Intro & Key Endorsements

Hello America. Welcome to the brand new political blog "Electile Dysfunction." My name is Adam, and I am from central New Jersey. On this blog, I will post election news, blurbs, opinions, and predictions about the upcoming election. I will try to try to offer some insight to make this whole election process more sane and digestible.

Let's get to it, shall we?

On the Democratic side, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama split some very key endorsements this weekend in the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

The Des Moines Register announced its endorsement for Clinton, but said nothing but good things about Obama. They highlighted his inexperience, having only a few years under his belt in the Senate, which they based their decision on.

This endorsement was exactly what the Clinton campaign was looking for to slow the bleeding of their campaign.

Hillary's popularity has been slipping in recent months in the polls, and is now neck-and-neck with Obama in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

Senator Edwards only seems to be a threat in Iowa at this time.

However, the Des Moines Register has a history of choosing 2nd place candidates in recent years. In 2000 they supported Bill Bradley, and in 2004 it was John Edwards. However, Edwards did finish in a strong second that year despite his low poll numbers leading up to election day.

Needless to say, this endorsement can't hurt Hillary--especially in such a tight race.

Obama received a key endorsement from the Boston Globe this weekend, which should help his rising numbers in New Hampshire. They did not mind his inexperience, and said that he could bring fresh ideas to Washington.

Southern New Hampshire is the most populous part of the state, and many people there commute to Boston and read the Globe.

We'll see how much impact both of these endorsements have after the Iowa bounce.

Meanwhile, Senator John McCain swept the endorsements on the Republican side, reviving a lackluster campaign. He got the nod from the Register, Globe, and the Union Leader--New Hampshire's largest newspaper.

Senator Joe Lieberman, a supposedly left-leaning independent from Connecticut, also endorsed McCain, displaying McCain's ability to reach across the aisle. He considers this to be important to many voters, especially in New Hampshire, where he is making his stand.

The big question is: will these endorsements really help his campaign?

Only time will tell.

If you ask me, it won't do much for him in Iowa, and it may move him into a more comfortable 2nd place position in New Hampshire. Who knows, he may even give Romney a run for his money in the Granite State.