As occasionally noted, some endorsements matter beyond the momentary flicker they create on television screens and computer monitors. Is North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton today as big a deal as Ben Simth and David Paul Kuhn suggest at the Politico?
Typically, an endorser can provide contacts, fundraising and even organization to an endorsee. Smith & Kuhn note that is not the case here:
Easley doesn’t bring the kind of field organization or financial base that Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell gave Clinton’s Pennsylvania campaign, but he does carry a popular name and a symbolic validation of her central argument: That she, better than Obama, connects with the working-class white people who are traditional swing voters.
It remains quite unlikely that Clinton could best Barack Obama in the North Carolina primary, but given the near-impossibility of her delegate math, anything that might add to her popular vote argument is at least a marginal plus. Moreover, Easley is a superdelegate who might swing a few others Clinton’s way — or at least freeze them from endorsing Obama. Given that I underestimated the value of Florida Gov. Charlie Frist’s last-minute endorsement of John McCain, I suppose I shouldn’t discount Easley’s PR value, particularly in free media (and possibly ads) targeted to late deciders.
ABC News places an increduluous question mark on its headline about Easley’s comment that Clinton “makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy.” However, Smith & Kuhn report that Easley has had his pollster has asked respondents whether they watch Fox’s King of the Hill, so I cannot say I am surprised by the language, though it may outrage the sensitive.
(h/t Memeorandum.)
Back in ’04 I semi-endorsed this guy to be the Dem running-mate because the name of the ticket would be what the candidates hoped to do with most battleground states: Carry Easily.
JFnK didn’t listen to me, which, if he had, and had won, I would have killed myself.
Shhh, Obama is laying the wood to your on-going dot-connected arguments that he’s a Black Liberation crypto-Marxist agent of the Symbionese Liberation Army.
…and I’m the one who is fixated. M’kay.
With stammering. I’m sold.
I think he’s a guy who should be studied and understood and not simply the target of loosely constructed verbatim attacks. I read his books, I read many news and mag articles dating back to 2000 of him before I concluded he’s not a man that should not be written off out of hand. As an individual I like him, as I do John McCain, even if I have problems with each man’s policies. I live in South Florida so my flip-lops are not unusual.
Heh.
I just watched Obama’s presser.
Immediate impression if i were super delegate -to pose and to think.
How big is Wright’s damage and is it irreversible?
Too bad, he definitely was the best out of three for any meaningful change from the usual BS of Washington politicians
With stammering. I’m sold.
I believe you, Pablo.
You did vote for Bush, correct?
sashal:
Change is cool but I sure would want some there there, if you catch my drift.
And a wholesaale change to a European style socialist government I could do without.
Your fears are not based on any facts, which I see,my friend BJT.
The dangers of socialism even the European style(last I checked those countries are still capitalist, with expanded social programs, sure some socialismistic effects, mostly in the general welfare area exist) are absolutely impossible here. Americans have different culture, history and individualistic mindset( in a good sense) to allow this happen here…
Anyone who as ever grown near-indestructible pansies is confused by how that phrase came about.
sashal, first I voted for Nader. A pox on both their houses, as it were. But Bush, you see, has never been silver tongued. You ask him what he’d like for dinner and he’s mush mouthed. When Obama’s tongue seems three sizes too large, there is big trouble in little chicago.