Ted Kennedy to endorse Obama!

fragileblake · January 2008

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5itLQtY1DKrGoYI93dXaMtJvOAdYg

Senator Edward Kennedy to endorse Obama, Democratic party officials say

23 minutes ago

MACON, Ga. - Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts will endorse Senate colleague Barack Obama for president, party officials confirmed Sunday.

The endorsement will be announced Monday in Washington, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for the record. An official close to the senator said the announcement will be made during an Obama campaign rally at American University, where he will be joined by Kennedy and his niece, Caroline Kennedy, who also has endorsed Obama.

In a television interview Sunday, Obama would not answer questions about an endorsement from Kennedy.

"I'll let Ted Kennedy speak for himself. And nobody does it better," he said on television.

"But obviously, any of the Democratic candidates would love to have Ted Kennedy's support. And we have certainly actively sought it. And you know, I will let him make his announcement and his decision when he decides it's appropriate."

Kennedy's endorsement was highly sought after by all the Democratic candidates. Besides his status as a liberal icon and member of the Kennedy dynasty, Kennedy boasts a broad national fundraising and political network as well.

Kennedy is friendly with the Democratic candidates. Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton both serve on the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee, and Kennedy is chairman. Former senator John Edwards partnered with Kennedy on patients' rights legislation in 2001, and Kennedy was a key White House ally when Bill Clinton was president.

"It's going to be difficult choosing," Kennedy said in October. "I've got a lot of friends who want to be president."

Kennedy's endorsement of Obama will follow that of his niece, Caroline, who backed the Illinois senator on Saturday. In an editorial in The New York Times, she said Obama could inspire Americans in the same way her father, John Kennedy, did as president.

"I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them," she wrote. "But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president - not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans."

SPEEDY MCCREADY · January 2008

drinks are on teddy!!!!!!!

jlew24asu · January 2008

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

drinks are on teddy!!!!!!!

he likes Obombs

SPEEDY MCCREADY · January 2008

jlew24asu wrote:

he likes Obombs

its 2008.....

and i have to still hear about ted kennedy????

gimme a break....hehehehe

fragileblake · January 2008

Wow. I had no idea that making fun of personal tragedy was so hilarious. If you guys don't think that this endorsement is one of the most important that a democrat can get outside of Al Gore your finger is far from the pulse of reality and, presumably far up your own ass.

SPEEDY MCCREADY · January 2008

fragileblake wrote:

Wow. I had no idea that making fun of personal tragedy was so hilarious. If you guys don't think that this endorsement is one of the most important that a democrat can get outside of Al Gore your finger is far from the pulse of reality and, presumably far up your own ass.

my finger is far from the pulse of reality?????

hehehehehehehehehehe.........................................

i love this place....

jeffbr · January 2008

I thought Obama was the candidate of change. How much of a change are we going to get from someone who receives endoresements from the oldest of the old-school democrat money? Nothing represents change less than Kennedy. Nothing represents Washington outsider less than Kennedy. How does this endorsement help Obamas image as an outsider fighting for change if he is endoresed by the most established of the establishment?

jlew24asu · January 2008

fragileblake wrote:

Wow. I had no idea that making fun of personal tragedy was so hilarious. If you guys don't think that this endorsement is one of the most important that a democrat can get outside of Al Gore your finger is far from the pulse of reality and, presumably far up your own ass.

jeffbr wrote:

I thought Obama was the candidate of change. How much of a change are we going to get from someone who receives endoresements from the oldest of the old-school democrat money? Nothing represents change less than Kennedy. Nothing represents Washington outsider less than Kennedy. How does this endorsement help Obamas image as an outsider fighting for change if he is endoresed by the most established of the establishment?

how do you like that reality?

norm · January 2008

why does this country still jackoff the kennedys like their some fucking royalty?
why should i be impressed by this family of arrogant, drunk assholes?

:rolleyes:

TrixieCat · January 2008

cutback wrote:

why does this country still jackoff the kennedys like their some fucking royalty?
why should i be impressed by this family of arrogant, drunk assholes?

