James Garner: bleeding heart liberal

[book_worm]

"Too many actors have run for office," he writes. "There's one difference between me and them: I know I'm not qualified. In my opinion, Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't qualified to be governor of California. Ronald Reagan wasn't qualified to be governor, let alone president. I was a vice president of the Screen Actors Guild when he was its president. My duties consisted of attending meetings and voting. The only thing I remember is that Ronnie never had an original thought and that we had to tell him what to say. That's no way to run a union, let along a state or a country."

Garner writes that he was asked to run for Congress in 1962 as a Republican, and "it didn't stop them when I told them I was a Democrat. …They just thought I could win." In 1990, Democratic leaders approached him about running for governor of California, but the discussion got to the issue of abortion and Garner says he answered, "I don't have an opinion, because that's up to the woman. It has nothing to do with me." The conversation pretty much stopped there.

Garner is what he calls a "bleeding-heart liberal," having participated in the 1963 civil rights March on Washington and later advocating for a number of progressive causes. He voted for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, he writes, but never cast a ballot for a Republican again. He voted for Adlai Stevenson in 1956, and calls him "the most intelligent presidential candidate we've ever had. I think Obama runs a close second."

http://variety.com/2011/biz/opinion/in-new-memoir-james-garner-slams-reagan-other-actors-who-run-for-office-37170/

[H2O Man]

1. Recommended.

Thank you for this.

[underpants]

2. Always struck me as a tough badass kinda dude

Like in a real sense not just his public persona.

[malthaussen]

10. Twice wounded in Korea:

"He then went to Korea for 14 months in the Regular Army, serving in the 5th Regimental Combat Team in the Korean War. He was wounded twice, first in the face and hand from shrapnel fire from a mortar round, and second on April 23, 1951 in the buttocks from friendly fire from U.S. fighter jets as he dived headfirst into a foxhole. Garner was awarded the purple heart in Korea for the first injury. For the second wound, he received a second Purple Heart (eligibility requirement: "As the result of friendly fire while actively engaging the enemy&quot , although Garner received the medal in 1983, 32 years after his injury.[10][13][14][15] Garner was a self-described "scrounger" for his company in Korea, a role he later played in The Great Escape[16] and The Americanization of Emily." (Wikipedia bio)

So not just a bleeding-heart liberal, but liberally bleeding from the butt.

Dirt-poor hardscrabble kid from Oklahoma. Yeah, I think he was probably pretty tough.

-- Mal

[MrScorpio]

77. Rest in Power, Mr. Garner nt

[underpants]

80. Interesting

[roguevalley]

85. Brett Maverick. He and Richard Widmark were my heroes.

[Gothmog]

3. May he rest in peace

[orpupilofnature57]

4. He nailed bonzo's straight man good !!!!!!

[CBGLuthier]

5. Also a regular cannabis smoker.

I was pleasantly shocked when, at the end of his memoir, he talked about how much he felt cannabis had helped him in his life. both for emotional support and dealing with arthritis.


So those of you still partake, smoke a bowl for Jim.

[frylock]

64. didn't know that, and i will

[navarth]

82. acknowledged. Initiating process in 3...2...1...

Yup Jimmy did have clear thinking about the ganja. A truly great man, IMO. Not because of the ganja; because of everything he was and everything he did. We need more people like Jimmy.

And Ye GODZ what a great talent. Of all of them I think the only one I hold above Jimmy is Bogart. (another librul troublemaker).

Now then: shit, where's that lighter? ah. found it.

[BlueJazz]

6. After reading about him, years ago, he was on my "Good Guy" list.

I'll miss him

[Auggie]

18. FYI: His autobiography, " The Garner Files: A Memoir" ... great read

[BlueJazz]

27. Thanks much! I'll check it out.

[navarth]

83. Read that last year. A wonderful read about a really class guy. nt

[Auggie]

90. Yes ...

He has his curmudgeon moments, but what 80+ year old wouldn't?

Other thing I respect about Garner -- he was a great actor and also handled humor brilliantly. Very much like Cary Grant in that regard.

[conservaphobe]

7. We lost a good man. nt

[WhiteTara]

8. Now I know why I liked him as an actor. nt

[butterfly77]

9. Kick&Recommended!

R.I.P.

[rickyhall]

11. I guess he died while I was watching Maverick (the original).

Bummer, good man.

