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Using a case study approach, Celebrities in American Elections
contends that celebrities have the talent, fame, and resources to
succeed in electoral politics. These factors account for the
electoral victories of Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood, Fred Grandy,
Sonny Bono, Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Franken, and
Donald Trump. However, the author argues that these items are
insufficient without a favorable political environment; as many
celebrities have lost elections as have won them. They lose because
their persona does not match the politics of their time, or they
represent the minority party in a one party dominated district or
state, or they advocate for unpopular policies. Among those that
won, nearly half were elected by a plurality - not a majority - of
voters. This does not suggest overwhelming public support for
celebrity candidates despite their many advantages. With a few
exceptions, celebrities that won tended to also win the fundraising
battle, while celebrities that lost tended to raise less than their
opponent - the normal laws of politics still apply. The celebrity
factor, while helpful, does not fully explain why celebrities win
or lose elections.
This book focuses on public opinion on issues related to the theory
of meritocracy. By researching and studying a variety of sources in
an attempt to understand public sentiments concerning meritocracy,
Richard T. Longoria highlights the contradictory nature of American
public opinion and questions the belief that Americans fully
embrace the meritocratic ethos. Previous research has found broad
public support for the idea that smart hard working people should
be rewarded. Why then don't we actually live in a meritocracy? In
part this is explained by the finding that most Americans believe
that the United States is already a meritocracy. Another
explanations is the fact that race, gender, social background,
personal connections and other non-merit factors are believed by
many Americans to impact a person's outcome in life. Longoria
brings issues of social justice and public opinion the fore,
providing a critical analysis of American society and its
fascination with the idea-and not the practice-of meritocracy.
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