SAN DIEGO, January 2, 2012 – American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson took plenty of heat last week on Twitter when she expressed her support for Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. But it isn’t hurting her album sales for her latest effort, Stronger.

Clarkson’ sales ranking surged 200% on Amazon three days after she announced her support rising from number 41 to number 13 in sales, according to The Hollywood Reporter. No word on whether sales are up for fellow singer Michelle Branch, who chimed in on Twitter with her own tweet of support for Paul; or country star and The Voice judge Blake Shelton, who defended Clarkson’s right to make her comments and criticized fans for the negative Twitter backlash.

Ron Paul could only dream of getting a 200% boost in his poll numbers and his results in the Iowa caucus on Tuesday.

Do celebrity endorsements make any difference? Some pundits believe Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Barack Obama helped him win the 2008 Presidential election.

Then again, would you really want the endorsement of Gary Busey or Kelsey Grammer?

Paul’s supporters are all fired up about the endorsements of Clarkson and Branch. They are all fired up in general about everything. There are websites and a Facebook page devoted to the public figures who have ever said one nice word about Paul.

Other candidates aren’t touting celebrity star power as part of their strategy to win the Iowa caucus. But in the event it does deliver a vote or two, as a public service we offer this list of confirmed celebrity endorsements for the 2012 Republican Presidential candidates.

 

Ron Paul

Kelly Clarkson, singer and American Idol winner

Michelle Branch, singer

Joe Rogan, comedian and host of Fear Factor

Chuck Norris, actor

Doug Stanhope, comedian

Vince Vaughn, actor

Prodigy and KRS One, rappers

Jesse Ventura, retired professional wrestler and former Governor of Minnesota

Newt Gingrich

Michael Reagan, radio talk show host and TV commentator

Actor Gary Busey endorsed Gingrich, but then withdrew his nomination. Coming from Busey this behavior isn’t much of a surprise.

Mitt Romney

Danny Ainge, former basketball star and general manager of the Boston Celtics

Cindy Crawford, supermodel

Michele Bachmann

Hank Williams, Jr., singer

Ben Stein, actor/writer

Dean Koontz, author

Wayne Newton, singer

Actor Kelsey Grammer’s support is in dispute. His spokesperson says he has not endorsed Bachmann, but he starred in a video on her behalf.

Rick Perry

Stephen Baldwin, actor

Gene Simmons, singer, KISS

Janine Turner, actress

Pat Boone, singer

Dean Cain, actor

Actor Russell Crowe is a longtime friend of Perry’s and has assisted him in the past, but has not formally endorsed his candidacy for President.

Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman don’t appear to have any stars in their camps just yet. Country singers Lee Greewood and Trace Adkins, comedian Dennis Miller and rapper Vanilla Ice had thrown their support to Herman Cain. None have endorsed another candidate now that Cain is iced, iced baby out of the race. Vanilla Ice? Wow. Word to your mother.

 

Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR, is President/Owner of the Falcon Valley Group in San Diego, California. Read more Media Migraine in the Communities at The Washington Times. Follow Gayle on Facebook and on Twitter @PRProSanDiego.

 

Please credit “Gayle Falkenthal for Communities at WashingtonTimes.com” when quoting from or linking to this story.  

 

Copyright © 2012 by Falcon Valley Group

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