Has Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Al Gore or Hillary Clinton, endorsed anyone?

[essme]

I left out Tipper since Al and her split up. Edit - I forgot about Michelle!

I don't think I've seen any endorsements from these big hitters. This has to be unusual at this point, right?

Or have they endorsed candidates and I've missed it?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Not unusual. Ex-presidents and other big shots typically stay out of it until later.

[Polybius]

19. Even current Presidents have stood silent lately

Bush didn't endorse anyone in 2008, and Obama didn't in 2016. This wasn't the case in 1988 and 2000 though.

[Peacetrain]

3. Oh no no no... there has been 1 caucus, 1 primary in very small states

Way too early for them to do endorsements. In fact I think most will wait until we have picked our candidate. I take it you are either new to the party or this is your first primary season.

[essme]

4. Really?

"Bill Clinton endorsed Al Gore in December 1999 from a stage in Orlando, Fla., lauding him as "the most effective and influential vice president who has ever served."

And no not my first time, thanks for the concern, I've voted in every election since 1988.

"In January 2008, during an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Carter praised Senator Barack Obama and the latter's presidential campaign, saying the Carter family and himself had been positively impacted by his candidacy and predicting Obama "will be almost automatically a healing factor in the animosity now that exists, that relates to our country and its government."

[Mr.Bill]

6. Those were nice things to say,

but I don't see the word endorsement in either quote.

[essme]

9. Of course you wouldn't because they do not believe in Biden.

Endorsed or endorsement? Really?

https://apnews.com/83689413b0a43c509a66047a253c18b7

[Mr.Bill]

13. Still don't see the word endorse

in any Clinton quotes in that story. Clinton was damaged goods in 2000 and barely campaigned for Gore because he knew it.

[essme]

15. Ok. Have any of the mentioned luminaries said anything remotely like Bill did?

No. None that would end up with headline:

"Clinton Endorses, Praises Gore"

Hell you would think Hillary would by now and I wasn't limiting to ex-presidents.

[Mr.Bill]

16. Well, there is that Medal of Freedom

Obama gave Biden.

And for that matter, selecting someone to be your VP is an implied endorsement by any president. Possible exception being Trump/Pence.

[dawnie51]

5. Why do none of our party elders......

make any noise? But we still get treated to the bullshit of Newt Gingrich, etc. GWB has kept quiet but he's about the only one.

[33taw]

26. I think GWB stood silent because of Jeb Bush running last time. He hates Trump.

[George II]

7. It's customary for ex-Presidents or candidates to not show any favor early in the campaign, or...

...even until after the nominee has been chosen. Hillary Clinton was an exception with Bill, of course.

[essme]

10. And Gore was an exception too?

https://apnews.com/83689413b0a43c509a66047a253c18b7

[George II]

11. Yes, he was Clinton's VP and he pretty much was a shoo-in for the nomination. Only Bill Bradley...

...challenged him and he never really got much of a following.

[essme]

14. When Biden announced he was a shoe in but no endorsement.

Sure tons of candidates but only a handful that were competitive. Trump brought out everyone except Oprah.

But a popular former VP just like Gore. That said Obama was real slow to endorse Hillary so that may be a pattern.

But if this (getting Trump out) is really an existential threat, go figure.

[Otto Lidenbrock]

17. Gore was the incumbent Vice President. That's a big difference.

[Polybius]

20. Bill was not an ex-president when he endorsed Gore in '99

Reagan too endorsed Bush in '88. But Bush and Obama both didn't endorse in 2008 and 2016.

[ehrnst]

23. For a sitting POTUS not to endorse their VP who is running to follow them would

be seen as a clear message of disapproval. And there was only one primary challenger, not several.

See also, Ronald Reagan's tepid "support" for Bush 1 being reported as such.

At the end of a 20-minute speech extolling his own record, Reagan said:

''I`d like to take a moment to say just a word about my future plans. In doing so, I`ll break a silence I`ve maintained for some time with regard to the presidential candidates.

''I intend to campaign as hard as I can. My candidate is a former member of Congress, ambassador to China, ambassador to the United Nations, director of the CIA and national chairman of the Republican Party. I`m going to work as hard as I can to make Vice President George Bush the next president of the United States.''

Reagan did add to his prepared text before leaving the fundraising dinner for 3,000 Republican contributors-''On to New Orleans, on to the White House''-as he stood with Bush, the two of them holding their hands aloft.

But Reagan had said nothing about Bush`s performance as vice president, his qualities for the presidency or his vision of the country`s future.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-05-12-8803160413-story.html

[left-of-center2012]

8. unusual at this point, right?

No

[essme]

12. I should have not used "unusual" but if this is an "existential" moment...

...I would hope for something. But definitely wrong to use "unusual" but as I've posted it has happened in the past.

[thesquanderer]

18. Well, we know who Hillary *doesn't* support... (n/t)

[ehrnst]

22. She said that she would support whoever the nominee is, and she will.

She is waiting for nomination to endorse. Just like Warren did.

Of course people have preferences. They are human. I think every one of those people listed in the OP has a preference, and someone that they think would not be a good choice, but aren't endorsing until after someone has the pledged delegates to endorse the nominee.

[essme]

21. Holy crap! Amy has an endorsement from Walter Mondale.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-endorsements/democratic-primary/#AmyKlobuchar

The only one with a former president or vice president. Good for her and him.

[brutus smith]

24. That's why Biden should have ran in 2016. He would have had Obama's full endorsement.

Too late now. That's why we have trump.

[pamdb]

27. endorsement

I thought awhile ago I saw that Obama endorsed Biden. Maybe he just spoke highly of him, but it seemed like it was an endorsement.

[Bayard]

28. Al and Tipper split up?

Hadn't heard that.

Obama cannot endorse one candidate over another. That would be a misuse of his influence, and most unfair. He can only endorse the nominee, and then I expect he will go all out.

[wellst0nev0ter]

29. There is at least one major non-endorsement of Bernie