Crown of the War Stone

Celebrity Endorsements and Presidential Campaigns

Whether itâs the â?Rat Pack❠crooning for John F. Kennedy or Ludacris rapping for Obama, some entertainers like the stump as much as the stage. Call it an Entertainment Tonight/Electoral College fusion.

Your to-do list, one item at a time

So it was not a big surprise when savvy political strategist Paris Hilton â” with the help of her Hollywood friends â” cut a response to the McCain celebrity spot spot, ensuring the Republican nomineeâs original ad receives even more free air time.

The value of all that no-cost media exposure â” priceless.

Then there is the issue of fundraising. Call this one, â?rich liberals without borders.❠For example, if you happen to be vacationing in Switzerland in September and have a few extra francs, you could help Obama by hanging out with George Clooney, the LA Times reports:

Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign announced that überstar George Clooney will host an exclusive — that means expensive — fundraiser for the Democratic candidate in, get this, Geneva, Switzerland, on Sept. 2.

Meet the Attack Lads - John Kerry Windsurfing
[Music] Female Announcer: John Kerry's hobby? Windsurfing huh issues dude. He claims to be the big kahuna on terror but votes to cut defense and …

This raises a related question. Do celebrity endorsements matter? The folks over at Marginal Revolution recently linked to this paper by two University of Maryland economics graduate students â” Craig Garthwaite and Tim Moore â” suggesting that, at least when it comes to Oprah and Obama, the answer is yes.

Title this pic of John Kerry windsurfing, July 17,2004
Title this pic of John Kerry windsurfing, July 17,2004. THAT is NOT a windsurfer ! Windsurfers have sails they are not pulled on lines. …

Garthwaite and Moore write:

windsurfing
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Prior to the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary, Barack Obama was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, a celebrity with a proven track record of influencing her fansâ commercial decisions. In this paper, we use geographic differences in subscriptions to O! â” The Oprah Magazine and the sale of books Winfrey recommended as part of Oprah’s Book Club to assess whether her endorsement affected the Primary outcomes. We find her endorsement had a positive effect on the votes Obama received, increased the overall voter participation rate, and increased the number of contributions received by Obama. No connection is found between the measures of Oprah’s influence and Obama’s success in previous elections, nor with underlying local political preferences. Our results suggest that Winfreyâs endorsement was responsible for approximately additional 1,000,000 votes for Obama.

Republican National Convention Blog: kerry windsurfing video
ARLINGTON, VA — Bush-Cheney '04 announced the release of the campaign's newest television advertisement, "Windsurfing." The ad depicts John Kerry going …

You can read the full paper here.

If McCain were not such a man of character, he might just quit now given this oncoming Tinsel Town fusillade.

Hat Tip: Marginal Revolution

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