I had to scramble for a copy of the Kennedy family tree yesterday — I was trying to figure which Kennedy was endorsing which candidate, and I don’t always remember which one is which some days. I read an endorsement for Hillary Clinton by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and couldn’t manage to place her. Wikipedia came to my rescue: in addition to being a past lieutenant governor of Maryland, Townsend is Robert F. Kennedy’s oldest child.
Beyond trying to remember which Kennedy was which, I’ve been spending some time trying to figure out just how much endorsements are worth. There are celebrity …read more

For the past week, it seems like every political blog has been covering who will get the Des Moines Register’s endorsement for the upcoming primary. Why is one particular news media so important in a campaign? Why did Bill Clinton spend hours in the editorial office of the Des Moines register currying favor for his wife?
The Des Moines Register is “The Newspaper Iowa Depends On.” It’s not just the daily for Des Moines — it’s delivered all over the state every day. I have family in Centerville, Iowa (population 5,924) way down in southern Iowa. They all read the Register, …read more

… but who is his endorsement geared towards?

The short spot featuring Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris has made its way around the web. After all, it’s full of that favorite Internet meme, Chuck Norris Facts. It’s easily recognizable to any high school or college student, and has potential to sway first time voters — a group Huckabee has had a hard time reaching.Interesting fact: ask any college student about Chuck Norris’ political beliefs and odds are they’ll look at you blankly. This man is able to connect with a group of voters, and influence their opinions, but that group …read more