News-Record.com

From a story today about who local politicians are backing in the presidential race:

Local Democratic politicians seem to have taken a rooting interest in "favorite son" John Edwards' run for the presidency.

By contrast, many local Republican office-holders range from unimpressed to unswayed by the crop of candidates currently running for the GOP nomination.

The Iowa caucuses will start the presidential selection process on Thursday, with primaries following this January in New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina and Florida.

North Carolina is not due for its primaries until May, most likely too late in the process to influence the outcome.

Still, local politicians can influence the flow of money and volunteer support for campaigns, and if nothing else, provide a proxy for the campaign that might have been.

Other than the candidates themselves, who sways your vote? Does Oprah's endorsement of Barack Obama bring you into his camp. Or do have fewer degrees of separation from John Edwards since Kevin Bacon stumped for the former N.C. Senator? Do endorsements from the likes of the NRA or ACLU bring you into a candidates camp?