I was shocked to see Ted Kennedy openly endorsed Sen. Obama. However, once I thought about it, the shock went away. I do believe that Sen. Obama will win the Dem ticket and Kennedy also believes it. In endorsing him, Kennedy stay relevant. Also, I believe he is upset at the Clintons for being so mean to the other candidates - especially Sen. Obama.

I can also see why Carolyn endorsed him. It seems that Sen. Obama is the new "JFK". I will be honest - I had not heard that until today, so I learned something new.

Although I normally do not believe in endorsements doing anything - I think that this endorsement is different. People who were not sure about Sen. Obama's abilities may change their mind and see him as someone who can lead this country.

Did the endorsement change your mind about Sen. Obama? Why do you think the Kennedys endorsed him - specifically Ted K?

i am moved by obama and his campaign. his speeches and endorsements are well executed and seem to bring out the best in people who are in politics and those who are not. the kennedy endorsement was exciting because it solidifies his message of hope and counters the clintons attempt at painting obama as "rookie" with no broad base appeal. as a first time voter, i look forward to casting my vote this february in california.

I don't personally think that endorsements change my view of a candidate. In my view an endorsement is merely the attempt of the endorser to maintain politically clout once the person they believe in is in fact elected.

I don't think it necessarily says anything important about the candidate.

I'll admit that for some it may be a positive reinforcement of who they believe in. For instance if Obama is for an issue, and Kennedy is for the same thing, it shows resolve in the issue and Kennedy's belief that Obama can best handle that issue. etc...

For me though, I don't care about endorsements. I'll take a fair look at both party nominees for the presidency, and decide which individual will do the best job (in my view) for the country.

Of course endorsements could have a negative impact as well. If someone was leaning for Obama, but doesn't agree with Kennedy's political career or viewpoints, it could affect that voter's thoughts on the candidate.

The only thing that the endorsement solidifies is the fact that Obama is a socialist just like Kennedy. People like him have no problem taking things from people like you and me and giving it to others.

When voting during the next election, you have to ask yourself one main question. Are you a socialist? If you are, that is fine. It's a political ideology and if you agree with it, more power to you. If you are a socialist, vote for Hillary or Obama (Edwards if you are really serious).

When a presidential candidate is asked "what would an American do if they want to visit a doctor that is not provided by the government" and the answer is "they can't", I really get worried. Imagine an America where "you can't" do what you want.