JFK's Caroline Endorses Obama

In an announcement packing clout, Caroline Kennedy has endorsed Barack Obama for president, saying he has the same kind of ability as her late father to inspire people. "I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president," JFK's only surviving child writes in the New York Times.

It can take time to recognize a person with a "special ability to get us to believe in ourselves," but once that happens, "we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible," she writes. Obama, who has run a "dignified and honest" campaign, realizes his responsibility is to "articulate a vision," appeal "to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream," and "lift our spirits," she adds. (More Barack Obama stories.)