Why did Bill Maher contribute $1 million to support Obama's reelection campaign?

[Fumesucker]

There must have been some cunning plan behind that $1 million donation, it couldn't possibly be that Maher thought Barack Obama would make a better president than Mitt Romney.

I'm just not devious minded enough to figure it out though, perhaps some DUer with a better grasp of politics than me can explain this dilemma and put my confusion to rest.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/24/bill-maher-super-pac-obama-_n_1299250.html

WASHINGTON -- Stephen Colbert may not support the idea of super PACs, but fellow political satirist Bill Maher is buying into the system -- literally.

During a performance of his comedy special "CrazyStupidPolitics" Thursday night, Maher announced a gift of $1 million to Priorities USA Action, an Obama-supporting super PAC. While he mocked the group's clunky name, saying it was "named by Borat," his publicist said that Maher was deadly serious about the donation and believed a second term for Obama was “worth a million dollars."

[yeoman6987]

1. I don't get why people are down on him

Ok so he said that he believes that vaccines result in autism. I don't see why that has anything to do with Obama.

[phleshdef]

6. I don't think he even said he believes that vaccines result in autism.

It seem to me that his point of view was that there should be more research into adverse effects of vaccines. I don't agree with his point of view on that by the way, I feel there has been more than adequate research that clearly proves that overall, vaccines are a huge plus for the health of a society. Regardless, its not like he is out there trying to evangelize people against vaccines, but thats what you would think by reading DU.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Can you link to a quote? Because I don't think he said such a thing, people on DU make

crap up all the time. If you can't prove your contention, I say you making crap up.

[demwing]

17. I heard he likes to eat at Olive Garden

so maybe that's why...

[arcane1]

2. I'm looking forward to his "flip a district" thing this year.

If nothing else, it's going to be hilarious to see people's vids complaining about their reps

[TreasonousBastard]

3. I'm going out on a limb here, but...

maybe, just maybe, he likes Obama.

Is that really so tough to believe?

[Fumesucker]

7. According to DU Maher is a libertarian

Not only that he is a middle aged white male.

How could he possibly prefer Obama to Romney?

It just doesn't make sense.

[okaawhatever]

8. Obama did have the educated white male vote in Maher's home state. Nothing special there.

Plus anyone familiar with politics knows what a disaster Romney would have been.

[struggle4progress]

12. He told Rolling Stone he was a libertarian

... You've been described as a libertarian.
I'm a libertarian. The line I've always used is, I would be a Republican if they would. Which means that I like the Barry Gold-water Republican Party, even the Reagan Republican Party. I want a mean old man to watch my money. I don't want a Republican to be funny. I don't want him to be charming. Because government is a sieve that takes as much money as it can and gives it away, usually needlessly ...

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/checking-in-with-bill-maher-in-1999-20110413?page=2

[Fumesucker]

16. Well, there we have it

It's simply impossible that Maher actually supported Obama, there must have been some cunning and nefarious plot to his donation.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. It's so funny, go read that link, it's from 15 years ago and contains endless defenses and

praises of Bill Clinton, shit loads of criticism of Republicans and interestingly in this context, criticism of MSNBC which at that time was non stop Monicagate, like a Clinton hate show. It's so funny. People are freaking simpletons.

[struggle4progress]

21. He endorsed Dole in 1996. He voted for Nader in 2000:

"I remember in 2000, I was a Nader voter. And I was saying, hey, Bore and Gush, they are the same"

I used to watch his show regularly. I think he can be laugh-out-loud funny -- but that doesn't mean I agree with his views. He's just a comedian: my bottom-line reaction is that his analyses tend to be superficial

But a lot of people have noticed the US rightwing has become completely unhinged in recent years. Here's Maher last year on libertarians:

"To everyone who keeps trying to shame me about abandoning my Libertarian moorings, my message is this: I didn't go nuts, this movement did. Like when you see a stop light, your reaction should be 'Great, an easy way to ensure we don't all crash into each other,' not, 'How dare the government tell me when I can and cannot go!"

