news Democrat strategists: Celebrity political endorsements are damaging (per The Hill)

[Feanor]

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Democrats are questioning their steady reliance on A-list celebrity endorsements after a brutal election loss by Vice President Harris that has triggered existential questions within the party about whether it's fallen out of touch with working-class voters.

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After the devastating losses, a number of Democrats said the party needs to move on from its fascination with Hollywood and A-list celebs — along with the idea that those endorsements are helping the party.

 

"Somehow we think if Beyoncé is on stage, that will solve all our problems," one Democratic strategist said.  "What people don't realize is that it actually makes it worse. It reinforces this perception that we are the party of elites, that we don't understand what working class folks are going through," the source said.

 

"Trump's stance of being against elites, and his supporters are not elitists and fighting against elitists — that messaging came out of his campaign," said Jennifer Brubaker, an associate professor in the communications department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "And now you have Harris's campaign, which is tied to these celebrities who are, in fact, often thought to be elitists themselves. So really it just reinforced much of [Trump's] message in that regard," the "Celebrity and the American Political Process: Integrated Marketing Communication" author said. 

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President-elect Trump, a famous face himself for the last 40 years or so, knows the value of a celebrity. But the big names he leaned on did not represent the A-list. The celebrities he invited to the Republican National Convention or to the campaign trail, from Hulk Hogan to Kid Rock, also didn't seem to represent the elite.

 

Democrats at times mocked those celebrity endorsements online, arguing it was has-beens and fringe celebs who were backing Trump. Yet in the end, that might have played to Trump's advantage at the ballot box. His final endorsement, on Monday night, came from the podcaster Joe Rogan, who is largely followed by men, the demographic Trump most targeted.

 

"We mocked the other side and said, 'We have Bruce and Jon Bon Jovi, and Lady Gaga and Pink. And who do you have? Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock?' And we think that appeals to voters," the Democratic strategist said. "It's a joke," the source added.

 

[vuelve88]

Or the Democratic Party could have just appealed to people and their needs and concerns. Give it a try sometime 

Edited November 10 by vuelve88

[americanlife]

We've known this for years. This just shows that Trump needed to win so the DNC can figure out how to actually win.

[Bloodflowers.]

Democrats had nothing to offer but smoke and mirrors

[Raver]

Just showed me how many can be bought 

[Matthew]

Honestly, I get what they mean. They were trying to appeal to working class with celebrities who are anything but. 

[byzantium]

But ATRL should continue to request that A list celebrities endorse their candidates to confirm that they are on the good side.  Virtue singling is more important than winning. 

Edited November 10 by byzantium

[LittleStarmen]

Anyone could have seen this miles away... Not only celebrities are not as popular anymore but they are out of touch with the world

[Saintlor]

8 minutes ago, Matthew said:

Honestly, I get what they mean. They were trying to appeal to working class with celebrities who are anything but. 

But people will relate to millionaire podcasters telling them to vote trump

[Philo]

I don't think it's this simple. Democrats may be looking to shift blame, but ultimately, the impact of celebrity endorsements comes down to the individual and their ability to sway voters. Some high-profile endorsements, like Beyoncé's, probably don't add much, as those likely to be influenced by her are already leaning blue. In fact, these endorsements can sometimes backfire, reinforcing a sense of elitism and detachment from average voters. On the other hand, Taylor Swift's endorsement felt more effective, particularly in a climate of misinformation and deepfakes, where her reach and trustworthiness can make a difference. So, I don't think they need to abandon celebrity endorsements altogether, but rather, they should approach them with more caution.

 

It's also interesting to me since, where I'm from, it's pretty rare for celebrities outside of politics to publicly back a candidate. Only a handful have ever made endorsements, and even then, it's not common practice. You could probably guess their leanings, but it's much less visible than in the U.S.

[LittleStarmen]

2 minutes ago, Saintlor said:

But people will relate to millionaire podcasters telling them to vote trump

Podcaster have hours and hours of political content... They are more the new jornalist not celebrities.

[Onyxmage]

Right because Trump having Elon Musk didnt backfire even though elon literally BRIBED people to vote by paying them a million dollars.  This is an absolute joke. 

Edited November 10 by Onyxmage

[Virgos Groove]

Couldn't they have figured that out 8 years ago?

[Onyxmage]

14 minutes ago, Matthew said:

Honestly, I get what they mean. They were trying to appeal to working class with celebrities who are anything but. 

Yet Trump was endorsed by the richest man in the world who isnt even American.  I swear some people are so damn stupid. 

 

 

[Prodigal Self]

15 minutes ago, Matthew said:

Honestly, I get what they mean. They were trying to appeal to working class with celebrities who are anything but. 

That's the thing though -- they ain't even trying to do that

[Cheers]

It's true. People see anything that's endorsed by celebs as fake. Working class America is over it.

[family.guy123]

I thought we all agreed to leave celebrities behind after this BS

 

 

apparently not

 

[Bears01]

4 minutes ago, Virgos Groove said:

Couldn't they have figured that out 8 years ago?

The way EVERYONE already seen this in 2016, but they repeated the same strategy, down to a T in 2024 

 

They don't have the excuse that the majority of voters voted for them this time, so time to get with the times! 

[Tovitov]

Republicans would be parading out celebrity endorsements if celebs actually supported them. 

 

The Monday morning quarterbacking is too much.

[Scheissex]

The way I was dragged on here for saying this two weeks ago  

This new mentality we have of expecting celebrities to comment or take a stance on world issues is super weird. 

Edited November 10 by Scheissex

[ImpressMeMuch]

[Prodigal Self]

3 minutes ago, family.guy123 said:

I thought we all agreed to leave celebrities behind after this BS

 

 

apparently not

 

 

[Achilles.]

This has been apparent for like a decade now. We are in an anti-establishment, anti-elite era and parading around a bunch of celebrities reinforces the idea that we are those things. 
 

Worse than that, though, is the fact that Hollywood is the main driving force of many of the cultural grievances that are held by conservatives. Being so highly associated with the entertainment elite is detrimental to the Democratic party. 

[Princess Aurora]

Lies. Celebrity endorsement is good. The problem is that they don't have a social media marketing strategy. Democrats are still reliant on classic media. Also, they could also expand on other celebrities and stuff rather than the same ones.

Edited November 10 by Princess Aurora

[Achilles.]

5 minutes ago, Tovitov said:

Republicans would be parading out celebrity endorsements if celebs actually supported them. 

Of course. Half of the reason they have so much resentment of celebrities is because they desperately that kind of cultural relevance for themselves, which is why they jump on any D list loser who gives them the time of day. It's certainly hypocritical and yet the fact remains…