Chris, I enjoy to read your articles, your thought is like sunshine and opened window to me. You are a positive and rational journalist, higher than others. Thank you.
Obama supporters are very jealous of Hillary, so they criticized endorsed people too. Endorsement is very serious decision, they will help her, it means a lot to Hillary. If I have a social fame I would endorse Hillary on first day when she runs for the President.

"Strickland is in his first year as governor, attempting to do some major overhauls and he jumps into this fray. Ridiculous." - awood

So any time that one politician endorses another in a race he/she is "jumping into the fray"? Please explain that logic to me. Endorsing someone is almost an everyday occurrence in politics.

I for one, have not noticed that Strickland is all of a sudden in the midst of any flame wars or ideological battles with any Ohio Dems who support one of the other candidates. It's called civility and respect, you clown, and just b/c someone endorses someone other than YOUR preferred candidate does not mean that they aregiving the middle finger to you and those like you. Grow up.

I don't see how this is any different from any other time a pol endorses another pol. It sure didn't hurt Strickland when Clinton endorsed him in last year's election, did it? If Ohio Dems are so vehemently, foaming-at-the-mouth-anti-Clinton as you obviously are and as you claim the rest of us are, her endorsement of him in the Governor's race would surely have meant defeat. As it is, it didn't turn out that way.

It is obvious that you are a hack just using the news of this endorsement as an excuse to go on an anti-Hillary rant.

"This was a silly move for Strickland to make unless he really does want to be the VP nominee. Ohio Democrats who support Hillary's rivals lost a lot of respect for Strickland." Agreed. I'll bet Strickland's approval ratings in Ohio drop to 70 percent. Get a political life.

Polls of Dems still show Hillary running away with the nomination and running as well or better than any Dem against a Republican. Of course she's electable, especially against the clowns that pass for candidates in the GOP. Strikcland's endorsement means little outside of the bandwagon effect, but the cumulative impact of lots of endorsements has to help Clinton.

The endorsement hurts Strickland and is of marginal help to Billary. Strickland is in his first year as governor, attempting to do some major overhauls and he jumps into this fray. Ridiculous. He won big in Ohio, yes. But look at the context, his opponent, and so forth and you'll see he had a lot of help.
Anyone remember John Kerry's silly hunting escapade in Ohio? That was Strickland's idea and he accompanied Kerry. Is he going to take Hillary hunting?

In my judgement, Strickland's endorsement of Clinton does lead Ohio Democratic voters to lean Clinton if they haven't already started paying attention to the race. Strickland, to my understanding, is a pro-gun moderate democrat that may have sway with alot of moderate Dems. This is fairly important to Clinton. As far as NH goes, Clinton has the Shaheen's behind her and she's likely to ride that wave to a relatively easy win in NH. This almost assures her Ohio as well.

"This was a silly move for Strickland to make unless he really does want to be the VP nominee. Ohio Democrats who support Hillary's rivals lost a lot of respect for Strickland. It was a move he did not need to make unless...." - awood

More idiotic rantings. How was this a silly move for Strickland?

To endorse someone he has known and supported, and who has supported him for two decades?

To endorse the candidate who leads the national primary AND general election polls?

"Ohio Democrats who support Hillary's rivals lost a lot of respect for Strickland."

Don't assume to speak for other people you twit. I am an Ohio Democrat, Hillary is not my first choice, and I did not lose a shred of respect for Strickland when he endorsed Hillary. Unless you've been living under a rock since 1990, and/or you know nothing about Ted and the Clintons' relationship, you should have seen this coming.

Where the hell do you or anyone else get off "losing respect" for someone for simply saying who they think the best candidate is and who they will support? I don't seem to remember any Hillary supporters going crazy and losing their minds and "losing respect" for Mayor Coleman when he endorsed Obama.....

Here's what the equivalent Hillary supporter might sound like if he/she reacted the same way you do to an endorsement:

"How dare he! That insolent fool Coleman! Dosne't he know that Hillary is the ONLY logical choice! That SILLY Coleman MUST have done this b/c Obama has endured a couple of weeks of bad news about his primary numbers continuing to sink! It's the ONLY explanation!"

People like you make me want to support Hillary more than anything else. You hurt your own cause with your insane rantings.

By the way blockhead, if you had bothered to read the above posts or if you knew jack s#%^ about Strickalnd, you would know that he is not angling for any VP slot. He has issued the "Sherman" statement a number of times. Has it ever occurred to you that he endorsed her simply b/c in his mind she is the best candidate?

