Voting recommendations from celebrities and newspapers regularly make headlines in the US election campaign – even when they don’t happen. But do they actually influence voter turnout and voting behavior?
Many had been waiting for her recommendation for weeks – on September 10th the time had come. Taylor Swift said on Instagram that she would vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz.
“I have done my research and this is my decision,” she wrote, “how you decide is entirely up to you.”
The post ended with a swipe at Donald Trump’s “running mate” JD Vance: “Taylor Swift, childless cat lady.” In a 2021 interview, Vance described Democratic politicians, including Harris, as “childless cat women” who were dissatisfied with their lives.
Vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz was as happy as a snow king about the extremely detailed “endorsement”: He was extremely grateful to Taylor Swift, he said – she had expressed herself “eloquently” and “clearly”.
A whole squad of superstars
Before Swift, a number of musicians, actresses and actors had already called for Kamala Harris to be voted for – since then many more have joined – superstars such as Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and country legend Willie Nelson. Prominent actors like Jeff Bridges, Jamie Lee Curtis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sally Field, but also directors like Spike Lee.
Springsteen declared that Trump was “the most dangerous candidate” he had ever seen. And Bridges was thrilled – a woman as president was “so exciting.”
Two-time Oscar-winning actress Sally Field opens up about her own unwanted pregnancy and illegal abortion on Instagram. It is “beyond any imagination to have no respect for a woman’s decision and for her health. Women should be able to decide for themselves – and that is one of the reasons to vote for Kamala Harris,” she wrote. “We cannot allow the wheel to be turned back.”
Trump also has supporters in Hollywood
Often it is artists who are close to the Democrats who give election recommendations. But not always.
Roseanne Barr, known from the sitcom “Roseanne,” celebrates Donald Trump: She sees him as a feminist, so to speak, and he is “the first female president of the USA.” Barr apparently wants to win women over to Trump.
The actor Dennis Quaid has just played Ronald Reagan, and now he is cheering for Donald Trump: It’s time to choose a side, he shouted from the stage at a Trump campaign rally: “Let’s be a nation that upholds the Constitution , or TikTok? Do we want order and laws or open borders?” He considers Trump to be the greatest president of the 21st century.
The well-known former wrestler and actor Hulk Hogan also supports Trump. At a campaign rally in New York, he denigrated Trump’s political opponents when he said of the audience in the hall: “There are no stinking Nazis here and no domestic terrorists – I only see hard-working men and women here, real Americans.”
Celebrity must match the advertised product
Many artists have a large fan base. Taylor Swift has almost 300 million followers on Instagram. Her post supporting Kamala Harris received at least eleven million likes.
But does election advertising really work? Yes, says Ashley Spillane on MSNBC. The co-author of a Harvard study on the subject says winning over a celebrity is a “pretty powerful thing.” After such calls, not only did many people register as new voters, but the majority of them actually voted.
On the public television station PBS, economist Mark Harvey from the University of St. Mary says it’s like anything else in business: “The celebrity has to fit the product he’s promoting. And it works best when it’s about topics that where potential voters do not have a fixed opinion.”
Taylor Swift certainly won’t convince any gun fan to give up their guns.
Fan culture is crucial
Nevertheless, “endorsements”, i.e. public support, would work, says Ashley Spillane. Especially for young people, celebrities are more trustworthy than elected politicians.
Mark Harvey believes that age is less the deciding factor than fan culture. You not only have to know a lot about the star, but you also have to be really interested in him or her so that he or she can be influential.
Missing election recommendations spark debates
Not only celebrities from art, culture and entertainment give “endorsements” to their fans. Newspapers also like to give election recommendations. It is usually the so-called “Editorial Board”, a separate opinion editorial team, that makes this recommendation. In the past few decades, most newspapers have recommended the Democratic candidate.
This year, two “non-endorsements” caused a stir: The most important newspaper on the West Coast, the Los Angeles Times, does not make a recommendation. The newspaper recently supported candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The newspaper’s owner has now banned the editorial board from recommending Harris or Trump. Several journalists resigned and the decision was heatedly discussed on social networks.
Similarly, the Washington Post: Owner Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, also banned “endorsement” in his newspaper. There was also criticism from the editorial team there – according to media reports, more than half a million readers canceled their subscriptions. Many accuse Bezos of anticipatory opportunism – he wants to prepare for the eventuality of Trump’s election victory.
The unions also argue about recommendations
Trade unions in the USA are also politically more left-wing and publish very specific election recommendations. This time almost everyone supports Harris. But here too there was a notable non-endorsement.
Teamsters, the major transportation workers union, did not recommend Kamala Harris at the federal level. After the announcement, numerous regional sub-groups promptly did so on their own.
The spectacle with Musk
Trump, in turn, is supported by the tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. For many he has cult or celebrity status.
At a campaign event in the important swing state of Pennsylvania, Trump recently brought him on stage – and Musk enthusiastically campaigned for the Republican candidate: “With a President Trump there will be secure borders, sensible government spending and fewer regulations and bureaucracy.”
Trump will “unleash the full power of the giant USA,” enthused the tech billionaire.
Schwarzenegger’s difficult decision
Quite late in the election campaign, a living legend has now spoken out: “Terminator” Arnold Schwarzenegger. His political home is actually the Republicans – for them he was governor of California for two terms.
Now he posted a long message on several social networks in which he explains why – with a heavy heart – he will vote for Harris and Tim Waltz. Trump only accepts elections if he is elected, he is undemocratic and un-American – just a few of his numerous arguments.
Researchers agree that such “endorsements” can actually change a few people’s minds – but they mobilize and can give undecided voters food for thought. If the election is very close, as most experts predict, these votes could actually be decisive.
Reinhard Spiegelhauer, ARD Los Angeles, tagesschau, October 30, 2024 4:16 p.m
