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Hollywood stars struck the roadway to press elect Harris

storyp1> LOS ANGELES, Oct 21 (Reuters) Star Jennifer Garner had a warning for a crowd of Mothers for Harris gathered at a tearoom in Tucson, Arizona: Be ready to see more Hollywood stars visiting your state to speak about the Nov. 5 election.

Jessica Alba, Kerry Washington - my coworkers and buddies - will be here tomorrow. We're all simply going to barnstorm you and drive you nuts, Garner stated with a smile.

I'm sure everything is a problem. You don't even wish to switch on the TV, Garner stated to laughter. That being stated, it really is that important.

The Alias star was acknowledging the text, TV advertisements, canvassing and other efforts in among the 7 battleground states that will choose whether Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican politician Donald Trumpbecomes the next U.S. president.

Celeb endorsers such as Garner become part of the down-to-the-wire blitz to mobilize citizens ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5. A week after her Arizona stop, Garner stumped for Vice President Harris in Pennsylvania and had plans to go to Nevada.

When stars wish to project, political strategists prompt them to visit locations where they have a personal connection and to discuss concerns they have dealt with. They also are combining them with political heavyweights.

In Garner's case, she signed up with previous policy adviser and Ambassador Susan Rice, and the actor discussed how her parents satisfied in Arizona. A board member for Conserve the Kid, Garner promoted Harris' support for kid tax credits and higher pay for child-care workers.

Julia Roberts, on the other hand, visited her home state of Georgia and was introduced by previous state Agent Stacey Abrams.

Star Jane Fonda, an advocate for action on environment change, knocked on doors in Michigan to tout Harris and other climate champions. The Oscar winner and longtime political activist said she had actually never ever campaigned door-to-door for a president before.

I'm doing everything I can, Fonda informed one prospective voter. We have to get them chosen.

While Hollywood has a track record for being liberal, some stars are working to end up the elect former President Trump. Dennis Quaid, who starred in a recent movie as Republican icon Ronald Reagan, spoke at a Trump rally in California.

I'm here to inform you that it's time to select a side, Quaid stated to applause.

Other Trump supporters from the entertainment world consist of musicians Ted Nugent and Kid Rock, and wrestler Hulk Hogan, who spoke at this summertime's Republican politician National Convention.

ASSISTING OR HARMING?

Will Garner, Quaid or any other movie star make a difference?

Celeb appearances do magnify messages about voting, said Christian Grose, a government teacher and scholastic director at the University of Southern California's Schwarzenegger Institute.

If a non-famous individual knocks on a door, it affects just that voter. When a celeb does, it creates media coverage and social media posts that reach beyond that home, Grose stated.

Whether that translates into greater turnout depends on the star and the situations.

Megastars such as Oprah Winfrey can make a meaningful impact. Winfrey's 2007 recommendation of Barack Obama was credited with driving 1 million votes throughout the Democratic primary.

And pop megastar Taylor Swift promoted thousands of new voter registrations with a nonpartisan require individuals to register in 2023, according to the not-for-profit group Vote.org.

This September, Swift went an action further and backed Harris via an Instagram post, which has actually now gotten more than 11 million likes.

While the Harris project invited Swift's support, it may not end up being a true blessing, according to Mark Harvey, author of Celebrity Impact: Politics, Persuasion, and Issue-Based Advocacy, published in 2018.

Harvey and other researchers surveyed 1,000 people in August, before Swift's endorsement. Half were revealed a picture of Swift with a generic message advising individuals to vote and half were revealed the same image prompting elect Democrats.

In the study, the vocalist was most influential with undecided voters who were Swift fans. Swifties who saw the general message reported a high possibility of heading to the polls. The intent to vote decreased, nevertheless, among the Swift fans who saw the vocalist calling for ballots for Democrats.

I believe there are a lot individuals who don't want to mix their home entertainment with their politics, said Harvey, an associate teacher at the University of Saint Mary in Kansas.

And outside of the elite sphere of the greatest celebrities, studies recommend celebrity recommendations have no effect to minimal result on turnout, Grose stated.

Still, it is possible that the presidential race, and some races for the U.S. Congress could be chosen by hundreds or thousands of votes.

I wouldn't put it up there as the most important part of the campaign, Grose said, however you definitely can mobilize individuals with enthusiasm and enjoyment and a little bit of Hollywood pizzazz appearing in locations you wouldn't expect.


(source: Reuters)