Celebrity Endorsements Pay

The day before Super Tuesday and it has been endorsements galore for the Presidential candidates on both sides of the isle. The most recent endorsement is from super famous ladies man Jack Nicholson who has endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton. Celebrity endorsements pay in more than one way, of course (sadly) people listen to celebrities, but the celebrities also have access to lots of money and some celebrities like to give. People shouldn’t vote for someone because a celebrity says they are, but many people do.

As that “great determinator” Super Tuesday quickly draws near, some new high-powered celebrity endorsements – as well as additional bolstering by loyal top-name supporters – are adding further rhetoric to the race.

Among the latest names to rally ’round a hopeful is Jack Nicholson, who on Monday revealed his support of Democrat Hillary Clinton on the Rick Dees in the Morning Show on Los Angeles’s Movin’ 93.9 FM.

Nicholson’s move, which puts him in the same league as longtime Clinton boosters Barbra Streisand and Danny DeVito, follows Sunday’s appearance by Oprah Winfrey at a Los Angeles rally for Barack Obama.

Winfrey addressed the issue of not endorsing a member of her own sex, saying her support of Obama is in no way a betrayal. “I am not a traitor,” said Winfrey. “I’m just following my own truth, and that truth has led me to Barack Obama.”

Also participating in the Sunday rally, held at UCLA, were Alfre Woodard, Stevie Wonder, Tatiana Ali, as well as political stars Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver – whose appearance and support for Obama reveals a domestic house divided.

Shriver’s husband, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has endorsed Republican candidate John McCain, as have actors Tom Selleck and Rip Torn.

Squarely in Republican Mitt Romney’s camp are Donnie and Marie Osmond, and veteran singer Pat Boone.

Adding Up the Contributions

In terms of putting their money where their mouths are, many stars have not only anted up for their favorites, but they have in some cases split their donations among more than one candidate, according to The Huffington Post.

Ben Affleck gave $4,600 to Obama; Ellen Barkin, $2,300; while Lily Tomlin contributed $500, with another $2,000 added to what she had already given to Clinton. Glenn Close gave Clinton $2,300. The Obama campaign, meanwhile, has received $2,300 from Dave Matthews; $4,600 from Babyface, and $500 on top of what was already given by Eddie Murphy ex Tracey Edmonds.

Besides Tomlin, also splitting donations to both Clinton and Obama have been Tobey Maguire, Ben Stiller, Rita Wilson and Paul Newman. In addition to Winfrey, however, strict Obama backers are George Clooney, Matt Damon and Sharon Stone.

Jackson Browne, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp and Lance Armstrong had backed Democrat John Edwards, who withdrew from the race (and has yet to offer his own endorsement between Clinton and Obama), and before he left his run, Republican Rudolph Giuliani, who now backs McCain, had Dennis Miller, Adam Sandler, Kelsey Grammer and Robert Duvall behind him.