A look at celebrities who have hit the political trail

By SAMANTHA ETTUS
Scripps Howard News Service
28-OCT-04

With an incredibly tight presidential election just around the corner, it is no surprise that in the final days celebrities are coming out in droves to support their favorite candidates. It also comes as no surprise that the overwhelming majority of them are campaigning for John Kerry, as the entertainment world is widely recognized as a stronghold of the Democratic Party.

While many celebrities are using their power in effective ways, others' behavior leaves us baffled. This week we take a look at three celebrities who have been prominent on the campaign trail: P Diddy, Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio.

P. Diddy

As an influential celebrity, P. Diddy is encouraging young people to vote. He began a campaign earlier this year to mobilize young urban voters, a constituency largely ignored by politicians because of their perceived and genuine apathy. P. Diddy knows how to reach this group more effectively than any politician. His "Vote or Die" message is intended to play to some of the tough-talking rhetoric that plagues the communities he reaches, and we won't second-guess his strategy.

His guerrilla marketing tactics include the delivery of pre-recorded phone messages to potential voters, and he has street teams to push his message further. By focusing on getting out the vote and building awareness rather than stumping specifically for his favorite candidate, P. Diddy has found the right recipe for maximizing the power of his fame.

P. Diddy's Celebrity A$$$$ets.

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck emerged as the poster boy for Democrats by appearing at the convention in Boston. Though his appearance there seemed logical _ Boston is his hometown and he's an avid Kerry supporter _ his approach was far from impressive. Affleck was often photographed laughing and flirting with the Kerry daughters, and this diminished the impact of his actions. He looked alternately like the big brother they always longed for and the high-school heartthrob whose attention they could finally garner.

Affleck would have been a more effective flag-waver if he'd opted for substance over fluff; expressing his passion for the campaign would likely have swayed more voters than another photo op. And his image could have used a substance boost as well. Though we are all trying hard to put Bennifer and "Gigli" behind us, we could use a little help.

Ben Affleck's Celebrity A$$ets.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Though he has remained under the radar compared to his heartthrob days of past, DiCaprio has come out swinging in the final days of the campaign. He has rallied a number of his famous friends to join him in a Rock the Vote commercial encouraging young people to hit the polls, and he has spent the final days of the campaign traveling on behalf of Kerry.

In fact, we can only wonder why it took him so long to surface, for his candidate could have used the boost sooner. While his decision to take a prominent role so late in the campaign mystifies us, his focus and enthusiasm win our praise.

DiCaprio has centered his vocal support around his passion for the environment, attacking President Bush's record on environmental policy and campaigning jointly with Carol Browner, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, to support his anti-Bush claims. By highlighting a single issue in supporting Kerry, DiCaprio has proved an effective backer rather than a blind endorser of his favorite candidate.

Leonardo DiCaprio's Celebrity A$$$ets

Remember: The most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.

(Samantha Ettus is the author of the newly published book, "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do" (Random House). Send comments and questions to Samantha(at)celebrityassets.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)