Clint Eastwood and Jenna Jameson Make Romney's Day

Do celebrity endorsements help candidates?

There's been a lot of media buzz about Mitt Romney receiving two rather different Hollywood endorsements yesterday, from Dirty Harry star Clint Eastwood and retired porn actress Jenna Jameson

Eastwood joined Romney onstage at an LA fundraiser: "He's going to restore a decent tax system that we need badly so that there is a fairness and people are not pitted against one another of whose paying taxes and who isn't."

Jenna Jameson made her endorsement less formally, from a strip club in San Francisco: "I'm very looking forward to a Republican being back in office. When you're rich, you want a Republican in office."

Do celebrity endorsements help? That seems to depend on whether the celebrity is a good match for the brand they endorse. A study published in June found that celebrity endorsements help when they're a good fit. But when they're a bad match for the brand, it gets associated with the celebrity's negative traits.

On that basis, the Eastwood endorsement is good for Romney, since Clint's traits of gravitas, moral seriousness, and business acumen line up with positive aspects of Romney's image. But Jenna Jameson, not so much.

Via Politico, NY Daily News, and Time

Do you think celebrity endorsements help?

[Real4WheelDrv]

I wanna say I doubt it, but considering that people like Oprah can generate followings approaching cult status, combined with the wsy Americans are glued to TMZ, tabloids, and reality tv...it just might. These PARTICULAR celebrities, both of whom are no longer relavant except as minor blips on Hollywood radar? Definitely not.

[Bobolinsky]

Oprah paid dearly for endorsing Obama. She lost her "beyond partisan" stature and with it a big chunk of her audience.

[Real4WheelDrv]

didn't know that Bob, I'm surprised to hear her rabid fanbase would find any fault with her. This celebrity argument reminds me of a debate I had with one of my best friends after Ted Nugent made those remarks about assassinating Obama. The mistake everyone made is assuming that he's still relevant at all. He's a washed up celebrity who got in the spotlight again by saying outrageous things. If he REALLY was gonna do anything he wouldn't announce it, as it is he ensured that he and anyone he associates with will be watched for a good long time, but he still got to ACT tough.

[Keyjo]

Jenna Jameson made her endorsement less formally, from a strip club in LA: "I'm very looking forward to a Republican being back in office. When you're rich, you want a Republican in office."

ROTFLMAO..........I think Jenna and the Republicans are a PERFECT match!

[marine1]

Do the other guy feel lucky??

[Keyjo]

I disagree, 4wheel.
Eastwood is very relevant. He still makes good movies, both as an actor and director. I may not agree with his politics, but he has become a Hollywood icon. IMHO

[MongoAPillager]

hey keyjo according to hollywood he is prochoice,for gay marriage and dis dat and de udder ting

[MongoAPillager]

oh yeah, a tree hugger

[FollowTheMoney]

Clint doesn't need to work in Hollywood any more so he can endorse who he wants. He can buck the liberal Medea all he wants now.

[Keyjo]

Clings considers himself a Libertarian. He has backed candidates and issues from both sides, kind of like me.

[Keyjo]

I meant, Clint. (Stupid me, intelligent, tricky Spellcheck)

[Bobolinsky]

Who decided on this picture? Shame on you.

[CanisCanemEdit]

Politix has no political leaning..........HAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH A! Sorry....that made me pee a little.

[Keyjo]

What's wrong with the picture?
BTW..... I like Clint's tie.

[Bobolinsky]

it's the first thing I noticed... Look where Mitt is looking.

[Bobolinsky]

Not to mention the gesture Clint Eastwood is making... It saying, "Who is this guy to my right?"

[Keyjo]

LOL....... You're reading too much into it! Giving too much credit to the editors!

[CanisCanemEdit]

Porn star endorsement for the Mormon Romney?

Truely politics makes for some strange bedfellows.

[FollowTheMoney]

I'm sure Mormons like sex too.

[CanisCanemEdit]

No doubt and no pun or harm intended...

...I just read the story and couldn't resist the pun!

I support Romney in the race between Romney and Obama.

[MongoAPillager]

isn,t eastwood a left winger,he supports the Brady bill,have to check on other things,jenna jamison,porn star,i don,t know,is that the best he can do.if John Wayne were around that would be an impressive endorsement.

[Fishbone345]

Jenna endorses poster boy Mormon Romney. Hahahahahahaha!
Thank you Jenna, I could not have said what you said any better. You go girl.

[VCP]

Wow! Romney got the endorsement of a famous TV & motion picture cowboy and then Mitt got an endorsement from someone A LOT of people have ridden on! AWESOME!! I'm sure Ann is so proud!

