Chuck Norris and Presidential Flair

Presidential endorsements can make or break any election campaign.

Of course the ultimate endorsement - the one that really matters - comes from the American electorate, but during the early stages of a Presidential campaign candidates are constantly working to get some big names under their belt (there's a joke there that I'm not even going to explore).

The people's parasites have already been busy racking up the love notes. Just-For-Men poster child Mitt Romney won the backing of Moral Majority co-founder Paul Weyrich. I have no idea who these people are, but judging by the slightly arrogant nature of their name I'm tempted to conclude that the only majority they enjoy is in their own, deluded minds.

Rudy got Pat Robertson (who should front a group called the Lobotomized Majority), John McCain couldn't get anybody that interesting so had to make do with former candidate Sam Brownback who was forced to withdraw because he had no money and no support, and Bill-ary has a list of supporters longer than John Edwards' morning shampoo and condition routine.

But as much as politicians chase these big-name supporters, there's also a significant chance the tactic could backfire. And that's what's happening to Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee.

Just a quick re-cap for those of you who have better things to do than follow every move of a gang of egotistical power-crazed money wasters. Huckabee's the guy who believes in Adam and Eve - literally - and thinks the universe was created in fewer days than it takes for Amazon.com to ship me a book.

Recent polls have shown Huckabee's support surging, but then the endorsements struck.

Now while Bill-ary and Barack are getting some heavyweight political endorsements, Huckabee announcehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifd that none other than Mr. Chuck Norris was supporting his campaign.

Yes, that Chuck Norris.

Maybe I live in a strange bubble, but Chuck is not the most credible of political figures. In fact many people I know have elevated the bearded Delta Force star to a level of cult celebrity that's almost Hasselhoff-esque in its gravity.

But it gets better. Yesterday, wrestler Ric Flair a.k.a. The Nature Boy has entered the Huckabee ring. You can almost hear the phone conversation now: "Hi Ric. Listen, we really appreciate your thinking on this but I think we have enough endorsements for Mike already. No, no....really there's no need. No, it would...Ric? Ric?"

**phone slams down**

"FUCK, Flair's decided he's going public. Somebody better call Mike and let him know."

Because there must be people that politicians absolutely don't want to get endorsements from. How bad would it look if your main rival has the backing of Mayors, technologists, entrepreneurs and governors and all you can muster is one of The Golden Girls and an Olympic triple jumper?

So I'll be watching the endorsement announcements very carefully. To the best of my knowledge Gary Coleman and Corey Feldman haven't endorsed a candidate yet, so if I were working on one of the candidates' campaigns I'd be keeping my fingers crossed that they don't come out and support my guy (or gal acting as a guy).