During the 2004 presidential election, Diddy and his Citizen Change campaign, known best for its “Vote or Die” slogan, figured prominently in headlines about celebrities and politics. So where is Diddy this time around?
Here in Denver, there was some chatter among DNC organizers that led some to believe that Diddy had been asked specifically not to come.
“That’s completely untrue” was Diddy’s response when asked about being un-invited to the convention. A rep for Diddy confirms: “An Obama advisor invited Diddy to the convention, but he was unable to attend because he was supposed to be in L.A. on vacation with his family.”
Diddy and Obama share what his rep characterized as a “close relationship.” Indeed, Diddy posted a video on his Web site just after Obama won enough votes to get the nomination, and those in Diddy’s inner circle confirm that he’s been consistently supportive of the senator.
So why the backlash? One person who worked with Diddy in 2004 said, “He didn’t do the Democrats any favors with that Vote or Die campaign. It became more about getting the shirts out than people registered. He didn’t seem totally aware of the big picture — that there was a presidency involved.”
One publicist with close ties to a celebrity involved in the Obama campaign says that the McCain ad featuring Britney Spears and Paris Hilton has had an impact on celebrity involvement. “That ad took on a life of its own. No one wants to actually hurt the campaign, and I mean, really, it’s not hard for celebrities to steal the spotlight at times.”
There’s still a good bit of time before November. I think there’s good reason to believe there might be room for Diddy to contribute to the campaign effort before election time.
(source)
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