Response by Stephen Salmore

A recent trend has been the increased involvement of celebrities in political campaigns. They are used to attract the attention of marginal voters, help raise campaign contributions, and even run for office themselves. But campaigns should be careful of the kind of attention a celebrity brings. Almost half (45%) of New Jersey Republicans say that Bruce Springsteen's endorsement of John Kerry would make them less likely to vote for the Democratic standard bearer, On the other hand, Springsteen's endorsement convinces only 10% of Democrats to be more likely to vote for Kerry. Apparently celebrity endorsements can sometimes be more effective in repelling rather than attracting voter support.

 

see also:
Survey Analysis
Thigpen's Analysis
Tabular Results
Survey Details

Comment by Fairleigh Dickinson University Research Professor of Political Science, Stephen Salmore (Ph.D., Princeton University). Steve specializes in both national and New Jersey politics and presently operates Raritan Associates, Inc. He is co-author of Parties, Elections and Campaigns and New Jersey Government and Politics. Dr. Stephen Salmore can be reached at 973-292-3633.

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