As the election enters its final hours, the Democratic playbook is on full display, and once again, it’s leaning on celebrity endorsements as if they’re a silver bullet for winning over voters.

Historically, celebrity endorsements have proven to be, at best, irrelevant and, at worst, harmful. But in a tight race, Kamala Harris and her team have doubled down, rolling out stars like Cardi B for last-minute rallies. And as expected, it’s backfiring.

Let’s take Cardi B’s appearance in Wisconsin. Vice President Harris, looking for a late push, brought Cardi to the stage, but the event turned into a cringeworthy display when the teleprompter failed, leaving the performer at a loss for words.

What was meant to be a rallying moment for the campaign quickly descended into a reminder of how shallow celebrity endorsements can appear when juxtaposed against real issues that voters face daily.

Beyond embarrassing.

Cardi B’s teleprompter was’t working and there was not a sentence she could get out on her own until someone gave her a phone to read off.

This goes to show the nature of fake endorsements. It’s a business deal at this point.
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— Patrick Bet-David – CEO of Valuetainment (Parody) (@notPBD) November 2, 2024

CNN’s Van Jones, one of the few Democrats willing to voice concern, pointed out the flaw in this strategy. Drawing a parallel to 2016, when Hillary Clinton’s star-studded events failed to deliver critical states, Jones said he was “nervous” that Harris’s reliance on celebrities could backfire.

Jones pointed out that working-class voters have choices to make, and a glitzy rally might attract people who would otherwise be heading to the polls. He also hinted at the greater problem: the optics. Harris’s reliance on celebrity appearances does little to address the tangible issues that keep Americans up at night.

The hard truth is that most working-class Americans aren’t looking for celebrity spectacle; they’re focused on affording groceries, finding stable housing, securing the border, and making sure their tax dollars aren’t being sent overseas. Glitzy rallies, no matter how packed with stars, don’t speak to these core concerns.

But Harris’s campaign seems tone-deaf, opting for pop-culture appeal over policy solutions, a tactic that risks alienating voters who feel the pinch of inflation and see issues at the border and abroad siphoning resources away from their communities.