Gabby Giffords Endorses Ann Kirkpatrick

There was some buzzing around Ann Kirkpatrick’s camp, who’s running for the Democratic nomination to Congress in CD 1, about an upcoming endorsement from a major Arizona political figure. Looks like that muckety-muck is Gabby Giffords.

Taking a page from Grijalva’s early primary endorsement play book, Giffords seeks to be King… er, QueenMaker in CD 1, as Grijalva was in CD 8.

I don’t like any of this. In my view, it is unethical and unwise for office-holders to be endorsing during primaries. And yes, that includes the Governess’ endorsement of Obama.

It is unethical in the same way that party officials aren’t supposed to take a position on candidates during the primary. The Party is not supposed to be in the business of choosing nominees; that’s the voter’s business. To put the imprimatur of the Party on a primary candidate is unacceptable.

Why should we tolerate an even more public face of the Party – the office-holders – being partial? Most people couldn’t name their county or even state party chair, but many more know who their Governor or Congress Member is.

The practice is unwise because of the alienation it causes among the out-groups, the supporters of the candidates that didn’t get the nod. It causes intra-party strains that simply outweigh any benefits there may be from such endorsements to the party.

Clearly, there are benefits to the office-holder if they back a winner. And there are benefits to the recipient of the endorsement: a dollop of media, supporters of the endorser may make up their minds or send a check, and some who don’t follow politics too closely may see it as as the approval of the Party — and that’s the problem.

When office-holders presume to speak, or are perceived to speak for the Party on who is an acceptable candidate, it gives even more power to incumbents than they already have. They become gatekeepers not only of their own offices, but of other offices as well.

Frankly, what the hell does Gabby have to do with CD 1 that she would presume to tell them who the best nominee for their district would be? What business did Grijalva have telling CD 8 who they should choose?

What benefit does the public and Party get from such endorsements? I’m asking you. What benefit do we get? I can’t think of any. The only benefits I see are to the egos of all involved, the political favor pile of the incumbent, and to the recipient of the endorsement. The average voter and the Party get nothing.

Bloggers should draw a line in the sand on both sides of the aisle and condemn these early primary endorsements by officeholders as unethical and unwise.