The Page – by Mark Halperin – TIME
\nHALPERIN\u2019S TAKE: Six Reasons Why the Kennedy Endorsement is a Big Deal<\/p>\n
While endorsements don\u2019t usually matter much, Edward Kennedy\u2019s does because:<\/p>\n
1. He has a huge following with Hispanics, a big deal in California and other Super Tuesday states, and one of Obama\u2019s weaknesses.<\/p>\n
2. The symbolic Kennedy family thing \u2014 the ultimate message of change, viability, Democratic legitimacy, and youthful excitement.<\/p>\n
3. The national press will be obsessed with the story for days and days to come, with no downside for Obama; the local press coverage when Kennedy travels for Obama will be ginormous.<\/p>\n
4. It sends a message to other senators and superdelegates that it is OK to be for Obama \u2014 they don\u2019t have to be afraid of the Clintons.<\/p>\n
5. He has a huge following among working-class, traditional Democrats, one of Obama\u2019s weaknesses.<\/p>\n
6. He has a huge following among union households, another of Obama\u2019s weaknesses.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/thepage.time.com\/halperins-take-five-reasons-why-the-kennedy-endorsement-is-a-big-deal\/<\/p>\n
Ted Kennedy and the Hierarchy of Endorsements – The Fix, By Chris Cillizza <\/p>\n
In the hierarchy of endorsements, Kennedy coming out for Obama falls into the category of “symbolic endorsement,” the most coveted of all because it is not simply the typical pat on the back and photo-op, but rather it signifies something larger about a candidate.<\/p>\n
Kennedy, after all, is not simply the senior senator from Massachusetts. He’s Ted Kennedy — last of the brothers of the original first family in American politics (sorry Bill and Hillary) and standardbearer for liberals everywhere. For people of a certain vintage, Ted Kennedy serves as the embodiment of what it means to be a Democrat.<\/p>\n
Winning Kennedy’s endorsement then, is important for Obama in a number of ways. It — coupled with the endorsement by John F. Kennedy’s daughter Caroline Kennedy over the weekend — makes a tangible connection in voters’ mind between JFK, Robert F. Kennedy and Obama. That is a crucial connection as Obama seeks to continue to transform himself from a candidate into a movement on Feb. 5 and beyond. Kennedy’s endorsement also gives Obama some opening to approach a group of rank-and-file Democrats — union households, middle class whites — who will be two of the crucial groups up for grabs on Feb. 5.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/blog.washingtonpost.com\/thefix\/2008\/01\/ted_kennedy_and_the_hierarchy.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Page – by Mark Halperin – TIME HALPERIN\u2019S TAKE: Six Reasons Why the Kennedy Endorsement is a Big Deal While endorsements don\u2019t usually matter much, Edward Kennedy\u2019s does because: 1. He has a huge following with Hispanics, a big deal in California and other Super Tuesday states, and one of Obama\u2019s weaknesses. 2. The … Continue reading the Kennedy Endorsement<\/span>