What’s in a Name? Celebrities in the World of Politics
How much influence do stars really have when it comes to an election?
In the lead-up to the 2020 US election, there’s one question on everybody’s mind: “which presidential candidate will rapper Cardi B be endorsing?” Okay, so maybe this didn’t concern everyone, but it certainly made waves when she came out in support of democratic candidate Bernie Sanders by eloquently proclaiming “vote for Daddy Bernie Bitch”.
This endorsement is one example of celebrities using their position to speak out in an attempt to influence political outcomes, a phenomenon known as “celebrity politics”. The line between celebrities and politics has always been blurred and the line has never been less clear than it is currently, when even the President of the United States could be described as no more than a reality television star.
This blurred line has become the result of the increased use of social media. People of influence used to have a metaphorical platform, whereas now these people are coined as influencers and use literal digital platforms which allow their voices to become louder than ever. Endorsement of political candidates is one aspect of celebrity politics that has become wildly popular over the course of the past few years, and people are quick to associate big names with the success, or failures, of candidates (Cardi B? Bernie Sanders? You get the picture!). But how much responsibility can really be given?
Let’s Look to the Polls
One example of the influence of celebrity advocacy on politics was Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of President Barack Obama in the 2008 US Election . This endorsement was covered so widely that it became a cornerstone in Obama’s campaign, and did enough to earn a Wikipedia page all of its own. This was the first time Winfrey and her company had publicly endorsed a candidate and, given the significance of her status as arguably the World’s most powerful woman, became the most substantial example of celebrity politics.
So can the World’s most powerful woman single handedly take credit Obama’s success, or at least a million votes as claimed by the Wikipedia page? The logic certainly makes sense, however, further research has shown that even the powerful voice of Oprah Winfrey likely had little effect when it came to persuading voter opinions and motivation was instead driven by Obama’s policy positions.
The effect of a celebrity endorsement tends to be largely overestimated and there are too many factors to consider to prove a strong positive correlation. But it’s a question to ask yourself; would you allow your vote to be decided by your favourite actor/singer/sportstar/car giver-away-er?
I have to ask myself, would I vote for someone because Cardi B encouraged me to? Well, as a strict observer of American politics (thanks to that sweet Australian citizenship) I couldn’t vote even if I wanted to. Nonetheless, I would be lying to myself if I said that a lot of my engagement with American politics didn’t come through a lens of high profile people sharing their opinions through social media.
This is the general consensus that research on celebrity politics has come to as well. While there is not enough proof that celebrities have any proven positive impacts on an election outcome, celebrity endorsements have some effect in driving voter intention if the voter is particularly apolitical.
Perhaps the opposite example of Winfrey’s endorsement of Obama was the role of Lena Dunham in Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016. Many people linked Clinton’s shocking loss to Trump to her persistent use of celebrity endorsements. In particular, fingers were pointed at Lena Dunham for single handedly persuading voters away from supporting the Clinton campaign. While this hypothesis might make Clinton’s loss more digestible to some, it isn’t supported by the evidence that, at the end of the day, a celebrity endorsement is unlikely to change people’s minds.
So did Obama win because of Oprah? Probably not! Did Clinton lose because of Lena Dunham? I wouldn’t think so! Correlations of this proportion ignore all the different competing factors that go into electing officials and quite frankly underestimates voter autonomy.
Don’t Forget about Democracy
While research shows that no one celebrity can take credit for the outcome of an election, they are still a cog in the wheel of democracy.
Celebrity politics can be said to aid democracy, with celebrities acting as the only free agents in elections, with no real interests in the political outcome. The democratic effect can also be linked to the idea that, while endorsements may not be directly effective, celebrities can reinvigorate interest in politics by introducing new ideas.
While this may be true, it can also be argued that celebrities can place a constraint on democracy by lowering the calibre of politicians. We are witnessing a shift towards focusing on personalities instead of policies and style over substance. This is a reflection of the significance of the entertainment industry which has now bled into the spectacle of politics (remember that reality star President which we discussed earlier). By no means do I think that celebrities provide a new cornerstone for democracy, however, the increased involvement of celebrities in politics does seem to have created a shift in the political landscape as we know it.
To 2020 and Beyond
The overwhelming conclusion is that despite the platforms that major celebrities have, their advocacy has little impact on the minds of voters, particularly those who are engaged with politics. However, as long as celebrities have platforms, they will continue to play a role in politics and stimulating public involvement.
So as we watch the 2020 US presidential election play out safely from across the globe, I don’t think anyone can point their finger at Cardi B and ask her to take responsibility for Bernie Sanders’ future success (or lack thereof!). However, she just might be able to take some responsibility for getting some voters more engaged in the political process. Okurrr!
