海角大神

Obama refuses to endorse Sanders or Clinton. Is that normal?

President Obama says he won't endorse a presidential candidate until after the primaries. While Obama has plenty of precedent for his decision, pundits and public alike can't help but speculate. 

President Barack Obama will not publicly support a presidential candidate until after the primaries, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough told Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.聽

It is unusual, and perhaps unbecoming, for a sitting president to endorse a candidate from his own party before the primaries, particularly when the outcome remains in doubt:聽According to聽, Sanders is beating Clinton in New Hampshire, 50 percent to 46 percent. But Clinton is ahead of Sanders in Iowa, 48 percent to 45 percent.聽

In a New York Times op-ed Thursday, Mr. Obama offered what some see an additional reason for his reluctance to back a candidate: Gun control.聽

鈥淚 will not campaign for, vote for or support any candidate, , who does not support common-sense gun reform,鈥� wrote the president.

And when asked if Senator Sanders鈥� gun policy warrants executive approval, McDonough said Obama鈥檚 statement doesn鈥檛 exclusively apply to the presidential primary 鈥� it extends into all upcoming elections, be it presidential, congressional, or gubernatorial.聽

鈥淎t least he will see who the nominee is at the end of [the primary], ,鈥� says McDonough. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the job of the party to make those decisions and then they鈥檒l take a look at the agendas and the positions of those candidates, then we鈥檒l make some final decisions.鈥澛�

Mr. Todd then specifically asks McDonough if Obama鈥檚 withheld support can be attributed to the issue of gun control.

鈥淣o,鈥� responds McDonough, 鈥渢he President is saying that across the board he鈥檚 going to be a single issue voter on this. He thinks that makes sense, given the enormity of the challenge. 30,000 deaths a year.鈥澛�

And regardless of Obama鈥檚 unprecedented position as a single-issue voter on gun control, his chief of staff says the president will follow protocol.聽

鈥淲e鈥檒l do exactly what has been done in the past, which is when the nominee is set, then the President will be out there,鈥� said McDonough.聽

Despite pundits鈥� persistent urging, a public pre-primary announcement of support by the sitting president would be uncommon.聽

Ronald Reagan waited to endorse George H.W. Bush until May 1988 and George W. Bush waited to endorse Sen. John McCain until March 2008.聽

Sitting president Bill Clinton did endorse his vice president, Al Gore, for president in December 1999 before the January Iowa caucus or February New Hampshire primary, but that announcement was not as consequential, considering their relationship between Gore and Clinton as well as Gore鈥檚 lack of competitors.聽

So far in the presidential race, Obama has offered praise to both Clinton and Sanders while staying neutral.聽

鈥淚 think Bernie is capturing a sense among the American people that they want to know the government鈥檚 on their side鈥�And I think ,鈥� Obama told ABC鈥檚 George Stephanopoulos during a November interview. And in April 2015 before Sanders鈥� even announced his campaign for presidency, Obama said Clinton 鈥�.鈥�

But the president has suggested that we shouldn't read too much into his kind words.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to make endorsements,鈥� Obama told Mr. Stephanopoulos in November. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for the process .鈥�

Both Sanders and Clinton rallied supporters for gun control in recent weeks, better aligning themselves with the president's perspective and potentially making themselves candidates for Obama's approval.聽