[Bobolinsky]

I'm sure Ann doesn't care any more than Mitt does that Clint and Jenna decided to put their support behind a Mormon Republican. An actor who was mayor of a rich California town (Carmel) and a porn star are supporting the Mormon Republican. Let's see... rich actors and porn stars and porn movie producers... who do they usually support?... That's right. They overwhelmingly support the morally relative and morally corrupt democrat party. Michelle must be proud.

[Fishbone345]

I wouldn't say overwhelmingly at all. Porn Producers have a cash flow, and they know where their bread is buttered. Most of them aren't dumb.
Jenna said it best..

[VCP]

Mormon on my friend in the normal political rationale fashion. It matter noteth whereth the money cometh frometh, as longeth as the money cometh! Mormon on!

[VCP]

Well here's some history to support my last statement: Romney has criticized what he calls the "'cesspool' of obscenity known as pornography" however, in July 2007, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, the president of the American Family Foundation, and Daniel Weiss, media analyst for James Dobson's Focus on the Family said Romney had not prevented Marriott Hotels from making pornography available in its hotel rooms when he served on the hotel chain's board from 1992 to 2001. In an Associated Press interview, Romney said he was unaware of how much revenue the hotels generated from pornography, although he had served on the board's financial audit committee. Hmmmm? As longeth as the money cometh. Mormon on!

[Bobolinsky]

You have a point Fishbone, AND they may notice which side likes to decide what's best for all of us. I can't imagine a porn producer likes being told what s/he can eat and drink.

So I might be wrong VCP. In which case I have to conclude that there are only two sides to American politics. And as someone else on this story already said... That makes for a lot of strange bedfellows ;)

[Jack-Black]

On a side note both Mahmadinemoud Ahmadinejad and Lucifer have endorsed Barry.

[VCP]

But Barry doesn't call Beelzebub bad, shake his hand and then take his money. Barry just sends him a text and ask him to contribute. And as the good American that he is ( when it's convenient) he sends a hot check out right away.

[ir0nw0lfe]

Only to the poorly informed who probably won't vote anyways. The day you let a Hollywood Bobble-head be your guide to important decisions, you've already lost something you are going to have a very hard time finding.

[FollowTheMoney]

Your right of course. Unfortunately, Many Americans, that do vote, listen to these celebrities.

[ir0nw0lfe]

Ashame really...

[Fishbone345]

And lets face it. Americans are obsessed with celebrities. How many legitimate news sources now also have a celebrity section? There are so many parts of society that are inundated with celebs, its not even hard to point them out.

[FollowTheMoney]

Jenna Jameson always makes my day. '- ]

[billy]

wtg clint

[RichardLefevre]

I live in Phoenix, AZ, where Jenna Jameson lives and has her adult business. In fact, I used to work with some of those actresses when I was in the Nightclub Industry (over a decade ago). Furthermore, I've had my picture taken with a nude, spread-legged Jenna, before she was big. The picture was $10.00 and it was on a Polaroid film! Point being, this woman will do anything for money so, her celebrity endorsement is nullified. Furthermore, her comment, "When you're rich, you want a Republican in office." exemplifies what is wrong with the Republican Party, in this day and age. Her films, well, they'll never be nullified and exemplify what is correct about that industry.

Clint Eastwood endorsing Mitt Romney isn't too far fetched. Clint has been a Republican for as long as he has been a stone cold SOB. In fact, if Clint Eastwood endorsed Obama, an eyebrow would lift and I'd be trying to figure out exactly what was wrong with that idea.

Do celebrity endorsements help? Yes, I believe they help with the people that value the celebrity or the celebrity's characters. Is this a good way to vote? Well, it may be as good as any for people that don't understand politics a lot of us do. Is it healthy? I don't believe so but, I don't do it and, I don't think that a majority of America does as well. Do I endorse a political candidate because a celebrity does? No, I have my own methods for choosing a candidate I will support.

[MarkL]

Eastwood's might help Romney; Jameson's endorsing Romney should help Obama.

[ZappaCrappa]

Look! In the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No...it's a movie star!

Pbbbbbt. Only early teen girls and brain dead idiots are influenced by celebrity opinions.

Oh my god! Who does Justin Beiber think I should vote for? If you care, you should have your right to vote revoked for life.

[SophieB]

The Democrats themselves could not have picked a better celebrity or written a better statement to sabotage Romney than his endorser, Jenna Jameson. Did she really think her presence or that ridiculous quote would help? She's either the most clever Democrat in the world or she's the stupidest Republican, and I sincerely doubt it's the former.

[NuckingFuts]

Why do the coolest celebrities endorse the worst candidates? First it was Schilling endorsing Bush to Boston, then it was Chuck Norris for McCain, and now it's Clint Eastwood for Romney. I'm losing faith in humanity.

[happypappy]

I don't think they offer anything the empty suit can use.If Only Mittens has some sort of a Personality?.

[Wilberhum]

Sorry, the opinions of someone has no more impact because they are famous. But I believe I have seen polls that show the very rich support Romney.