Election 2008

Senator Ted Kennedy, the ruling patriarch of the dynastic Kennedy family, has announced that he's throwing his considerable weight behind the candidacy of Barack Obama. It's a crushing blow to the Clintons, who've been begging the rotund progressive to hold off on making an endorsement.

Kennedy was said to be angered at the way in which Bill Clinton campaigned on behalf of his wife in South Carolina. In a strange twist, the very senior Massachusetts senator didn't call Hillary herself to let her know of his decision, but called former president Bill instead.

How does Kennedy's endorsement effect the Democratic primary? To get a better handle on what this endorsement does for Obama, we've run it through the 23/6 Endorse-o-meter.

Barack Obama, endorsed by Senator Ted Kennedy

After Obama's loss in New Hampshire, his campaign needed a shot in the arm, and he got it by handily winning South Carolina. What better time for the doyen of the Democratic Party to build on that big mo? In the realm of endorsements, this one is pretty much the Holy Grail. What will this bring to Obama's campaign? In a practical answer: cases and cases of excellent Scotch. But as Obama continues to be on the receiving end of Bill Clinton's invectives, he'll need the stodgy Kennedy to fend off more comments that his campaign is a fairy tale. Kennedy's support sends the needle into dangerously positive territory.