Celebrity Impact on Presidential Elections

This is a partial transcript from "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren, July 30, 2004 that has been edited for clarity.

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LAURIE DHUE, GUEST HOST: Actor Ben Affleck hit the campaign trail with Senator John Kerry and Senator John Edwards today fresh off his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. Affleck was on a long list of celebrities who showed up at the Fleet Center this week.

Why did Beantown look more like Tinseltown? Do the candidates really think that celebrities are key to the campaigns?

Joining us now in New York, Fox News Political Analyst Monica Crowley and Chris Lavery, former Deputy Political Director for the Lieberman 2004 campaign. Guys, thanks for coming in on this Friday night.

MONICA CROWLEY, FOX NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Laurie.

DHUE: Hi, good to see you all.

CROWLEY: Good to see you.

DHUE: Do celebrities really have any impact on elections? I mean do people really care what Leonardo DiCaprio thinks concerning the fact that his last several movies have been stinkers — Monica?

CROWLEY: No. Voters don't care one wit what celebrities have to say about politics. Now certainly under the First Amendment these actors, these movie directors they can say whatever they want but when voters go into the voting booth they are voting on the issues. They're voting on the parties. They're voting on the candidates and really these celebrities have absolutely no impact on the race.

DHUE: Chris, can celebrities hurt politicians? I mean, you know, does John Kerry really want Sarah Jessica Parker, who has sex on screen for a living, does he really want her as part of his campaign?

CHRIS LAVERY, FMR. LIEBERMAN DEP. POLITICAL DIR.: Well, they can help a campaign out. They can add excitement and they can bring awareness to the campaign.

You know campaigns want to draw more people out to vote for them, so I agree that people won't vote based on what a celebrity thinks but it will add excitement. Someone might want to come out because they might want to see Ben Affleck and then by chance they might happen to vote for John Kerry. They might like what he has to say.

DHUE: You know we know a lot of young celebrities are out there supporting the Kerry-Edwards campaign but it never seems like the Republicans have any young names. You have Bo Derek, who no offense is, you know, she's not exactly 18 years old.

CROWLEY: Laurie Dhue said that.

DHUE: No, but Bo Derek, Dennis Miller, Wayne Newton, those are the stars.

CROWLEY: Charlton Heston.

DHUE: Charlton Heston.

CROWLEY: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

DHUE: These are not exactly young people. What do the Republicans have to do to get the young vote?

CROWLEY: I think it's a challenge for the Republican Party to appeal to younger Democrats. I think that's absolutely true and you saw that in Boston this week with the Hollywood crowd, very young Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck.

DHUE: Right.

CROWLEY: So, it is a challenge for the Republicans to sort of have a grander appeal to the younger generation. I do worry, though, that for the Democrats that this could backfire, this huge Hollywood outpouring and we saw President Bush take advantage of that today.

I was at that Radio City Music Hall event where Kerry said this is the heart and soul of America. Well, today the president was in Missouri and he said, "you're the heart and soul of America."

DHUE: Hey, you know, Ben Affleck dared to enter the "No Spin Zone" the other day and Bill O'Reilly asked him, Chris, if he thought he was being used by the Democratic Party and he sort of dodged the question but what do you think? Do you think that people like Ben Affleck are being used and do the celebrities also use the politicians for their own benefit?

LAVERY: Well, I think there's a little of both. I think that celebrities, like myself, are interested. They want John Kerry to win, so they're interested in that sense but also they know that if they're out there they might be able to network.

At the same time, the campaign knows that people are excited to see Ben Affleck, so by bringing him out with John Kerry might help to bring a crowd thee. So, it helps.

DHUE: And certainly young girls.

CROWLEY: I really — well that's for sure.

DHUE: Yes.

CROWLEY: I do think there's this very interesting symbiotic relationship between Hollywood and Washington and both sides really do use each other. What's that old line that politics is show business for ugly people. That's basically true and so you have the coming together of these two huge power centers in America entertainment and politics.

DHUE: You know it would seem to me that no matter what side you're on, whether you're a Republican or Democrat that both sides are going to use each other.

LAVERY: Right.

DHUE: What do you think?

LAVERY: No, I agree. I believe both sides will use each other. I mean there's a lot that, I mean there's a lot that John Kerry can get out of using celebrities. He can get money as well as, you know, bringing in excitement. You know, the convention had Bono, which you know brought a lot of excitement too but I understand he's going to be at the Republican convention as well.

DHUE: Oh, he is?

LAVERY: Yes.

DHUE: OK, well...

CROWLEY: I'm psyched, Laurie.

DHUE: Yes. Are you going to try to, are you...

CROWLEY: I'm ready to get down for Bono.

DHUE: Very quickly what is your role going to be in the Democratic National — I mean the Republican convention, sorry?

CROWLEY: I'm going to be covering and I'm going to be on the floor and I'm going to be all over the place and hosting some events too and really involved in the convention.

DHUE: All right. Maybe at some point you can give us a sneak peak about what celebrities are going to be there.

CROWLEY: We'll try to round them up for the Fox News Channel for a bunch of interviews, OK, Laurie?

DHUE: OK, that would be great. Monica Crowley, Chris Lavery thank you both for coming in on this Friday night to talk to us. We appreciate it.

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