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Star Power? Effect of celebrity support on campaigns is not clear
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Election 2008
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VIDEO: Sen. Barack Obama in Charlotte on Friday, May 2, 2008
Published: May 3, 2008
Kumar, the marijuna-smoking character in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, is endorsing Barack Obama. And Betty, the bespectacled girl with the heavy-metal smile on Ugly Betty, has stumped all over the country for Hillary Clinton.
Kal Penn, who plays Kumar, and America Ferrara, who doesn't really wear braces, are just a few of the celebrities on the campaign trail.
And in the run-up to Tuesday's primary, North Carolina has become celeb central.
Sean Astin, one of the stars of The Lord of The Rings, and Erika Alexander, known for her roles on Living Single and The Cosby Show, swooped through Winston-Salem recently to campaign for Clinton.
Arcade Fire and Superchunk, two popular indie bands, played concerts Thursday and yesterday in Greensboro and Carrboro in support of Obama.
Actresses Alfre Woodard and Tatyana Ali have also come to North Carolina for Obama.
Does any of this star power help sway voters?
Well, not exactly, said Alan Schroeder, an associate professor of journalism at Northeastern University. Schroeder is the author of Celebrity in Chief: How Show Business Took Over the White House.
"It's sort of a nice addition to the campaign, but it certainly does not seem to affect the way people vote," he said. Of course, some people still might vote for Obama because of Kumar.
"I suppose dumber things can happen," Schroeder said.
Harold Respass, a junior at Winston-Salem State University and the vice president of internal affairs for the Student Government Association, went to see Alexander and other notables when they came to the university to campaign for Clinton this week.
But he was still undecided after their appearances.
"I was a big Hillary supporter," Respass said. "Now I'm moving toward the middle. Obama is making young people care about the political process."
Presidential candidates have always used celebrities, Schroeder said. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had Frank Sinatra and Orson Welles. And the infamous Rat Pack, which included Sinatra and Dean Martin, stumped for President John F. Kennedy.
Many of the younger celebrities are flocking to Obama, while Clinton has received endorsements from more established stars, such as Barbra Streisand and Rob Reiner, Schroeder said.
Many of the bigger names, however, don't campaign for their candidates. George Clooney has come out for Obama,but has said he won't campaign because he doesn't want to be a distraction, Schroeder said.
And the candidates don't want a celebrity distraction.
That's probably why you won't see Britney Spears on the campaign trail," Schroeder said. "I think you really don't want her endorsement."
■ Michael Hewlett can be reached at 727-7326 or at mhewlett@wsjournal.com.
■ Journal reporter Mary Giunca contributed to this article.
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