Do celebrity endorsements help political candidates?

by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public Radio

In the final days of the campaign, both presidential candidates have been getting some help from superstars. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry drew more than 80,000 people to Madison, Wisconsin on Thursday with a rally featuring Bruce Springsteen. And Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to join President George W. Bush in Ohio on Friday. How much do these celebrity appearances help? Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Ed Schiappa, a professor of communication at the University of Minnesota.