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Title: Can Celebrity Endorsements Affect Political Outcomes? Evidence from the 2008 US Democratic Presidential Primary

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2013

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Abstract: Identifying the effects of political endorsements has historically been difficult. Before the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, Barack Obama was endorsed by talk show host Oprah Winfrey. In this article, we assess the impact of this endorsement using, as measures of Winfreys influence, subscriptions to her magazine and sales of books she recommends. We find that her endorsement increased Obamas votes and financial contributions, and also increased overall voter turnout. No connection is found between the measures of Oprah's influence and previous elections, nor with underlying political preferences. Our results suggest that Winfreys endorsement was responsible for approximately 1 million additional votes for Obama.

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Authors: Garthwaite, Craig

Periodical (Full): The Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization

Issue: 2

Volume: 29

Pages: 355-384

Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS

Topics: Other

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