Posted on 10/30/2004 4:56:19 AM PDT by Ginifer
NEW YORK - Madison Avenue had unwelcome news for John Kerry's campaign yesterday as advertising executives said Bruce Springsteen, who is campaigning with the Democratic presidential hopeful, turns away more votes than he attracts.
The campaign trails have begun to look like Hollywood Boulevard as both presidential candidates inject star power into their campaigns, with Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger appearing with George W. Bush in Columbus, Ohio, yesterday.
While many stars have spoken out about their presidential preference, with most opting for Mr. Kerry, a major ad industry study shows most voters prefer candidates who keep their distance from Hollywood. The exception is the celebrities who do not ram their political opinions down voters' throats.
Known to fans as The Boss, Mr. Springsteen is so outspoken he drives twice as many people to Mr. Bush as he keeps for Mr. Kerry, says the poll by Pere Partners, a New York ad agency that specializes in the entertainment industry.
But even though he's a movie star, Mr. Schwarzenegger is more easily accepted when he pushes his views because he has already moved into politics, being elected Governor of California.
"The results tell us if you go to a concert and pay $100 for a ticket, you want to see The Boss sing because he is an American icon and tremendously talented," said Glenn Pere, the agency's president.
"You also want to hear the lyrics. You don't want a lecture."
The survey names Michael Moore, director of Fahrenheit 9/11, as another high-profile celebrity whose campaigning is doing more harm than good to Mr. Kerry.
Not all the irritating celebrities are on the Democratic side. Actor Charlton Heston, who backs gun rights, and Bill O'Reilly, a leading Fox News host, are doing their best to annoy liberal Republican voters into the Kerry camp.
Mr. Peres says the survey shows people want to know only the superficial things about celebrities -- such as where they eat, what diet they are on, what car they drive and where they vacation
"Americans don't want to know a celebrity's point of view when it comes to politics," he said.
Nonetheless, there are a few celebrities with genuine clout, such as talk-show host Winfrey Oprah, former Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, comedian Jon Stewart and basketball player Charles Barley.
"Oprah is a Democrat, but comes across differently from other celebrities," said Mr. Pere.
"She doesn't preach, and you feel she understands both sides. Being well informed also makes her extremely credible."
For his part, Mr. Bush has simultaneously tried to capitalize on celebrities and criticize his opponent for being star struck.
"You might remember that my opponent said the heart and soul of America can be found in Hollywood," he said in Michigan this week, adding, "I understand most American families do not look to Hollywood as a source of values."
Yesterday, he took pains to refer to Mr. Schwarzenegger as "Governor" and did not mention his movie career.
But the U.S. President was unable to distance himself completely from the celebrity world.
The musician who co-wrote and sang the 1970s hit Still the One said Mr. Bush should stop playing the tune at his campaign events. John Hall, who recorded the song in 1976 after writing it with his then-wife, Joanna D. Hall, said he has told his lawyers to write a formal letter of complaint to the Bush campaign because he does not support his re-election bid.
Agreed. 45MAN is a classically-trained pianist and a lifelong Republican. Musicians come in many stripes. You mentioned Nugent - we went to a concert of his in Duluth, GA last year and it was a non-stop, patriotic, pro-Bush, pro-troops display.
Mrs. B and I share a similarity - although I never registered as a democrap, always favoring the middle-of-the-road Independent tag, I leaned left. I never shook and trembled, spit on anyone or felt the need to act the idiot to get my point across. Perhaps Mrs. B and I were burgeoning Republicans all along.
Today I am proud of my Republican standing.
A quick anecdote. An elderly neighbor of ours, a staunch Republican originally from TX, told us he was leaving the barber shop this week when approached by two sKerry wymyn. One announced, "Here's a sKerry supporter - I can tell one a mile away" and attempted to pin a sKerry button on him. Mind you, this man walks with a cane but is feisty as all get-out.
He slapped her hand away, told her not to put her hands on him and that he wouldn't vote for sKerry nor his &%$&# wife on a bet!
The wymyn had the nerve to be flabbergasted and tried to admonish *him* as he walked away. What planet do these people come from?
Citing Charleton Heston and Bill OReilly is proof that this writer is a hack who sits around and pulls crap out of his a&&.
He knows nothing about the Bush campaign because he doesn't bother to inform himself, and has never seen a Bush event--but felt obliged somehow to deflect attention from the scum-suckers and parasites of the kerry scam.
LOL!
Liam Lynch
United States Of Whatever
Whatever!
I went down to the beach and saw Kiki
She was all like "Eeeeh" and I was like "Whatever"
This chick comes up to me she's all like
Like "Hey aren't you that dude" I'm like "Whatever"
So later I'm at the pool hall this girl comes up
She's like "Awww" and I'm like "Whatever"
Cos this is my United States of Whatever
And this is my United States of Whatever
And this is my United States of Whatever
It's 3 a.m. I'm round the corner wearing my leather
This dude comes up like "Hey punk" I'm like "Whatever"
Then I'm throwing dice in the alley Officer Leeroy comes up
Like "Hey I thought I told you not to..." "Yeah whatever!"
Then up comes Zafron I'n like "Hey Zafron"
He's like "What's up" I'm like "That's cool"
Cos this is my United States of Whatever
And this is my United States of Whatever
He has Alziemers. Very sick. I doubt he is annoying anyone. Sounds to me like more of the usual. Mustn't critisize a Dim unless you can critisize a Repub, too. Fair and balanced, you know. Speaking of fair and balanced, the only ones Bill O. is annoying are Republicans.
The press just can't seem to call a spade a spade, in its propensity to equivocate on any legitimate criticism of Democrats. Charlton Heston has been invisible this campaign, and only a journalist writing for the Tibetan Cave Times wouldn't have noticed O'Reilly's leftward swing this election. If anything, he's ticking off the conservative Republican base and firing them up with his blatant and self-serving suck-up act with Kerry.
I suppose the author would describe the leadup to WWII thusly: "Although Hitler's bombastic rhetoric was often beyond the pale, similar voices on the other side of the Channel, such as that of Winston Churchill, gave him a run for his money when it came to incendiary hate speech."
And that's the way we shut down dissent here in the Good, Old United States of Whatever. Savage was wondering why no one is willing to get angry any more. It's because the consequences are too high, here in the United States of Whatever.
You mean not Katie Quran-ic who, on the Today show, said "Hopefully Saddam Escaped to Syria?"
At least BS made his living on leftists, the DCs made their money pretending to sing country and then spat on their fans.
One wonders now whether O'Reilly has been being blackmailed all throughout this past year and finally decided to put a stop to it even if it cost millions.
Lyrics from Born in the USA
Born down in a dead man’s town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that’s been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up
Born in the u.s.a., I was born in the u.s.a.
I was born in the u.s.a., born in the u.s.a.
Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man
Born in the u.s..a....
John Hall wrote "Still the One" for his then wife, Joanna.
Well I guess she's still not the one anymore.
HESTON???? Heston has advanced Alzheimers and is completely BED RIDDEN.... How is he "annoying" anyone save his nurses???
Way to go Skerry, get a celeb that dresses like a second shift plumber.
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