"But everyone at work is talking
about her alleged affair with her aide,
Huma Abedin. This may hurt her." - LSm

Key word: "alleged"

And considering it is the first I have ever heard of it, I'm gonna go ahead and conclude that it is nothing more than a nasty rumor and you are one of the idiots complicit in spreading the filth around.

It is really impressive that all you guys who have won the top state-wide office in a big RED state are so sure Governor Strickland is wrong.

I am an Ohio resident who finds Ted Strickland's endorsement infuriating. Here's a new governor who enjoys huge support -- more than 65% favorable, according to state polls -- and he jumps into this fray, allowing himself to be trotted out as a counter to two weeks of bad news for Hillary and falling poll numbers.
This was a silly move for Strickland to make unless he really does want to be the VP nominee. Ohio Democrats who support Hillary's rivals lost a lot of respect for Strickland. It was a move he did not need to make unless....

Chris, in a week where Hillary has not done well, Falling in the polls, planting a question at an event, the tip controversy, etc, you stayed unusually quiet about your favorite candidate until now with a puff piece on how she got another endorsement. Maybe we should stop asking you to be so fawning and instead ask you bosses why you seem to be so much in the pocket of the Clinton campaign. Are you going to be like the 'journalist' (and I use that term lightly for him) Sidney B. who jumped to Clinton's staff as quick as he could?

I think that Hilliary may win.
But everyone at work is talking
about her alleged affair with her aide,
Huma Abedin. This may hurt her.

Hillary will win; any intelligent and objective voter can honestly appreciate this fact; all Hillary haters are just blinded with jealousy that she is on top and will remain there; her supporters have made up their minds and she will win by a landslide in the general elections.

"If she wins the nomination, this guy really could be her VP. Former minister, pro-gun, very succesful in winning a largely rural district for years even as an unabashedly pro-choice Democrat. There's a lot to like there for VP." - Colin

Sorry Colin, but Strickland has issued the proverbial "Sherman" statement on the question of possibly being ANYONE'S VP pick. I read an interview just the other day where he reiterated the statement. It's a shame though, b/c you are correct in that he would be a VERY strong VP pick, and would make a great VP and fantastic President one day. I live in Ohio, though, and I really think a lot of people here would be kinda pissed if he left office early b/c he has been such a successful Governor so far.

"I suspect the timing of the endorsement had more to do with the fact that Obama picked up a key endorsement in NH from a woman key in democratic politics there." - dsmith2

I very much doubt it dsmith. More than likely it has much more to do with Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman's recent endorsement of Obama. Columbus is Ohio's largest city and Coleman was just reelected with nearly 70% of the vote and is very popular. His endorsement is very meaningful and a big win for Obama, but still not even in the same league as a Strickland endorsemnt is. Strickland's approval rating is near 70%.

"hillary is UNELECTABLE BECAUSE 50% OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEMBERS LIKE ME WILL NEVER VOTE FOR HER BECAUSE SHE IS COMPLETELY OPAQUE, SECRETIVE, PARANOID, AND SPLITS EVERY HAIR INTO TINY PIECES." - onestring

Oh....as opposed to Giuliani, the clown who has ZERO national security experience and was married three times and who's right-hand-man was the corrupt Bernie Kerik? The man who's only accomplishment appears to be the fact that he walked in front of as many cameras as possible on 9/11? LOL

Your rant on Hillary MIGHT be taken seriously if you didn't immediately follow up by saying that you will vote for someone with even LESS integrity, principles, morals and experience.

Oh yeh....and "50% of Democratic party members won't vote for hillary" ???......wow, that's incredible considering she recently led Giuliani, who is uspposedly the GOP's strongest candidate, by 7 points in a national poll. If a full 50% of Dem party members won't vote for her as you claim, and considering that 50% of Americans identify themselves as Democrats....that means Hillary must be pulling AT LEAST 75% of Republicans and AT LEAST 75% of Independents!!!!!

Wow! What an amazing woman that Hillary is!! A Democratic presidential candidate pulling more indies and republicans than Democrats according to you!

"These guys get one vote in the booth." So says one poster above. In other words this guy's opinion doesn't count he's just another voter. The governor of "the" swing state in the country that has elected every president since FDR and his opinion is worth nothing. You do have to wonder where these people get their political judgement from. Well truth to tell they haven't got much. They are dedicated Clinton haters from left or right and what someone with the credentials of Strickland thinks is totally beside the point. They know. Perhaps they are getting divine guidance. Who knows. What we do know perhaps is that they are as disconnected from reality as Dennis Kucinich and his flying saucers.

wow. what a stellar list of nonentity wallflowers.
Not exactly the powerful or exciting.
but I find it amazing how the press goes all out to tout all these boring 'who's that' endorsements of Hillary's and yet does a great job of ignoring when Obama gets the big name endorsements like Deval Patrick.
what a job the press is doing this time in their quest to bring us unbiased reporting...
sarcasm

re: "Obama picked up a key endorsement in NH from a woman key in democratic politics there. She they got you to talk about a non-relevant sate Ohio versus the NH endorsement they lost."

