Feb 1, 2008 7:38 pm US/Eastern
Campaign '08: Celebrity X-Factor Is No Factor
For Every A-List Supporter, Candidates Have D-List Duds
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Action movie star Sylvester Stallone has publicly endorsed John McCain for president, raising the question of whether celebrity endorsements work. Studies say no.
AP
Thursday night's debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama looked more like a red carpet event than a political showdown. Celebrities are everywhere in Campaign '08
But does it help?
When you have a political debate in Tinseltown what you get is the tinsel.
So Clinton and Obama had to sell themselves Thursday night to George Costanza, James Bond and Annie Hall.
Republican frontrunner John McCain has enjoyed his fair share of celebrity love.
"Now that Sylvester Stallone has endorsed me, I'm sending him over to take care of Chuck Norris right away," McCain said recently. "I'm gonna get him."
Celebrity endorsements have taken on a life of their own in Campaign '08. Hillary has Babbs Streisand. If you have to ask, Barack has Oprah.
But do these endorsements matter? Tri-state area voters laugh at them.
"Not at all," Stony Point voter Tim McMonegal said. "What do they know?"
"I don't personally think they know too much about politics," said Charlene Thomas of Hackensack.
One area where celebrity endorsements can help is fundraising but after that...
"Mostly what celebrity endorsements are good for is what food you should eat what kind of products you should use under your arms and in your hair. What kind of clothing you should wear and how your sneakers should look," political consultant Hank Sheinkopf said.
Some celebrity endorsements can hurt. A Pew Center study found that Angelina Jolie, Donald Trump, Jon Stewart and Tiger Woods can actually turn voters off.
That said who can help a candidate?
Oprah? Not in the least.
Chuck Norris? Not in the least.
What about the mighty heartthrob George Clooney? Sorry.
Nobody?
Nobody.
When asked if a celebrity's endorsement of presidential candidate would make him more or less likely to vote for that person, actor Bill Drake said, "I don't think it would matter too much unless Britney Spears did something and then I would say wow."
Added Benjamine Schlossberg of Lakewood, N.J.: "Jon Voight endorsed Rudy Giuliani. It didn't effect. And Chuck Norris endorsed Mike Huckabee. Look where they're holding. They're not going to be president."
You hear a lot about who the A-list celebrities are backing, but there's also the D-list.
* Clinton has Marla Maples, a former Mrs. Donald Trump.
* Huckabee has pro wrestler Ric Flair.
* Mitt Romney has Donnie and Marie Osmond, whose newest album, "Love Songs of the 70's" peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard charts last May.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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