Oprah Winfrey, Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone and Jenna Jameson have something in common besides their celebrity status – they have all spoken out in support of top presidential hopefuls. As candidates leave bread crumbs on the long and winding campaign trail, celebrities follow closely. But the effect of their presence varies among voters. Megan Peterson, political science senior, traveled to the Iowa Presidential Caucus in January with 18 other University students. Peterson met Norris, “Walker, Texas Ranger” star, who attended the event in support of Republican candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Peterson said although celebrities do not affect her decision about choosing the next president, their endorsements could attract voters for some lesser-known candidates. “If you remember earlier in the race, Oprah endorsed [Sen.] Barack Obama,” she said. “I feel that her endorsement helped raise his profile, but I don’t know if Chuck Norris would have the same effect on Huckabee.” Robert Hogan, political science associate professor, said he is not aware of any empirical evidence that celebrity endorsements help candidates gain voters. He said celebrities are more likely to become politically involved than they have been in past elections because of greater pressure and increased media attention on celebrity life. Amy Martin, mass communication graduate student, said she looks at each candidate’s stance on issues first, but she understands the influence of celebrity endorsements on voters. “My final decision comes from where they stand and if I agree,” she said. Martin said any pop culture icon could draw voters to political rallies, but activist and U2 frontman Bono would be a good example of someone who could attract college-age voters. “He seems conscious of world issues and talking to government officials,” she said. Kaila Adams, kineseology freshman, said Winfrey has attracted many voters for Obama because of her wide-ranging audience, but she said she is not influenced by celebrity support. “I try to look at it all, but usually the issues first,” she said. Bob Mann, mass communication professor, said there are a few instances where a candidate’s campaign could be disadvantaged by a celebrity endorsement. “Just recently, Jack Nicholson endorsed Hillary Clinton,” he said. “In this telephone message that went out in California with Nicholson’s voice, he called her ‘the right man for the job,’ and so if you’re going to have someone endorse you, you need to make sure you have as much control as you can over their message.” Mann said celebrity endorsements may assure voters who are already leaning toward one direction. “I’m sure for a certain percentage of people, it does have an impact, and in a close election, that may be the thing to make the difference if there’s an endorsement,” he said. “By and large, especially in an election where the candidates are well-known, an endorsement just doesn’t have an impact that it used to.”
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