Why do mainstream celebrities run for office? Usually, these campaigns are driven by a narcissistic need to gain power rather than a legitimate desire to drive real political change. To be fair, it’s not entirely accurate to say that traditional politicians don’t run for the same reasons; however, at least traditional politicians gained notoriety from experience.
Celebrities gain popularity because of their value as entertainers. But being entertaining doesn’t equate to meaningful political knowledge or experience.
Most Americans pay more attention to their preferred form of entertainment than to their country’s politics, whether that entertainment is music, reality TV, or any other form of media. And that makes sense. Politics can be depressing, especially when you have to deal with the consequences of political changes on a daily basis. Entertainment provides an outlet, and that’s important and necessary.
The problem arises from the conflation of entertainment and politics, where popular perception makes the two interchangeable. With the rise of social media, political news and information can be consumed in a sphere dedicated to entertainment. And that’s not a bad thing in itself, as it encourages people to get politically involved and become more knowledgeable. But it also enables people without any political experience to be as influential as those who have dedicated their lives to this field.
This entire opinion is inspired by Mehmet Oz, aka Dr. Oz, and his Senate campaign earlier this year. Honestly, when I first saw him running I thought it was a joke. After all, why on earth would he run for the Senate? This is someone who has previously been proven to be selling fraudulent supplements and has had a history of posting truly bizarre and misleading health advice. For example, when he tells his audience that various minerals and substances can cure cancer. Like most TV doctors, he effectively exploits both the people on his show and his wider audience.
Although he lost his race for the Senate, he should not have run at all. Nothing in his background has anything to do with politics and his medical background is questionable at best. But having any kind of audience is now tantamount to a political following. He ran for office because he aspired to greater power and importance and because he knew that his status as a celebrity already provided him with a support base.
This is a big part of why Donald Trump won his presidential campaign despite never holding elected office. Kanye West’s presidential campaign can also be viewed as a narcissistic struggle for attention.
That shouldn’t be why people run for office. In an ideal world, politicians would run out of genuine desire to improve the world around them through legitimate and formal politics. At least politicians should understand politics.
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