NC Obama Endorsement Fur Ball
Does Obama have more endorsements coming from North Carolina Congressmen? It depends on who you ask/believe.
The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that the seven Democrats from the state are prepared to endorse en mass, while the Winston-Salem Journal says some will and some won't while Media General's bloggy folks say the reports of endorsements are greatly over-blown. And other sources are lining up with that Media General report, office-by-office.
So where does the truth lie? Who knows, short of strapping these guys up to lie detectors or something crazy, like waiting to see if and when someone comes out and gives and endorsement.
But it's worth noting that the seven Congressional Democrats who represent North Carolina - G.K. Butterfield, Rep. Bob Etheridge, Rep. Brad Miller, Rep. Mike McIntyre, Rep. David Price, Rep. Heath Shuler, Rep. Mel Watt - had all lined up behind former N.C. Sen. John Edwards during his run. Butterfield defected before Edwards dropped out and has been doing his best to talk up Obama. And, as in this report from Dome, a lot of the endorsement happy-talk seems to be originating with Butterfield.
I'll let y'all draw your own conclusions.
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Watt's endorsement could carry extra weight in light of the quote recently published by the NY Times:
Melvin Watt, Representative, N.C.
[Initially a supporter of John Edwards, he has said that he wants to talk with Mr. Edwards before deciding whom to endorse.] "At least out of respect, if there could be some level of coordination or at least cordiality, I want that to continue to be the case. I don't want to be out there vigorously campaigning for one person while Mr. Edwards is out there campaigning vigorously for another person." "If we are going to influence people in North Carolina, we need to think through how this plays in North Carolina."
How much one could read into a Watt endorsement depends not on how much he might have coordinated with Edwards, but on the reasons he came to that decision without pressure from his first choice. Edwards absolved himself of responsibility for persuading his supporters, allowing Obama the space and the time to merit their support. The reluctance to endorse by many highly regarded Democrats has given voters in dozens of states a greater opportunity to make that connection with Obama on their own, and that includes super-delegates that wouldn't otherwise get the kind of access they are now enjoying.
When Obama swayed JE's delegates in Iowa, he didn't seem to need Edwards to win them over for him. The common goals of combatting poverty and resisting special interests, and the absence of rancor, allow Obama and Edwards supporters to mesh without heavy-handed maneuvering. I expect that North Carolina will be very hospitable to Obama, and I'm sure he welcomes the chance to hear the concerns, if not the support, of all Americans. As long as he continues to listen, don't miss this chance to make North Carolina's voices heard.
Posted on April 1, 2008 2:46 AM