Abstract:
Endorsements of candidates were a fixture of the 2008 presidential primary campaign, just as they have been in past primaries. Most research has focused on how newspaper endorsements and statements of support made by prominent political figures affected voting and the outcome of the nominating process. Studies of the effects of newspaper endorsements have produced mixed results. Some have found that newspaper endorsements may influence up to 5 percent of the vote.¹ Others conclude that newspaper endorsements have little² or no effect at all on the vote,³ or only an effect on those less engaged in politics.
