What was Kevin Costner trying to say on "Real Time w/ Bill Maher?

[immoderate]

I saw the show and was so impressed with Richard Belzer. Of course Wesley Clark was there and as usual made you feel that you're glad he's on your side. That both as Dem and American.

I guess Costner, who I think is conservative, was there for balance. But he made GWBush seem glib. The best he could do, I think was some sort of endorsement of Nader.(?)

Did he say anything?

Oh yeah looks like Ann Coulter is dying her roots black. Maher said, "I like your hair." Hee hee. :silly:

--IMM

[Bronco69]

1. I TIVOed it and watched it this morning.

Costner just wasn't making any sense. Toward the end of the show he was babbling about some sort of nonsense and I had to tune him out. I loved the part where Belzer called Coulter a fascist party doll. ROFL! How Bill Maher can be friends with that bitch is beyond me!

[immoderate]

5. Yeah Belzer gave the best ant-Bush screed I have seen.

It was sharp and concise.

I have some conservative friends, though fewer now than before. We keep our differences on the level of humor mostly.

--IMM

[nuxvomica]

8. Thanks. I was wondering what Belzer had said

Calling Coulter a "fascist party doll" certainly makes sense considering the context.
It did sound like Costner was trying to support Nader, which has got to be difficult to communicate even if you're not Kevin Costner. I figured he was stoned.

[Seabiscuit]

32. Maher is friends with anyone who will share a fattie with him

and let him suck her huge adam's apple at the same time.

[immoderate]

33. I could use one now!

The fattie I mean.

--IMM

[Seabiscuit]

35. Will a bong do?

My hookah has more than one mouthpiece. Help yourself!

[immoderate]

39. Now that's my idea of community!

--IMM

[Webster Green]

2. I couldn't make much sense out of it.......

He seemed kinda peeved at someone or something, but wasn't very coherent. apparently he isn't voting because he doesn't like Kerry or the chimp.

[blueknight]

3. i heard a while back

that bill and old annthrax were playing "hide the sausage" together

[immoderate]

7. I could see that being a lot of laughs.

Really.

--IMM

[mitchtv]

26. I don't think so, Bill goes for women

Man coulter may not be one

[mchill]

4. Costner was ...

nervous or tipsy? At one point, Richard said something to him, after Kevin first uttered something, "you did well, and you thought you'd be nervous"..then Kevin muttered something back about the wine helping.

After awhile, I wished they hadn't let him into the bottle. He couldn't formulate a coherent message to save his life. He really was just taking up air space.

[Z_I_Peevey]

6. Who knows what he was trying to say?

He was a muddled mess of contradictions and downright stupidity. Methinks he's just an ego-saturated Hollywood millionaire, too long surrounded by yes-men and fawning starlets. In other words, a self-important jerk.

Belzer is magnificent. I adore him. Clark was reasoned and succinct.

Coulter? Well, I changed the channel for her segment.

[TNOE]

46. Ohhh big Mistake Peevey

Although that is what I USUALLY do as soon as I see her mug - but this was priceless - she got booed at, laughed at, mocked - her segment would have made the show actually - even though the rest of it was great. She really got her comeuppance - ESPECIALLY by Belzer and Clark got a great dig in too - the audience DISPISED her and it was so great. I don't think she'll be back.....

[Gold Metal Flake]

9. I think what he was saying is not that hard to define.

Costner was expressing anger and contempt for the divisive politics of today. He is tired of Iraq being the only thing discuss in the media. He's tired of the anger and venom, and he believes that the office of the President should be held by people worthy of respect. He expressed how we as a nation should have come together in 1973 to work toward alternative energy sources as a response to the oil embargo instead of allowing our government to undertake a long series of criminal actions around the world to steal the natural petroleum respources of other nations.

What I heard was idealism. Costner wants to visualize the best world, and then work toward it. He is clearly not conservative in the sense of "republicans are conservative". We know that modern Republicans are anything BUT conservative. They conserve nothing. Costner wants everyone to vote their hearts, not vote as a tactic. Personally, I see we have no choice but to vote Kerry, and I persoanlly have no problem with the vote I cast on Thursday. But, Costner has a point of view, it is valid, and it's not that hard to understand once you set aside the race and how we will all be thrown into the very depths of a hell on earth if * wins.

Costner would be a good guy to have a conversation with AFTER Kerry wins.

[immoderate]

10. Thanks.

He had a hard time making that point. But that seems a fair analysis.

--IMM

[IconoclastIlene]

11. Costner; out of it, out of line, outrageously idealistic.

No one is perfect!! But I thought he was more articulate than the shrub, which isn't saying a whole lot.