I'm from New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton has already picked up the two key NH Democratic political endorsements -- Lou D'Allesando and Kathy Sullivan.

The non-relevant state of Ohio?
Whew.
Another example of the opposition to Clinton appearing to border on the mentally unstable.

onestring -- if yuo're really a Democrat, Guiliani is your worst nightmare--he genuinely hates the Constitutin. Perhaps you don't know much about him--I suggest you find out more. Like that he wanted Bernie Kerik --today indicted for fraud and tax evasion and suchlike, and totally mobbed-up--to be head of Homeland Security. Why not just skip the middleman and ask John Gotti?

Chris--How do you not mention Gen. Wesley Clark as potential veeps who've endorsed Clinton??!!! With a desperate need to establish herself as good commander in chief, the four star general (and fellow arkansan) should be at the top of her list.

Hillary may decide she wants to downplay this endorsement given Strickland's comments as to why he doesn't think Obama could win in Ohio.

http://soballiance.blogspot.com/2007/09/ted-strickland-makes-racist-comments.html

the1joncook writes
"The Senator certainly can win in November 2008 and all the ranting in the world will not make any difference."


I don't dispute that she can win. I do think that nominating her will produce a closer race than could be had by other Dem candidates. More importantly, I think there are other candidates who would make better presidents than she would.

The problems are manifold. Firstly Dems seem to be focused more on winning than on improving the state of the country - which is true of Repubs too, but we're talking about Dems on this thread. In pursuit of a better country, there is a very fair argument to be made that Sen Clinton is not best suited to that task - though it of course depends on what improvements you think need to be made. I think one important change that needs to be made is in the political tone. In this regard, Biden, Obama & Dodd are far better candidates than Sen Clinton.

The endorsements don't mean much other than influencing easily-influenced people to vote a certain way. The governers don't have more say in voting than any other citizen; their vote couts as one vote just like everyone else. The endorsements also aren't binding so the governor could change his endorsement in a heartbeat. Stricklands decision to endorse Clinton was her 3rd endorsement, but I'd like to know how many endorsements the other candidates have received.

I suspect the timing of the endorsement had more to do with the fact that Obama picked up a key endorsement in NH from a woman key in democratic politics there. She they got you to talk about a non-relevant sate Ohio versus the NH endorsement they lost

A couple of the above comments continue to reinforce my perception that the opposition to Senator Clinton borders on mental instability. The Senator certainly can win in November 2008 and all the ranting in the world will not make any difference.

I read an article on this earlier that noted that Strickland has been friends with the Clintons for years and that he actually worked very closely with Hillary on the Healthcare debacle 15 years ago. So I can't say this is really a surprise endorsement. No doubt about it though, it's better to be endorsed by the Governor of Ohio than not.

If she wins the nomination, this guy really could be her VP. Former minister, pro-gun, very succesful in winning a largely rural district for years even as an unabashedly pro-choice Democrat. There's a lot to like there for VP.

hillary is UNELECTABLE BECAUSE 50% OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEMBERS LIKE ME WILL NEVER VOTE FOR HER BECAUSE SHE IS COMPLETELY OPAQUE, SECRETIVE, PARANOID, AND SPLITS EVERY HAIR INTO TINY PIECES.

hillary is the candidate of the dinasaurs.

I'm voting either Obama or Giulianni.

You should too!

"The timing of Strickland's endorsement is aimed at refuting talk being fomented by Clinton's rivals -- Barack Obama and John Edwards most notably -- that nominating her would badly jeopardize the party's chances of taking back the White House"

But does it?

That is to say, does the timing of Strickland's endorsement refute the claim that nominating Sen Clinton would badly jeopardize the party's chances of winning the Presidency?

No, it does not.

I'm sorry, I can't take any of these endorsements seriously. The last time I checked, these guys get just one vote in the booth, same as everyone else. And while all endorsements are not created equal, pundits have had no problem dismissing the benefits of Guiliani and McCain picking up the endorsements of the religious right, or Obama and Edwards being endorsed by various labor unions.

I think Cillizza was more on the mark with the blog entry he links to from earlier in the week, about there being no guarantees in primary season. I just wish he had the courage of his convictions and included some skepticism of the value of this one.