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Hillary To Get Endorsement Of John Glenn?
A Democratic source tells me that Hillary is on track to landing a big endorsement in Ohio: Former Senator John Glenn, the former astronaut and first American to orbit the earth who's a legendary name in the state.
If it pans out, that's a major get in a state which is critical to her hopes of turning the narrative of the race in her favor come early March. We're trying to verify, but the Hillary campaign isn't confirming it.
More soon.
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I don't think it will have an impact. I think the impact of endorsements for either candidate is over.
When Obama was the underdog trying to catch up, the endorsement of people like Kennedy was helpful to give him legitimacy. Now, both candidates are viable on their own.
February 11, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is John Glenn a major player in Ohio? Or is this like the Mondale endorsement--only significant because Clinton wants us to believe it's significant?
February 11, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why are they still sending out press releases and havinf conference calls on endorsements?
I thought the Hillary camp said that endorsements didn't matter?
Oh...I get it...Only Obama's endorsements are not supposed to matter.
February 11, 2008 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just like only her victories count.
February 11, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
is this really that major?
i had no idea.
February 11, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
For the sake of decency, if the endorsement happens, show some restraint and give the man the respect he has earned.
February 11, 2008 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed. My thoughts exactly.
February 11, 2008 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
looking good
February 11, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmm...the first Dead Person to endorse Clinton! Impressive!
I wonder what famous dead people will endorse the candidates. MLK and Walt Disney are for Obama. Helen Keller and both Roosevelts are for Clinton. JFK is said to be torn between Obama and Clinton: his heart has him for Obama, but he's afraid that Hillary will retaliate against him politically.
It will be interesting how this plays out.
February 11, 2008 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Last I heard, he was still very much alive.
February 11, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I live in Ohio, and don't think it will matter much. Look at Kerrey in Nebraska - a retired Senator doesn't have as much pull as local politicians, like mayors and congressmen. Inevitably, a Clinton endorsement is met with more a "meh" than an endorsement for Obama. It's sort of expected for Clinton to get Democrats who've had a long (or once had) a long political career. Any time a Democrat endorses Obama over the most well known and powerful couple in the party, it's a bit of a coup. Maybe not so much anymore after the Kennedy endorsement, but still. I think endorsements ultimately help him more than they help her. Also, he's racking up newspaper endorsements in the state. We'll see, I think Ohio is going to be close.
February 11, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, how young these readers are to not know who John Glenn is. Maybe we should revisit 'No Child Left Behind' with some remedial education for older youth!
John Glenn is highly respected, a military, space, and congressional hero by many, and, as importantly, a life-long Democrat. In Ohio his support will be significant and will marginalize any Obama hopes from the Edward Kennedy and Oprah.
Read your history folks!
February 11, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I feel like the Internationale should be playing in the background as one reads comments like this. And to think that the Obama campaign is dismissed as mere hype and entheusiam...
February 11, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have the privilege of being from Buckeyeland (my housing community was named after Glenn), so I might offer some perspective.
John Glenn's endorsement doesn't really count for much. I recall him endorsing free admission to COSI (A fun science learning center), doing commercials for it, campaigning for it and the measure failed big time.
The man is highly respected, but his endorsement is not a big deal. The Mondale analogy is apt, I think.
As others have pointed out, the key endorsements are mayors, as their patronage machines deliver.
Kennedy, Kerry, and Patrick endorsements didn't deliver MA for Obama and Glenn won't deliver for Clinton.
February 11, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
The guy is not a super delegate and he's got no political machine in place.
Maybe there's some symbolic value there, but that would be about it.
February 11, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is HRC's grab at the JFK legacy. No one bought the RFK kids' endorsements as tipping the balance from Ted Kennedy. This, however, will bring some of that magic -- coming late in the game, of course.
This endorsement *is* significant in that it will be a nice visual John Glenn, American hero, spaceman, new frontier guy, endorses HRC candidacy. Expect still of Glenn with JFK (there are a lot of them since JFK used Glenn to promote his New Frontier). That Glenn is an ex-Senator will be incidental to the spaceman angle.
The problem is that Glenn is pretty old and most of his 1962 flight footage looks very old. I expect to see footage of him in space during his shuttle mission -- at least it looks more modern.
To some extent the impact is minimized by the simple fact that the people who would be most affected by a Glenn endorsement are probably 60 years old or older -- and HRC already does well in this demographic.
February 11, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to Hillary, it is the Obama campaign that focuses on endorsements. She is all about substantive policy. So I guess the John Glenn endorsement won't matter.
February 11, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Clearthinker,
The Kennedy offspring have not done anything in their own right to justify any respect. They thrive on JFK and RFK as some right to prominance and royalty. Take away that and they are just a few rich kids who have never worked a day in their life and fawned over by people who should know better.
February 11, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
What are you trying to accomplish here? You're certainly not winning over any converts. Does lashing out at anyone who supports Obama make you feel better?
I am going to enjoy seeing you small, pathetic people heartbroken in a few months, and watch you fail to be vindicated in November.
February 12, 2008 1:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Greg, this is off topic, but in the midst of praising Krugman's column today, could you possibly have called him out on comparing Obama's supporters to cult-followers? It seems to me that there may be a separate set of "Obama rules" developing right before our eyes.
February 11, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I really don't intend this to be mean, but I really thought John Glenn was no longer alive...
February 11, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Allsburg: Your joke is pathetic and disrespectful. Tell us the truth, wouldn't you be proud if your son grew up to be John Glenn?
http://www.johnglennhome.org/john_glenn.shtml
February 11, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL! More deification!
Glenn was not particularly well-liked by 5 of the Mercury Astronauts because he was an "in your face" moralist -- something I suspect most on TPM wouldn't like.
Glenn also was part of the Keating 5 -- just like McCain (though neither was convicted).
I'm not particularly down on Glenn. I'm a firm believer it's even more interesting when an ordinary human being does extraordinary things. This post is a pre-emptory set of facts before we go into orbit about him.
Pun intended.
February 11, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
NOT ANOTHER WHILE MAN TELLING US HOW TO VOTE?????? WHAT A BETRAYAL!!!! WE DON'T NEED THESE CHAUVINIST WHILE MALES TRYING TO KEEP US D ...
Oh wait,he's endorsing Hillary? Oh, where was I -- yes, John Glenn is an American hero whose voice will influence all of Ohio. Very great American. A hero, really. Listen to him.
February 11, 2008 10:02 PM | Reply | Permalink