Actually, I didn't expect all of them in solidarity to do this.  I salute them, and I hope they can convince their neighboring colleagues (from the South) to join them in supporting Edwards.

This has been quite a day. :-)

Has Edwards (Donna) announced yet?

Missouri too! Thanks for the link.

And two of northeast Missouri's biggest Democrats announced they were supporting Edwards for president in 2008: former Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell, a lawyer from Mexico, Mo., and current state Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Shelbina.

"He's got a great style of campaigning for rural Missouri," Shoemyer said. "He has helped Missouri Democrats for years, and we are helping him now."

That latter point is one that several state Democrats privately point out. Since 2004, Edwards has made at least a dozen stops in the state. No other contender comes close.

Many of his trips were to aid local candidates...

That's uncalled for.  I just blasted the small minority of Edwards supporters who instigate this crap and don't research the positions or candidates; I'm not going to let someone supporting my own candidate instigate as well.  LET'S TAKE DOWN THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES, not each other.  

Post valid, researched criticisms of candidates... not idiotic BS blastings.

Supporting is building for all major candidates.  Obama has gotten several endorsements himself as has Hillary.  Yes Edwards is building support and I am glad to see it, but the second half of that comment is stupid and pointless to make.  If the media was focusing on Edwards and another candidate's supporter made the comment you just made, tell me it wouldn't piss you off.

Don't make these kind of stupid comments.  You are better than that.

Endorsements grant legitimacy.  Gore endorsing Dean in 2004 morphed the Dean campaign from political insurgent to Democratic front-runner overnight.

Endorsements matter, particularly for lower-information voters.  It's about persuasion.  If you trust the person endorsing a candidate, you are more likely to support that candidate yourself.

I think endorsements do matter, but there are certain endorsements I value over others. When the Des Moines Register endorsed Edwards in 2004 I think that helped with some caucus goers who were still undecided. I agree that the celebrity comment went too far. Hillary and Obama are viable candidates, but I think the above poster is a little put off at what the MSM is making them out to be, which is more like celebrities rather then intelligent politicians.

Please for the love of GOD, use capitals, punctuation, etc.  It really diminishes the impact of your statements when you post the way you have.  

I will also add that endorsements bring networks.  

Elected Official X endorses Candidate Y.  Elected X tells his network of supporters of his support for Candidate Y - and likely X leverages said network for Y.

Endorsers either work for those they endorse because the former genuinely really wants the latter to be successful, or because the former wants his/her endorsement of the latter to be meaningful...that makes the former look more important...so they work a little.  Probably a little bit of both for most endorsers.

Agreed!

That should be appealed for their support before in 2003-2004.