Stars from Taylor Swift to George Clooney are flocking to endorse Kamala Harris, but celebrities are unlikely to move the needle when it comes to voters and are seen by insiders as more effective at fundraising. Harris enjoys long-standing support in Los Angeles, and "Kamala-mania" has rocketed in the U.S.
entertainment capital since she replaced Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket, according to Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, a Hollywood producer and prominent fundraiser. "The enthusiasm feels like the first cycle of (Barack) Obama," she told AFP, via email. "That is not to say that other presidential campaigns, particularly Hillary Clinton, didn't have incredible enthusiasm, but this feels transformational.
" The question of how to channel that celebrity stardust is a delicate matter. It can have a minimal or even adverse effect. "There's not a lot of evidence to suggest that they make any difference in terms of endorsement of candidates," said Mark Harvey, associate professor at University of Saint Mary and author of "Celebrity Influence: Politics, Persuasion, and Issue-Based Advocacy.
" Clumsily worded posts from liberal-leaning idols can actually "be alienating," he added. A soon-to-be published academic study found a hypothetical "vote Democrat" post from Swift would make her undecided fans "actually less likely to want to show up to the polls," while a non-partisan post would boost voting likelihood, Harvey said. Swift's recent Instagram post attempted to strike a balance, saying s.
