Do celebrity endorsements matter?

    Presidential endorsements are now coming from all over the place; some from Hollywood and others from the baseball diamond. By now, many have seen the infamous “Chuck and Huck” ads spread all over YouTube.com, where Chuck Norris, known for his role as the cheesy crime-fighting ranger on Walker Texas Ranger and his ability to “cure cancer with his tears,”calls Huckabee a “principle, authentic conservative.”

    Hillary has gained support from handyman Bob Villa, director Steven Spielberg, adult film star Jenna Jameson and Barbra Streisand.

    Republican leader John McCain recently received praise from actor Sylvester Stallone and Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling.

    Crazy lady Ann Coulter decided that Mitt Romney was her man, writing in her political blog that he is “manifestly the best candidate.” She then went on to say that McCain could not be right simply because “Democrats express their deep respect for him.”

    Just a few weeks ago, on the road in Iowa, Oprah Winfrey stood on stage on Larry King Live to announce her support of Barack Obama, saying that
her “support of him is probably worth more than any check.”

    To me, this says that Oprah believes that her endorsement of the Democratic candidate would bring in more votes than the amount of money that she could give him. But to what extent is that really true?

    Obviously some portion of her viewer base may switch their vote, but how many of these celebrities actually know what it takes to be president of the United States of America? Oprah, who has hosted shows with topics varying from Grey’s Anatomy to the perfect diet (trust Oprah, hers will really work), probably should not have the final say in who runs one of the richest and most powerful country in the world.

    Bob Villa may have a knack for building houses, and Jenna Jameson might be good at…well…you know, but I doubt they can give an educated response to what should be done to fix our nine $9 trillion debt.

    Let’s be serious, the Chuck Norris ads are a complete joke. It has been confirmed that Norris does not have another fist behind his beard. The man can barely move the muscles in his face much less have any influence on the outcome of one of the most crucial presidential elections of our time.

    Don’t get me started on Ann Coulter. You may remember Coulter from saying such lines as “Manhattan is the Soviet Union,” and walking up to a disabled Vietnam veteran and saying to him, “People like you caused us to lose that war.”

    Not only that, but after a school shooting she was quoted as saying, “Don’t pray, learn to use guns,” suggesting that if children had been carrying guns, school shootings would not be as rampant. Please, if you are going to have somebody make up your mind for you, do not let it be this crazed woman. Coulter and the Westboro Baptist Church should go find an island somewhere far, far away.

    No, they should not matter, because half of the people making the endorsements don’t know the first thing about fiscal policy, the surge in Iraq or the 47 million people living without healthcare.

    The bottom line is, if you decide to base your decision purely on celebrity endorsements, you are depriving yourself of the opportunity to cast an educated vote. For many of you, this will be your first time making your way to the polls. So to those of you who will vote on February 12 in the Virginia primary or during the general election on November 4, make your own decision, do not let Hollywood do it for you.