That doesn't sound as if he has abandoned his essentially libertarian views but rather as if he doesn't want to be filed in their box right now. Maybe in part it's a result of all the libertarian attacks on him in recent years

[Fumesucker]

23. And Obama changed his public stance on gay rights just for political advantage

Everyone knows it's impossible for people to change their minds.

[struggle4progress]

25. Slow day for you? Hoping to drum up a pointless argument by putting words in my mouth?

[Fumesucker]

27. Those were my words, you never mentioned Obama

[uponit7771]

22. "middle class white male" = bullshit ass'd conservative strawman

[Fumesucker]

24. Maher isn't middle class, he's middle aged

Reading really is fundamental.

[TreasonousBastard]

31. According to DU, rocks float...

or not, depending on what day it is.

[Hoyt]

4. I think he has the money, and wanted to put his money where his mouth is and make a statement.

I'm glad he did. I wish more people would give Democrats money.

I like Maher. I think he's right about a lot of things, and he presents it in a humorous way that people listen to. More importantly, he can make a right/white wing ass look like one on national TV.

I suspect everybody on DU -- if they were on TV for an hour at a time, 30 or 40 times a year, and were interviewed even more times, wrote books, produced documentaries, etc. -- would say some stupid things. Hell, I do it and I'm never on TV, interviewed, or anything like that.

[underpants]

5. He has said publicly that too many would-be donators were sitting on their hands

He meant it to the Hollywood crowd as well as the REALLY big money types that even Obama looked like a shoe in they needed to make sure.

[luckyleftyme2]

9. there is a good reason

He is a liberal; not a disgruntled republican who has been bad mouthing him since day one! Romney is anything but a working man's best friend! For one thing he was a corporate raider who made money by stealing their pension funds! Since your so much of a Romney man don't you think you should complain in the heritage forum? In case your one of those ill informed southern boys the only thing the heritage group or the libertine group has down is take away workers rights and lower taxes for the elite! who do u think is against raising the minimum wage!
I give Bill Maher a big hug and thank him and all those others that kept Romney out of office!
I remember him as gov. of Massachusetts ! We couldn't let him lead us to despair!

[Oilwellian]

15. I think Fumesucker's sarcasm...

went right over the ole noggin.

It's about a few DU'ers throwing Maher under the bus for chastising MSNBC:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024516896
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024520607

[Bluenorthwest]

10. Because he's about a million times more valuable as a Democratic voter than those who

make up bullshit about him.

[TheMathieu]

13. There's probably a lot of people that donate to Democrats not worthy of respect. nt

[madville]

14. He want's to be Ambassador to North Korea? n/t

n/t

[struggle4progress]

18. Dunno. Why did he say he did?

“The difference between a country governed by Obama and one governed by Rick Santorum is worth a million dollars to me. Not just because I think the country would be better, but because I think it would actually better protect the money I have left.”

[Fumesucker]

20. Libertarians lie like rugs, everyone knows it

Why should we believe what Maher puts out for public consumption?

[Vashta Nerada]

26. Well, when I give money to a candidate, it's because I support said candidate.

[Fumesucker]

28. Ah, but you're not a libertarian

At least I hope you're not..

[Vashta Nerada]

29. Nope.

But if Maher is libertarian and he gave money to Obama, oh well. Better than giving money to Ron or Rand Paul.

[Agnosticsherbet]

30. I think he donated the money because he thought Obama was the best candidate for the job.

That is not the same things as best most qualified wonderfullest perfect Presidential candidate who agrees with every thought Maher thinks as if he was reading Maher's fucking mind.

It means that, considering that either Obama or Romney were going to be President (there was never another rpossibility), Obama was the best choice.

And because he had a fucking million dollars that he could use to make that statement and still be able to do the down and dirty with any person of his choice while eating the best caviar by the pound. drinking champagne by barrel, and smoking the best weed money can buy.

[JI7]

32. i don't believe he has libertarian views on some issues anymore

the bush years probably got him to see how bad the republicans were.