As we reflect on Kennedy's legacy, I'm struck by how key his January 2008 endorsement of Barack Obama now appears. His announcement came reasonably early (before Super Tuesday), and, as Marc Ambinder pointed out, "allow[ed] him to separate the politics of the Clintons from the politics of Democrats before the Clinton administration." Moreover, his pick helped both to mainstream Obama's appeal and confer the blessing of a very respected wing of the Democratic Party.
Every time I've been asked over the past year who I would support in the Democratic Primary, my answer has always been the same: I'll support the candidate who inspires me, who inspires all of us, who can lift our vision and summon our hopes and renew our belief that our country's best days are still to come.
I've found that candidate. And I think you have too.
His endorsement linked Obama to the legacy of the civil rights movement, and as Jonathan Cohn argued at the time, "Kennedy's embrace speaks directly to the misgivings ... that Obama was insufficiently committed to a progressive policy agenda."
As we've seen, Obama has made good on that promise--coming out strongly against segregation, actively pursuing health care, and perhaps most important, showing faith in the institution of government. Lending support to Barack Obama may be one of Kennedy's great gifts to America.
--Phoebe Connelly
