“You Don’t Want to Overdo the Hollywood”: Political Insiders on How Harris Campaign Is Cautiously Deploying Celebrities

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“You Don’t Want to Overdo the Hollywood”: Political Insiders on How Harris Campaign Is Cautiously Deploying Celebrities

As a long-time resident of Brentwood and a close observer of Hollywood politics, I find the Harris/Walz campaign’s approach to celebrity endorsements to be a masterful blend of strategy and authenticity. Having lived among LeBron James and Gwyneth Paltrow for years, I can attest that Kamala Harris is uniquely positioned to tap into Hollywood’s vast network of influencers.

In simple terms, once former President Joe Biden ended his presidential bid in July, many celebrities started openly supporting the Democratic Party with Kamala Harris as their new standard-bearer for 2024.

Some analysts and onlookers argue that the Harris/Tim Walz campaign has been tactically utilizing celebrities in their strategies. A prominent fundraiser suggests that this week’s Democratic National Convention is a demonstration of this approach. Although popular figures from film and television such as Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, Tony Goldwyn, and Ana Navarro have been unveiled as hosts, it seems that well-known political figures are taking the spotlight as main attractions: Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Biden. As this individual points out, their influence is rooted in political stardom. (It’s worth noting that if Beyoncé or Taylor Swift were to appear and endorse the Harris/Walz ticket, as some have speculated, the dynamics could shift significantly.)

Mark Harvey, an associate professor at the University of Saint Mary, comments, “It seems that the Harris/Walz campaign is adopting a strategy similar to Charlie XCX’s.” He elaborates, “In essence, they are allowing celebrities to express their views in a natural manner, and then capitalizing on those sentiments without necessarily requiring them to appear alongside us on stage.” The author of “Celebrity Influence: Politics, Persuasion, and Issue-Based Advocacy” explains.

In summary, key political figures stress the need for the Democrats to strategically choose notable supporters for a potentially close presidential election that might hinge on voters in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. As L.A.-based major fundraiser Jon Vein puts it, “You don’t want to overemphasize California or Hollywood when you’re painting the country with a broad brush. However, anything that can generate positive media coverage will be welcomed.” Vein recently collaborated on an event with Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman.

Endorser celebrities should be employed strategically, carefully, and with foresight within a broader, balanced, and multifaceted campaign that encompasses a variety of supporters, voices, and grassroots advocates, according to Matt Kaplan, Vice President of Government Relations at Endeavor.

Living in Brentwood, with neighbors like LeBron James and Gwyneth Paltrow, and being married to a former entertainment attorney (Emhoff), Harris has unique connections within Hollywood that are uncommon for a presidential candidate. Rather than downplaying these ties, her campaign is actively leveraging them: They have enlisted the services of social impact firm Propper Daley, which has previously worked with John Legend, Washington, and Bradley Cooper on advocacy projects, to help celebrities find meaningful ways to contribute. They are using Beyoncé’s “Freedom” as their campaign theme song (with Beyoncé’s approval) and have adopted a lime green background on the social media platform X, a nod to Charli XCX’s latest album, Brat.

The campaign is carefully selecting its celebrity endorsers, adopting a “decentralized” strategy that empowers them to express their support authentically within their own communities, rather than just in conventional venues like rallies or the DNC. This was demonstrated by Jane Fonda, Shonda Rhimes, and Barbra Streisand appearing at virtual events tailored for specific groups such as “Elders for Kamala,” “CT Women for Harris,” and “Jewish Women for Kamala.” These strategic appearances generated headlines and positioned celebrities in influential settings.

It’s still debatable whether star endorsements significantly aid political candidates in general. For instance, a survey conducted by USA Today earlier this year showed that former politicians like the Obamas might have more influence on voters compared to popular celebrities such as Beyoncé and Swift when it comes to backing political candidates. As per Harvey, celebrities can be impactful in advocating for specific issues like abortion or criminal justice reform, but they often struggle when it comes to endorsing a candidate directly. According to him, there’s scant evidence that celebrity endorsements make much of a difference, especially since it’s hard to distinguish the effect of an endorsement from other influential factors such as the state of the economy or political affiliation. However, Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of then-Senator Barack Obama in 2007 is a noteworthy exception, with one study suggesting it may have garnered over a million votes for Obama during the primary elections.

It’s worth noting that celebrities can significantly increase public participation in civic duties, as shown by a study from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School. For instance, when Taylor Swift urged her followers to register to vote on Instagram in 2018, Vote.org recorded approximately 250,000 new registrations within 72 hours. Similarly, Ariana Grande’s decision to include voter registration booths during her Sweetener tour in 2019 led to over 33,000 new registrants. Ashley Spillane, a former fellow of the Ash Center, emphasizes these substantial impacts.

According to Spillane, president of the social impact consulting firm Impactual, this report effectively challenges the long-standing criticism against celebrity engagement because it presents evidence showing that it can indeed be potent and effective.

Essentially, strategists argue that a celebrity’s political involvement should appear genuine and consistent with their established persona. The Harris-Walz campaign seems to be choosing stars who already have political credibility, such as Washington, who has supported Democratic candidates in the past and encouraged voter turnout. Similarly, James Taylor, performing on Monday, openly endorsed Obama and Biden during their presidential campaigns.

“Spillane notes that engagements often fail when celebrities are given scripts that are too plain or uninteresting, making it seem unnatural for them,” is a possible paraphrase of the original sentence in simpler and more conversational language.

Natalie Tran, an executive at CAA and co-founder of iamavoter, states, “I believe that people generally dislike things that aren’t genuine or can easily detect insincerity.” She further discusses the approach Democrats should take when courting Hollywood, saying, “It will require a careful balancing act.”

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2024-08-20 17:55