ISU officials said Former Vice President Al Gore’s official endorsement of Democratic front-runner Howard Dean Tuesday is a milestone in the presidential nomination race and will further Dean’s dominance.

“In a field of great candidates, one candidate clearly now stands out, and so I’m asking all of you to join in this grassroots movement to elect Howard Dean president of the United States,” Gore said to CNN.

Gore said part of the reason he chose to endorse Dean was his ability to appeal to the nation’s “grassroots” elements, a reference to Dean’s success in organizing and raising funds on the Internet and in small voter gatherings.

He also praised Dean’s opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The former vice president called the Iraqi war a “catastrophic mistake” by the Bush administration, a move that leaves the United States less effective in the nation’s battle against terrorism.

Gore, who lost to President George W. Bush in the disputed 2000 election, agreed to endorse Dean Tuesday and then travel with the former Vermont governor to Iowa, where the first-in-the-nation caucuses will take place.

Robert Lowry, associate professor in political science, said Gore’s endorsement could help Dean align himself with Democrats who are turned off by his image as an outsider.

“Gore endorsing him gives him a boost,” Lowry said. “Gore got a majority of the popular vote in the 2000 election and has always been seen as an insider — part of the more conservative, centrist part of the party. There are a lot of people who are undecided and this is something that could make up their minds.”

Lowry said Dean has been running as a Washington outsider since the beginning of his campaign. He gained a following with his image as an Internet-fueled revolutionary, but in turn disenfranchised more traditional Democrats, he said.

The Gore endorsement comes just weeks after two key unions — the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — backed Dean’s candidacy. In addition, Dean is at the top of state polls; he is frequently at the top of Iowa and has a commanding lead in New Hampshire.

Jennifer Riggs, vice president for Cyclones for Dean, said Gore’s endorsement will pull new people into Dean’s campaign, such as undecided voters and past supporters of Gore.

“I never thought Gore would support anybody, so this is huge,” she said.

“Hopefully Gore’s endorsement will bring out other high profile political figures, and they’ll hopefully support Dean.”

Lowry said two Democratic presidential candidates are hurt by this endorsement: Joe Lieberman — who was Gore’s running mate in the 2000 election — and Wesley Clark, who entered the race late. Many moderate Democrats supported Clark early in the race, believing the other Democrats couldn’t beat Bush.

However, Gore’s endorsement of Dean may smash that notion, he said.

Four years after Gore’s defeat, Democrats have mixed feelings about Clinton’s sidekick. Supporters think he was robbed of the presidency by Bush. Opponents think 2000 was Gore’s election to lose since, the late ’90s economy he ran on was the strongest in decades.

While Lowry didn’t know all the effects Gore’s endorsement would have on the presidential race, he said he knows it will be looked back upon as a milestone event in the race.

“This is the most interesting development in the race since Wesley Clark entered,” he said.