Ben Affleck explains why LA has moved toward Obama

[Emit]

On Hardball from last summer:

Ben Affleck says Hollywood loves Obama

Ben Affleck visits Chris Matthews Hardball and reveals his opinion on
why Obama has been embraced by Hollywood while Hillary has not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFc6WG6agDU

On Clinton -- "Clinton ... moved herself a little bit away from the left -- assumed she'd end up with the nomination ...She's moved toward the center ... and the Clintons have always .. been kind of centrists, you know, with the DLC ... you know that's really who they are ... and as a consequence left a bit of that party wide open and Obama really came in and grabbed them ... the vast majority of people I know out here support Obama ... he has really taken over LA in a dramatic fashion and swept up a lot of money from Clinton..."

On Iraq -- "In terms of going forward and trying to find a new solution ... He made the right call..."

Much more at link

[aquart]

1. LA appreciates good theater.

But they should also be able to recognize it.

[neutron]

25. Actors are even Dumber

than we give them credit for

[neutron]

26. "Actors are Cattle" Alfred Hitchcock

[Hieronymus]

34. I like Affleck's thoughts. Hillary IS DLC [centrist]. It'll take a ...

progressive to wield change.:hi:

[Hieronymus]

35. Even the ones who support Hillary?

[Cha]

55. No..there's exceptions..like roseanne

and ann coulter.

[Cha]

54. Smarter than you

are.

[ErnestoG]

65. That's what the Right Wing playbook says. I see you've been studying.

[ErnestoG]

66. DLCers are all about Hollywood when the wingnuts call it "Hollyweird", BUT....

as soon as some actors go against Her Majesty, suddenly Hollywood is weirdo heaven filled with dumb actors.

I'm telling you, screenwriters couldn't pen stuff this good.

[ErnestoG]

75. you mean like Jack Nicholson? oh wait....

[LTR]

82. Celebities have as much right to voice their opinions...

...than any keyboard jockey on DU.

Who says anyone here knows more than someone like Affleck. I've seen him on the pundit shows, and quite frankly, the guy knows his shit.

[Beregond2]

58. Affleck

As soon as I saw the title of this thread, I knew exactly what everyone's response would be. I give up on this board. What a bunch of whiny, brain-dead children there are here. If anyone needed proof that not all the imbeciles are on the right, they need look no fourther.

[Emit]

59. lol!

Welcome to DU, Beregond2! :hi: These are interesting times...

[tblue37]

71. Beregond2 has been here since Nov. 2004. Lurker, not poster, I guess.

I often find myself "welcoming" a "new" member who turns out to be a longtimer. Sometimes they have even been here longer than I have! (In Beregond2's case, I have him/her beat by just 5 months.)

But welcome to posting, Beregond2!

[jlake]

2. And Hollywood is known for being in touch with America.

And the reality that normal people face. :eyes:

[calmblueocean]

78. I'm an Obama supporter, but I feel that way too. I wish they'd stay out of it.

I know showbiz folks are citizens just like the rest of us, and entitled to express their opinion. But out here in the middle of the country, the more Hollywood stars you have endorsing you, the worse you look. Do they really sway anyone's vote?

[zabet]

3. I do not put stock in

what movie stars say. They
are always 'on script'. An
actor does NOTHING that does
not have an ulterior motive
for their benefit.
Ben Affleck is desperate for
any publicity since his star has
kinda lost its shine.

[Trajan]

7. An unfair representation ...

Affleck's widely regarded film, 'Run, Baby, Run', has at least one Oscar nomination in the next Academy Awards race ... Ben often directly speaks his mind ... It is unfair to characterize him as speaking from a script ....

I don't discount the viewpoint of Artists .... They are, after all, human beings ....

[zabet]

10. I do not discount his point of view.

It just does not have any
effect on mine, whether I
agree with him or not.
I cannot say about his movie
because I am not a TV watcher
nor a movie goer. I do know
many films that get touted at
the awards, when I finally get
to see them, IMHO they suck, they
suck so hard they create a gravitational
pull all their own. 'I Heart Huckabees'
is a prime example.
That said, Affleck is an actor, his
business is to get public recognition
any way he can as long as it is not
too scandalous. Anything concerning
the primary race gets face time on the
tube, he saw an opportunity to get some
free face time in a respectable way.


ed:sp

[Binka]

36. Ben Is Not That Kind Of Hollywood He Could Give Two Shits What Hollywood Thinks

I know his parents and I have known Ben since he was 2 months old. He would rather not have the public recognition. Free face time my ass. He has more money than God and does not need tube time. You read too many tabloids. Off to ignore for you. What a fool you are.

[Tarheel_Dem]

37. Agreed...we should ask how she feels about Streisand's endorsement? (eom)

[zabet]

39. I do not care about a single

endorsement that does
not come from someone
with poltical experience
and background.
So...I could care less
about the Streisand
endorsement.
And I will still vote
Edwards in the primary.

