The governor of New Mexico announced this week he's endorsing Obama. In a related story, I'd like to announce I don't care. I don't get these endorsements. I heard the media say it's a big deal because Bill Richardson is Hispanic (which needs to be pointed out when having a traditional Latino name like Richardson). With the democratic race being so tight, some 'experts' say the nomination is going to swing on the Hispanic vote. I say bah humbug.

I don't understand the relevance of endorsing a candidate. How is that supposed to sway my vote? It's all a load of garbage to me. Why should I--a Californian--care who the governor of New Mexico is endorsing? I'm so far removed from southwestern politics that I never even heard of Bill Richardson until this week (and if it wasn't for the damn press releases, I woulda never known he was Hispanic).

With election season heating up, I noticed a large number of people I never heard are endorsing candidates (the frontrunners too--way to step out on a limb). What's the relevance behind endorsing a candidate--just because some senator likes McCain, why should I vote for him? I don't get it. Why throw a press conference to say you support the leading candidate from you party (duh--no one jumps ship on the Republican Party)? Why announce to the world who you're voting for? Are we supposed to respond to it? Or is this just an excuse to get your picture in the paper?

Hollywood is big on the endorsement scene. Ellen DeGeneres, Barbra Streisand, and Chuck Norris have all made it a point to endorse a candidate at one point during this race. Why should I care? Even if I liked 50 Cent, I don't think he's approval would affect how I planned on voting (we come from different worlds and don't share the same political agenda).

I'd like to call the LA Times, Washington Post, CNN, and Comedy Central to let them know I plan on having a press conference to announce which candidate I'm supporting. Think anyone will show...or even care? Man, what a colossal waste of airtime, press, paper, reporting, hamming it up for the camera, and human intelligence--there's gotta be something less irrelevant to report.

It's going to get worse once things really start to heat up for the November elections. Every two-bit celeb, politician, and hobo is gonna endorse a candidate. I googled politicians who endorse Hillary and I got a who's who of nobodies. There's a Murtha and a Lewis--but Obama has a Dorgan and a Chafee (yep, major players on the political scene). In the unlikely endorsement category, President Bush (Republican) is endorsing John McCain (Republican) and Hillary somehow won the support of the National Organization for Women's Political Action Committee. Man, way to secure those unlikely endorsements. What's next? Mice endorsing cheese? Scorsese endorsing DiCaprio? Teenage girls endorsing Hannah Montana?

I'm so fed-up with it--and we're only in March. We're gonna see more and more of this (gotta find something to fill up those 200 channels on satellite). And what I find most remarkable is how irrelevant the endorser is. Nine times outta ten, it's someone I never heard of--and I consider myself to be fairly well-informed.

Oh, I forgot one: Oprah endorses Obama, too. But that's not really going to alter my opinion--I'm more of a Phil Donahue fan.

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