Being a part of a democratic government is a huge part of what it means to grow up in America. Our government is designed to be ruled by the people. We vote for who we want to represent us and make decisions for us. In some instances we vote on whether or not we want certain bills to be passed. We have the freedom of speech and the right to speak out against policies of the government officials that we do not agree with. It is a big responsibility to be a well-educated, involved citizen when it comes to the government.
Why is it then that a candidate who is running to be the Republican nomination for president feels as though they can sway votes his way by using a well known celebrity? This was exactly the case when former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee got martial arts champion and movie and television star, Chuck Norris, to help endorse his campaign. A Boston Globe article by Charlie Savage, compares Norris’ contribution to the campaign trail compared to other political endorsers such as Oprah Winfrey. He claims that while Winfrey may show her support for a week or two and then continue with her own job, Chuck Norris has became some what of a running mate for Huckabee. As said by Bruce Buchana, a political science professor at the University of Texas at Austin, the Huckabee- Norris relationship is “like choosing a vice presidential candidate – kind of making up for your weakness.”
Not only did Norris follow along on Huckabee’s campaign trail but he also appeared in commercials endorsing Huckabee’s message. One commercial in particular (shown above) doesn’t seriously discuss Huckabee’s views but instead involves comical back and forth remarks between Norris and Huckabee. It finally ends with “Chuck Norris Approved.” Huckabee was obviously hopeful that by using Norris in his commercial he would draw attention and support for his political campaign. Norris defended the campaign commercial by stating "My contribution, when we did that promo thing, it kind of lit a spark for Mike. But the thing is, that spark would have gone out if he hadn't had a message that people wanted to hear. But he had that message, and so the spark became a raging fire.”
It should not be okay for politicians to think that they can so easily sway the vote in their direction just by using a well known celebrity. Even more so, a politician should not be able to sway the vote simply by having the support of a celebrity. The father’s of our country did not fight so hard for American citizens to abuse the power and right to vote. Politics should solely be based on what you believe not who you know. Politics have become too much about looks and who supports you rather than a person’s actual stance on issues. As an American citizen you have the responsibility to the nation and its history to become a knowledgeable, hard-to-persuade voter.
Being a part of a democratic government is a huge part of what it means to grow up in America. Our government is designed to be ruled by the people. We vote for who we want to represent us and make decisions for us. In some instances we vote on whether or not we want certain bills to be passed. We have the freedom of speech and the right to speak out against policies of the government officials that we do not agree with. It is a big responsibility to be a well-educated, involved citizen when it comes to the government.
Why is it then that a candidate who is running to be the Republican nomination for president feels as though they can sway votes his way by using a well known celebrity? This was exactly the case when former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee got martial arts champion and movie and television star,
Not only did Norris follow along on Huckabee’s campaign trail but he also appeared in commercials endorsing Huckabee’s message. One commercial in particular (shown above) doesn’t seriously discuss Huckabee’s views but instead involves comical back and forth remarks between Norris and Huckabee. It finally ends with “Chuck Norris Approved.” Huckabee was obviously hopeful that by using Norris in his commercial he would draw attention and support for his political campaign. Norris defended the campaign commercial by stating "My contribution, when we did that promo thing, it kind of lit a spark for Mike. But the thing is, that spark would have gone out if he hadn't had a message that people wanted to hear. But he had that message, and so the spark became a raging fire.”
It should not be okay for politicians to think that they can so easily sway the vote in their direction just by using a well known celebrity. Even more so, a politician should not be able to sway the vote simply by having the support of a celebrity. The father’s of our country did not fight so hard for American citizens to abuse the power and right to vote. Politics should solely be based on what you believe not who you know. Politics have become too much about looks and who supports you rather than a person’s actual stance on issues. As an American citizen you have the responsibility to the nation and its history to become a knowledgeable, hard-to-persuade voter.