[Tarheel_Dem]

44. do what you like. as a former edwards supporter, i'll be casting

my vote for Obama. That's how it works, ya know...."one man, one vote". :hi:

[zabet]

38. I respect your point of view

if you actually know him.
That said, I do not read
tabloids, I do not watch
entertainment news, I do
not buy into the whole
Hollywood game.
I thank you for being
so civil and refraining
from calling me names.(fool)
Ignore away, I was not
replying to you to start
with when you jumped in
with a major attitude.
It would have sounded a
little less like "Leave
Benny ALONE" if you could
have said what you had to
say in a civil manner.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

50. It's "Gone, Baby, Gone."

[Trajan]

61. Laughs ....

Yeah ... that's it ....

Still .... Ben can speak up, like anyone else ....

Perhaps I was projecting 'Run, Baby, Run' from Obama to Ben .....

[Bluenorthwest]

43. Hi citizen Jane! This actor is pleased to meet you!

Now, Jane, I happen to be an actor. So what you said, them's fighting words were I come from. You are talking first of all about a Democrat, with long standing Progressive views, when you talk about Ben. Actors are Union members, and most of them are good Union members. Our Unions are important to us and we have all paid for those protections in many ways. Sure, Ben's rich and famous, does that mean his only motive could be for more of the same? Sucessful artists are never ever vocal Democratic voters? They never have an interest in the world at large?
How fun to trash someone for being well known and well off! How dare he speak! Shut up and sing! Who does he think he is, the Dixie Chicks?
It is also sort of amusing from my point of view to see you accuse actors as a class of having NOTHING that does not have an ulterior motive. What a thing to say. Most actors are struggling artists, with families and spouses and everything. Even the movie stars I know, and I do know many dear Jane, all of them love their families and engage in all manner of good works, unseen and without any interest in attention. Ususally just the opposite. Almost every one of them has come up from working class roots, and the majority remember those roots.
And Ben, well, he's sort of doofusy, sure, but he has also won for an Acadamey Award for his screen writing, along with his partner Matt Damon, another smart actor with strong Progressive politics and a large amount of knowlege in history who is not afraid to speak his mind, in an industry where speaking one's liberal mind has cost people entire careers. You mock those who take a stand, for being popular?
I'm sorry, Jane, but the most altruistic and egalitarian people I have known have been actors. Also the most generous. Some even among the smartest, if you can imagine! Yes, people who attain great sucess in one of the most highly competitive businesses in the world actually tend to be intelligent.
Don't mean to go off, sure you did not think there would be one in the room, talking politics on a Saturday morn, with a screen name and no identity, so clearly posturing for publicity.
There's no business like show business, Jane. But show people are just like everyone else. For better or worse.

[Tarheel_Dem]

48. very well articulated...and nice to meet you Blue (eom)

:thumbsup:

[Bluenorthwest]

51. Hey thanks!

I'm new around here and unsure of the place, but I could not resist that one. The nerve!

[Tarheel_Dem]

53. it's rough & tumble sometimes (especially primary season), but

generally it's a great place for news, keeping up with the campaigns, etc. I'm addicted, and may find myself unemployed if I don't do something about it. (LOL). Stick around, rational thought is always welcomed.

[zabet]

49. Thanks for being civil!

I apologize if you feel slighted in any way by
what I posted. That was not the intention.
Hollywood and infotainment has been used as a
smoke and mirrors game to divert the attention of
Americans away from the real issues like Iraq, the
economy, healthcare, etc.


"sure you did not think there would be one in the room,"

This thought actually never crossed my mind, I bet you
cannot tell what I do for a living, other than what I say
I do.

I never disrespected or said anything against unions.
I myself am a union member, just not the SCAG.

No matter how well you think you know someone, live
with them a couple of years, you will realize you really
never knew them at all at the beginning.

[Binka]

62. Oh How I Love You.... My God Father Is Jimmy Stewart

My uncle was the drummer on the tonight show for years and his fav was Jimmy. He asked my dad if Jimmy could be my God Father because Jimmy's mother and I share the same name. My dad said yes, but I never met the man until one Saturday in 1986....I was with my ex at a hotel in Beverly Hills (we were celebrating our 7th anniversary and attending a medical conference, the ex was a medical sales rep) and we got in the elevator and Jimmy and his wife were right there. I said " Mr. Stewart I love you and have watched all your movies and BTW my uncle is a friend of yours." He said "Oh my God are you Paulie's niece?" I said "indeed I am." He was a tall man as I am 5-9 but he towered over me, and he reached down and gave me a big hug. He asked my ex for a business card and said he was so proud to have such a beautiful God daughter. That night we had two bottles of Dom sent to the room, and when we checked out the next day they said the bill was taken care of by Jimmy. Wonderful, gracious, intelligent people find their way to the silver screen. Welcome to DU my friend.

[Indenturedebtor]

4. I thought that it was a thoughtful

and well articulated statement that well summarised my preference for Obama over Hillary.

Movie star or not it shouldnt be dismissed because of what he does for a living. Einstein was a clerk ;)

[blm]

5. Los Angeles remembered that CIA drugrunning report came out in 1996?

And George HW Bush STILL was protected by official Washington?

