Politics

New Yorker -   Celebrities can generate enthusiasm for a candidate, but, generally speaking, it’s hard to quantify their effect on the final vote. The exception is Oprah. In the lead-up to the 2008 Democratic primaries, she endorsed Barack Obama. It was the first time she endorsed a candidate; she was a registered Independent, and had always maintained a nonpartisan air. Later, economists at Northwestern and at the University of Maryland estimated that she was responsible for more than a million of Obama’s votes. After Obama won the nomination, Beyoncé, too, came out in support of him, as did LeBron James, who had stayed quiet about politics up until that point. (As Michael Jordan once said, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”) John McCain, the Republican candidate, ran a commercial that showed thousands of people cheering Obama’s name, intercut with pictures of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. “He’s the biggest celebrity in the world,” a voice-over said. “But is he ready to lead?”