:rolleyes:

I KNOW!
wth?
Especially Ted....

gimmesometruth27 · January 2008

i don't care what anyone says....kennedy has been in office forever, and his endorsement does carry alot of weight, particularly among older voters, who by the way actually go out to the polls and vote, unlike the younger generations who show up at a rate of about 20%.

teddy is going to be a bridge between the older voters and the younger generations of candidates like obama and his contemporaries. i don't see how this endorsement would hurt obama in any way.

jeffbr · January 2008

I agree with your first paragraph. I have no idea how you get from there to your second paragraph, but I did like the bridge reference.

cornnifer · January 2008

jeffbr wrote:

I thought Obama was the candidate of change. How much of a change are we going to get from someone who receives endoresements from the oldest of the old-school democrat money? Nothing represents change less than Kennedy. Nothing represents Washington outsider less than Kennedy. How does this endorsement help Obamas image as an outsider fighting for change if he is endoresed by the most established of the establishment?

Endorsements such as these do nothing to change Obama's sincere message of unifcation and change and they do not threaten his image of leader and change agent. In order to accomplish anything, he first needs to be elected. In order to be elected, he needs to first be nominated. In order to be nominated their must be, perhaps unfortunately, SOME establishment backing. This endorsement is significant. The reason these folks are beginning to come out in favor of Obama is because they like his message and know he can actually win whereas hillary, stands no chance in a general election. none.

jeffbr · January 2008

cornnifer wrote:

Endorsements such as these do nothing to change Obama's sincere message of unifcation and change and they do not threaten his image of leader and change agent. In order to accomplish anything, he first needs to be elected. In order to be elected, he needs to first be nominated. In order to be nominated their must be, perhaps unfortunately, SOME establishment backing. This endorsement is significant. The reason these folks are beginning to come out in favor of Obama is because they like his message and know he can actually win whereas hillary, stands no chance in a general election. none.

Ultimately I think I agree with your analysis. I just think it takes some of the hip, cool, sexiness out of the campaign by adding a little fat, stodgy, alcoholic establishment to it.

slightofjeff · January 2008

Looks like Obama just lost the South. All of it.

cornnifer · January 2008

slightofjeff wrote:

Looks like Obama just lost the South. All of it.

Um, no.

slightofjeff · January 2008

cornnifer wrote:

Um, no.

I'm exaggerating, of course.

But how many times did the Bush campaign mention Kerry's association with Kennedy in the '04 campaign? "Just like his buddy, Ted Kennedy, he wants to steal your guns and kill your unborn babies."

That stuff does not go over well down here. Sorry.

I'm not going to be surprised to hear that Obama is "more liberal than Ted Kennedy" many, many times in the months to come.

Commy · January 2008

nobody cares. or should care.

A corporate candidate will win, either hillary or barak or a john, and nothing will change.

gogo US "democracy".

MasterFramer · January 2008

jeffbr wrote:

I thought Obama was the candidate of change. How much of a change are we going to get from someone who receives endoresements from the oldest of the old-school democrat money? Nothing represents change less than Kennedy. Nothing represents Washington outsider less than Kennedy. How does this endorsement help Obamas image as an outsider fighting for change if he is endoresed by the most established of the establishment?

He still does stand for change... do you think it would HELP him if Kennedy endorsed Clinton? Come on, think for a moment.

Yes, Kennedy = old establishment which is BAD blah blah blah, BUT he also has a ton of pull within the party. This endorsement brings even more attention and support to Obama, AND coming off a huge win keeps the momentum going. This endorsement does not however indicate what an Obama presidency is going to look like.

jeffbr · January 2008

MasterFramer wrote:

He still does stand for change... do you think it would HELP him if Kennedy endorsed Clinton? Come on, think for a moment.

I think it would have been a non-issue. Status quo endorsing status quo. It would have been expected and wouldn't have had any impact.

MasterFramer wrote:

Yes, Kennedy = old establishment which is BAD blah blah blah, BUT he also has a ton of pull within the party. This endorsement brings even more attention and support to Obama, AND coming off a huge win keeps the momentum going. This endorsement does not however indicate what an Obama presidency is going to look like.

I'm not as convinced as you are that the endorsement doesn't indicate anything about a future presidency. Time will tell, I suppose. But it is a BIG win for Obama and an even BIGGER loss for Hillary. Bill went out of his way to placate the Kennedy machine as President. It is pretty astonishing that Kennedy snubbed them and endorsed at this stage of the game. It was a huge slap in the face to the Clintons.

This is good news for Obama for lots of reasons, but any reasonable person is going to wonder what the endorsement cost.

cincybearcat · January 2008

I hope Obama doesn't let old Teddy drive the campaign bus.

Ted Kennedy to endorse Obama!

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