Go beyond Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Kim Kardashian. Americans may look to you when making music and fashion choices, but they won't be paying much attention to these icons when making political decisions this fall.
A national poll conducted exclusively by USA TODAY and Suffolk University earlier this month found that most voters heeded advice from celebrities on the red carpet, with two exceptions: the Obamas.
Among voters surveyed between May 3 and May 5, 18% said former President Barack Obama's opinion was “very” important, and 14% said former first lady Michelle Obama's opinion was equally important. answered. Both support President Joe Biden's bid for a second term.
Conservative influencers mentioned by voters seemed to have less influence, and with the exception of the Obamas, people who identified as independents had less influence. Still, 61% of those surveyed said even President Obama's opinions had no effect on them at all. (The survey included 1,000 registered voters, and each person was asked for half the list of names to avoid clutter.)
“All of this suggests that in a race between two prominent presidents, they've lived through both the Biden and (former President Donald Trump) eras, so voters are “They don't want to be told who to vote for,” he said. Director of the Center for Political Research at Suffolk University, who oversaw the poll. “So far this year, we've found that there aren't any celebrities or influencers who have a huge impact.”
Preparing to vote: See who's running for president and compare their positions on important issues with our voter guide
With less than six months until Election Day, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump are in a close race, 37% to 37%, followed by independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy with 8%, making it the most politically competitive race in U.S. history. There is a possibility that it will be a close and polarized race. .
Luis Peron, a global political strategist who is not involved in the poll, said the U.S. is much more partisan than it was a decade ago, so it is likely to be swayed by celebrity endorsements. are likely to represent only about 6% of all eligible voters. These voters may include first-time voters or those who feel a conscious obligation to vote but are unsure of who to vote for.
Perron, the author of the book “Beat the Incumbent: Proven Strategies and Tactics to Win Elections” published in 2024, said that even though celebrities do not have influence over individual voters, they He said he could influence candidates.
No Kim K effect here.
Swift was so successful in getting young people to register to vote late last year that some Republicans are worried about her. It could be a liberal Pentagon plant.
Peron said he is not endorsing this year's presidential candidates, but such support could give candidates “a bridge to open doors to young people who may not think it's cool.”
Biden needs more young voters than Trump, as polls show a majority of Gen Z voters say they are unsure or indifferent about voting this year. A recent Harvard Youth Poll found that fewer than half of 18- to 29-year-olds said they would definitely vote this year, down from 57% of respondents in 2020.
“Young people, women and suburban voters will decide this (presidential) election,” Peron said.
In other cases, celebrity endorsements may be meaningless, even though they are popular and their political activities are highly regarded.
For example, Kim Kardashian is committed to prison reform, is a major stakeholder in the Armenian Fund, which builds schools, hospitals, and infrastructure in Armenia, and works with the Dream Foundation, which grants wishes to terminally ill adults and their families. are doing.
However, nearly 90% of voters polled said that Kardashian had no influence on their presidential choice.
“Her appeal and her millions of social media followers cannot be transferred to voters who do not understand this, and perception is reality in their minds,” Paleologos said. Ta. “She may get a lot of likes and clicks, but that doesn't seem to translate into votes. ”
It's all about the candidate
Onika Tinsley, a 46-year-old Democratic voter from Pleasant Hill, Calif., said she was “not upset” by Kardashian's civic accomplishments. Tinsley said all of her votes will go back to her candidates themselves.
Tinsley is among the voters who are considered “double haters,” who dislike both presidential candidates. According to a USA TODAY/Suffolk poll conducted in March, about 55% of registered voters have a favorable opinion of Biden, with some also having a favorable opinion of Trump. The same percentage.
“Is this really the best we can offer? If these two are the front-runners for president,” said Tinsley, a mother of five children ranging in age from 27 to 8, It's sad for me as a person.” Two of my adult daughters vote as well.
“I think I'll vote for Biden again,” Tinsley said, taking a deep breath. “By default.”
As an African American voter, a key bloc for Biden, Tinsley said, “I'm tired of Democrats pandering to our votes every four years and then never hearing from us again. The economy and health care.” “The costs are out of control,” he added. . ”
Brad Bailey, 36, a mortgage banker from Mission Viejo, Calif., came from the other side. Bailey is a Republican, married and the father of a 3-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. “I think the situation in our country is much worse (than it was four years ago). I definitely support Trump over Biden.”
Bailey said he is tired of the United States funding wars in Gaza and Ukraine and believes the country should “keep some of that money here at home.” .
“We understand the need to support Israel and Ukraine, but even the amount of money we are sending to these other countries around the world is unfathomable,” he said. “We believe we should think more about ourselves before the rest of the world.”
Christine Whitehead, a 45-year-old registered Republican from Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, also wants to “refocus” the United States. “He knows he has to protect the people he said he would defend and support, but he can't keep doing this forever,” Whitehead said.
Whitehead, a kitchen design manager and mother of an adult son and teenage daughter, said she would vote for Trump. She's less worried about the dozens of felonies Trump faces or her comments about dictatorship if he takes back the White House.
“He's who he is. We know who's who,” Whitehead said. She wants President Trump to choose former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as his vice president, and she is a fan of former Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.
“She seems very wholesome and very hardworking,” Whitehead said.
real influencer
The Obamas had more influence than anyone else pollsters asked, especially but not only among Democrats. Former President Bill Clinton continues to have some influence, with 20% of those surveyed saying he influenced their opinions “a lot” or “a little.”
None of the conservative voices seemed very appealing. Ms. Haley, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), entrepreneur Elon Musk and former President George W. Bush failed to make it past 5% of those surveyed. Among Republicans, only 5% to 8% of respondents said these four had “a lot” of influence (although Musk had “a little” influence compared to 19% of Republicans). Bush's influence was 15%, Haley's was 13%, and Johnson's was only 9%).
More moderate and diverse figures such as podcast host Joe Rogan, radio personality Charlamagne the God, and author Alok Vaid-Menon were also in the single digits in terms of influence. So did athletes like Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley, and Caitlin Clark.
For Daniel Diaz, 64, a voter from San Antonio, Texas, President Barack Obama's support for Biden is meaningful. Diaz, a registered Democrat, said he is relying on the former president's sentiments to choose Biden over Trump as the “lesser of two evils.”
“Obama is very calm, and we need that right now,” said Diaz, a married father of five adult sons. “Biden will have a tough fight.”
Paleologos said the real influence in this fall's elections will likely not be celebrities, but rather third-party candidates like RFK Jr.
Alex Birkhofer, 27, a registered Republican from Santa Cruz, Calif., said he doesn't need to mix pop culture with his politics. Mr. Berkhofer, a forester, is considering leaning toward voting for Mr. Kennedy over Mr. Trump. But he's certainly worried about whether his vote will make a difference because of the extreme partisanship between Republicans and Democrats.
“I don't agree with everything they're campaigning on because they appeal to a constituency that in modern politics you have to be the most extreme Republican or the most extreme Democrat to convince people. Because we're trying to do that,” Birkhofer said. “I'm tired of it.”
Whitehead also said she hates division.
“I think there are great people on both sides of the party, but I also think there are just as many terrible people,” Whitehead said. “I have friends who are Republicans and Democrats, and I hate it when they get mad because of who they vote for. This is not good for anyone. It's damaging our country. ”
