The second Democratic debate occurred this weekend and the 2016 presidential campaign is becoming more heated. Going into the debate, Hillary Clinton had support from 52 percent of respondents in a CBS/New York Times Poll. Sanders came in second at 33 percent, followed by Martin O'Malley at 5 percent. As for the GOP candidates, the race is much closer. CBS/New York Times has Ben Carson in the lead, with support from 26 percent of Republican Primary voters. Donald Trump follows with 22 percent, with Marco Rubio behind him at 8 percent. Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina are close behind Rubio, both holding at 7 percent support. As for Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich and Rand Paul, their 4 percent of support is barely keeping them in the race.
With tight numbers, candidates need every ounce of support they can get. While some people build their opinions of candidates based on policies, others look to who is following the candidates and endorsing them on the journey to presidency. When it comes to celebrities, even name recognition can be helpful to candidates. Here is a list of who the celebrities are supporting for president.
Bernie Sanders:
Ronda Rousey just recently announced her support for Sanders. She told Maxim, "I’m voting for Bernie Sanders because he doesn’t take any corporate money. I don’t think politicians should be allowed to take money for their campaigns from outside interests." Rousey sounded confident of her statement, but then lost her first fight in her UFC career, just days after endorsing Sanders. Many conservatives are linking the two events, but it could just be a coincidence.
Ryan Gosling also showed support of Bernie Sanders, tweeting a video of Sanders hugging a Muslim student. It is hard to say if Gosling is truly a supporter of Sanders, or just of Sanders' actions in the video, as he also tweeted "I'm not endorsing a political candidate btw. It's more the talking and listening I'm a fan of." Still, Gosling tweeting about Sanders could help his campaign, and the video sure seems like an endorsement.
Hillary Clinton:
Beyoncé has supported Clinton for a while, attending various fundraisers and events. As the singer has sung before, "Who runs the world? Girls!", so it is clear she would be a fan of a woman president.
Lena Dunham tweeted a picture of herself with a Hilary bumper sticker in May of 2015. The actress wanted to clarify that she was not supporting Clinton just because she was a woman. She tweeted, "Yes I think it's time for a female president but I'm not part of a witch's cabal that senses ovaries and suddenly MUST VOTE." She also mentioned if she were to vote for someone solely because they were a woman, it would be Lil' Kim every time.
Martin O'Malley:
Timothy Simons of "Veep" stated "I'm for Martin O'Malley" back in April of 2015. O'Malley responded to the support, saying, " 'Veep,' I think, is the most realistic political show on television." Personally, I would like to believe the political world is most similar to "Scandal," but to each his own.
Ben Carson:
Kid Rock told The New York Times, "I'm very interested in the things Ben Carson has to say." The artist endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012, and even let the Republican campaign use "Born Free" as a party theme song.
Marco Rubio:
Rick Harrison of "Pawn Stars" stated he hopes Marco Rubio will become president. Since then, business at Harrison's shop has been negatively affected. The owner told CNN, "When you endorse a Republican, everyone sort of frowns on you." Harrison even mentioned he was willing to throw away his career for Mark Rubio.
Mike Huckabee:
The Duggars from "19 Kids An Counting" endorsed the former Arkansas governor, and Huckabee even had a statement of their support on his website for while. However, after the scandal with Josh Duggar, the statement was removed from the site. While Huckabee's people claim they rotate endorsements as a part of the "I Like Mike" campaign, it seems to be a smart political move for the candidate to distance himself from the family. Huckabee has gone on record to support the Duggars, saying on Facebook that Josh's actions were "inexcusable" but not "unforgivable."
Donald Trump:
Dennis Rodman tweeted support to the businessman in July of 2015. Trump responded to the NBA hall-of-famer, thanking him and using his campaign slogan to say, "It's time to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain."
Kristie Alley hinted that she is planning to vote for a Republican, back in August. Alley tweeted, "I won't be voting for the party that starts with the letters D E M this time." Could her current tweet stating she likes Trump reveal her vote? Nonetheless, her statement shows her support.
Overall, celebrities are not holding back when it comes to showing their support for presidential candidates. As the 2016 election is still a year away, we are sure to see more join in and endorse candidates. Until then, watch debates, read the news, and start developing your opinion on who you want in the White House.
