Ted Kennedy will be doing more than endorsing Obama. He will be out there campaigning for him in some really important states.
According to the Boston Globe
Kennedy plans to campaign actively for Obama, an aide said, and will focus particularly among Hispanics and labor union members, who are important voting blocks in several Feb. 5 states, including California, New York, New Jersey, Arizona and New Mexico.
The Clintons really, really tried to prevent this from happening. Politico reports
The Clinton campaign launched a last-ditch effort over the last few days to stop Kennedy's move, orchestrating a flood of phone calls to Kennedy from sources ranging from union chiefs to his Massachusetts constituents.
The former president also called Kennedy in a vain attempt to keep him out of the race, a source familiar with the conversation said.
Politico's sources found it "stunning," an endorsement with incredible potential to move voters.
Democrats said the endorsement will help Obama with traditional Democratic groups where Clinton has been strong — union households, Hispanics and downscale workers.
Also, the nod by the most experienced member of the Senate adds significant standing to Obama, who is working to prove he has the experience necessary to be president.
The announcement stunned Senate colleagues, who had expected Kennedy to remain neutral until the increasingly vitriolic nominating contest with Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) settled out.
Although the Clintons' tried to lessen the endorsement's impact a bit by being the ones to leak it to the press (or at least that's what was reported on CNN earlier), it will matter.
Kennedy will be out as a top, top surrogate. And he is trusted by Democratic voters across the nation.