Rochester, N.Y. --- On Friday two local Congresswomen received a significant and sought after political endorsement just eleven days before voters head to the polls.
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Governor Bob Duffy are somewhat reserved in handing out such endorsements but they made Rep. Louise Slaughter and Rep. Kathy Hochul among the first candidates statewide to win their support.
Just a week prior it was former President Bill Clinton who endorsed both Slaughter and Hochul in Rochester.
Slaughter’s Republican opponent Maggie Brooks has also received key endorsements throughout this campaign. House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor both made the trip to Western New York to express their support for Brooks and other local candidates.
But do these endorsements have an effect on voters?
No it doesn’t,” Dave Cohen of Rochester said. “I don't really get into that too much I vote for whoever I feel is best for the position; that's it.”
"If I like Governor Cuomo I mean I like Governor Cuomo,” Mozambique Golden of Rochester said. “I mean who he supports? That is what he wants to do, he can do it.”
In nearly all cases political endorsements involve Democrats endorsing Democrats or Republicans endorsing Republicans. Which begs the question, would a cross-party endorsement matter?
“No, not personally,” Tamara Endulovski of Chili said. “I'd still vote for who I wanted to vote for. I mean it would be interesting to wonder why he did that but other than that I make up my own mind.”
So if most voters say they’re not impacted by an endorsement, why do these candidates make such a big deal about them? Press releases are sent out, commercials or campaign flyers are assembled, crowds of supporters gather, and often you see it all on the evening news.
“Media is the most powerful promotion in the world and it will never stop,” Golden smiled while hinting that media attention is the real reason why.
“Everything is done for the media's attention, isn't it?" Endulovski laughed.
