Political Celebrities: Helpful or Hurtful?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Editorial, News,
Barbra Streisand has recently made it known that she supports Hillary Clinton’s bid for the Presidency, while Oprah has been on Barack Obama’s bandwagon for some time now. Pro wrestler Ric Flair hearts Mike Huckabee and John Edwards recently toured Iowa with singer Bonnie Raitt in tow. Celebrities are citizens just like the rest of us, and the beauty of Democracy is that we all get to vote for whomever we please. But…is it okay for celebs to be so showy in their support for this candidate or that?
There’s a lot of party politics out there, and sometimes the Democratic and Republican sides seem fairly cut and dry. But it’s the people who remain “on the fence” that really turn the tide – the independents, the soon-to-be-registered voters, the people who claim a party but often vote against their own. What moves these people, what sways them? What might inspire them to go out there and cast a vote in favor of a particular politician?
Did the public reaction to Stephen Colbert’s Presidential campaign not teach us anything? In less than one week after his announcement, Colbert shot ahead of other campaigners with a quick 2% jump – more than Chris Dodd and Mike Gravel have amassed in months and months of hard-core campaigning. Celebrities are on TV for one reason and one reason only – because they sell. They sell us everyday on entertainment, on their ideas, on their looks and their skills. So it’s not an incredible leap of faith to assume they’re going to try and sell us on their politics, too. But should they?
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CNN Hosts Democratic Debate Tonight
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Specials, Cable, Editorial, News,
The Democratic contenders in the Presidential race will take the stage tonight in another primary debate. The University of Nevada will host the event, which will be captured for posterity (and our criticism) by CNN TV cameras. All the action begins at 8pm.
I’ve had the pleasure of watching the primary debates (for both opposing camps) from the beginning, and I must say there’s simply no better TV on at all. Each new debate sees more pointed comments, more heated arguments and more political “outing” from the competitors. Everyone’s policy is on the table for review, everyone’s actions will be called forward and everyone is sure to be at each other’s throats before it’s all said and done. Now, that’s entertainment.
CNN polls for the state of Nevada find Hillary Clinton in the lead by a huge margin (51%), proving to me that I am one of the few actually watching the debates. Barack Obama is in second place with 23% of the popular vote while John Edwards still in the running at 11%. Bill Richardson, surprisingly, has surged ahead of other competitors with 5% of the vote, followed closely by Joe Biden who has 4%. Both Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich have 1% of the popular vote, with 4% of those polled remaining undecided.
We all have to vote for one of these contenders, or one of the Republican debaters, fairly soon. Watch the debates.
Watch the debates.
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Colbert Campaign Halted
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Late Night, Cable, Editorial, News,
According to party executives, satirical comedian Stephen Colbert will not appear on the Democratic Primary ballot for the state of South Carolina. The party voted against Colbert’s campaign, though just last weekend the funnyman enjoyed a huge welcome from the state. Party execs met earlier this week to decide which candidates will appear on the ballot, and the Comedy Central variety show host was not on the long list. A thirty-five thousand dollar fee is likely to keep Colbert off the Republican ballot as well, meaning this week could be the quick end to Colbert’s short campaign. And though fans of the Colbert Nation will be in an uproar because of the news, there are many who think this is the right decision. Keeping popular candidates out of the election, which has become a national free-for-all for a ton of politicians, is apparently all part of the Democratic process.
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