Terms of Endorsement
How much do endorsements matter — and which kind should be most valued? In the Democratic Party of the mid-Twentieth Century, those vying for the nomination of the Party Convention strived to get union endorsements. Support from influential regional or national politicians also mattered a great deal. Somewhere farther down the line came celebrities and entertainers, probably after newspaper editorial boards, which often came out for Republicans.
Today the priorities are considerably different, as demonstrated by Oprah Winfrey’s remarkable appearances in Iowa and South Carolina on behalf of Barack Obama. Yesterday in Columbia, SC, she helped Obama achieve the the largest crowd so far this year for a candidate’s rally — 30,000. Multiplied by the media attention the rally got, Oprah’s appearances seemed to give Obama significant momentum to build upon his recent polling upswings.
But is this the way it ought to be? As I write this post from Central Europe (Croatia), I am well aware that Oprah is as internationally famous as any American movie star. I’ve seen her show dubbed into obscure languages and her comments accorded more attention in local media than that given local politicians with far greater objective influence on local lives.
Does her endorsement carry more weight due to the absence of more traditionally important support? Al Gore, as he received his Nobel Peace Prize yesterday, was given the chance to endorse a candidate, but declined. So has his erstwhile nemesis, George W. Bush (though none of the Republican candidates is known to have sought the support of the current President). The leaders of the so-called religious right, courted by Republican candidates, are too divided to deliver huge blocks of voters. Pat Robertson’s endorsement of Giuliani doesn’t seem to have done anything to tamp down the stunning rise of Mike Huckabee, who has flaunted his endorsement by actor Chuck Norris more than that by any politician or journalist.
There are more than a few topsy-turvy twists on the current endorsement scene. The NYT’s often vituperative Frank Rich, found it possible to devote his Sunday column to Huckabee’s admirable qualities (wit, honesty) before slamming his lack of foreign affairs experience. Coming from Rich, that was almost an endorsement.
With the lack of meaningful political endorsements — for now — in the US elections, it’s easy to long for a different scene. Just be careful. Over in Moscow, not so far from here, another incumbent President — Vladimir Putin — finally announced a very political endorsement of who he would like to succeed him. He chose the man he appointed Deputy Prime Minister two years back, Dimitry Medvedev. Clearly, a political endorsement more powerful than Oprah’s!