Canton, Ohio (CNN) - As the standard-bearer of the conservative party, Mitt Romney may not draw as many Hollywood endorsements as his rival.
But what his celebrity backers lack in quantity they make up in unconventional appeal.
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Case in point: aging rocker Meat Loaf, who wore a sequin-sleeved blazer to endorse Romney in a halting but heartfelt speech Thursday.
The entertainer didn't perform his signature hits, but he did paint in stark terms voters' choice this November.
"This is the most important election in the history of the United States," he told an audience in Defiance, Ohio. "Because there has storm clouds come over the United States!"
"There is thunderstorms over Europe," he continued, warming to the weather theme. "There are hailstorms, and I mean major hailstorms, in the Middle East."
Meat Loaf also offered a dubious defense of Romney's running mate's controversial budget plan.
"I want you to know at 65 that Paul Ryan has not pushed me off the cliff in a wheelchair," he joked.
The next evening, "Everybody Loves Raymond" actress Patricia Heaton cracked some edgy jokes of her own at another football field rally in North Canton.
Telling the audience she came from an Irish-Catholic family, Heaton invoked Romney's Mormon religion – something he does not frequently mention on the campaign trail.
"I have over a hundred first cousins on my mom's side, so we're giving those Mormons a run for their money," Heaton said.
After joking about nearby Akron ("I was born on the west side of Cleveland. You know what Cleveland's motto is? At least we're not Akron!"), Heaton couldn't resist poking fun at the well-toned body of Romney's clean-cut running mate Paul Ryan.
"I have to tell you, backstage I didn't recognize him with his shirt on," she said, adding: "And I did wear orange, not only because I'm a [Cleveland] Browns fan, but I was afraid Paul would have his shotgun."
On Friday, as has become common over the previous weeks, Romney supporters were also entertained by a folksy band who voiced their support for the candidate in between twanging riffs. The parade of country singers who have backed Romney are perhaps an unusual fit for the former governor of Massachusetts, whose running mate has joked is an aficionado of elevator music.
None of these high-profile fans could equal the pithiness of Romney endorser and football great John Elway, who announced in October he was backing Romney with perhaps the briefest speech on record.
His entire statement, including a reference to a winning football game a day earlier, is below:
"I must say today has been a very good day," Elway told an audience in Denver Oct. 1. "Not only because of what happened yesterday, but because I get the opportunity to introduce to you the next president of the United States, Gov. Mitt Romney."
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Meatloaf ruined it. Obama 2012!
Please send Romney link to careerbuilders.com...he will need it on 11/6....
Meatloaf and Patricia Heaton are in Romney's binders full of "B-list has-been celebrities".
Katy Perry vs. Meatloaf, hmmm, one is currently popular with young people, and one was popular with young people in the '70"s AND 70 pounds ago.
Kinda says it all about our two presidential candidates!
Why does Mitt look REALLY uncomfortable in the headline photo? Is it because he's interacting with the "common folks"?
4 more years for president obama!!! sidenote: i saw meatloaf on the news singing, lawd, i screamed it was so funny, want to see that again. lol
Celebrities come out to endorse Mitt, and all of them came from the same $5 discount bin at WalMart.
Mr. Loaf's version of the song was gross and embarrassing.
What celebrities does the title of this article refer to?
Patricia Heaton? Really?
No A-Listers. Cannot wait until our Prez is re-elected and this election is over.
I'm from Washington State and proudly just voted straight Republican...Romney 2012 !!
Sooo, let me get this straight... celebrity endorsement of a Republican is good....... but if a celebrity endorses a democrat ... Bad
How many times have we heard the Republican Right trash a celebrity because they came out for a Democrat?
And those three are the best celebrities he can muster? All retired and none relevant at present. I mean, Meatloaf? Really?
The conservative party? I thought mitt was the candidate of the republican party. This is not some hapless can "contributor", but their political producer. Maybe that's just a fancy title for hapless contributor.
Stars? If Jonh Rich and Meatloaf are stars then so are Steven Shortrdge and Russell Watson. (Pauses for perplexed stares) My point exactly.
Seems like the Republicans should be able to by at least super star who is currently still in the public's eye and relevant. All that money and they can't bribe just one?
The victims in Lybia begged for help on three different occassions during the terrorist attacks on 9/11/12 and nothing. 4 Americans die, but the fundraisers must go on and it's more convenient to blame some video that had been out since June, but nobody had seen.
Oh my, Meatloaf, really? That was reallly....bad. How awful was that?
How gracious of Romney to feed us "Meatloaf",.. while he and his wife feast on caviar and lobster.
All they can get are old rock stars. How about some under 30, heck even 40 or 50.
meatloaf and Heaton–are you kidding me? I am not too swayed by any of these
celebrity endorsements but i will say that meatloaf and Wheaton are about as
outdated as this Romney candidate is. And meatloaf needs a grammar course!
I am So glad i've already voted for Obama.
Wow, those sure are some bright stars! I know I sure do appreciate their opinions and knowing who they endorse is bound to influence my vote. Not that I couldn't figger it out on my own, but this makes it a lot easier for me. Thank you meat loaf for coming back from the dead to weigh in on this question. Your wisdom in government and society is well known. It is quite witty really, you standing up there, all smiling, while your mere presence screams, inarguably, that Romney is a bat straight out of hell.
Michaela,where were you when Bush and Cheney lied about weapons of mass destruction and illegally invaded Iraq?How many kids have been killed and maimed there?Were YOU outraged THEN?
The embarrassing Mitt gets an embarrassing endorsement.
Maybe meatloaf hasn't had to deal with what many other seniors over 65 do I am sure he can well afford his healthcare.
"But what his celebrity backers lack in quantity they make up in unconventional appeal" In english, this means whack jobs. Meatloaf hasn't been relavant since the 1970's and he can't even sing anymore. The main difference between the Repubs and the Dems are that the Repubs always look to the past for relavance instead of having a vision for the future. God help us all if Thurston and Lovey move into the White House.....we are all doomed. He will be moving in with ZERO