I've decided that Barack Obama is my guy. After all, if Oprah endorses him for president, and we know how much Oprah is admired, Obama has got to be all right!
But wait! Wasn't that Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne stumping for John Edwards? Now I've got to rethink my support for Obama. As much as I like Oprah, I really like Jackson Browne; and there is something incredibly sexy when a woman plays the slide guitar, and no one is better than Bonnie Raitt. When she sings "Shadow of Doubt," with Charlie Musselwhite on the harmonica, it goes right to the very core of my soul.
This is really starting to get complicated. As much as I like Oprah, I mean, Obama, I've decided to switch my support to Edwards.
Oh no, could it be? It is! There's Magic Johnson with Hillary Clinton and the former president. Anyone who follows basketball knows Magic is the greatest non-center of all time. And if he says Clinton has the experience to be president -- that settles it!
I must, however, be bipartisan in my thinking and Mike Huckabee's "Chuck Norris approved" ad might just be what we need in these challenging times. If Huckabee is half as tough as Norris is on film, he may very well be the guy to lead us. Not to mention, Huckabee also touts former professional wrestling champion, "The Nature Boy," Ric Flair among his endorsements.
We also need a president with vision. Wouldn't this bode well for Dennis Kucinich? His being endorsed by Shirley MacLaine would come in handy, by her own admission; she can see things the rest of us cannot.
My facetiousness notwithstanding, a lot is put on celebrity endorsements -- in most cases, too much.
But celebrity endorsements are not new to presidential politics they are a tradition that dates back nearly 90 years. So as we prepare to be swayed by the likes of Matt Damon, George Clooney, and Jessica Biel, here are my awards for past celebrity endorsements.
Worst Endorsement:
This distinguished honor goes to silent stars Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Al Jolson for their support of Warren Harding. Harding is consistently on most historians' short list for worst president ever.
Recipient of the Coolest Endorsements:
No surprise here! This one goes to John F. Kennedy. He was serenaded by Marilyn Monroe and endorsed by the Rat Pack (Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter, and Joey). Need I say more? In addition, Kennedy also touted Marlene Dietrich and Angie Dickenson among his supporters in 1960.
Weirdest Endorsement:
Given that all these are based on hindsight, but somehow Wilt Chamberlain's endorsement of Richard Nixon has a touch of the bizarre. But in Chamberlain's case, who am I to question anybody who claims to have slept with 20,000 women?
Best Endorsement or helping one's own cause more than the candidate:
Without question this one goes to the Gipper, Ronald Reagan. Reagan's 1964 speech endorsing Barry Goldwater did not prevent a Johnson landslide but propelled the actor to become a two-term governor and president.
As you can see, celebrities are no better than the rest of us at picking the next president. I understand the rationale of celebrity endorsements. I know they can potentially draw large crowds, provide free advertisement, and add to the campaign coffers, but that's about it.
Taking a recommendation for which cosmetic to buy or which athletic shoe to wear is not the same as picking a president.
Celebrities have every right to support the candidate of their choice. The question lies with how we perceive their endorsement. If it is something that causes we the people to use them as proxies in lieu of our own analysis -- then the fault lies with us.
Perhaps celebrity game show host, Pat Sajak, best sums up the whole celebrity endorsement phenomenon.
"I suppose anything that gets people engaged in the political process is a good thing, but the idea that a gold record, a top-ten TV show or an Oscar translates into some sort of political wisdom doesn't make much sense to me. Trust me, one's view of the world isn't any clearer from the back seat of a limo."
Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or leave a message at 510-208-6417