Politics

How Important are Endorsements/Relationships when considering those running for office?

To me, endorsements and / or relationships are not that important. I think this apathetic view stems from a disregard for most celebrity crazes as well as the fact that I am not even close to being eligible to vote. I think that the idea of celebrity endorsement is unnecessary. When leaders such as Colin Powell back Barack Obama, that is something noteworthy. However, if Brad Pitt were to say that John McCain is the way to go, I would consider that to not only be less substantial, but also arrogant. This idea that media figures believe that they should have a say in the direction of the election process is conceited and out of line.
The term relationships is ambiguous though. If one were to say relationships in the context of personal friendships, I would say that has some bearing on the character of a person; while maybe not guilty by association, questions can be raised about the company with which one keeps. However, another sort of relationship exists; with entities such as the EPA, the Roman Catholic Church, etc. Those relationships are undoubtedly important to many voters; the other week, Bishop Thomas Olmstead sent out a video calling parishioners to action and to vote Yes on Proposition 102. This act, which I saw as outrageous, would substantiate the claim that relationships do have some part in the voting process. While maybe not directly supporting a candidate, entites will often point voters in the direction with statements such as, "The Catholic Church believes this...can you guess what candidate does as well?"