A MoveOn endorsement?

The major liberal organization is considering, once again, an endorsement of a presidential candidate -- but that candidate will have to reach a high bar first.

Published January 31, 2008 10:50PM (EST)

With the approval of a majority of its members, MoveOn.org has convened a poll to help determine whether the group will endorse a candidate in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination and, if so, who that nominee will be.

MoveOn, which began during the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, has never endorsed a presidential candidate, though last time around former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean came close to earning the nod. This cycle, the Nation's Ari Melber reports, it will be even harder for either of the two front-runners, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, to reach the threshold required for the endorsement. In the last presidential election cycle, the support of a simple majority of the group's members was needed to get the endorsement; this time, MoveOn has decided to require a supermajority of 66 percent.

Polls are open only to MoveOn members, and the vote is currently being conducted online. An announcement could come as soon as Friday.


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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2008 Elections Barack Obama Hillary Rodham Clinton Moveon.org War Room