"...Fame....I'm Gonna Live Forever....Or Until The PAC Money Runs Out...."

It's beginning to look like Andy Warhol was only partially right.

Which part and how right coming up shortly.


Julian Zelizer is a history and public affairs professor at Princeton University and political analyst. He's co-host of the "Politics & Polls" podcast. He published the following op/ed on line recently.


It looks like these days everyone with a Wikipedia entry or a star on the Walk of Fame is thinking of running for public office. 

With the former star of "The Apprentice" inhabiting the White House, the doors are wide open. Rock and roller Kid Rock, known for hits such as "All Summer Long" and "American Bad Ass" is thinking of challenging Democrat Debbie Stabenow for her Senate seat. 

 

 

Another Rock -- former professional wrestler turned action star-hero "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson -- might be the person challenging President Donald Trump for re-election in 2020, assuming the President makes it that far. A campaign committee formally filed the papers to draft him for president. The Rock has been talking about this for some time now. One day we might see POTUS using his signature move, the People's Elbow, on a legislator who refuses to vote for his bills. Even Lyndon Johnson didn't literally twist arms. 

Are we now entering an era of celebrity politics? Has all of the distrust in government and frustration with perpetual gridlock generated a moment when Americans would rather have telegenic entertainment stars making decisions about war and peace, rather than those who have spent their lives in politics learning about public policy, negotiation, deal-making and diplomacy? 

 

Maybe this will be one of the greatest legacies of the Trump presidency -- Americans will prefer presidents who are intriguing to watch over those who can get the job done.

 

Of course, there are many examples in history of celebrities who turn to politics. Some of them proved to be quite effective. The most successful of all was Ronald Reagan, who had been a film actor for many years before entering the world of politics. 

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger, a legendary action hero, and Jesse Ventura, a professional wrestling star, each served as relatively popular governors (California and Minnesota). Sonny Bono served in the House after being part of the famous duo with Cher.

Child actress Shirley Temple became ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, while California Sen. George Murphy came to Washington after acting in musicals. Fred Grandy, otherwise known as Gopher on"The Love Boat," was a representative from Iowa in the US House for several terms.  

 

Former "SNL" comedian Al Franken is now a prominent Senate Democrat who has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. "Real World" star Sean Duffy represents voters from Wisconsin in the House of Representatives The list goes and on.

There is nothing inherently wrong with celebrities making the transition to politics. It is natural that individuals who are comfortable in the spotlight and possess charisma could end up having strong careers in elected office. After all, the basic qualification for success is often the ability to win people over and communicate in the media. Who better to do this than entertainers?

 

But there are risks. It's not only a question of whether celebrities are qualified to hold office. What are their fundamental goals? It's one thing to focus on earning high ratings and drawing big box office returns. It's another to aim for good governance.

 

Some have concluded that President Trump has revealed the ultimate problem with the celebrity-turned-politician: he doesn't really know how to fulfill the job requirements beyond keeping the public interest.

 

As Columbia Law School Professor Tim Wu wrote in The New York Times, "he can still win by losing. For what really matters are the contests themselves -- the creation of an absorbing spectacle that dominates headlines, grabs audiences and creates a world by which every conversation revolves around Mr. Trump and his doings."

 

It should not be surprising that President Trump watches so much television. This is how he envisions the presidency -- it is the ultimate spectacle and the biggest show in the world. The goal of the President is to keep the audience tuned in. In his mind, Hillary Clinton's worst flaw was most likely that some people found her boring.

If we do find ourselves with more celebrity-politicians, we will have a flood of leaders who really don't care about the art of governing. 

 

Ronald Reagan learned the skills of politics as governor of California. Presidents need to understand that the rules and norms of politics have been put into place for a reason -- to prevent the abuse of power and to make certain that our institutions function well in a democratic process. They need to understand the weight that their words carry as people listen to their political leaders in a way that they don't do with their favorite actors, wrestlers or musicians.

 

Many celebrities who go into high office gain some experience first. Reagan delivered speeches, participated in Barry Goldwater's 1964 campaign, and was governor of a large state. Jesse Ventura was the mayor of Brooklyn Park. Political experience is not a requirement to be effective, as Sen. Franken's success has shown. But it can surely help. 

