We are exactly 5 days away from one of the most important elections in a generation, yet there is one well-known group of Americans who are surprisingly pulling out all the stops to elect Democratic candidates across the board: celebrities.
Politics
Not since the candidacy of Barack Obama have we seen so many high (and low) profile celebrities willing to do whatever it takes to get Democrats elected and change the scope of American politics.
For example, Houston-born rapper Travis Scott made an appearance at a Beto O’Rourke rally on October 28th and used his fame to rev up young voters and the hip-hop community to kick Sen. Ted Cruz out of office.
Scott stood shoulder to shoulder with the Democratic Senate candidate and addressed the crowd with a megaphone.
“You just need to go out, hit these polls … We need to just tell our peers, man, to like step out and vote,” Scott said while encouraging young people to spread the word about the importance of voting in the November 6th midterm elections. “We can change the world,” he added.
NBA superstar LeBron James also voiced his support for O’Rourke by rocking a “Beto for Senate” hat on his way to a recent face-off between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs in Texas. His very public political statement proved that King James has no plans to simply “shut up and dribble.”
A-list celebrities such as Tom Hanks, country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, singer Janelle Monae, and NBA star Chris Paul all lent their presence to a get out the vote video by Michelle Obama.
Additionally, singer Taylor Swift (who was somehow erroneously mistaken by conservatives to be a Republican) recently went public with her political leanings by endorsing Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, who are each running for Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
By her own admission, the Grammy-winning country/pop star had been “reluctant” to voice her political opinions in the past, but said in an Instagram post: “due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now.”
Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has received the financial and public backing of such celebrities as “Blackish” star Tracee Ellis Ross, “Will & Grace” star Debra Messing, rappers Rick Ross and Flo-Rida, as well as music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Diddy challenged voters via an Instagram post to “Make history” by “everyone in the state of Florida voting and making [Andrew Gillum] the FIRST BLACK GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA!!!!.”
Politics
If endorsements were a contest, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams may have won the celebrity endorsement grand prize.
Georgia voters got a surprise last week when they opened their doors to find comedian Will Ferrell campaigning for Abrams and other Georgia Democratic candidates.
The “Anchorman” actor put his money where his mouth is and physically went door-to-door to encourage citizens of the Peach State to vote for Stacey Abrams and other Democratic candidates in the midterm elections. He also recruited college students to volunteer for her campaign.
“We’re gonna win by knocking on doors,” Ferrell told Kennesaw State University students in a Abrams political video.
However, Will Ferrell isn’t the only star willing to lend support to Abrams.
Entertainment icon Oprah Winfrey announced she will fly to Georgia this week and also go door-to-door in support of getting Abrams elected. She will also host 2 Town Hall events on behalf of Abrams, one of which is scheduled for Thursday night.
“I am honored to have Oprah join me for uplifting and honest conversations with voters about the clear choice before us in this election and the boundless potential of Georgians,” Abrams said in a statement.
Celebrities have involved themselves in political contests for decades, however, this may be the first time they’ve done so at such great lengths during a midterm election. Their participation this time around proves that the stakes are high and the necessity to provide an opposition to Donald Trump is critical.
Generally, I don’t really have a problem with “celebrities” actively supporting candidates, as long as those celebrities are a real Help…NOT a hindrance. Each “celebrity” must avoid going overboard and embarrassing themselves himself/herself and the candidate he/she supports. Striking just the “right balance” will be their biggest challenge.
Celebrities are “attention seekers” by nature. They also tend to be narcissistic. They really must be mindful to keep themselves in check and NOT steal the spotlight.