After what he called a “very dynamic day,” Andy Kim convened a brief press conference Sunday night, not to gloat, but to exhale a bit.

You got the feeling that the madness of Jersey politics – smack in the middle of March Madness – had been a bit draining.

Kim, however, was able to size things up rather quickly.

He thanked the many people who “stepped up” and said the grassroots energy surrounding his campaign was the “game changer.”

No question about that. It was rank and file Dems who refused to go along with Tammy Murphy, the choice of party leaders It took a few months, but it soon became evident that only an expensive and nasty campaign could save the First Lady – and why bother?  That seemed to be the consensus when party leaders met over the weekend.

Kim said that he and Murphy had a “good conversation” after she dropped out.

But there was no endorsement offered.

Murphy called for “unity” in her recorded video, but didn’t even mention Kim by name.

That merits two observations.

One is that most endorsements mean nothing. Very few voters decide on a candidate because someone else has endorsed them.

But in the insular world of politics,  endorsements are a big deal. A lot of this has to do with ego and the public affirmation of “friends.”

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Murphy, or if the governor, officially endorses Kim.

The congressman, at least, is trying to put his convention battle with Murphy and party leaders in his rearview mirror. Here is some of what he posted on social media:

“Let us also show our respect and appreciation to First Lady Tammy Murphy for her continued service to our state and country. It’s important to take a step back and remember that we are all a part of something bigger than all of us. We are here at this moment today because of the extraordinary grassroots movement growing in NJ…. “‘