Opinion: Who needs mudslinging with endorsements like these?
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Okay, so probably no public personality can compare in influence and power to Oprah, who has thrown in her lot with the unbelievably lucky Barack Obama. But ‘tis the season for celebrity endorsements, and it seems like this year anyone and everyone is taking a primary interest in the candidates — who in turn are more than happy to take advantage.
Hillary’s still standing tall, even though Oprah passed her over:
The Clinton campaign, in an e-mail to The Associated Press, said of Winfrey: ‘’We’re fans and we think it’s great she is participating in the process. Everyone has wonderful supporters, and we’re proud of ours’’ — such as Steven Spielberg, Magic Johnson and Barbra Streisand, who threw her support behind Sen Clinton on Tuesday.
Then again, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark is siding with Obama. You’re not out of the woods yet, Sen. Clinton.
It’s got to be frustrating, what with so many political celebs shopping around. Earlier this year, the reverend and former White House candidate Jesse Jackson declared, ‘I reaffirm my commitment to vote for Sen. Barack Obama.... Any attempt to dilute my support for Sen. Obama will not succeed.’ But in a meeting with The Times’ editorial board, he flip-flopped, admitting, ‘I have very strong feelings for Hillary because we’ve worked together 30 years.’ Now, he’s even giving a nod to John Edwards, apparently at Obama’s expense. In an op-ed for the Chicago Sun-Times, he wrote,
‘The Democratic candidates — with the exception of John Edwards, who opened his campaign in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward and has made addressing poverty central to his campaign — have virtually ignored the plight of African Americans in this country.’
Your more garden-variety stars are also prone to sowing their political wild oats. According to the Huffington Post, before she settled on Hillary, Barbra Streisand ‘covered her bases and [gave] $2300 to Obama, Edwards and Clinton. ‘
On the Republican side, forget Pat Robertson backing Rudy Giuliani. Mike Huckabee is milking his Chuck Norris endorsement for all it’s worth, even as he flaunts one of his most recent prizes — former pro-wrestler Ric Flair, aka The Nature Boy. Meanwhile, according to AP, brothel owner Dennis Hof decided to throw his lot in with Ron Paul, adding, ‘I’ll get all the (working girls) together, and we can raise him some money...I’ll put up a collection box outside the door. They can drop in $1, $5 contributions.’
For all you pundits wondering what fueled the Huckabee and Paul surges, look no further.