2008 Woodie Awards
Celebrity endorsements distract from real issues
Joe Brown
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Opinions
If you believe the Internet, action movie star Chuck Norris has a fist underneath his beard and his tears could cure cancer if he actually cried.
One amazing feat Norris was unable to accomplish was getting Republican Mike Huckabee in the running for the White House with his endorsement.
Chuck Norris is not the only celebrity to try and throw his or her hat into the ring to push his or her views on the public that adores them.
Right now, Barack Obama has an army of famous friends that are singing his praises around the country: Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton and most notably, Oprah Winfrey.
Not to be outdone, John McCain has his fair share of Hollywood support. Included in that group are Sylvester Stallone, Tom Selleck and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While having a celebrity around a candidate can make for an interesting photo opt, the question needs to be asked: why do celebrities bother endorsing presidential candidates?
Undecided voters may have trouble in deciding who they think will make the best leader for this country. However, most undecided voters are not going to be persuaded to vote for McCain because "Rambo" likes him. The Obama/Biden ticket is not going to roll into the White House because the guy from "Taxi Driver" imposed his will on the American people.
By letting famous people dictate their opinions all over TV, magazines and newspapers, it is dumbing down the voting process, which is already struggling in recent times.
According to the US Census Bureau, only 46 percent of people between 18-24 years old voted in the 2004 election. The highest voting group belongs to people over 75 years old, 73 percent of those registered voted.
Maybe having Britney Spears give her approval to a candidate may sway a small group of teeny-boppers who are voting for the first time. For the people who turn out in the largest numbers, they couldn't care less.
By involving themselves with celebrities, the presidential candidates are using time for public relations when they should be talking about the issues.
Instead of throwing a press conference to proclaim that you have the vote of one random B-list star, why not talk about the problems with the welfare system and how you plan on fixing it.
So instead of trying to make yourself look good by being with a famous crowd, try making yourself look good by having the best plan for America.
Of course, if you get Morgan Freeman to endorse someone, I'll be the first at the polls.
One amazing feat Norris was unable to accomplish was getting Republican Mike Huckabee in the running for the White House with his endorsement.
Chuck Norris is not the only celebrity to try and throw his or her hat into the ring to push his or her views on the public that adores them.
Right now, Barack Obama has an army of famous friends that are singing his praises around the country: Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton and most notably, Oprah Winfrey.
Not to be outdone, John McCain has his fair share of Hollywood support. Included in that group are Sylvester Stallone, Tom Selleck and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While having a celebrity around a candidate can make for an interesting photo opt, the question needs to be asked: why do celebrities bother endorsing presidential candidates?
Undecided voters may have trouble in deciding who they think will make the best leader for this country. However, most undecided voters are not going to be persuaded to vote for McCain because "Rambo" likes him. The Obama/Biden ticket is not going to roll into the White House because the guy from "Taxi Driver" imposed his will on the American people.
By letting famous people dictate their opinions all over TV, magazines and newspapers, it is dumbing down the voting process, which is already struggling in recent times.
According to the US Census Bureau, only 46 percent of people between 18-24 years old voted in the 2004 election. The highest voting group belongs to people over 75 years old, 73 percent of those registered voted.
Maybe having Britney Spears give her approval to a candidate may sway a small group of teeny-boppers who are voting for the first time. For the people who turn out in the largest numbers, they couldn't care less.
By involving themselves with celebrities, the presidential candidates are using time for public relations when they should be talking about the issues.
Instead of throwing a press conference to proclaim that you have the vote of one random B-list star, why not talk about the problems with the welfare system and how you plan on fixing it.
So instead of trying to make yourself look good by being with a famous crowd, try making yourself look good by having the best plan for America.
Of course, if you get Morgan Freeman to endorse someone, I'll be the first at the polls.