Taylor Swift and Beyoncé may be some of the most popular artists in US music history, but they don't seem to have much influence on politics, according to a new poll from Suffolk University in the US. Today's national polls of registered voters show that their support can even hurt candidates.
Only 3% of voters said an endorsement of Swift or Beyoncé would have a “big” impact, while 89% said a Swift endorsement either didn't matter at all or would make them less likely to support the candidate. . Beyoncé's thumbdown rate was 91%.
The situation was even worse for Kim Kardashian, who has hundreds of millions of followers on social media. Of her 500 registered voters, not a single one said her support would have a big impact, while 96% said it either didn't matter at all or made them less likely to support her candidate. Deaf, she answered. Ironically, in addition to being a major stakeholder in the Armenian Fund, which builds schools, hospitals, infrastructure, and clean water in Armenia, and the Dream Foundation, which grants the wishes of terminally ill patients, Kardashian also supports prison reform. We are working on this seriously. their family.
But voters don't understand this and perception is reality.
And it wasn't just Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian who were unimportant in the poll. None of the former politicians, athletes, or celebrities on the list were given any weight, meaning Americans would be told who to vote for in a race between two famous presidents. It suggests that you don't want it.
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Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama performed better than anyone else on the influencer list. Just 18% of voters said the former president's support had a big impact on their vote. But many people have already voted for President Joe Biden, so it won't matter much in the election outcome.
Looking at the data through the lens of only voters who currently say they are undecided about whether to become president, Barack Obama's influence (“a lot”) is 14%. But that's only 14% of the 12% of Americans who are undecided, and it falls short of the net influence of the lesser-known third-party candidates on the November ballot. Among undecided voters, 9% said Michelle Obama was the most likely, followed by 5% for Oprah Winfrey and 4% for former President Bill Clinton.
Given that Oprah is a celebrity outside of politics, we thought she might perform better as a candidate. There are many examples of men who successfully transitioned from celebrity to politics: Mayor Clint Eastwood, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senator Al Franken, Representative Sonny Bono, Governor Ronald Reagan, John. -Senator Glenn and, of course, former President Donald Trump.
However, when registered voters were asked whether they were more or less likely to support 22 female celebrities as candidates, none of them were considered “more likely” to support 22 female celebrities. This strange dichotomy between women is confirmed.
Nevertheless, here are the “nominations” in the category “Best female celebrity transition from red carpet to blue carpet of the boardroom”.
Not a bad starting point. That was before billboards, TV ads, and mailers were designed. Let's unpack it further.
Oprah Winfrey (30% of voters likely support as candidate): Winfrey jumped to 53% among Democrats who said she was “more likely.” Many older voters (30%) remember the affable and approachable talk show host who became one of Hollywood's most talented, successful and resourceful producers today. Her strength lies in winning Democratic primaries, preferably open seats with no incumbents.
Sandra Bullock (29% of voters likely approve): Sandra Bullock, the always private heroine of films such as “Gravity,'' “Speed,'' “The Proposal,'' and “The Blind Side,'' has a wider support across party lines than Winfrey. Oprah's work is particularly popular among independents and Republicans (23% vs. 11% among Republicans, 32% vs. 28% among independents) and she resides in Texas, California, New York, and Wyoming. They have options in terms of where to run their populist campaigns.
Serena Williams (28% of voters likely approve): The recently retired 42-year-old Olympic champion revolutionized women's tennis, winning more Grand Slam singles titles (23) than any other woman (or man) during the “Open Era.” Her ability to bounce back from personal hardship makes her a natural choice as a politician. Williams is facing a major role in the Public Policy Court and could potentially flee from her home in California or Florida.
Viola Davis (25% more likely to approve): Of the 22 celebrities listed, the actress and film producer topped everyone else among black voters (65% said they were “likely” to support her, compared to 44% for Selina and 35% for Oprah). This core support makes her a strong candidate to win a majority-minority congressional district or a statewide district where black voters have enough influence to carry her to victory. Named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017, Davis's championing of human rights, women of color, and the fight to end childhood hunger across America makes her an ideal political candidate.
David Paleologos is director of the Center for Political Research at Suffolk University..
