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Patch's Poll: Do Endorsements Really Matter in an Election?

The AFL-CIO just endorsed Chris Murphy, but with our increasingly independent electorate, do you think this will have an effect on voter opinion?

One of the largest public unions in Connecticut, the AFL-CIO, endorsed Democratic frontrunner Chris Murphy in his bid for the 2012 U.S. Senate seat.

According to the Connecticut Mirror, Murphy took the opportunity to proclaim that his candidacy was more about the importance of working families and organized labor against big moneyed interests looking to buy elections.

Murphy then went on to credit the AFL-CIO for helping Democrats win all five congressional seats in Connecticut back in 2010, in a year when Republicans swept many house races and ousted a number of incumbents, the news site reported.

"You want to know why Connecticut survived that tidal wave of Republican wins across the country?" Murphy said, according to the Mirror. "We did it because you built the biggest and the baddest grass-roots effort in the country."

The AFL-CIO also endorsed Chris Donovan, the frontrunner candidate for the 5th District seat whose campaign is facing a federal investigation into alleged campaign finance fraud.

Do you think union endorsements, or endorsements from newspapers or other politicians, have an effect on the outcome of an election? Or do you think that the majority of Connecticut voters, who are unaffiliated with any political parties in this state, could care less about endorsements? Take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.

Spiff June 27, 2012 at 02:34 pm
Yes, endorsements play a huge role! Nine out of 10 people barely even know the names of candidates. The large majority of the people vote for whomever they are "told" to vote for, by their family members, friends, union, the media, etc.
meowkats4 June 27, 2012 at 03:48 pm
Yes, endorsement do play a role! I am sure that endorsement give him some nice $$$, for running ads too!
Glen June 27, 2012 at 05:00 pm
Since Murphy has always been in the AFL-CIO's pocket why would is it even worth mentioning when they endorse him. All of the members of the AFL-CIO already know that they are expected to vote for the Democratic candidate no matter what his/her name is and no matter what they are running for. Some of them actually dare to defy the union leadership when they get to cast their vote but they would be afraid to let anyone know that.
MAC June 27, 2012 at 05:13 pm
I disagree with Murphy as to "why Connecticut survived that tidal wave of Republican wins across the country" in 2010.
The real answer is that most voters in CT just blindly go to the polls and vote for anyone with a (D) after his or her name!! I would hope that after the disasters Malloy and Obama have turned out to be, and that they have wreaked upon our economies, that voters would have finally learned their lessons. But let's just say I am skeptical about the average CT voter at this point, especially when you consider that in 2010 not even Martha Dean could get elected to state-wide or federal office, out of all the many Republicans running for congress, treasurer and all the state-wide positions in CT. I'm not giving up though! As long as we live here, I will be involved trying to help elect good people of integrity and COMMON SENSE, who are NOT "career politicians" like Murphy! We must do that for both congress and our state legislature--not just wait to vote in Romney in November, and give Malloy the boot in 2014! Two of my favorites are Wayne Winsley running against DeLauro, and Mark Greenberg, who has to defeat the career politician Andrew Roraback for the 5th district Republican slot!
Mike Pohl June 27, 2012 at 09:37 pm
Absolutely! Every Democratic elected official in Manchester is supporting Chris Murphy for the Nomination. It shows that there is a clear choice. Almost every former Susan staffer is supporting Chris Murphy for the nomination because they have seen Susan in action.
You may not believe it, but I am involved in the political process because I want what is best for my community, state and nation. When you have a person like Chris Murphy that wants the same, the choice is easy. When you have a candidate like Susan that is clearly in it for herself it makes the choice even easier. Let's add to the mix that the delegates from Manchester were a wide cross section of our elected officials and people from our own neighborhoods that voted along with an overwhelming majority of the people from neighborhoods all over Connecticut to support Chris Murphy.
MAC June 27, 2012 at 09:57 pm
You "want what is best for my community, state and nation," but your party does NOT!
Every decision regarding legislation, to the DEMS, is couched in political terms of benefits to their re-elections, rather than what is right, or best for the nation as a whole. Sadly, there are many RINO career politicians for whom this is also often true. But the Democrat party is no longer that of the common man, but that of BIG intrusive government, interfering with the free enterprise basis of our nation as well as individual Liberties! Any who sincerely want our nation back on the road to Prosperity won't vote for any Democrat running for congress from CT! Their party decides on legislation based on picking winners and losers--the winners of course being their political base, the TAKERS, and biggest campaign donors (which include unions, banks and Wall ST).
GregoryRobertSamuels June 28, 2012 at 12:42 am
Endorsements are best when they bring in $$. It's all about the money...
Dennis & Catherine Cicero June 28, 2012 at 02:21 am
Agreed. Look who Oprah endorsed!
Dennis & Catherine Cicero June 28, 2012 at 02:24 am
Yep they brought in money.....the First Five (plus the 15) but the money is flowing out of my wallet for it.....

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