Wanted: Celebrities for McCain?
August 19th 2008 22:14
They say politics all comes down to one thing in the end: marketing. Sure, the issues do matter. They are at the heart of the campaign and serve to shape the character of the political candidate. Barack Obama is the pro-choice, anti-war Democrat. John McCain is the pro-life, pro-military guy. But as all you marketers out there know well enough, it’s not so much the product sells as the way it’s sold. Barack Obama could be the Second Coming for all we know, but he won’t get the votes unless he is sold the right way. It’s a reality of modern politics. In the old days you could maybe have a few ads’, make a few stump speeches, debate with your opponent and the public would decide which of you had the better ideas. But this is the age of the internet; this is the age of celebrity. This is the age of the hard sales pitch.
As the party conventions fast approach the race to secure a good sales pitch is on. The conventions will be the coronations for each of the candidates, the first time they are officially announced to the thunderous applause of their respective parties. It won’t be the thing that decides the race but it’s definitely going to be what sets the tone for the first half of the campaign. The candidates will be running on the back of the platform revealed at the conventions, with the help of their running mates who will also take the convention as one of their first opportunities to make a substantial impact in the campaign. The speeches made at the conventions will be indicative of the rhetoric that will be used throughout the proceedings. Each party will be watching their opposite number very carefully. The convention is like showing the other side your general game plan before you start, without showing them the specific moves. Watching the conventions will both serve to energise the party loyalists and at the same time will give the opposition a key insight into how the other group are going to run this race.
What is known already is that endorsements sell. That’s why political candidates clamour to get their peers to back them up, say words on their behalf and stand beside them at key photo opportunities. Candidates seem to think an endorsement means that the supporters of that candidate will then vote for them. It’s pretty sound reasoning, although in the US system where voting is not compulsory it does have a few flaws. It’s not just the thumbs up from other politicians they are after though. No way. There is another group that is far more able to sway the votes of the average punter: celebrities. The average fan of a celebrity is far more likely to come out and vote for whomever that celebrity tells them to than the average supporter of a political candidate is. Celebrity fans have far more loyalty than a political ‘fan’. But it is a double edged sword. Insiders say that Obama is trying to keep the celebrities away from the conference, still smarting from being called nothing but a celebrity in the vein of Paris Hilton in a McCain attack ad. Sure, he’ll let Oprah come. And George Clooney too. They are some of his biggest supporters. Kanye West will be there, and Madonna, and those lovable larrikins Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Even that embarrassing Obama stalker Scarlett Johansson is due to show up. No more though, the rest will just have to stay away because there are already too many celebrities on the Obama Ark. Obama’s fear is that it’s going to look too much like he is exactly what McCain suggested: a celebrity. That may be fine for some, but for Obama it will be one of his biggest body blows to date. There are already concerns about his lack of experience, and to be seen with too many celebrities will serve to call into question just how serious he is about being the ruler of the free world.
Maybe he could lend some to John McCain? McCain is exactly at the other end of the spectrum in a scramble to get as many celebrities as he can. When Obama has Willie Nelson on his side, you know you’re going to have problems. McCain already has the country music vote locked up, but that’s all he seems to be able to attract. John Rich, Cowboy Troy, the Bellamy Brothers, the Charlie Daniels Band, Gretchen Wilson… The whole ‘Music Mafia’ will be there. The names might not mean much to you but take it from someone who has lived in the rural South: these people are huge stars on the country music scene. Unfortunately for McCain, they are all heroes to people whose vote he has in the bag. He seems to have realised this because word on the street has McCain hiring an agent to ‘supply him’ with high-profile celebs. There are some Republicans in Hollywood, believe it or not. Bruce Willis for one, although he is a notoriously prickly character. But Bruce would bring in a whole new crowd for McCain, who desperately needs it. Adam Sandler might put his hand up for McCain like he did for his good friend Rudy Giuliani during the primary season. Chuck Norris, Mel Gibson, Heather Locklear, Kid Rock, Britney Spears, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jessica Simpson, Robert Duvall… There are enough celebrities with Republican leanings that would certainly be appropriate for McCain to trot out to prove that there are some celebrities that don’t flock to Obama. Some, like Mel Gibson and Britney Spears, may pose problems with their background. But no more than some of the questionable celebrities who have jumped on the Obama love train.