[packman]

12. Closing the Rockford Files

Sad to hear this. Some good people should live longer. Seems like all my favorites are passing away. RIP Jim.

[valerief]

13. Garner was always a favorite of mine, especially in comedies.

One of his fairly recent comedies (in his long career) was <i>My Fellow Americans</i> with Jack Lemmon. It cracked me up.

Other comedies of his I enjoyed were:
Victor Victoria
Move Over Darling
The Americanization of Emily
Support Your Local Sheriff
The Wheeler Dealers
The Thrill of It All
Boys Night Out

Noncoms I liked:
36 Hours
Marlowe
Barbarians at the Gate

Gorgeous, sexy, smart, funny, AND a liberal. Damn, they don't make 'em better than Garner.

[dflprincess]

96. I loved "My Fellow Americans"

There weren't many people in theater when my friend & I went to it. About 1/2 hour into four people got up from their seats and moved into the row behind us. After the movie ended, they told us they moved over by us because we were the only other ones in the theater laughing at some of the more subtle jokes. Though the line my friend & I noticed hardly noticed anyone but us laughing at was when Mount Rushmore was referred to as a "natural wonder".

I suppose the movie didn't do that well because you had to know a little bit about history - and be a Democrat to really enjoy it. (Like when Lauren Bacall told Jack Lemmon he was being so "George Bush&quot .

And I liked the scene when he & Jack Lemmon jump off the train, just like he did in "The Great Escape".

[WCLinolVir]

14. True to his heart. Love to you James, happy crossing.

[dhill926]

15. Aw man...

Lost a good one...

[glinda]

16. RIP... What a great guy.

[Hugin]

17. !

My Dad's all time favorite actor... Especially, in the Rockford Files. One of the only shows I ever saw him actively sit down and watch.

[etherealtruth]

25. One of my mother's favorites, too!

[freshwest]

45. That was my favorite, too. His heart shone through in that show.

[Siwsan]

19. I actually shed tears, when I read about his passing

The tears just welled up and rolled down my face. I haven't done that since George Harrison died. And the strange thing is, like several other people have written, I was just thinking about him, the other day - wondering how he was and recalling some of my favorite James Garner movies. It's mystifying.

[NastyRiffraff]

20. He was great

as an actor and as a man. He "knew what he didn't know" and stuck to what he was good at. He NAILED Ah-nold and Ronnie!

RIP Mr Garner. You will be missed.

[L0oniX]

21. So McCain and Palin weren't so "Mavericky" after all.

[spooky3]

23. Good one! JG always seemed so natural when acting

Sounds as if he was a wonderful person.

[bigtree]

22. /

Michael Beschloss ‏@BeschlossDC 2h
James Garner (1928-2014) with Diahann Carroll at 1963 March on Washington: #Eliofson

[Geoff R. Casavant]

99. That other man looks familar as well.

Who is that holding Garner's left hand? The face looks almost Marlon Brando-esque.

[bigtree]

101. correct

. . . it's Brando.

[YBR31]

24. I met him when I was in college--he was a true gentleman

I met him once on vacation at a restaurant. While we were chatting, a man about 20 years my senior made a very rude pass at me. Mr. Garner told him in no certain term to get lost. He was a real gentleman and treated me like a daughter. He had been chatting with my father and me and my dad had stepped away. I ran into him a few more times and he always remembered me. He was a lovely man.

[LittleGirl]

81. that's so cool.

thanks for sharing.

[renate]

89. that is a really sweet story

Thanks for sharing it! I love finding out that people I like by reputation really are nice in real life.

[randys1]

26. Always loved him, now even more

[barbtries]

28. he was a good guy.

a patient in an office where i worked in the 90s - one day i got to work a little late and he asked me, "why did i have to be here at 8 and you got to come in at 9?" i said cause i'm special...his demeanor was rockford all the way. good guy.

[calimary]

29. Love this. Love him, too!

He sure pegged ronnie. Nothing but a cardboard cut-out. Tell him where to stand. Prop him up. Hold up the cue cards. Pull the string, and watch him go! He was one of the original members of the "...but he/she photographs well" club. If "St. ronnie" were still alive, you better believe he'd be on Pox Noise with all the blondes. Hell, he'd have his own show with bill-o as a lead-in. He'd have been perfect for that. Nobody read lines like he did. At that, at snow-jobbing the public, he was a master. Unfortunately. His "legacy" has cursed our land.



