TV Stars in American Politics

Guests: Chris Karpowitz, PhD, BYU Professor of Political Science; Grant Madsen, PhD, BYU Professor of History  On this eve of Super Tuesday, ten states will hold their primaries. In the Republican field, Donald Trump has the momentum, despite early predictions from pundits and political experts that a bombastic, wealthy reality TV star couldn’t possibly win the nomination.  But America has a history electing famous people with little to no political experience. More than a few Hollywood stars have been mayors. Californian elected Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor.  And remember when pro wrestler Jesse Ventura became the governor of Minnesota? The halls of Congress have seen star power, too, with Al Franken, Fred Thompson and don’t forget Sonny Bono.