[immoderate]

12. His "endorsement" of Nader

seemed out of a time warp. I expected Maher to say, "Been there...."

--IMM

[loftycity]

19. Totally agree with your assessment on what Costner said

Kevin was good. We are all tired of Repuke talking points..

[Jazzgirl]

22. You got more out of what he was saying than I did.

I could barely understand anything he said since most of it was incoherent.

[President Jesus]

13. Costner's not a republican. Here are his campaign contributions

note: $2000 to Kerry
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=Costner&first=Kevin

The point he was trying to make was that neither candidate is electrifying the public with grand ideas. While that is true, it's a naive point. Candidates who introduce grand ideas and unrealistic promises on the campaign trail are crucified. It's important to note that Kennedy's call to go to the moon came AFTER he was elected.

[Robbie67]

14. I think he was saying...

he's tired of the shit all of us have to put up with election after election.

[wanpete]

15. He was rambling, incoherent, and whiny. I don't know if he knows what

he was trying to say. Maher was trying to be kind to him. He's definitely a conservative. Yuck.

[Robbie67]

17. Hmm...lets think about this

Costner acted conservative, SAID he was conservative, then said he'd like to vote for Nader...what the hell is the problem?

[skygazer]

16. Is there a transcript anywhere? n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

49. Here's the transcript. I was surprised that it was on-line so soon.

It usually takes longer than this.:shrug:

http://www.safesearching.com/billmaher/print/t_hbo_realtime_102904.htm

[NNadir]

18. Who cares what Costner said? He's a twit.

[Nordic]

20. why does anybody care what ACTORS think

spend some time with them and you'll realize they're the last people whose opinions you want on such things.

Ask him about acting, something he knows about. Actors are almost never qualified to talk about anything but that, and their feelings.

[Robbie67]

23. Like Barbara Streisand?

Mike Farrell?

Sean Penn?

Susan Sarandon?

[Nordic]

27. Yes

They're free to speak their minds, but why do people give what they say so much weight?

Why do people get all hot and bothered when a guy like Costner goes on the show and makes an idiot of himself?

Who cares?

[Robbie67]

30. Why are you giving it so much weight?

You seem to be implying that Costner has some undue influence just because he was on Bill Maher the other night. I suppose we should equally dismiss the things that Richard Belzer said.

[Nordic]

34. I'm not. But there's like eight threads of this on DU

Everybody tearing their hair out about Kevin Costner.

:eyes:

[Rhiannon12866]

50. I think it's generally acknowledged that people don't pay attention

to celebrities' political views. I certainly wouldn't vote for a candidate just because some actor that I liked supported him. However, they do have their uses. They can draw a crowd. I know that Kerry's already been attracting record crowds, but having Bruce Springsteen performing at his campaign rallies sure couldn't hurt attendance.:evilgrin:

[VOX]

24. The arts community has historically supported progressive causes...

And this includes actors, "real" writers, playwrights, etc. They remember the horrible cancer of McCarthyism in the 1950s.

Take a look at film footage of Martin Luther King's March on Washington in 1963. There are numerous actors in view, including Charlton Heston, as improbable as that seems.

Actors should be able to voice their opinions. The fact that they generally back liberal causes is a big plus, and I appreciate what they think.

[ikojo]

25. If people were only allowed to talk about things they

knew about (in my case it would be health insurance) then the only ones who would be allowed to talk politics would be the talking heads on television and the politicians. I would not want to live in such a world. I am not my job and neither are actors. They do their job but they are also citizens and as such have a right to air their opinions.

[Nordic]

28. they can say whatever they want, but why give it any weight?

It just leads to having actors become governors of states like California, and morons like Dennis Miller being discussed as being future Senators.

Kevin Costner is just an actor. So was Ronald Reagan and so is the gropinator.

[Rhiannon12866]

51. Don't denigrate yourself for knowing about health insurance

This has become one of the biggest concerns in this country. In these troubled times, if you were to give a speech on health insurance, you'd be sure to draw a crowd.

I think that the objection to Costner's voicing his opinions was that he tended to ramble at length with a message that was pretty incoherent. I would have preferred to have heard much more from General Clark and Richard Belzer. They were intelligent and informed and I got something out of what they had to say.

[drbtg1]

40. The main people who care are the people who make the shows

Let's face it, there are plenty of people who are experts on any given subject who just don't look good on television. Thus, these experts are avoided like the plague. Actors (other than Mr. Costner, apparently) already know how they need to look on camera.

