McCaskill jumps in early with Clinton endorsement

Sen. Claire McCaskill is no stranger to political drama.

She was one of the first supporters of Barack Obama when he was largely unknown and taking on a powerful Hillary Clinton machine in 2008.

And now McCaskill has jumped into the political waters again and offered a very early ringing endorsement of Hillary's presidential aspirations in 2016.

Early endorsements bring both risk and reward.

McCaskill's support for Obama proved to be beneficial, though I can't quantify exactly how that early endorsement has played out.

Perhaps that early support has put the Missouri senator in the "inner circle" on Team Obama. And if that benefits Missouri, so be it.

But the Clinton faction is getting the word out much earlier this time around, which makes her a target and a front-runner at the same time.

The outspoken McCaskill has become a darling of the media with her candid comments and her willingness to put her neck on the line despite what could prove to be troublesome political baggage.

I have always found McCaskill to be an engaging and charming political force, though I part with her on countless issues.

This early Hillary endorsement will put her front and center in a campaign still years away. She'll find the momentum of the Hillary movement has ups and downs in the coming months.

But the early support gives McCaskill political chips if the nomination flows as she and the Hillary camp hope.

It's a gamble but not a bad bet at this point in our political history.

No sooner had McCaskill given her support than a super PAC was formed to stop Hillary. But that, too, was expected, given the controversial nature of the Clintons.

Give McCaskill credit. Unlike other politicians who stand on the sidelines and gauge the political winds, she had the guts to jump in early and jump in large.

The only flaw in the Democrats' current mindset for 2016 is the assumption that the Obama voters will automatically follow the next Democratic nominee.

It's easy to see that traditional Democratic voters will always support their party's nominee, but I seriously doubt they will have the level of passion and support they hold for Obama.

At this pace, expect McCaskill to endorse Chelsea Clinton in 2024 and Malia Obama in 2030.

Stranger things have happened!