| The most meaningless endorsement of all might be those that come from out of state.
With less than seven weeks before Republicans choose their nominees at a convention and Democrats vote in a primary, the endorsement war grows to a fever pitch. While Democrats fight each other with dueling lists of local elected and General Assembly members (with Brian Moran even splicing together a video of them all), bored conservatives from around the country are getting involved in Virginia's Attorney General primary.
Former presidential candidate Fred Thompson joins former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee in endorsing Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (left, at Shad Planking). Meanwhile, Jon Brownlee nabbed the endorsement of Sen. Jeff Sessions.
At least with local endorsements, the endorser brings money and sometimes even a piece of their machine to the aid of the chosen candidate. Thompson, Huckbee, and Sessions aren't anywhere near Virginia. Oddly enough, it seems that Republicans can't be bothered to care whether endorsements or support is coming from outside state borders.
I have a hard time imagining the Democrats running for Governor or Lieutenant Governor wasting their time chasing down endorsements in other states. In fact, if Terry McAuliffe was to do it, it might even hurt his campaign by dinging his Virginia credentials. Terry has managed to bring in a successful former presidential candidate--Bill Clinton--but Clinton isn't a Virginia resident either.
It's telling that the conservative movement has to look outside Virginia for leaders to help them decide who to vote for. I can think of no corresponding liberal figures that would be so helpful to any of the Democrats running for Governor or Lieutenant Governor.
Are conservatives so bored that they have nothing better to do than meddle in secondary or tertiary statewide primaries in other states? Or is it just that getting Mike Huckabee to fry up a squirrel for you is the conservative version of an Oprah endorsement? |
