KEY POINTS:
Last month Madonna hit the stage in Cardiff, kicking off her Sticky and Sweet world tour using background video montage pictures comparing US presidential candidate John McCain to tyrant Adolf Hitler and Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe while she lip-synched and gyrated on stage during the performance of Get Stupid.
Barak Obama, by contrast, was not-so-subtly compared in a subsequent sequence to slain Beatle John Lennon and assassinated leader Mahatma Gandhi. The reference was an endearment, but his security should probably be worried.
As the election draws nearer (November 4 is D-Day), and more and more celebrities are making their presence felt on the political stage in Denver and Minnesota, and at various swanky fundraising bashes around America, and in their own glitzy environment, we have to quiz: is it appropriate for schlebs to offer endorsement, or have they over-stepped the mark and entered a forum they've no right to be in?
Do we give a toss about what celebrity multi-millionaires think about central government? Are we really swayed by which A-lister supports which political party? And by having so-called schleb "friends" - rumours circulated weeks ago that Obama called on the advice of playboy George Clooney via text message - are the political players themselves looking more Hollywood Hills than Capitol Hill?
Ironically, McCain mocked the celebrity of his rival Obama in a TV commercial, comparing him to the likes of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton (who had a few choice he's-not-so-hot words for McCain in response). But McCain's shown he's not opposed to hobnobbing with TV stars - the sitcom star Patricia Heaton of Everyone Loves Raymond fame opened a fundraising bash for him in Sacramento last month, where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and other faces known more for their blockbusters than their bidding, were in attendance.
With our own election on our back door, though when exactly is not clear, Spy wants to know whether celebrity endorsement and political parties go hand-in-hand, or whether schlebs should just stick to writing cheques and donating cash to the coffers only, and avoid the limelight of the political stage for their own benefit. What, do they think they can be the next Ronald Reagan?
Here are the stars we find most annoyingly ingratiating themselves in US politics: (Click here to see photos.)
1. Elizabeth Hasselbeck - Dubya lover and resident Republican voice on cheesy chat show The View.
2. Jon Cryer - He's one half of Two-and-a-Half Men, but is that enough to warrant a spot on the schleb friends of Republicans' network?
3. Anna Hathaway - She ditched the dodgy beau but kept the Clintons on as pals. Go figure.
4. Patricia Heaton - Everyone may love Raymond, but not Pats banging on about John and Cindy.
5. Madonna - Multi-tasker Madge is a big fan of video montage electioneering and lip-synching while performing.
6. Tyra Banks - She creepily posed as Obama's missus in a fashion spread for a woman's magazine.
7. George Clooney - Alleged text pal of Obama, friend of Darfur.
8. Arnold Schwarzenegger - He warned he'd be back, but who really believed it would be to govern California?
9. Oprah Winfrey - Obama's real running mate, let's be honest.
10. Lorenzo Lamas - Who? Falcon Crest one-time hottie, and now "celeb" endorser at republican fundraisers.
Rachel Glucina
Click here to see photos of the top US celebrities for political invovlement.
Pictured above: Madonna performs on stage during her concert of the "Sticky and Sweet" world tour. AP Photo/Keystone / Walter Bieri. Inset: John McCain. Photo / Stephan Savoia
