I have no doubt that any of the candidates would have excepte Gore's endorsement, but Gore's attitude of importance was not needed as condition of endorsement.
His statement was one of a self-centered proclimation in assuming his preference should dictate the direction the primary should head, not that he felt dean was the better candidate but that everyone should now stop what their doing and climb on board the dean train because he said so, it was a pompus assed statement.
It will hurt more than help and not just because he endorsed dean, it will hurt because it is Gore and it was done ahead of a vote, it would have carried a lot more weight if he would've waited until a nominee was chosen instead of thinking his endorsement alone should be concieved as the deciding factor.
With Gore on the campaign trail with dean let's hope he keeps it relevant to deans candidacy and not his ever growing head.
I never thought I'd say this about a dean endorsement but, thank god it was given to dean and not Clark.

retyred in fla
“good night paul, wherever you are” So I read this book