Reminds me of my favorite Bette Davis quote: "you should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good. Joan Crawford is dead. Good." Switch out the words "Joan Crawford" for ronald reagan and you get what I'm feeling about that schmuck.

[joanbarnes]

63. I still ponder how Ronnie fooled everyone, he never fooled me, even as a young 30-something.

[calimary]

67. He never fooled me either. But that slick schtick sure did - with far too many gullible Americans.

He was a master in the slogan-delivery department. All that acting served him and all his greedy little pirate friends very well. I was even a little bit afraid of him because he struck me as the most dangerous man in America BECAUSE of his skill at salesmanship. That aw-shucks delivery, the gently shaking head, the eyebrow thing - one of 'em went up, one of 'em went down, very cute and folksy and "aw, what a kindly old man! Harmless and amiable like that fun old uncle with the fun stories and famous-friends anecdotes and salty Irish pub-style jokes. Adorable! Let's all sit around by the camp fire, at his knee, and listen to "Ol' Dutch." And in the meantime, the snake oil oozes out of his mouth and down his backside, along the ground until it finds targets with open pores to seep into. And pretty soon, the target is consumed - and overtaken - and owned - and becomes part of the monster. Without firing a shot. Without shedding a drop of blood. A completely clean and painless kill. No muss, no fuss, and they're totally body-snatched. Zombi-fied. Never even knew what hit 'em. He poisoned our collective mind here in America. Made it sound sooooooooo good to turn generosity and compassion and "my brother's keeper" and care and concern for "the Least of These" upside down and ass-up. Morning in America and all that crap. Shining City on a Hill and win one more for the Gipper and all those nice slogans from that nice avuncular harmless lovable ol' dude who was 90-thousand years old with an accordion-pleated face but his hair somehow never grayed... Toxic Phony!!!

But he photographs well... (especially when you slap a 120-foot American flag behind him and lots of old-Hollywood Busby Berkeley staging all around him.)

[C Moon]

103. It's still fooling many.

[navarth]

84. sorta gives a clue about how really dumb they are out there

doesn't it?

[joanbarnes]

100. I never fell for Bushco's really bad schtick either, pity all those 'scared' folks who did

[colsohlibgal]

30. Sad Day

What a likeable, amiable guy and it came across in his career, he fit perfectly as Maverick and Rockford. I remember how pleased I was when I learned he was quite progressive. A younger guy who has a similar persona is Richard Dean Anderson, and I was quite happy to learn from a mass email from him that he's a bit of a lefty himself.

RIP Jimmy, you will be missed, and if there is an afterlife I hope you're laughing it up there with old friends and family.

[freshwest]

46. Agreed, both my favorites. A warmth and sense of humor.

[heaven05]

31. my type of liberal

wish he had contributed here, given some that posit ideas here. May he find a big bowl of cannabis where he's gone.

[lunatica]

40. Maybe he did with another name

Ya never know who is a DUer.

[heaven05]

73. true

[yuiyoshida]

32. good for him!

[LoisB]

33. Can't tell you how many times I've watched "Murphy's Romance". Great actor, great

human. May he R.I.P.

[narnian60]

58. Me, too.

One of those movies I watch every time it's on even if I don't have time to watch it. He was so good in The Great Escape, also.

[LoisB]

72. The scene where he and Donald Pleasance face the German machine guns always

makes me cry.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

34. Huge Rockford fan, and "Support Your Local Sheriff" is one of my all time favorites

Rest in Peace, James Garner. Hopefully there are Raiders games in Heaven.

[ChazInAz]

54. That was my favorite, too.

I always liked his self-deprecating sense of humor. He never took himself all that seriously. An uncommon trait among us actors!

[PumpkinAle]

35. In all his roles there was just something

about him that you knew he was a nice guy.

A real loss - RIP James and condolences to his family and friends.

[freshwest]

48. He had the working man appeal for me in that show. Loved him.

[immoderate]

36. I will miss him. And he was a great man...

--imm

[SummerSnow]

37. RIP Mr.Garner. My condolences to the family.

[lunatica]

38. He was my first major movie star crush

And it has lingered through the years. He played flawed and cynical role good guys which I believe is why he has always been popular. Everyone could identify with his characters.

Rest in Peace my first love.

