How celebrity endorsements can impact elections

MINNEAPOLIS — From star-studded conventions to social media endorsements, pop culture and politics have crossed over for more than a century.
In 1920, singer Al Jolson endorsed Warren Harding for president. By 1960, Frank Sinatra sang his praise for John F. Kennedy.
But do celebrity political endorsements matter in an election?
“The received wisdom and evidence is no,” said Hamline University political science professor David Schultz.
However, there have been exceptions.
“We do have evidence in 2008 that Oprah Winfrey’s charisma, her star quality, helped win Barack Obama the Democratic primary over Hillary Clinton,” Schultz said.
Schultz says if an election is close, a celebrity endorsement could push less enthusiastic voters to cast a ballot.
“If we’re talking about the Taylor Swift impact, it might be a generational impact,” he said.
Swift’s post endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris drove more than 400,000 users to vote.gov the following day — a site that includes voter registration information.
“If she is able to induce or encourage a population that generally does not show up to vote to show up and vote, especially in those critical swing states, that could potentially make a difference,” Schultz said.
There is no denying their influence, but Schultz says the true measure of celebrity endorsements is still undecided.
“At the end of the day, we want what is right for the country. So if they’re coming in with positive thinking, positive changes, I think they have the right and opportunity to share and disclose their beliefs to other people,” Clarence Weah, a student, said.
Experts say, like in any advertising, too much political pushing can cause potential voters to tune out entirely.