"Who cares if they're intelligent. They can ACT intelligent!"

[one_true_leroy]

42. In a participatory democracy....

everyone *should* be an expert (or at least have something worth saying). I think actors are a good vehicle because they are comfortable expressing themselves in front of people. If I had to sit in a studio and tell a half billion people what I think of politics, my articulate nature would catch to first bus to Hem-Haw County, West Virginia. An actor, particulately a passionate and congenial one, is an excellent way of engaging voter, assuming that they are well informed and factual. John Cusack and Tim Robbins come to mind.

[AspenRose]

47. I heard Ben Affleck did a great job on Crossfire

I didn't see it but I heard he got Tucker all worked up.

[lukasahero]

44. They're Americans as well as actors

Heck, these days if they live on the planet and have an informed, well-reasoned opinion, then I want to listen to them and "care" about what they have to say - it's their life and their future too, isn't it?

Sorry but I don't buy into the philosophy that only people who are "the experts" in a particular field should be allowed to voice an opinion on things - guess I wouldn't have a voice in this democracy on any damn thing if that were the case.

[OnionPatch]

I understood everything he was saying

He sounded like a classic Nader voter to me, but one who is leaning toward voting for Kerry for obvious reasons, but not too happy about it.
I didn't get at all that he was conservative. To the contrary. He sounds independent-minded to me, but definitely leaning way to the left.

[immoderate]

29. I assumed Costner would represent conservative views

because Maher likes to balance his panel. I could have been wrong though.

There's always a first time.

--IMM

[robbedvoter]

21. Costner was a spokesman of the braindead community: "We all are

tired of this " - he was intrerrupting everything and advancing nothing.
"Show Bush respect - he is not dumb" "I'd vote Nader if I had the balls" I am not voting" "I do to care about stuff - cuz I am on this show"

Meanwhile, when not intrerrupted by the idiot Clark managed to say Bush is responsible for not preventing 911, that is he likes to prance in military suits he should also accept the military liability rules - they only ask you 2 questions: "Were you in charge?" "Why did you allow this to happen"?
He also explained the chain of comand in the army and why W is liable for the lost explosives.
Belzer was excellent as well.
A transcript will eventually be posted here:
http://www.safesearching.com/billmaher/print/transcripts.shtml

[Seabiscuit]

31. He was trying to say: "I'm Butthead. Where's Bevis?"

[gmaki]

36. I'm going to get flamed for this but in a sense I think...

Costner was John Stewart on Crossfire, and the people here simply unable to understand what he was saying are Paul Begala.

metaphorically speaking.

[Robbie67]

48. well said

:hi:

[Rhiannon12866]

37. IMHO, and I haven't read any other opinions yet, but I will,

Kevin Costner just got on my nerves. He took over the show and just wouldn't shut up. I wanted to hear what General Clark had to say, since I know he's a brilliant man and the military questions were addressed to him. I thought that he was excellent, for all he got to say. I wanted to hear more from him. He knows things that I should know! As for Kevin Costner's opinions, I really don't care. Unless he's making a passionate and earthshaking speech on behalf of one candidate or cause, I would have preferred to have heard less, much less, from him. We all have opinions, unsupported by knowledge. As for Richard Belzer, he said what we, and most of the audience, were thinking. I liked him!:D

edited for grammar

[TNOE]

45. Exactly my thoughts too

I realize Costner was the only conservative so I was trying to give him a break, but he wound up just pissing me off. I WANTED to hear Clark too - and Costner should have let Clark speak more. He was always interrupting and then saying something stupid. Great show otherwise.

[Rhiannon12866]

52. He said he was conservative, but mainly came off, to me, as an

environmentalist. It's the liberals, these days, who are actively supporting environmental causes. I certainly support environmental causes, but there is too much at stake, and too many hot-button issues, this time around, to vote for a one-issue candidate. I wish that someone had said that to Costner, or cut his mike, LOL! I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear Gen. Clark answer the questions that were put to him. I think that Bill Maher should have stepped in. It would have been a much better show without Costner's rambling. I tried to sit through the repeat, on Saturday, but just couldn't do it. I'd get up and do something else, then check back in, and if I saw either Costner or Ann Coulter on the screen, I left again. The interview with her was excruciating.x(

[Swamp Rat]

38. Fascist Party Doll - Only 99¢!

[Rhiannon12866]

53. Terrific job! LOL!

:D

[GreenPartyVoter]

41. That he is tired of our current system???

[morgan2]

43. he was saying he's sick of politicians

and wish people would just speak their mind and not calculate every little thing they say. Its a bit naive, but something we all feel.