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Celebrity endorsements are a long tradition in American electoral politics and are often hyped as helping boost a candidate’s momentum.
Candidates perceive the approbation as providing them access to the celebrity’s extensive fan base. Donald Trump’s endorsement of Mitt Romney this year, Oprah Winfrey’s 2008 nod to Barack Obama, and Oliver Stone’s backing of Ron Paul are all cases in point.
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Of course, partnering with prominent figures is an effective mobilization strategy. Gaining approval from influential party activists who have a strong network of financial backers plays a large role in pushing a candidate into the lead.
However, celebrity endorsements provide mixed returns.
While some have helped net candidates significant donations and have boosted attendance at events, others have done little to influence vote decisions. In fact, most have hurt the celebrity and candidate’s reputations.
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“Oprah Winfrey’s 2008 endorsement of Obama lifted his campaign, but not her image. The “Oprah effect” helped win Obama significant amounts of free media and netted his campaign millions of dollars in donations. It also played an instrumental role in helping Obama’s book "The Audacity of Hope" reach the number one spot on the New York Times Bestseller List in 2007.
Moreover, Winfrey’s 2008 appearances at a number of Obama campaign events in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina drew huge crowds. At the same time, Winfrey’s endorsement brought much criticism from her fans, and may have lowered her Nielsen ratings.
Her refusal to endorse President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign or provide him free advertising on her OWN cable channel may be a move to avoid another back-lash.”
However, the “Oprah effect” is a rare occurrence. There will be no “Trump effect” for Mitt Romney. Donald Trump’s endorsement will do little to help Romney’s Nevada campaign. A large part of the public views Trump as a capricious figure who has generated too much controversy questioning the authenticity of Obama’s birth certificate and too little credibility, frequently alluding to a potential third-party run.
A Washington Post/Pew Research Center for the People & The Press poll conducted in early January, found a net negative effect from a Trump endorsement. Twenty percent of Republicans said they would be less likely to support the endorsee, with 64 percent saying it would make no difference. Only 13 percent said it they would be more likely to vote for the candidate.
The Romney campaign made two critical errors in accepting the place and time of the endorsement.
First, it was a low-key, brief press conference with few Romney supporters in attendance. Romney would have been better served holding a large, public event with Nevada casino workers in which Trump’s appearance would have heightened the sense of drama and drawn large crowds.
Trump’s numerous Las Vegas casino properties could have been touted as an example of creating jobs and illustrated Romney’s commitment to reducing unemployment. It’s surprising that given Trump’s marketing acumen and Romney’s campaign skills this approach escaped them.
The endorsement was also poorly timed. Mitt Romney slowed some of his Florida primary momentum on CNN Wednesday by saying he “was not concerned with the poor.” Although he put the comment in context later in the interview and in subsequent statements, the gaffe serves to reinforce the perception that Romney’s campaign is in service to the wealthy.
Middle-class Republicans may link the two as another example of Romney’s suspected “establishment” nature. Newt Gingrich, on the other hand, has parlayed his populist narrative into attracting a substantial number of voters.
One certainty: Donald Trump has again demonstrated his knack for drawing attention to his personal brand. His marketing skill will translate into viewer interest in his cameo appearance in Century 21’s first Super Bowl commercial and the premiere of NBC’s "Celebrity Apprentice" on Feb. 12.
Jamie Chandler is a professor of political science at Hunter College in New York.
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