The Cult of Celebrity?

I've read a number of polls that seem to indicate that celebrity endorsements do not affect Joe Average's voting decision. Yes, these polls are not conducted scientifically, and most of them are for entertainment purposes. Really, I get that.

So why does this cartoon strike me as being so close to the truth? Why does each election for government office seem more like a pageant or popularity contest than a means for selecting someone who is qualified to do the job and willing to be a public servant (hey, we even have the concept of a "popular vote"!)?

On the other hand, one person is willing to at least ponder what affect such endorsements might have ("Ten Effects of Celebrity Endorsements on US Presidential Election 2008" -- Christi Bowers, associatedcontent.com, published Dec 13, 2007). And Christi could very well be right, or on the right track. The subconscious mind takes in all sorts of things without active filtering from the conscious mind.

Back to the idea of politics and entertainment, we have Obama delivering the following Top Ten list on Letterman's program.