Romney Victory, Looks Presidential and Human: Margaret Carlson

Oct. 12 (Bloomberg) -- A cardinal rule of politics -- thatendorsements are not worth the backslap they come with -- wasbroken Tuesday night during the Bloomberg-Washington Post debateat Dartmouth College, where Mitt Romney owned the night.

The difference was that Romney walked in with New JerseyGovernor Chris Christie, the Republican Party’s man of themoment, at his side. Christie gave Romney the nod just hoursbefore, when his endorsement was at peak value. In general,candidates have to go begging for endorsements while endorserstake their time shopping around for the highest bid: a primetime speaking role at the party’s convention; a cabinet post, ifnot the vice presidency; a plane. By the time they’re donelooking, the endorsement’s depreciated.