Henry endorsing Obama instead of voters’ choice

April 24, 2008 11:20 pm

— Gov. Brad Henry has cast his lot with Sen. Barack Obama for president, even though the state of Oklahoma overwhelmingly supported Sen. Hillary Clinton in the primary.
We have to wonder what gives?
As governor of Oklahoma, Henry is one of those valuable super-delegates both Obama and Clinton have been pursuing. After the Pennsylvania primary, where Clinton won by a double-digit margin, Henry made known his intent to go against the wishes of the Democrats of Oklahoma and commit to Obama.
It’s an interesting choice and interesting timing for the two-term governor, who will be out of state office in a couple of years.
Some speculate Henry is vying for a possible White House job. After all, it’s pretty much a certainty Obama will be the Democratic nominee, but with a few primaries still to play out, it’s better politically to support the likely nominee now.
Many governors plan future political careers after leaving state office, and Henry has not made any future plans known.
However, for a moderate Democrat from a Republican-leaning state, his choice of Obama may come back to bite him if he runs for the House of Representatives or U.S. Senate.
Time will reveal the motivating factor behind this endorsement.