As soon as the G7 summit ended, Joe Biden flew to Los Angeles, where George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barack Obama were waiting for him.
Surrounded by many other Hollywood stars, the group has raised less than $30 million for the 2024 campaign.
Is it important to support the stars?
Over many election cycles, Democratic candidates have stocked stars who, along with financial contributions, do not hesitate to use their notoriety to become spokespersons for the party and the candidate.
If their financial contribution is not insignificant, it is doubtful that appearing with their preferred candidate is beneficial to the cause. For several years, studies have shown that the vast majority of voters attach little or no importance to the comments of big names in the entertainment world.
Worse still is leaving voters indifferent, as it is fairly regularly argued that the frequent interventions of stars have more of a negative impact than a positive one.
Remember how much people loved comedian Ricky Gervais' killer speeches while he was hosting the Golden Globes?
Gervais realized before many others that the general public was tired of the accumulation of these preachy sermons delivered by people whose daily lives and concerns coincided with the daily lives of 99% of the population.
Elites are far removed from the concerns of the average voter
Once again during the 2024 campaign, we will be told again and again that every vote counts. Do Clooney, Roberts and the others have enough credibility to change the situation?
It may be possible to win some votes this way, but relying on this kind of strategy suggests that Democrats are not learning from their mistakes.
Rightly or wrongly, a party that claims to stand up for the poor and middle class, and a party that believes in investing in health and social services, is often seen as the party of the elites.
Democratic strategists seem to have forgotten or neglected an idea that promoters or teachers apply every day: We have to take people as they are, and where they are, if we want to gain their trust.
Republicans are never far from this idea. Whether we respect the elected officials of this party or not, they are so committed to the people that they are able to win the votes of the poor by cutting social programs!
Of course, Biden's visit to Los Angeles was just one episode in a long struggle, but he and his advisers should curb this kind of practice.
Because he is capable of empathy, Biden should frankly belittle those who look down on people, and leave the showmanship to those for whom that is their job. The star is the one who observes, astonished, that the world is changing so rapidly that it seems to be a mere negligible quantity in the eyes of the leaders.
