The Democrats brought in former President Bill Clinton today to help boost Martha Coakley’s bid for governor.
Yesterday, the Republicans had Mitt Romney,campaigning in New Hampshire with Scott Brown, the G.O.P.’s candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Both are just two more events in the political endorsement merry-go-round that’s part of every election.
An appearance by the president is the gold standard of political endorsements.
Last year, President Obama came and helped Ed Markey win a U.S. Senate election…
In 2012, he campaigned for Elizabeth Warren, and helped her win…
But his endorsement of Martha Coakley in the Special Senate election in 2010 proved the impact of political endorsements is limited.
Endorsements do have value: They can increase media attention on a candidate; help a candidate raise money; and create momentum for a campaign…
A good example: The Kennedy family’s decision in 2008 to support Barack Obama, and not Hillary Clinton. Passing the torch helped put Obama in the White House.
With the president’s popularity so low this year, his wife has taken his place on the endorsement trail, so the parade of big name Democrats for Coakley hasn’t stopped.
But for Charlie Baker, Massachusetts doesn’t have many Republicans to back him, so he’s happy to have the endorsement of the Democratic Mayor of Quincy–the little known–Tom Koch:
Hiller asked, “Are you one of the Koch brothers?”
Mayor Koch said, “I do have brothers, — no relation to those Koch brothers.”
Here’s the question: Is there any politician who can tell you who to vote for? I think you’d say no, and that’s why there isn’t any evidence endorsements equal votes.