Obama's very liberal endorsements

Republican and independent concerns

This past Wednesday night I was having a conversation with a Republican friend of mine, and during that conversation he said, "I know that Kennedy's endorsement of Obama is a good thing (as in it works against Hillary), but the sight of Ted Kennedy standing next to Obama really makes me feel sick."

That statement had nothing to do with race. It really had nothing to do with Obama. What my friend was saying was that he can't stand Ted Kennedy, and he would tend not to vote for someone supported by Ted Kennedy.

We also discussed the possibility of MoveOn endorsing Obama, and that elicited the same reaction from my friend.

I'm guessing that this is going to be a common reaction for most Republicans. Some Democrats and independents might feel the same way. As a result, while these endorsements from very liberal individuals and groups might help Obama in the primaries, they could hurt him in the general election if he is the nominee.

Now, some Republicans have already said they will not vote for either Obama or Hillary in the general election (although I will allow them to participate in this discussion--see comments to the Molly Ivins post). However, there might be some Republicans and independents that 1) might consider voting for Obama, but 2) are nonetheless concerned about these endorsements.

As I said in a comment on the post on the MoveOn endorsement, I think that endorsement was more anti-Hillary than pro-Obama. And while there is no doubt that Ted Kennedy is for Obama, there is also no question that part of the reason for his endorsement was anger at Hillary and Bill. What I am trying to say here is that I think these and any other ultra-liberal endorsements of Obama are in significant part anti-Hillary. As a result, any Republicans or independents thinking about voting for Obama should not be worry too much about these ultra-liberal endorsements. That's my opinion.

However, there might be some Republicans who are worried about these endorsements because they could hurt Hillary's chances. These Republicans might be thinking that they want Hillary to get the nomination because she would be easier to beat in the general election. I understand that reasoning, and it might very well be correct. However, be careful what you ask for. Hillary getting the nomination means she is one step closer to being President. As for me, that is a risk I absolutely am not willing to take. And I don't think anyone should be willing to take that risk. And yes, I do feel that strongly about this.

My concerns

My concerns are mostly about MoveOn at this point. As I have detailed before, I have serious issues with some actions by MoveOn. MoveOn needs to realize that whatever the organization does from now on will be viewed by just about everyone as reflecting on Obama. That means that if MoveOn does anything stupid (like the "Gen Betray Us" ad), the organization will be hurting Obama. I still remember the damage that Michael Moore unintentionally did to Wes Clark four years ago with his "It's the General vs. the deserter" line.

MoveOn and any other group considered far left that endorses Obama needs to realize that he is not obligated to completely fulfill their agenda. Instead, those groups must keep in mind that their priority is helping Obama achieve his agenda of winning the nomination and, if he is the nominee, the general election. Will that happen? That remains to be seen.