A Word About Endorsements

Americans are used to the annoyance of being told what to buy and who to support by celebrities and sports figures alike.  When I was five, I remember watching Legendary Yankee Shortstop Phil Rizzuto beam into our living room each night telling us to call the Money Store toll-free - Holy Cow!.  Nothing much has changed since then, particularly around Christmastime when we seem to be subjected to a barrage of product endorsements from unlikely characters who wouldn't otherwise give us the time of day.  Would you really buy a car from Brad Davis?  Well, maybe.

Campaign season is no different, except that it takes hypocrisy to a whole new level.  National Campaigns like those of Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich spend a tremendous amount of time pandering to fellow politicians, whom they personally detest, for their public support - in exchange for God knows what.  (And you'll notice I didn't mention Ron Paul; that's because no one is foolish enough to completely destroy their political careers by hitching their reputation to that raving lunatic).  The simple fact is that all endorsements at the National level are merely fodder for the latest media cycle.  For the most part, these endorsements don't amount to a hill of beans with voters because they're forgotten hours after they're touted. And besides, who cares if some politician who lives 100 miles away from me supports Newt Gingrich -  chances are they always did!  The public is going to vote for or against a candidate based on either their known perception of them, or the importance of the values or positions they hold - and not because some creep on the take tells them to!

Which brings me to the reason for this blog post.  Linda McMahon has already spent an enormous amount of time and money seeking endorsements from around the Nutmeg State (sometimes going as far to buy them through donations to RTCs and such) .  Last week, she boasted that she has 100 Republican Leaders supporting her nomination.  Well, I've got news for you lady - first, these people you've listed are not Republican Leaders.  They may hold fancy titles, and through self-promotion, and the buddy-system found their way onto caucuses and committees, but they are in no way - Leaders.  They don't avail themselves to the public, let alone attend their own Town Committee Meetings.  You have to be present to be even considered a Leader.  

Second, I see a lot of names on your list of 100 people who are lazy, unemployed,  unmotivated, and unaccomplished -  some can barely pay their own bills! (And at least one in the Northeast Part of the State is a well-known pervert who parents should keep away from their Children!!) So why would I take the advice of people who cannot even run their own lives, never mind trying to tell me who to vote for?  Given that, if aware, most voters will be less-inclined to support her nomination after seeing these endorsements flying around. I mean, what the hell do they know?  And does Linda even know anything about these people?  And would she hire them at WWE? My guess is "No".  But, she might throw them some cash for a favor or two.

The truth is that to the general public most of the people on Linda's list are unknowns - RTC members, State Central Members, and a few local politicians whose names barely resonate beyond the members-only club of Republican State Central, or their self-built perches.  Take The King's challenge - print off the latest list of 10 new endorsements that Linda is bragging about into work, and read them to any colleague sitting near you, and ask how many s/he's ever heard of.  20 to 1 is that no one has heard of any of them.

Well King, then why do politicians seek Endorsements?

From the standpoint of the political game, it makes a lot of sense.  It helps to keep the Candidate's name in the news by giving the appearance of them gaining support. It's simply a Public Relations stunt that comes with the territory. And moreover, it's a lot like playing the game Monopoly  - where you try to buy up all the land, utilities, and so forth in order to block people out of contention and win the game.  All of this leads to a lopsided Convention where those bought and paid for, or granted favors will support Linda, thus giving the impression that she is fully supported by the Republican Party. 

But the reality is far from the truth.  A win by Linda McMahon at the Convention is only evidence that those who play dirty CTGOP inside baseball support Linda.  Whether she will actually represent Connecticut Republicans against either Democrats Chris Murphy or Susan Bysiewicz will be decided by voters at the Connecticut Republican Primary next year.  And we have seen in the past where the outcome of Conventions are not the same as the outcome on Primary Day.

Given that Linda McMahon's own internal poll numbers show that she barely reaches 38%, and that her negatives are high among women and Independents, I like the chances of another single candidate knocking her off her pretended pedestal. Although, even The King admits that a three or four way race, certainly guarantees her the nod, and further guarantees a Democrat U.S. Senator from Connecticut. 

Which brings us to the question - if EVERYONE including Linda knows that she can't muster more than 38-40% of the vote in a General Election, then why are people fawning all over her to endorse her?  Well, that's a tale of money and politics - and that's a story for another day.  In the meantime, those who have given their endorsement to Linda, aught to be concerned about the downside of hitching their reputations to a candidate who is about to find themselves at the center of a very controversial set of issues in 2012.  They may have wished to have kept their mouths shut when it's all said and done. More to come...

I AM

THE KING

This original entry can be read at http://www.thekingsview.blogspot.com

This entry may be modified at a future date.