Political endorsements are ineffective, says American expert

Washington, May 23 (ANI): Political endorsements are usually inconsequential, according to an American political communications expert.

Co-author of the book "Political Campaign Communication: Inside and Out", Larry Powell, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), said: "In general, endorsements are worthless and don't often lead to victories for most candidates, even when the individuals giving the endorsements are extremely popular.

"There always will be some voters who don't like the individual making the endorsement, and those voters will be more likely to vote against the endorsement rather than for it. And newspaper endorsements often hurt candidates, costing them as much as 3 percent in the polls."

He added: "Endorsements by large organizations that can pass on the endorsements to their membership, however, can be effective...particularly in minor races where voters haven't really thought about who is the best candidate. So they are more likely to check the endorsement and go with that candidate. But if it is a high-profile election for governor or lieutenant governor, an endorsement usually will have little impact on voters because they often have thought a lot about the candidates." (ANI)