A celebrity slurping down spoonfuls of cereal may spike sales, but backing from political heavyweights in elections may not sway voter opinion as much as endorsements imply, according to area politicos.

Al Gore made a splash last week when he finally endorsed presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama. Political insiders suspect Mr. Gore’s endorsement could prove more successful in landing him a spot on Mr. Obama’s Cabinet, if elected, than garnering the Democratic nominee any more votes, said Dr. David Steiniche, a government professor at Missouri Western State University.

“I think the more popular whoever doing the endorsing (is), that person will have more influence ... but probably not that much influence,” Dr. Steiniche said.

He said voters make their decisions based on the attractiveness of candidates, their positions on political issues, the economy and their link with the political party over who’s endorsed them.

Essentially, it’s one of many considerations, not the deciding factor.

“I’ve never been interested in getting other elected officials’ endorsements,” state Treasurer Sarah Steelman, who’s seeking the Republican nomination for governor, told the News-Press during a campaign stop in St. Joseph last week. “I think politicians put other politicians ahead of other people.”

She made the statement three days after circulating a news release touting she’d received political endorsements from three Outstanding Missourians, who were non-elected officials honored by the Legislature.

The statement also came three weeks after U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., endorsed her primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia, at the Republican State Convention in Branson.

“That was a big endorsement,” said Senate Majority Floor Leader Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, who now supports the congressman. “It’s safe to say that most of the elected officials in the party probably are endorsing Hulshof. Now whether that translates to votes, I don’t know.”

Mr. Shields said he believes endorsements showed greater significance 50 years ago, when party structures were more organized.

“Now most voters are capable of doing their own information gathering,” he said.

Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins steered clear of most political endorsements until recently. The state attorney general campaign of Sen. Chris Koster, D-Harrisonville, this month released a list of endorsements of dozens of county prosecutors, which included Mr. Scroggins.

“I’m more inclined to endorse someone at a statewide race level because at that level the candidates are not ... able to be universally well-known to the voters,” Mr. Scroggins said.

He explained he knew Mr. Koster when he served as a county prosecuting attorney and believed a group of endorsements from fellow prosecutors may have more impact with voters than a stand-alone statement of support.

“At a local level, voters are given the opportunity to get to know the candidates and their positions personally,” he said, saying that his backing wouldn’t matter as much in a county race.

While endorsements’ place in modern elections may be waning, State Rep. Jim Guest, R-King City, put it another way.

“They don’t carry a lot of weight, but it’s better to have them than not have them, I’ll tell you that,” Mr. Guest said.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached at alysonraletz@npgco.com.