By: Keli Goff
The endorsement game is almost as competitive as the actual campaign, and just as unpredictable. The characters involved are often just as colorful and charismatic as the candidates themselves—sometimes even more so. Case in point: the recent announcement that Oprah Winfrey will soon be hitting the campaign trail on behalf of the candidate she has endorsed, Barack Obama.
But believe it or not the award for most interesting (with a capital “I”) presidential candidate endorsement doesn’t go to Team Obama but to Team Paul, as in Ron Paul. The GOP contender recently scored a headline grabbing endorsement of his own—from Nevada brothel owner, Dennis Hof. That’s right if you find yourself at a Ron Paul fundraiser you’re likely to rub elbows with a few tried and true conservatives along with a few ladies of the evening.
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The endorsement game usually goes something like this: A candidate running for office seeks out the support of a specific organization or person, ideally to address a specific need, or potential deficit within the campaign. In addition to the obligatory press conference that big endorsements may yield, campaigns hope that ultimately they result in one of five things: money, media, man-power, momentum and votes. The best endorsements deliver all of the above. Unions have long played a crucial role in delivering the big five to campaigns in terms of fundraising dollars, countless campaign volunteer hours among their membership, along with imbuing campaigns with a media boost and sense that they have a leg up on the competition, and if all goes according to plan they also turn out the votes of their membership on election day.
But the endorsement game is often much more art than science and gauging if endorsements still matter has become increasingly tough. Clearly in some instances they can help. For instance, prominent endorsements from a broad cross-section of the political spectrum are credited with moving Mike Bloomberg from unknown media mogul, to mayor and possible presidential contender. In his first run for office Bloomberg, trailing badly behind Democratic rival Mark Green weeks before the election, received a last minute bounce due in part to the support of some influential players. Rudy Giuliani, transformed from scandal-plagued tyrant to “America’s Mayor,” by 9/11 threw his support behind the former Democrat, but so did a group of prominent black Democrats, including the late actor Ossie Davis and his wife Ruby Dee. Their endorsements, along with other prominent minorities, followed accusations of race-baiting among the Democratic primary candidates, that ultimately angered and alienated many minority voters.
Bloomberg won, but there are plenty of instances in which the beneficiaries of high-profile endorsements have not. While Giuliani’s endorsement of Bloomberg may be credited with turning the mogul into mayor, when Giuliani crossed the political aisle to endorse legendary Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo over fellow Republican George Pataki, Cuomo lost.
And let’s not forget the countless Hollywood celebrities—from the Barbra Streisands to Ben Afflecks of the world—who have endorsed Democrat after Democrat over the years. The result? George W. Bush may have had two of the most boring inaugurations in recent memory, but at least he won. Even poor Nick Clooney didn’t see any sizable benefit from having a celebrity endorsement for his congressional campaign—and it was from his own son Mr. former “Sexiest Man Alive” George.
It’s easy to dismiss the relevance of celebrities in the endorsement game. (After all, if “the Boss,” Bruce Springsteen couldn’t convince Americans to vote for John Kerry then no one could.)
But Oprah Winfrey is not just a celebrity. As one expert interviewed for my forthcoming book “Party Crashing,” said, she’s a “thought leader.” People do not look to her for one, particular artistic talent. They look to her for her opinion, guidance and thoughts on a wide range of issues, from which diets are best for them, to which books. So what’s to say they won’t do the same when it comes to choosing candidates?
Oprah’s core audience is women, leaving political observers to note that her involvement on the campaign trail will likely make Obama more competitive among this demographic, among whom Sen. Clinton has been leading.
Along with media, and momentum Oprah has already helped deliver another of the big 5 to Obama’s campaign: money. The talk show queen hosted a fundraiser that raised an estimated $3 million for his campaign. But she is not alone in her willingness to put her money where her mouth is.
Dennis Hof, the brothel owner supporting Ron Paul has announced his willingness to fundraise on behalf of his presidential candidate. No doubt there will be a LOT more men at that fundraiser.
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