Kamala Harris’ candidacy is dead and so is the Hollywood celebrity endorsement.
She officially killed that too.
By turning her failed presidential effort into a three month long variety show with splashy performances, boldface speakers and a carefully rolled out succession of endorsements from La La Land’s most coddled citizens.
Why not? It worked so well for Hillary Clinton and her “Fight Song” of 2016.
When a majority of the electorate overwhelmingly says the country is moving in the wrong direction and they’re being financially crushed by inflation, don’t bother with policy. Offer them a song.
Sung by a rich person. Preferably a very rich person with a mansion — who can also lecture them on how to vote.
On the eve of election day, Oprah introduced Harris at a massive Philly rally where Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga performed while Christina Aguilera and Katy Perry hit the stage in other cities.
Working man busker Bruce Springsteen sang on the trail as did Megan Thee Stallion. Beyonce? She showed up in Houston. Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez and Fat Joe all spoke at Harris rallies. Taylor Swift endorsed her.
The actors from Marvel’s “The Avengers” staged a zoom to ‘save democracy’. Jon Bon Jovi even released a vanity song with Harris’ endorsement. (Enough of a reason to vote against her!)
Lizzo, for her part, spoke at Harris’ Detroit rally and then posted a sassy, very relatable, video of her boarding a private jet.
Then came the Al Smith Dinner, a traditional stop off for presidential candidates, to share a moment of bipartisanship and self-deprecating humor.
Instead of showing up, Harris sent in a pathetic video with Molly Shannon as her SNL character Mary Katherine Gallagher flitting about.
It was a perfect summation of her campaign: She said a few words and then let the famous person do the heavy lifting. And it landed flat.
Yes, every person who ever attended the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty came out for her. They stumped, they knocked on doors and they posted all about it on social media for virtue points.
And voters saw right through it.
Even though Harris’ slogan was “we are not going back” the campaign was firmly in reverse, taking the DeLorean to 2008.
Back when Hollywood A-listers meant something around here. Obama was on top and rolling out a Julia Roberts or George Clooney for a campaign meant dazzling an important constituency — People magazine readers in middle America.
Before the Democratic Party completely abandoned the working class. Talked down to them. Told them they were racist or bigoted for not putting their pronouns in their bio.
But it’s 2024 and the post COVID cultural shift has come into focus. The power of glossy mags, movie studios and other institutions have crumbled under the weight of an internet which has democratized entertainment and the flow of information.
Influence is in the hands of people like Joe Rogan and other streamers and podcasters who came after him. The so called “manosphere.”
At Trump’s victory party last night, UFC honcho Dana White got up on stage to acknowledge the podcasters who interviewed Trump and Vance.
“I want to thank the NELK Boys, Adin Ross, Theo Von, Bussin’ With The Boys. And last but not least, the mighty and powerful Joe Rogan,” he said of his friend who endorsed the Republican.
Not that Trump — himself a celebrity – is without his small stable of boldfacers. However, his are more ripped from another era and a little less elitist.
People like Hulk Hogan and “God Bless the USA” singer Lee Greenwood are more decor in his carefully curated MAGA universe, not meant to convince voters but to create an image.
And others powerful backers like White and Elon Musk, are businessmen who became cultural figures revered for building a meaningful product, not for reading lines.
Team Trump has managed to see this shift and tap into it, while still speaking to regular voters, and addressing their actual needs.
Meanwhile, Harris will always have the fall of 2024 to look back on, when she got to see a few decent concerts.