on a pig’ stuff and get into issues,” he said.

Last month, as the retired general’s office denied a report that he had decided to publicly back Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, several sources told CNN’s John King that Powell was still undecided. “As always, he is holding his cards close and waiting for more information," one adviser close to Powell told CNN’s John King.

Earlier this year, Powell told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he was weighing an endorsement of a Democrat or independent candidate. “I am keeping my options open at the moment,” said Powell.