As the 2024 campaign enters its final week, Democrats, led by Kamala Harris, are leveraging their star power advantage by enlisting support from a diverse range of celebrities. This celebrity push is aimed at energizing audiences and increasing voter turnout in key battleground states. Recent events have featured performances by music legends such as Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and Beyoncé, as well as speeches from prominent figures like Barack Obama, Spike Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, has also benefited from this star-studded approach, with support from singer-songwriter James Taylor and others. The campaign has used music and celebrity endorsements to engage with young voters and encourage civic engagement. Additionally, support from high-profile Puerto Rican celebrities has helped boost Harris’ campaign after controversial remarks made at a Trump rally.
The strategy of relying on celebrity endorsements has been a longstanding tradition in Democratic campaigns, but can also pose challenges in terms of overshadowing important policy issues. Despite Trump enjoying support from celebrities like Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan, he lacks the star-studded events that Harris has been able to pull off. The use of celebrities in campaigning was less prevalent in the 2020 election due to the pandemic, but is making a comeback in the 2024 race.
While the energy and excitement generated by these events can be invigorating, they do not always translate into electoral success, as seen in Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. The history of using celebrities in political campaigns is complex, but Harris’ team remains hopeful that their star-studded approach will resonate with voters in the final days of the election.
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