[Baitball Blogger]

39. Now, this is the guy I would vote as the man I would most likely want to

have a beer with. Though, I would probably order the Pinot Noir Oregon Planet 2012.

[bbgrunt]

41. one of the great good guys. His passing leaves a hole in the matrix.

[Third Doctor]

42. Rip James

Damn strong liberal democrat.

[BillZBubb]

43. Tremendous loss...

A great actor and a great man.

[greatlaurel]

44. RIP, Mr. James Garner.

Be every account from people who worked with him or met him, he was an intelligent, pleasant and loyal person, despite having had an extremely difficult childhood. He will be missed.

My sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

[Half-Century Man]

47. Good night Mr Garner

Thank you for entertaining us. Thank you for doing your part to advance us. Thank you for the example of how a person should act if they were to become successful.
Whether we are ready or not we have it from here, so sleep well sir.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

49. He was the number one fan of my favorite football team - the Oakland Raiders

In the past, you'd often see him on the sidelines rooting them on in games. So sad to learn of his passing. He was brilliant in one of the best shows in the history of television, the Rockford Files. My dad loved him too, especially after going to the theater in the 1960s to see him in The Great Escape, the same pow camp where my dad was a pow.

[americannightmare]

60. Yes, a big Raiders fan from the beginning...

and the star of one of my fave shows as a kid...with one of the best theme songs ever...

[bayareaboy]

75. He was a big fan all the from the Frank Youel Field, when the Raiders first started out...

to the coliseum, later on. Every home game in Oakland it seemed. he was there.

I think he was a great working-class actor who liked to hangout with a working class team.
Don't think that the Rams were even in his mind.

[Reter]

50. "Adlai Stevenson in 1956, and calls him "the most intelligent presidential candidate we've ever had"

I don't know anything about Stevenson, not do I know about the most intelligent. But IMO the best in the past 40+ years was McGovern. Mondale a close second.

[dflprincess]

97. When Stevenson ran one of the slams used against him was that he was and "egghead"

because, God forbid, we have a president who is too smart.

Some things never change.

[gopiscrap]

51. RIP

Well done good and faithful servent

[Zorra]

52. RIP. He was one of the most "natural" actors ever.

I enjoyed his acting and character in every role I saw him play.

[Eleanors38]

87. RIP, Mr. Garner. The "Maverick" series was a ground-breaker

as the plots were often tongue-in-cheek, and the soundtrack was centered on electric guitars, playing contemporaneous styles.

[Uncle Joe]

53. Kicked and recommended.

Thank you, James.


Thanks for the thread, book_worm.

[G_j]

55. both my parents loved him

and I did too. A decent, kind, intelligent, icon of the culture, one of the best.

[Demoiselle]

56. If you haven't seen it, Watch The Americanization of Emily.

Really good, smart movie. And a really good smart man.
James Baumgartner. (I think.) Texan. I am very sad.

[redstatebluegirl]

71. Not Texan he was born in Oklahoma never lived in Texas.

[Demoiselle]

108. I stand corrected….I don't know where I got the Texas idea. (At least they're close!) nt

[Stuart G]

57. k and r

[snort]

59. I met him on Orange Blvd.

Shooting a scene for TRF, with Rita Moreno. Got his autograph for somebody named 'skippy' for some ladies that lived in an apt. building I was working in. They knew I was fresh from the country and naive so they asked me to do it for them. He was very nice about it, rolled his eyes smiled and sighed and said "all right, what's the name". Skippy. I just loved the guy. RIP

[Cha]

93. LUcky you, snort.. and James Garner! :) nm

[Stellar]

61. Lot of love in my heart for that man!

Rest in peace, my angel, my very first teenage crush!

[ismnotwasm]

62. RIP

Glad he was one of he good ones

[kiva]

65. RIP, James Garner.

It feels like he was around for my whole life, on TV and movies...he brought much joy.

[life long demo]

66. So Jim was not only a good actor, he was also a good guy

Just confirms why I have loved Jim Garner for decades. I am so sad. I still watch Rockford Files on TV. It never got old. It's a coincidence that yesterday I was watching an old movie staring James Garner where he played Wyatt Earp. Rest in peace Jim. You did good.

[47of74]

68. RIP James Garner

And up yours Ronnie and Arnold.

[TNNurse]

69. A gift to all of us

He was talented, incredibly handsome and a REAL liberal.

[MissDeeds]

70. RIP Mr. Garner

I miss you already.



