First David Geffen and now Oprah Winfrey have thrown their endorsement power behind Senator Barack Obama. David, a Hollywood power player and part of the DreamWorks contingent that includes Stephen Spielberg and Jeffery Katzenberg has a strong voice in the gay community. Oprah is a candidate's dream endorsement.
A powerful voice
Oprah possibly the most powerful woman in the world at this time is a person whose stamp of approval has propelled many to fame and fortune. She evokes the memory of the old Smith Barney commercials where a client would mention the name,the world stopped in its tracks and you could hear a pin drop. The Winfrey endorsement of Senator Barack Obama has shifted his image from a dark horse candidate to the probable white knight of the election. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Joe Biden all experienced sever tremors in their support base with Oprah's show of support.
A dangerous reality of our time
Celebrity is no longer a decoration for campaigns, it is a force that contributes great power. That power I discussed in Clinton And Obama Confirm Celebrity Is A Major Force In Election 08 can make or break the election for the '08 candidates. Pollsters have uncovered a large majority or people will be swayed not by the election hopeful's platform and issues, but by who famous has climbed aboard the campaign. With the right mix of stars and famous for being famous people a campaign goes from a longshot to a sureshot. The worst part will be three out of every four supporters voting probably could not tell you what their candidate stands for.
A hidden danger in this force for candidates
Celebrities are really just people. They want to do what their peers do. Some of them could make a candidate quake in their boots. A few potentially dangerous famous endorsers would be Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Andy Dick, Paul (Pee Wee Herman) Reubens, and OJ Simpson. If Joe Lieberman were to run, would he embrace Mel Gibson backing? What would Barack Obama do if Michael Jackson were to come forward (besides tell his kids to leave the room)? Would Hillary Clinton accept Hugh Hefner in her camp ("Bubba get out of that room.")? What would happen if Ozzy Osborne or Gene Simmons were to offer to stump for John Edwards? And Tom Cruise, we won't go there.
The point is the issue of the issues
Not many people will know them. Has anyone noticed that John Edwards has announced his stance on healthcare and then taken a step back? Has anyone noticed that no candidate has challenged or presented a healthcare discourse in response to Edwards? No! The reason is Obama's gathering steam, headlines and celebrities has taken them all off guard. One can only imagine when Oprah gave his support to Barack Obama how many people flung up their arms and said, "That's it for this election."
Another sad point of the beginning of this presidential campaign
I fear there will be no voice for the little people. The larger celebrities will drown them out and no one will notice. I have come up with a way to counteract this. It is novel and the shrewdest of the candidates will latch on to it. Emmanuel Lewis, Gary Coleman, Verne Troyer, and Jason Acuna are your secret weapon. Webster from the TV show Webster, Arnold from TV's Different Strokes, Mini me of the Austin Powers "Goldmember, and Wee Man from the program Jackass are both the true voice of the little people and celebrities. And think we haven't even reached the primaries. One would only have to wonder if "Charo" could be someone's secret weapon.
