Washington (TND) — In a November election that pits two of the most unpopular presidents in American history head-to-head, presidential candidates are turning to celebrities to make their case.
Running for federal office is more expensive, especially for competitive seats that require outside funding, so star fundraisers are the norm in high-profile elections. But politicians also sometimes turn to movie stars and singers to boost their profile and appeal to younger voters who might be voting for the first time in the next election.
The Biden campaign recently tapped actor Robert De Niro, who provided voice acting in ads released this week and also made an appearance outside the Manhattan courthouse where closing arguments were taking place in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial.
“I'm not trying to scare people. No, no, wait, maybe I'm trying to scare people,” De Niro said during a surprise press conference alongside two former Capitol Police officers who were on duty during the January 6 riot. “If Trump returns to the White House, you can forget about these freedoms and these elections that we take for granted. He's never going to go away.”
The involvement in the trial was a shift from the campaign's previous strategy of largely avoiding discussing the case, but it was another example of candidates turning to celebrities to support their causes.
“The Biden campaign needs a lightning bolt, a turbocharge,” said David Paleologos, director of the Center for Political Studies at Suffolk University. “When your poll numbers are low and you can't get the candidate or the vice president to do that, you turn to celebrities and such.”
Celebrity campaigning is a common strategy used by candidates on both sides of the aisle as they try to raise name recognition, money and bolster their popularity.
During his nearly decade as a presidential candidate, Trump has appeared at rallies with celebrities ranging from Kid Rock to Kelsey Grammer to Chuck Norris, and has solicited endorsements and donations from other big names in entertainment and business.
Celebrities can help campaigns boost turnout through voter registration drives and also reap big rewards from fundraising efforts, which are becoming increasingly important as all-time records are broken or approached each election cycle.
But in this election, both candidates are well known to voters, whose opinions of them have hardened in recent years, so this strategy is unlikely to change many people's minds.
Both Biden and Trump are deeply unpopular with the American public in their first terms in office. Both candidates have approval ratings below 40%, and as two of the biggest and most well-known figures in politics, there is little room for sway and endorsements are not worth much.
“We've seen it with Biden and we've seen it with Trump. If Jones and Clark were running against each other and nobody knew Jones or nobody knew Clark, these celebrities would probably have more influence,” Paleologos said.
A Suffolk University/USA Today poll conducted earlier this month found that celebrity endorsements have little impact on voters, despite their large followings and influence on American culture. Presented with a list of celebrities from entertainment, sports and politics, most voters said endorsements have little impact on their voting behavior.
Only 3% of voters said an endorsement by Taylor Swift or Beyoncé would affect them “a lot,” while 89% said Swift's endorsement would have no effect at all or make them less likely to support a candidate, compared with 91% for Beyoncé. Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama were most likely to influence their vote, with 18% saying their endorsement would affect them a lot, but many of these people are already likely to vote for Biden, making the impact minimal.
With less than six months to go until Election Day, polls suggest the race will be close come November, and while Trump is leading in most polls, a lot can still change before Americans vote, including the possibility that a conviction in his hush-money case could drive some of his supporters away from the campaign.