K&R

[NBachers]

74. Garner family: Please know the love, respect, and admiration we have for James Garner.

Safe driving, Rockfish. Say hi to Rocky.

[maddiemom]

76. R.I.P. to Mr. Garner, a great favorite and serious crush when I was a kid. (I've read Sally Field

felt the same way, and thus, "Murphey's Romance&quot . I remember reading his remarks about Reagan, but, hey, he was a great sock puppet for the one percent. I remember my late father-in-law, a life long Democrat and a U.M.W.A. member being constantly tickled by, and liking the Gipper while he was in office (they were the same age).

[MoonchildCA]

78. Man, I loved him.

Goodbye James Garner.

[Blue_In_AK]

79. He's always been one of my favorite actors

even before I knew his politics. He will be missed but thankfully lives on in his films and TV.

[SpankMe]

86. I lived and died hanging on every episode of The Rockford Files

One of my favorite shows ever. You could see liberal themes in some episodes including two episodes that touched on gay issues in a positive, matter-of-fact manner. It was subtle, but - in hindsight - pretty amazing and ahead of its time for the 1970's.

I remember seeing James Garner on Charlie Rose many years after Rockford wrapped. He identified in that interview as a liberal through-and-through and wasn't afraid to say it.

Today, you can't even get liberals to proudly identify themselves as such, as using that "L" word gets you attacked mercilessly by the right wing.

Loved Jim Garner. Rest in piece, dude. You've always had my respect and admiration.

[navarth]

88. Irreplaceable. Jimmy, we'll miss you so very much.

This was a class guy. What a 'hollywood star' should really be.

I listened to him in conversation in 1987. I happened to be staying at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel at the time he was making that cowboy movie with Bruce Willis and they were shooting in the hotel lobby. We happened to be on scene and one member of the party had a conversation with Jimmy while he was waiting for his next shot to be set up. He was so courteous, gently spoken, just a really down guy. He was very nice to her. I was standing 2 feet away and I didn't interject because I didn't want to impose on him. If I had that chance again, I would have asked him if I could have the honor of shaking him by the hand.

I call him Jimmy because that's what Stuart Margolin called him, and I thinks that's what his friends would call him, and his work in movies and tv made me his friend. So I say thank you Jimmy; thanks for everything. We will not see your like again.

[japple]

91. If you've never seen the movie he made with Louis Gossett, Jr., called "Skin Game,"

you owe it to yourself to watch it. It's one of my favorites. Loved the Support Your Local Sheriff and Support Your Local Gunfighter movies, as well as The Rockford Files. He was a genuinely good guy, with a big heart. There are not many like that in this world and esp. in the film/tv industry.

[ladyVet]

92. I've always loved James Garner.

He was a good man, and a good actor.

Swift passage, brother. Light one up for us, okay?

[Cha]

94. Tweet pic from the King Center..

The King Center @KingCenterATL
Follow
Thank you, James Garner, for your work as a civil rights activist. Rest well.
6:07 AM - 20 Jul 2014 1,768 Retweets 1,141 favorites

TOD

mahalo for your OP, book worm!

[fishwax]

95. sad news--one of my favorites for sure nt

[smirkymonkey]

98. Very sad. It sounds like he was a wonderful human being from all accounts.

My condolences to his family.

P.S - I know it's not rational, but it makes me so angry when wonderful people like this leave the world, while evil people like Dick Cheney are still alive. Is it true that the most evil people live forever?

[tech3149]

102. For those who have the opportunity and interest

Honor his life by watching Grand Prix. The best ever motorsport film with Mr Garner in the lead role.

[Major Hogwash]

104. Always liked him.

He had a magnetic personality and could charm a person out of their shoes!
He was most definitely a star, with all of the connotations that word carries with it.

[Drunken Irishman]

105. Wow! Gardner and my grandpa might be the only two people to vote Ike and then Stevenson!

My grandpa, a WWII vet, voted for one Republican ever - Eisenhower in '52. Four years later, he turned around and voted Stevenson and kept voting Democratic up until his last election (he died in 2003).

[progressoid]

107. My Dad too!

We just had that discussion yesterday. Now 81, he mentioned voting for Ike yesterday as we were driving along "Eisenhower Way". Since then he's been a Registered Bleeding Heart Democrat.

[Enthusiast]

106. Kicked and recommended!