Endorsements

Clinton's Risky Gamble - Robert Novak @ Washington Post
The Second Black President - Andrew Sullivan
Ted Kennedy Matters - Marc Ambinder
The Black-Brown Divide - Gregory Rodriguez @ Time
Evolution - Andrew Sullivan
Why Ted Kennedy Matters - Jonathan Cohn @ The New Republic
Why Teddy Matters - Matt Yglesias
On Endorsements - Ezra Klein

I decided to give a round-up of various commentaries on the Democratic primary race and the endorsements of the past weekend for Sen. Obama (which, for the record, are JFK daughter Caroline Kennedy, Sen. Edward Kennedy and Noble prize-winner Toni Morrison). It was either this or a series of increasingly redundant posts, so you better damn well thank me. The consensus among left-leaning and independent bloggers and pundits (excluding baby-eating Novak) is that these three endorsements are big in a way that has yet to sink in. All three endorsements are seriously bad for Sen. Clinton and seriously good for Sen. Obama. Most of the electric ink has been spilled over Sen. Kennedy's endorsement as, unbeknownst to me, he is apparently the grand-old-man of the Democratic party, a kingmaker of sorts. The Kennedy endorsement throws a lot of weight (that's not meant as a pun) behind Sen. Obama going into the debate on the 31st and Super Tuesday the following week. Most of the pundits agree that Sen. Kennedy's stature in the Senate has given him a close view of how both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama operate, thus his endorsement of Sen. Obama is a serious snub to the Clinton campaign's claim to experience and ability to lead. Moreover, Sen. Kennedy's support among white working-class voters and Latino voters will most likely give Sen. Obama a boost among that much needed electorate.
Now Caroline Kennedy, I think her endorsement is the killer app of the Clinton campaign. Sen. Clinton's courting of the women's vote will take a serious blow among middle-aged women. Watching the response at American University to Caroline's remarks was astounding. How much that will affect the primaries I can't tell. Toni Morrison's endorsement will have the same effect as Caroline Kennedy's I think. To have the woman who called President Clinton the first black president come out in favor of Sen. Obama comes as a hard knock to the Clinton's standing among the black community. Mrs. Kennedy and Ms. Morrison's endorsements also stand as a rebuttal to those women who have criticized Oprah Winfrey for not endorsing Sen. Clinton. This is still a close primary race, but I think Sen. Obama has gained a distinct advantage against Sen. Clinton. What happens between now, the next debate and Super Tuesday is a big unknown, but an exciting one.