Do celebrity endorsements matter?

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) – You see it every election cycle, celebrities and other political figures publicly announce who they’ll support on the ballot.

But do these endorsements actually matter? Would Beyonce, Taylor Swift or Elon Musk influence your vote?

A national poll from Suffolk University/USA Today last month showed voters are mostly indifferent about whether a pop star, athlete or political figure endorsed, but there were two individuals that stood out from the rest.

Barack and Michelle Obama led the list among voters who said the Obamas’ endorsement would influence them positively “a lot.” The former president received the backing of 18% of respondents, while 14% said they’d be influenced “a lot” by the First Lady’s endorsement.

Of the 1,000 Americans surveyed, two other former Presidents; Bill Clinton and George W. Bush came in third and fourth respectively when asked about their impact on elections.

The rest of the results revealed most voters won’t be turning to celebrities for election advice anytime soon.

Three percent said they’d be influenced “a lot” by a Taylor Swift endorsement, while 89% of voters said they'd be “a little” or “not at all” influenced by the singer. As for Beyonce, 3% said they’d be strongly positively influenced by Beyoncé.

“The bottom line is people don't want to be told who to vote for,” said David Paleologes, Director, Suffolk University Political Research Center. “Overall, celebrities would like to think they could influence voter behavior, but they are more valuable as fundraising tools and door opening opportunities to their followers.”

On Election Day most voters know who they’re going to vote for, but in the month and weeks leading up, some are still undecided.

“I don’t think [celebrity endorsements] would sway my vote in particular, but I do think it might sway other people,” said Katie Rueffer, from Verona Wis.

Marine veteran Charlie Panosien said, “no celebrity or anybody can influence me in another direction.”

Barry Burden, Political Science Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said nowadays in a highly polarized world political endorsements don’t have as strong of an impact as they once did.

One unique situation was during the 2008 Democratic primary when Oprah Winfrey endorsed then-Senator Obama for president which helped launch his campaign, eventually leading him to the White House.

“But that was a different environment because that was a primary election between democrats where Oprah weighed in to that contest,” Burden said. “So everyone participating is essentially a democrat or sympathetic to a Democrat and that's where an endorsement could really matter.”

Whether other celebrities could have a similar effect is less clear. In swing states, like Wisconsin, where elections are often decided by 1 or 2 percentage points, Burden said the T-Swift effect could make a difference.

“It may reach younger voters who are a problem especially for the Biden campaign who really needs them,” said Burden. “There are other people who are really tuned in entertainment and not to politics and this is maybe a way for a candidate to sneak in and get some eyeballs at least for a moment.”

The superstar singer has not endorsed in the presidential race, but she did publicly back President Biden four years ago.

Voters we talked to didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

“I’m not a swifty,” said Allie Edmonds, from Iowa. “I think it depends on how dedicated people are to her fandom.”

Overall the research and history shows, celebrities can be a good asset to campaign however it doesn’t guarantee votes.

“And when you think of it that way, endorsements are not a silver bullet. There’s no one-size fits all solution,” Paleologes said.