CSI: New York's Hill Harper (Dr Sheldon Hawkes) gets involved.

Harper has known presidential hopeful Barack Obama since they attended Harvard together 20 years ago. Harper said he has admired Obama since they first met. "He had a sense of gravitas and judgment," Harper explained to TODAY. "I looked up him then and I look up to him now. He gets it right. He's extremely intelligent, extremely pragmatic. That's the kind of leadership we need now. Everything that was great about him at Harvard Law School is still great about him now. Anyone who meets him understands how wonderful a leader he is."

Obama has changed over the years, but Harper said these changes were positive. "He's become more intelligent, more committed to helping people on a larger and larger scale," Harper said. "But he's still the same person. He called me on my birthday right when he was about to speak to 65,000 people, before the Oregon primary. He's a good, genuine person, a good father and husband. What people often don't see is that he has a great sense of humor, a great smile, a great laugh."

"It's important for someone like me — who's known Obama for 20 years — to speak the truth," Harper continued. "I know him to be a Christian man. I know him to be one of the greatest patriots. Only in this country could he do what he's doing. What makes this country the greatest county in all the world is that it is a participatory democracy. But voter turnout rates have been low — the participatory democracy only works when people participate."

Celebrity endorsements, Harper said, do have an effect on potential voters. "People listen for cues — when they are searching for a decision, they look to people they know," he explained. "Young people can be apathetic in certain ways unless they hear from someone they like and admire about why they should be engaged and involved. If someone you love is doing a rally or concert, you may be engaged to register." Harper added, "But I would like for them to be educated on the policies so they don't look uninformed."

Harper's involvement in this campaign is due to a combination of his celebrity status and his personal relationship with Obama. "The celebrity gives me the platform: 15 million people watch CSI every week," he explained. "Once I have the ears, I can talk about this man who I've known for 20 years — that gives me the legitimacy and insight and the ability to speak authentically about how great he will be."

When asked what the outcome of this election will be, Harper said honestly, "I have no idea. I just know I have to keep doing the work. The election is not going to be about ads, debates, poll numbers — but convincing people to vote. We need a high voter turnout. This is the most important election of our lifetimes, because our country is truly at a crossroads. We are suffering in many ways, and Washington is part of the cause. We need a change in Washington. Obama/[Joe] Biden represents that change, and I hope the country recognizes that."

The original interview is from MSNBC. Thanks to goddess_loki on LiveJournal for the heads up.

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