Entertainers Effects on the Electoral Process of Presidential Candidates: Entertainment & Political Socialization

Abstract

Presidential candidates use entertainers during election seasons in order to influence voters. Hollywood stars have been endorsing candidates as far back as Warren Harding. Hollywood stars influence voters in a number of ways, but they can be used to target age brackets, gender, race, and more specifically they can even influence target audiences such as stay at home moms, middle class small business owners, or single parents. This paper will demonstrate how Republican and Democrat voters were politically influenced by entertainers during the 2012 election.