THE PLANK FEBRUARY 6, 2008
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Last week, I expressed skepticism that Ted Kennedy's endorsement of Barack Obama (along with those of his son Patrick and niece Caroline) would actually matter in the one state where it had the most potential: Massachusetts. It's impossible to say what, exactly, caused Clinton's lead over Obama to fall from 37% two weeks before the primary to the 15% victory she scored yesterday. I imagine the endorsement had some role to play, but that the national momentum Obama had already gained from his South Carolina win played a more decisive role. I don't mean this as an endorsement of Clinton, but it's reassuring to know that Ted Kennedy does not hold the Massachusetts electorate in the thrall that he once did. The Boston Globe's Joan Venochi judged the Massachusetts primary not just a defeat for Obama, but perhaps more importantly "a loss for Kennedy" (not to mention for John Kerry and Deval Patrick, who had also endorsed Obama too).
There are certainly reasons to vote for Barack Obama. But the endorsement of Ted Kennedy and his dopey son is hardly one of them.
--James Kirchick
8 comments
Endorsements do not matter this season. Period.
- Bukharin
February 6, 2008 at 8:32pm
Old steel toes is at it again. Today, Ted Kennedy gets kicked. Does TNR really want to sponsor this kind of writing?
Neil
- purcellneil
February 6, 2008 at 8:47pm
Endorsements really do one thing:
They dominate the news cycle with positive news.
Obama won the news cycle for 2-3 days because of this endorsement. That's all you can ask for in a campaign. 3 straight positive news cycles? Yeah.
- virginiacentrist
February 6, 2008 at 8:53pm
I also think the idea that Ted Kennedy is some sort of God in the Latino community is also a bit of a stretch. Is he popular? Yeah, sure. But supporting a bill that folks like doesn't give him coersive power over their minds.
- virginiacentrist
February 6, 2008 at 9:04pm
Ted Kennedy is no god, but Shakira might be:
www.youtube.com/watch
Which reminds me, I never, ever want to see Ted Kennedy belly-dance.
- guyminuslife
February 6, 2008 at 10:17pm
Yawn.
This line of thought is so unbelievably mindless, I can't believe anyone at TNR is pushing it.
It's putting the cart before the horse to say Obama's national momentum, not Kennedy's endorsement, explains his 22 point gain in MA. The endorsement helped CAUSE his national momentum.
- ralphnelle
February 7, 2008 at 1:06am
"dopey son" Was that necessary?
- kyoung
February 7, 2008 at 6:27am
kyoung, yes, dopey son was necessary. He claimed he never worked a day in his life, this while serving in Congress.
- blackton
February 7, 2008 at 10:31am