We Endorse This Interview
Recently, Barack Obama has been endorsed by Sen. Ted Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, Cory Booker from New Jersey, and several other persuasive figures. To inquire into the affect of endorsements and what an endorsement actually is, we turn to Dennis Plane, associate professor of politics at Juniata College.
Question
What is an endorsement?
Answer
An endorsement is an informal mechanism for an influential person in politics to openly tell the public who they will vote for, with the idea that this gives influence to help the endorsee.
Q
What kind of edge do endorsements give Barack Obama?
A
The higher the profile of the endorser means the more valuable the endorsement. For example, Ted Kennedy, a famous political figure, recently endorsed Obama, hence Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama carries a lot of weight and will likely have a positive affect for Obama’s campaign. Endorsements may only swing a small number of voters, but when the margin of victory is only four to five percent, the small things add up.
Q
Will Obama be an easy target for dirty campaigns?
A
Yes, clearly there already there are smear campaigns and lies floating around. Dirty tricks have an impact, but the reality of it is that Obama has been a lifelong Christian. His father was a Muslim in Indonesia, but this does not make Obama Muslim.
Q
Can an endorsement be a bad thing, depending on who endorses you?
A
Technically, endorsements could be bad, but typically the endorsee knows in advance that someone wants to endorse them. Therefore, if the endorsement could be bad, then the person being endorsed shies away from this type of support. However, since the endorser wants to help the candidate win votes, they coordinate the endorsement to work in the endorsee’s favor to the utmost potential. Additionally, Plane commented that John Edwards has dropped out of the presidential race, but has not yet endorsed anyone. Questions are floating around: Could he be waiting to be someone’s vice presidential candidate? Or is he simply waiting for a more powerful affect?
- Sara E. Hernández ’09, student reporter