AP News, October 2nd, 2007
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden remains mired in single digits in Iowa polls, but he's racking up support from the state's legislators.
Biden has the backing of 10 legislators, including the House majority leader. That makes him at least competitive with top tier rivals Barack Obama, who has one more endorsement, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, who garnered the most endorsements. He also has more endorsements than John Edwards, who is vying with Obama and Clinton for the lead in Iowa polls.
Biden said the endorsements demonstrate that local politicians think he has a shot at gaining the nomination.
State lawmakers know the ins and outs of the caucuses, and they "wouldn't be endorsing me if they didn't think I could win in Iowa," Biden said in an interview with The Associated Press.
And, he said, their support could be crucial in the days leading to the caucuses.
"An endorsement in a caucus state from someone who gets out and knocks on doors and has an organization is significantly more valuable," Biden said. "You've got to be pretty dedicated to spend a couple of hours on a very cold January night somewhere in the 1,700 (caucus) precincts in Iowa."
Biden, who is making his second bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, has worked hard for the support.
His political action committee, Unite Our States, was generous with contributions leading up to the 2006 election in Iowa, handing out $68,500 last year. Much of that money went to Gov. Chet Culver's campaign and the Iowa Democratic Party.
The Delaware senator enlisted the help of his family _ including his wife, children and a sister _ and they have traveled extensively throughout the state making appearances for candidates up and down the ballot. He even stayed in Iowa for two weeks in August 2006 to drum up support for Democrats, who managed to elect a Democratic governor and give the party control of both legislative chambers, a feat not accomplished since 1965.
"We just went in, no strings attached, hoping for him to prove himself. He did that very well," said Danny O'Brien, Biden's national political director. "It was a big investment, obviously. It was an opportunity for him to reintroduce himself to the electorate, to Iowa caucus-goers as well."
Kevin McCarthy, the House majority leader, said Biden came to his Des Moines home last year to talk with key activists over punch and cookies. Later, McCarthy attended events for Biden, including traveling to fundraisers in New York and Washington.
Biden attended an event for state Rep. Doris Kelley, of Waterloo, and his PAC donated $500 to her campaign. Although she opted to endorse Biden, Kelley said she did so not out of obligation but because after sorting through all the candidates, he was her top choice.
"If I chose to go with another candidate, I'm sure that there would be financial support there, but I truly believe that those decisions are based on each individuals' opinion of who will make the best president," she said.
Such endorsements can give candidates a boost, but University of Iowa political science professor Dave Redlawsk questioned the payoff when Iowans meet for the caucuses, which lead off the nation's presidential nominating process.
"We can easily overstate the importance of endorsements," he said. "Voters, particularly Iowa caucus-goers, are relatively independent folks and pride themselves at looking at the details themselves."
When asked about his numbers in the polls, Biden pointed to the 2004 caucuses, when polls showed John Kerry in fifth place at about this point. His campaign appeared stagnant, and some wondered if John Edwards might quit after the caucuses.
Instead, Kerry and Edwards soared in the final days of the caucus. Kerry went on to win the nomination and tapped Edwards as his runningmate.
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On the Net:
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