So Gov. Mike Easley has given a rousing endorsement (according to news reports) for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Here's why Easley's plug won't matter at all. First of all, Easley couldn't be "rousing" if his life depended on it. Second, as the state's chief executive, he has been aloof and relatively ineffective, almost as if his election campaign's feverish intensity burned him out. Whatever the reason, he's largely seen by many North Carolinians as a do-nothing functionary and isn't popular enough to win over many voters for Hillary. Heck, I voted for Easley, and I'm not particularly concerned about who he supports for president. As Bill Maher put it recently — in his own tactful, graceful way — when a few political endorsements were announced on his show, "Who really gives a shit?" Governors and senators endorsing presidential candidates is a longtime tradition that won't go away as long as there are governors and senators who'd like to work in the White House. The best advice is to duck and keep your head down and vote for whomever you've made up your own mind to support.