Clinton’s got the X-factor as Hollywood celebs turn out for rally while Donald Trump can only manage reality tv ‘star’
Brooklyn Beckham accompanied his girlfriend Chloe Moretz to the star-studded bash where Hillary Clinton was chosen as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate
IF CELEBRITY endorsements were the key to success then Hillary Clinton would have walked her way to the White House already.
The Democratic Party’s presidential candidate showed she’s got the x-factor during her party’s convention with a stream of Hollywood celebrities queuing up to show their support.
While they were happy to be pictured with her in Philadelphia, Donald Trump could only muster up Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson for his party’s convention.
You can be forgiven if you have not heard of the show – it’s an American reality show about a family who make products for duck hunters.
There have been 10 seasons so it’s undoubtedly popular but definitely missing the glitz and glamour of Clinton’s fan base.
Shortly before her high-stakes speech to accept the presidential nomination last night, the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia brought out one of pop’s biggest stars - Katy Perry.
Clutching a microphone decked out in a sparkling US flag, the 31-year-old sang two songs that Clinton could easily take as anthems -- her hit Roar and her latest single Rise.
Perry's voice returned at the end of the convention as Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine came out to her blockbuster song Firework, as fireworks erupted from the stage at a packed sports arena.
Perry, noting that her own parents supported Trump's Republican Party, urged young Americans to vote on November 8.
She said: "You will have as much say as any billionaire.
“Or you can just cancel out your weird cousin's vote if you like.”
Not many of Perry’s young fans are likely to have been glued to the action of the convention so she spread her message on social media too.
Perry, who has described herself as Clinton's "number one fan," shared her message over Twitter where she has more followers than anyone else in the world -- 91 million, far more than the 62,615,406 votes President Barack Obama received in 2012.
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She was not the only prominent musician to take the stage at the Democratic convention.
Folk legend Paul Simon sang on the opening night, while Lenny Kravitz, Alicia Keys, Boyz II Men and Demi Lovato were among the performers.
Outside the arena, pop diva Lady Gaga and Snoop Dogg, the hip-hop great and marijuana enthusiast, also entertained delegates.
When a documentary-style biography appeared at the convention to introduce Clinton, the audience heard the immediately recognisable voice of Morgan Freeman.
Other Hollywood A-listers who offered their star power to help Clinton included Meryl Streep, who highlighted the former secretary of state's historic role as the first woman nominee from a major party for the world's most powerful job.
Streep, whose roles have included Margaret Thatcher, asked: "What does it take to be the first female anything?
"It takes grit and it takes grace."
Actress Eva Longoria took the podium to counter Trump's attacks on Mexican Americans, noting that her family traces its heritage to the time that Texas was part of Mexico.
"My family never crossed a border; the border crossed us," she said.
Comedian Sarah Silverman had one of the most pointed lines among celebrities at the convention.
A former supporter of leftist challenger Bernie Sanders, she chastised the senator's die-hard backers as "ridiculous" if they did not support Clinton in her showdown with Trump.
But several celebrity backers of Sanders remained unswayed by Clinton, notably actress Susan Sarandon, who said she was "disgusted" by bias against Sanders as revealed in leaked emails by Democratic National Committee members.
The celebrity showing was nevertheless in stark contrast to the Republican National Convention a week earlier in Cleveland.
Trump, who served as host of the television reality game show "Celebrity Apprentice," had promised to bring showbiz glamour and surprises to the convention.
In the end, only a limited number of artists performed in or around the Republican convention including Lynyrd Skynyrd, best known for their 1974 song "Sweet Home Alabama," and Kid Rock.
Another well-known artist booked on the sidelines of the Cleveland convention was Third Eye Blind -- but the group instead used the platform to denounce Republicans on issues including gay rights.
Trump has faced protests from a long list of artists upset that he has played their songs at his rallies including The Rolling Stones, Adele, R.E.M., Neil Young and the estates of Luciano Pavarotti and George Harrison.