SALEM-- Using words such as "deep calm," and "first class political temperament," former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld endorsed Barack Obama outside an Obama campaign office Friday.

Weld, a Republican, said that he has never endorsed a Democratic presidential nominee but sees Obama as someone who can unite the country and restore America's standing in the world.

"Senator Obama has spent his entire life bringing people together to solve problems," Weld told reporters at a press conference.

Weld added, "I do not come here has a Republican, I come here as an American."

Weld also said that he thinks Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin is qualified to be president.

"I frankly think that anyone who can get elected governor of a state is qualified to be president of the United States," he said.

When asked how he could go from endorsing Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential primary to now endorsing Obama Weld said, "I'm not taking anything away from anyone else."

Weld said that he has not talked to Obama about his endorsement yet and only told Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) that he was thinking about supporting the Democratic presidential nominee.

Weld was governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997 and briefly ran for the governor of New York in 2006.