 

Kid Rock or The Rock could turn out to be good politicians, perhaps more in the tradition of President Reagan than of President Trump. Yet the risks are high for our democracy. Given the kind of ongoing chaos and tumult we are witnessing in Washington these days, voters should take a very serious look at these and other celebrities who want to jump into the political ring.

 

Do we want more leaders whose main concern is not what's good for the nation but, "Are the people still watching?"

 

 

 

As Zelizer rightly offers, there is "nothing inherently wrong with celebrities making the transition to politics". One of the ostensibly "good news" realities of a free and democratic operating system is that anyone born in this country who has a hope and a dream for this country and hears the calling to make good on that hope and dream can answer that call by way of offering themselves up to the public as ready, willing and able to make public service their daily purpose.

The key, and not just a little bit critically important, word in that trifecta cliche' "ready, willing and able" of, course, is the word...able.

 

We've all experienced the annoying, if arguably, lovable drunken uncle who is more than ready and way past willing to climb up on stage at the family wedding and offer his services to the reception band as a "sit in for a few numbers" drummer.

 

Uncle's "able" is where it, more often than not, goes south.

 

Because, again, more often than not, it turns out that Uncle is much more than ready, way more than a little willing but, indescribably, and excruciatingly embarrassingly, "un" able.

And while that "ruined wedding" kind of catastrophe becomes the stuff of family legend, a story to be told and re-told at future family gatherings for generations to come, it is a mere awkward passing of gas at an inappropriate moment compared to the risk of catastrophe facing a nation that hands over the drumsticks of democracy to some ready, willing but decidedly unable wanna be drummer.

It's one thing to possess the charisma, savvy and/or star power necessary to  be that different drummer capable of selling people on the idea of marching to this or that different beat.

 

It's quite another to be possessed only of that charisma or star power, resulting in a nation finding itself wandering aimlessly through the lyrics of a George Harrison song.

 

"When you don't know where you're going / any road will take you there."

 

2017, and 2018 and 2020 just up that road a piece, for that matter, is hardly a first rodeo when it comes to the presence, and influence, of star power in top tier politics.

 

Surely, even colonial times in America found the charm and/or charisma of this Jefferson or that Quincy Adams sufficiently powerful to have, at least, some influence on the affections of the electorate.

 

After all, all these generations later, one of those early American superstars has found his way into contemporary superstardom.

 

Cue the cast of "Hamilton".

 

And, in the pages of more modern times, historians agree that not just a little of what put John Kennedy in the White House in 1960 could be classified as star power. After all, it's not hard to make the case, given that prior to the arrival of Jack and Jackie and Caroline and John, Jr on the national scene, America hadn't seen hide nor hair of Mamie Eisenhower on the covers of the celeb fan rags of the times, Photoplay and Modern Screen Magazine,among others.

But, right there, clear as Camelot, was Jack and Jackie and Caroline and John, Jr.

It's worth noting, though, that the mention of Kennedy as a baseline on the political star power readout is applicable in the extreme, given where that 1960 baseline lies as opposed to 2017 and 2018 and 2020 just up that road a piece.

Kid Rock was born Robert Ritchie January 17, 1971 in Romeo, Michigan to William "Bill" Ritchie, a car dealer who owned several local dealerships, and Susan Ritchie. .He grew up on a six-acre luxurious estate where Robert regularly helped pick apples and cared for the family's horses. Ritchie found small-town life dull and became interested in rap music, learning how to breakdance and participating in talent shows in the Detroit area.At age eleven, he joined a breakdance crew called the Furious Funkers and taught himself to work a cheap belt-driven turntable. In high school, Ritchie deejayed at parties for beer. He eventually joined Bo Wisdom of Groove Time Productions in Mt. Clemens, Michigan to perform basement parties for $30 a night. He chose his stage name while performing at these venues; club goers dubbed him "Kid Rock" after they had enjoyed watching "that white kid rock."

