Article & Journal Resources

Last-minute shoppers are getting their business wrapped up this week and it's no different in the political world where a slew of endorsements have come down in the last couple of days. The most coveted, of course, was the nod given by the Des Moines Register to Hillary Clinton and John McCain this weekend – but that wasn't the only action.

Clinton has of late nabbed the support of former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey and Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell. McCain has now been endorsed by major newspapers in Iowa, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and gets a boost today from Independent Senator and one-time Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Lieberman. McCain and Barack Obama were endorsed by the Boston Globe yesterday. Even John Edwards is getting into the act – he'll get the support of Iowa First Lady Mari Culver (Gov. Chet Culver says he will remain neutral).

For McCain, these endorsements are an important source of vindication for his decision to run again eight years after nearly capturing the GOP nomination but all the public support in the world is unlikely to make much of a difference for him in Iowa, where he's well behind. His chances in New Hampshire look brighter but it's still an uphill battle, especially for independent voters who fueled his success in 2000 but are likely to gravitate toward the Democratic race in some numbers.

For Clinton, these endorsements help reinforce her place as the establishment candidate but it's a risky position at the moment. Should Clinton finish second – or worse, third – in Iowa, that top-heavy strategy could begin to unravel quickly, especially with New Hampshire voting just five days later. Should Obama charge out of the gate with two big wins, he would head to South Carolina looking to deliver a knock-out punch.

Oprah Winfrey and Bill Clinton, the Des Moines Register and Manchester Union-Leader, governors, senators and celebrity endorsements aside, it's still the voters who will make the decisions about who the nominees will be next fall. That's why the candidates are spending less time with their famous friends and more time knocking on doors courting those whose endorsements on caucus/primary day means the most.

Plus: Ron Paul breaks record, raises over $6M in one day; Clinton backer brings up Obama's Muslim heritage; Giuliani reducing New Hampshire effort; Huckabee grows more critical of Bush's foreign policy; Clinton invites voters to check under the hood and Dixville Notch readies for its moment in the sun. In today's Horserace.