What's the big deal about Obama being endorsed by Kennedy and Kerry?

[Aussie leftie]

They both had in the past either lost the endorsement of their own party or lost the unlosable election. It obviously hasn't done Clinton any harm. She won Florida over Obama 52% to 30%. I know that officially it doesn't count but it has to be a fairly accurate poll as to how the endorsements have effected her.

[ProSense]

1. She got ZERO delegates in a state where no one but her campaigned. n/t

[rodeodance]

5. yeah yeah--old news--and getting real boring.

[ProSense]

10. Still ZERO! n/t

[neutron]

16. You'd better get on your knees and thank God she went

Because if she hadn't we would have pre-lost an important state in the general election.
Your deep humbled apology not accepted.

[ProSense]

21. Oh please! The number of Floridians voting for and against Hillary was the same, and

again, no underhanded campaigning by her opponents. Still ZERO delegates.

[ErnestoG]

25. If THATS the best she can do in a state with her age group...

she's going to get liquified in the General.

[Frances]

7. No one campaigned in the Dem primary

You are right about zero delegates, but it is a symbolic victory, which she needed after South Carolina.

[ProSense]

17. "symbolic victory" It's more like symbolic spin. No one knows how many people decided not to

vote because they knew it didn't matter. Hillary supporters I'm sure got word from her campaign to go vote. She still didn't get the black vote. '

All-in-all, this is just a desperate campaign spinning a silver lining after a crushing defeat.

[Bitwit1234]

24. Why do his supporters love to lie..

RADIO AD AFTER RADIO AD WAS SPEWED ALL OVER FLORIDA BY THE OTHER CANDIDATE. HILLARY CLINTON DID NOT CAMPAIGN IN FLORIDA OR MICHIGAN.

And in Michigan -- conyers and his wife ran radio ads in support of the other candidate. Hillary won there also.

Now if HIllary campaigned in either state where the heck are the links to ANY THING FROM THE MSM showing she did. But there are plenty about the other candidate...but then they have to lie and twist it wouldn't be them.

[elixir2]

34. Obama campaigned there also, get it right.

[rox63]

2. The Kennedy name has huge influence in the Dem Party

And Kerry was the last nominee. These are major endorsements that could change some minds before Super Tuesday.

[MagsDem]

18. With who?

Give me one scintilla of evidence that voters use endorsements to make up their minds. There is a reason they don't ask those questions in polls, you know. Because people couldn't care less about endorsements.

[Endangered Specie]

30. yeah, cause Al Gore endorsment of Dean worked out so well

:Sarcasm:

[MagsDem]

31. that's what I'm saying.....

Endorsements make the endorser feel important and that's about it.

[msongs]

3. personal enorsements may not matter much for any candidate really - just ego stroking nt

[sandnsea]

4. Why are you always bashing Obama?

For someone who supposedly isn't even from this country, you sure seem to go out of your way to bash Obama.

[thunder rising]

13. Aussie leftie? is that like a Bushie Normie?

[Aussie leftie]

23. Bushie Normie? whats that?

Aussie leftie basically means that I'm Australian and that I'm on the socialist side of politics. Thats why I would have loved to have seen John Edwards do much better.

[Aussie leftie]

19. Whoever is chosen as President of the USA effects the rest of the world

I am not bashing Obama. I just feel that he is playing the victim. He may even make a very good president, but I feel more confident with either John Edwards or Hillary Clinton.

You have my permission to bash any politician from Australia.

[Name removed]

37. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

6. They are the bedrock of the Democratic party.

Dismiss them if you like, but many people place a lot of weight in their endorsements.

[MadBadger]

8. Correction, its currently 50%-33%

[beachmom]

9. You know, I am SICK and TIRED of the bashing of Democrats

who endorse a candidate that wasn't the person's choice.

Shame on you.

[politicasista]

14. I am too

:applause:

[Bicoastal]

11. I don't see how you could possibly judge Florida as a poll of anything...

...and 9 falls out of 10, endorsements are more valuable locally more than they are nationally. I would guess a good chunk of New England is now starting to lean in Obama's direction who wouldn't have done so before.

[MagsDem]

15. Really? On what do you base that baloney?

Seriously, ever seen an exit poll, or ANY poll that asked how important an endorsement was? No. That's because everyone already knows they mean nothing. Voters don't pay attention to endorsments except in non-partisan elections where the candidate does not identify his/her party.

[MagsDem]

12. Beats me... endorsements don't mean jack to me

Political junkies think for themselves, they don't base votes on endorsements. Non-political junkies don't even know the endorsement has been made, or likely don't care anyway. They are a big bunch of nothing in the scheme of things.