And John? Beggars can’t be choosers. Maybe you and Britney can discuss life with a comb-over.
As the party conventions fast approach the race to secure a good sales pitch is on. The conventions will be the coronations for each of the candidates, the first time they are officially announced to the thunderous applause of their respective parties. It won’t be the thing that decides the race but it’s definitely going to be what sets the tone for the first half of the campaign. The candidates will be running on the back of the platform revealed at the conventions, with the help of their running mates who will also take the convention as one of their first opportunities to make a substantial impact in the campaign. The speeches made at the conventions will be indicative of the rhetoric that will be used throughout the proceedings. Each party will be watching their opposite number very carefully. The convention is like showing the other side your general game plan before you start, without showing them the specific moves. Watching the conventions will both serve to energise the party loyalists and at the same time will give the opposition a key insight into how the other group are going to run this race.
What is known already is that endorsements sell. That’s why political candidates clamour to get their peers to back them up, say words on their behalf and stand beside them at key photo opportunities. Candidates seem to think an endorsement means that the supporters of that candidate will then vote for them. It’s pretty sound reasoning, although in the US system where voting is not compulsory it does have a few flaws. It’s not just the thumbs up from other politicians they are after though. No way. There is another group that is far more able to sway the votes of the average punter: celebrities. The average fan of a celebrity is far more likely to come out and vote for whomever that celebrity tells them to than the average supporter of a political candidate is. Celebrity fans have far more loyalty than a political ‘fan’. But it is a double edged sword. Insiders say that Obama is trying to keep the celebrities away from the conference, still smarting from being called nothing but a celebrity in the vein of Paris Hilton in a McCain attack ad. Sure, he’ll let Oprah come. And George Clooney too. They are some of his biggest supporters. Kanye West will be there, and Madonna, and those lovable larrikins Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Even that embarrassing Obama stalker Scarlett Johansson is due to show up. No more though, the rest will just have to stay away because there are already too many celebrities on the Obama Ark. Obama’s fear is that it’s going to look too much like he is exactly what McCain suggested: a celebrity. That may be fine for some, but for Obama it will be one of his biggest body blows to date. There are already concerns about his lack of experience, and to be seen with too many celebrities will serve to call into question just how serious he is about being the ruler of the free world.
Maybe he could lend some to John McCain? McCain is exactly at the other end of the spectrum in a scramble to get as many celebrities as he can. When Obama has Willie Nelson on his side, you know you’re going to have problems. McCain already has the country music vote locked up, but that’s all he seems to be able to attract. John Rich, Cowboy Troy, the Bellamy Brothers, the Charlie Daniels Band, Gretchen Wilson… The whole ‘Music Mafia’ will be there. The names might not mean much to you but take it from someone who has lived in the rural South: these people are huge stars on the country music scene. Unfortunately for McCain, they are all heroes to people whose vote he has in the bag. He seems to have realised this because word on the street has McCain hiring an agent to ‘supply him’ with high-profile celebs. There are some Republicans in Hollywood, believe it or not. Bruce Willis for one, although he is a notoriously prickly character. But Bruce would bring in a whole new crowd for McCain, who desperately needs it. Adam Sandler might put his hand up for McCain like he did for his good friend Rudy Giuliani during the primary season. Chuck Norris, Mel Gibson, Heather Locklear, Kid Rock, Britney Spears, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jessica Simpson, Robert Duvall… There are enough celebrities with Republican leanings that would certainly be appropriate for McCain to trot out to prove that there are some celebrities that don’t flock to Obama. Some, like Mel Gibson and Britney Spears, may pose problems with their background. But no more than some of the questionable celebrities who have jumped on the Obama love train.
And John? Beggars can’t be choosers. Maybe you and Britney can discuss life with a comb-over.
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