Upstate businessman John Warren has received the endorsement of Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson in his bid for governor of South Carolina.
The bearded social conservative icon – who became a hero to the religious right five years ago – appears in a new thirty-second television ad endorsing the upstart, first-time politician.
“All you South Carolina duck hunters and fishermen, and the ones that live by your Bibles, Warren is your man to run the great state of South Carolina,” Robertson (a.k.a. Duck Commander) says in the ad. “Better get some Godly men in there. Men who are unafraid to take a stand on what’s right.”
Here is the spot …
(Click to view)
(Via: Provided)
Yeah … think that ad will move numbers?
Not surprisingly, Warren was euphoric over the endorsement.
“Nobody speaks as clearly as Phil Robertson and I’m excited to have his endorsement,” he said in a statement. “Phil is a man of strong Christian faith and an unyielding advocate for the unborn and our gun rights. His support for our campaign clearly communicates to the people of South Carolina that I will be a fearless, consistent defender of the second amendment and the unborn.”
Warren is seeking to defend himself from allegations that he is insufficiently conservative on these two hot button issues.
Earlier this week, one of his two top rivals in the GOP gubernatorial race – Lowcountry labor attorney Catherine Templeton – launched a new ad claiming Warren is “not 100 percent pro-life” and is “open to stronger gun control laws.”
Templeton and Warren sparred over those claims during a “Republican” debate earlier this week, as well, with Warren accusing her of voting for one pro-choice Democrat and donating to another.
Obviously, Robertson’s endorsement will help Warren deflect those criticisms …
Duck Dynasty aired on A&E from 2012 to 2017. Its fourth season premiere drew 11.8 million viewers – making it the most-watched nonfiction cable show ever. In December of 2013, Robertson was briefly suspended from filming after he offered GQ magazine his thoughts on the issue of homosexuality (he opposes it).
Later, A&E reversed its position and reinstated Robertson.
[timed-content-server show=’2018-Jan-17 00:00:00′ hide=’2018-Jun-18 00:00:00′]SPONSORED CONTENT – ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
[/timed-content-server]Do celebrity endorsements matter in elections like this?
Yes … ask former South Carolina governor (and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations) Nikki Haley, who would probably still be a state representative were it not for the endorsement she received from Sarah Palin in May of 2010.
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