Celebrity Endorsements: Does Anyone Really Care? (by Pat Sajak)

There have been so many debates and interviews and columns and profiles and polls, it’s hard to believe the election for president is still about 11 months away. Recently, celebrity endorsements have been making news, with Oprah Winfrey saying she would campaign for Barack Obama and Barbra Streisand making the not-so-stunning announcement that she was supporting Hillary Clinton...

...the question remains: do these endorsements really translate into votes?...

Sometimes. If someone I admire would endorse someone or something I would certainly take a closer look at it.

However my support of whatever they were endorsing is not a given. I have yet to meet anyone that I agreed with all the time and some people that I admire in other areas can have shocking stupid notions in other areas.

Does Anyone Really Care?

Of course they do. Celebrity is our holy grail. You have to have celebrity to get elected president. Bill Clinton was a political celebrity of the highest magnitude, craving attention and power, and willing to do almost anything to get those.

If this country could elect someone lacking character to the degree that Bill Clinton did and is even considering the possibility of electing his even more defective wife to that position, it is obvious that too many in this country care about the wrong things.

RUSH: Did you see Hillary? No sooner does Barack Obama announce that The Oprah is going to hit the campaign trail than Barbra Streisand announces she's going to go out for Hillary. Mrs. Clinton, I know you know Barbra Streisand. I know she's actually not a friend of yours. You kicked her out of the White House once when she was in there when you were gone. Remember that? Barbra Streisand was in the White House overnight in the Lincoln Bedroom when Hillary was out on some junket somewhere. But it's time to bury the hatchet on that because now Barbra Streisand is back as an endorser. Well, she may be a friend of yours, Mrs. Clinton, but she's no The Oprah. In fact, ladies and gentlemen, I have a poll here, the latest poll of Democrats since Oprah and Streisand were announced. It's an overnight flash poll. Check these numbers. Question: "Who would you rather have lunch with, Oprah or Barbra Streisand?" Answer: Oprah 80%, Streisand 20%. Next question in the poll: "Who seems friendlier and nicer to you, Oprah or Streisand?" It's Oprah 80-to-20 again. "Whose book recommendation would you read, Oprah's or Barbra Streisand?" Oprah 94%, Streisand 6%. "Whose political endorsement would you more likely follow?" Oprah, 60%, Streisand 10%. The other 30% laughed too long to offer an opinion.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: You know, yesterday on the Drudge Report, these two headlines consecutively listed are just a riot: "Clinton Relying on Elderly Women to Help Her Win Iowa." "Streisand Endorses." (laughter)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.