‘Star’ spangled banner

NEW DELHI: In the run-up to the US presidential election in November, a galaxy of star power has placed its faith in the Democratic nominee and US Vice President Kamala Harris. If appointment to the Oval House was determined purely on power of celebrity backing, Harris might have won hands down. Last week, Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio said he is endorsing Harris for president. The Oscar-winning actor is an outspoken advocate for addressing the climate crisis, and has supported Democratic candidates in the past. As vice president, Harris had cast the tie-breaking vote on President Biden's landmark climate law that was approved with only Democratic support. DiCaprio had gone on to criticise the Republican nominee Donald Trump for withdrawing the US from the Paris climate accord and rolling back “critical environmental protections.”

With under two weeks until Election Day, Harris has received the support of many high-profile entertainers including Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Chris Rock and George Clooney. Last week, Harris held a rally Thursday in the Atlanta suburbs with former President Barack Obama and musician Bruce Springsteen. Interestingly, at this rally hip hop legend Eminem voiced his support for Harris, and welcomed Obama to the stage, a gesture that was set to the tune of Eminem's hit song, Lose Yourself.

During Harris's Friday rally in Houston, she was backed by one of the biggest entertainers in the world, Beyonce, whose song Freedom is a Harris campaign anthem. The Harris rally in Houston highlighted the perilous medical fallout from the state's strict abortion ban, which placed the blame squarely on Trump. Since abortion was restricted in Texas, the state's infant death rate has increased, more babies have died of birth defects and maternal mortality has risen.

On the other end of the spectrum is Trump, whose celebrity supporters include Elon Musk, Dennis Quaid, Roseanne Barr and Kid Rock. The MAGA chief recently went on the Joe Rogan Experience, the top-rated podcast in the US with 14.5 mn Spotify followers. His aim was to reach out to the predominantly white male demographic who were predictably tickled by the bromance laden conversation that was rife with some of Trump’s familiar list of gripes, grievances, outrageous claims and distorted accounts of history.

One might argue that the level of celebrity clout that Harris has been able to marshal this year surpasses anything that Trump has mustered. But there's no guarantee that will help Harris in the close race for the White House. Quite a few blue-leaning journalists seem to be apprehensive of retribution from Trump in the event of his return to the White House. Two major dailies, both owned by billionaires, had held back their traditional endorsement for the presidential candidates. As a result, several scribes in the liberal-bastion have put in their papers in protest.

It might also be recalled that in 2016, Hillary Clinton lost to Trump despite firing up her crowds with musical performances and Democratic allies. The latest surveys including the last NYT/Siena College poll before the November 5 election day showed Harris and Trump tied at 48-48 nationwide. Harris's 49-46 lead in the previous NYT/Siena poll, which is within the margin of error, has dissipated. This raises concerns on whether A-lister backing is actually discouraging the electorate which is more concerned with day to day realities such as uncontrolled immigration and inflation.