[ProSense]

20. Endorsements like Kennedy and Kerry's mean a lot more than you think

They can be significant when it comes to fundraising and grassroots support.

They played by the rules so Florida is not a gauge of the potential of these endorsements. SC was!

[Frances]

22. I don't think Kerry helped in SC at all

Kennedy wouldn't have made much difference there either. SC was Obama's victory.

I think Kennedy will have some positive influence for Obama in MA.

In the general, Kennedy's endorsement will hurt more than help in Southern states.

[ProSense]

27. I think you are wrong. Especially about this:

"Kennedy's endorsement will hurt more than help in Southern states."

Here's why: I doubt the reason the Clintons tried to get these endorsements was because they believe it would turn people off.

Networks are valuable, and Kerry and Kennedy have them.

[Frances]

29. Have you ever witnessed a Southern election?

The word Liberal before a candidate's name is the kiss of death.

The word Kennedy Liberal is even more deadly.

[ProSense]

32. That doesn't address the point in my response. Kerry campaigned for McCasskill and she won. n/t

[cali]

26. let me explain it this way If it weren't important

the Clintons wouldn't have begged Teddy not to do it.

[madrchsod]

28. the only one i cared about was

tom hayden`s endorsement of barrack

[Garbo 2004]

33. Money for one. Puts their fundraisers, donor lists, connections in service of endorsed candidate.

It's not just a PR or symbolic gesture by the endorser, although that's the public element of the endorsement.

[Sparkly]

35. It did make some difference to me.

I'm still fence-sitting and leaning one way then the other, but the event with the Kennedys was quite profound to me. I put a lot of faith in their understanding (especially Ted) of the inner workings of the party, and it really made me stop and wonder. I guess time will tell how other voters respond. I'm still not sure who I'm going to vote for!

[Hidden Stillness]

36. I Agree With This

I was also incredibly moved by the rally with the Kennedys and Obama; it was very impressive and inspiring to me, too. When C-SPAN replayed it later that night, I taped it. I am old enough to have a real reverence for the entire extended Kennedy family and all that it has done for generations, as people also do for the Roosevelts--this is the soul and meaning of our Party, and country. The rousing speeches, with all the old Kennedy magic, cheering crowd, familiar phrases, such as "the New Frontier," and Obama, very movingly, appearing to be totally aware of what was happening here, the meaning of it, being lofted up to a higher level of political history and consciousness, and understanding the greatness of the people who were doing the endorsing here.

Understand the events of the past several days: first, after a growing list of endorsements by individuals and newspapers, etc., the New York Times, one of the great newspapers, endorsed Hillary Clinton--a coup--then suddenly, before the dust even settled, Caroline Kennedy, who has become a great writer (on the right of privacy, on Christmas tradition, etc.) and director of events and forums at the JFK Library, writes an op-ed piece, endorsing Obama. Just after that, Ted Kennedy, one of the greatest, most effective Senators ever, endorses Obama--the biggest, most impressive name yet for Obama. It was just a stunning series of events, and quick.

Ted Kennedy's speech at this event was so exciting, with references to the feeling of waves of change, history, and Obama referring to Pres. Kennedy's "torch has been passed to a new generation" after Ted Kennedy's deeply moving story, about how it had been once Sen. Kennedy, being called "inexperienced" by former Pres. Truman. It all added up to a fabulous, very complicated and rich (for those aware of the history) atmosphere, and raised everything to that organized, family Kennedy class. Also, I think Ted Kennedy had to suffer for many years as the "D"LC Clinton/Edwards/Kerry types pretended to be rid of the great old New Deal/liberal/union/women's-and-civil-rights wing of the Party, as represented by Kennedy, etc. Kennedy's dream of true universal health care was thwarted by Bill Clinton as much as by Republicans. It was like our true tradition--Kennedys and Roosevelts and taking care of the poor and abused--was back, returned to life, after all the bleak years of Republican "D"LC, etc. It was very wonderful, to live again.

Of course, Obama is not up to the proven standards of these families that have been great for generations, and I will vote for either candidate, no matter who it is, but this event with the Kennedys just had the exhilirating feel of the irresistable wave of history and right. If you have the respect for these people that educated Democrats who grew up knowing that they were heroes did, then the whole thing was just alive with meaning and background. It was a very major endorsement.

[ArkySue]

38. Kennedy and Kerry

are the epitome of "the old politics of the past," the status quo, the Washington elite. Isn't that what Obama is running to get rid of???