Ritchie eventually ran away to Mt. Clemens at 15. He was forced by a local drug gang known as the "Best Friends" to sell drugs out of a car wash at which he worked. In an attempt to keep the kids out of trouble, a man in the neighborhood organized a rap group. While performing, Rock befriended producer D-Nice of the legendary hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions. When Rock opened for BDP one night, D-Nice invited an A&R representative from Jive Records to see him perform. This meeting led to a demo deal that developed into a full record contract.

Against his parents' wishes, Rock signed the deal at age 17. He later became part of the Straight From The Underground Tour alongside several major rap artists, including Ice Cube, Too Short, D-Nice, Mac Dre, and Yo-Yo.

 

Young man makes good both a proud American tradition and an accomplishment worthy of acknowledgement but, also, fair to say, that Robert Richie was not , then, nor is he now, ever going to be mistaken for Jimmy Stewart.

 

Yet, he, like Mr. Smith, has ambitions to go to Washington.

 

Meanwhile, let's skip over the trillion times told details of the Kennedy early years and do a fast bullet point sum up of the pre-Presidential chops.

• son of the one time Ambassador to Great Britain with extensive experience in foreign travel and education
• graduate of Harvard University
• Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian
• six years as a member of the House of Representatives
• eight years as a member of the United States Senate with memberships on Labor, Governmental Operations and Foreign Relations committees

Yes, he was young and vibrant and charismatic, the 1960's equivalent of the "babe magnet". And, with his mastery of the, then, new and largely untested medium of television, a pioneer in the now common place art of media manipulation.

 

But, high office was a high rung on a ladder he had climbed since childhood. 

And he had been working toward achieving the Presidency of the United States, in some measure, since, at least, twenty years before he got there.

As opposed to the current resident at 1600 Pennsylvania who, as Zelizer points out, "doesn't really know how to fulfill the job requirements beyond keeping the public interest."

 

Naysayers and the predictably predictable trolls will, of course, snark back that Kid Rock isn't talking about running for President, he's talking about running for the Senate.

To that, of the myriad things I can offer in response, let me go with this one.

Sit down and shut up.

Oh...and myriad means a countless or extremely great number.

Obviously, Kid Rock is talking about running for the Senate and not talking about running for the Presidency.

Yet.

No one ever talks about running for the Presidency until they start talking about it.

Even Trump didn't talk, seriously, about it until two or so years ago, while he continued to gain experience, deepen his knowledge, broaden his perspective and further his understanding of the intricate and complex workings of the American governmental system, as well as the myriad factors influencing the socio-economic and geopolitical conditions that critically impact not only the well being and safety of this nation, but this nation's contributions to the global community as he served faithfully and diligently in the variety of elected offices which he held between......

Oh. Wait.

 

The "era of celebrity politics" that Julian Zelizer refers to, has, admittedly, a certain visceral appeal.

 

After all, celebrity, fame and all their tinseled trappings are a temptation pretty hard to resist, let alone ignore.

 

But, like, say Kripsy Kreme doughnuts, celebrity and fame can be tempting, tasty and totally devoid of any benefit or nutritional value whatsoever.

 

And while handing over the drumsticks to drunken Uncle might ruin a reception, it's practically a treasured memory compared with handing over the national budget or responsibility for national healthcare or, Katy, bar the door, the launch codes to somebody whose charisma, savvy and star power can get them the necessary votes to acquire a gig but who doesn't have even close to the chops to begin to actually do the gig.

 

In fairness, Kid Rock could get elected to the Senate and turn out to be the greatest statesman the Republic has seen since, say, ....what was the name of that superstar again?

 

Oh. Right. Cue the cast of "Hamilton".

 

Chances of that happening, of course, are pretty slim.

 

Not to be confused with Slim Shady, which is a nickname of rapper Eminem whose real name is Marshall Mathers who, at least at this writing, isn't talking about running for anything.

 

Yet.

 

Andy Warhol was only partially right.

 

"...in the future," Warhol once wryly observed, " everyone will be world famous for fifteen minutes."

 

More and more each day, it's starting to look like Andy should have tweaked that fifteen minutes thing and gone with the more accurate.....

 

"...term of two, six....or four....years."