While I can understand it gets their party in the papers, doesn't it just degrade the integrity of the party?
2006-09-05 05:38:38 · 6 answers · asked by thebuffettour 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
Yes it hurts them.
The reason is because ppl already see third party supporters as ppl out of the norm. Then when you throw in a few whacky celebrities, that belief is just re-enforced.
2006-09-09 11:10:13 · answer #1 · answered by BeachBum 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on who they are and if they have sensible policies. Screaming Lord Sutch of the Monster Raving Looney Party was for many years one of the best known candidates in UK elections, but he did not get many votes. On the other hand Martin Bell's fame as a journalist undoubtedly helped him unseat Neil Hamilton in 2001.
The local football team's mascot Hangus the Monkey won election as Mayor in Hartlepool on the grounds that the major parties were even less unattractive. But he has actually turned out to be rather a good independent Mayor and not outrageous at all.
Having a famous name is probably worth a few votes other things being equal. However, voters know that they have real interests at stake in elections and mostly they are not daft when the cast their vote.
Incidentally, to my mind a bigger issue is that candidates whose surnames are towards the beginning of the alphabet are at an advantage: in multiseat elections with several candidates from one party the one who appears highest on the ballot paper is likely to get more votes than her or his party colleagues.
2006-09-05 05:50:35 · answer #2 · answered by Philosophical Fred 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem is, under the current system it is more of a popularity contest than anything else. So using big names (already known) is the only way the parties have any chance of getting enough people motivated to vote for their candidates.
That's the defect in the current way the system is implemented. It closes out anyone who is not already in the top two.
2006-09-05 05:41:26 · answer #3 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes!
2006-09-05 07:19:57 · answer #4 · answered by bulabate 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it puts them down a little because u now hav evry1 hopin they so theyll be a littlbaqd at it while they r working
2006-09-05 05:46:36 · answer #5 · answered by rayrat7 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hurt. they need serious people.
endorsements from the hollyweird whackos only cripple them.
2006-09-05 05:43:55 · answer #6 · answered by digital genius 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