That was a big story in LA - glad they finally remembered their neighborhoods were TARGETED for the dumping of tons of cheap IranContra cocaine by Poppy Bush and his operatives.

[ursi]

6. this is surprising since Hillary got such a good act! Go Obama!

[Schema Thing]

8. Perhaps this will be the postmortem if Hillary loses:

Cause of death: strangulation by triangulation.

[annie1]

9. Latte liberals love obama....

but i'm still surprised by that. when i hear her talk about womens rights, gays, etc, i feel she is much more socially liberal than barack. i don't buy him. but *shrug*, that's just me.

[AlFromDem]

11. We'll never win this election by pandering to latte liberals, let alone liberals

in general. The third way put forth by the steady hand of Hillary, From, and the DLC was how we won in the 90s -- it's how we'll win in '08.

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. so you're suggesting the liberal BASE of the Democratic Party

should do what? STFU and just vote for HRC? Spoken like a true DLC'er. <groan>

[AlFromDem]

22. I don't think they should shut up, but the far-left wing of the party needs to sit on their hands

Hillary is a perfectly capable and satisfactory candidate for the Kossacks.

[Tarheel_Dem]

27. Sit on their hands? So now, activism is passe? Expressing a preference

for president is verbotten? How very Nazi-like of you. I'm sorry, but you sound more ridiculous with each post. The venom in here has reached a new level, but I guess that's to be expected with new polls showing HRC's double digit advantages literally dwindling by the hour. I'm gonna leave you now....enjoy. :eyes:

[AlFromDem]

29. They have a voice, they have a vote, but they don't have the right to cram a far-left upstart

like BHO down our throats. Where would the Democratic party be without the Clintons? Hillary has earned the right to be President.

[Tarheel_Dem]

32. If you recall, that's why the right hates the Clintons so much....

they thought GHWB "had earned" the right to a second term. And you don't get to decide, unilaterally, who has earned the right to be President; that's for the PARTY to decide, and they'll be doing that on Super Tuesday. How dare the "far left" come between the Clintons and elective office.

Some of your phraseology is somewhat suspect to me, especially your references to a loyal Democratic constituency. Remember Ralph Nader? The "far left", as you call it, may have a third option AGAIN come November. Comments like yours certainly don't help.

[neutron]

33. They aren't "Far Left"

they are "Chic Left."

If the elect a lemon, they stay rich. We're the ones who suffer.

[Indenturedebtor]

21. Lol

Spoken like a true HRC supporter :puke:

[Shine]

12. Ben Affleck: Political Mastermind

:eyes:


:rofl:

[Binka]

63. You Have Got To Take That Carrot Out Of Your Ass

You'll feel better Rusty.

[Shine]

67. ???

:shrug:

[TexasObserver]

13. That was really intelligent. Unlike Reindeer Games.

It was called Reindeer Games, right?

[THUNDER HANDS]

14. and now the Hollywood bashing comes in

is there any group that supports obama that won't be bashed here?

[AlFromDem]

15. Hollywood is not mainstream.

Mainstream Americans want a third way, the kind of politics that led to the prosperity of the 1990s. Hillary's their girl!

~~ ALL FIRED UP FOR THE LADY!! ~~

[THUNDER HANDS]

24. if you're an Al From democrat...by law, you are not allowed to be fired up

you may be moderately enthused, but not too much, you don't want to turn off those swing voters who find emotion threatening.

[AlFromDem]

28. Point taken

LUKEWARM FOR THE LADY!! ~~ WAHOO!

[THUNDER HANDS]

31. lol

:thumbsup:

[TexasObserver]

46. Al From is a walking, talking piece of shit.

Sorry for the language, but he's NOT a Democrat and never has been. The DLC is an organization he created to mine corporate money, to keep his sorry, fat ass alive.

[AlFromDem]

57. Al From is a good Democrat.

He's done good things for this party -- guiding it toward a palatable center -- and doesn't deserve your upbraiding.

[Bongo Prophet]

72. And AlFromDem has left the building.

dum dum de dum da da dee dee dum de dum.


Poorly, indeed.

[Tarheel_Dem]

23. Unfortunately not. HRC supporters have now turned on Oprah,

Caroline, Teddy, Keith O, John Kerry, Rachel Maddow, MoveOn.org, Huffington Post, CA SEIU, The LA Times.....well you get the idea. I still love Barbara Streisand, Maxine Waters, Stephanie Tubbs Jones but then my admiration for them wasn't based on who they endorsed for President. It truly is upside down world around here these days.

[politicasista]

40. I feel the same way. I still love watching Ugly Betty and reading Maya Angelou's poems

And Keith Olbermann being RW is very absurd.

[Tarheel_Dem]

45. I know...right? There's an absolutely vile Roseann Barr thread...

around here, from her BLOG, no less. It was wholly embraced by the Clintonites as "gospel", but then it was ripping Obama to shreds, so it was okay. Roseanne = Good; Ben Affleck = Bad? Seems no one has had any problem with Hollywood's embrace of the Clintons and Al Gore up til now. Upside down world?

[politicasista]

47. It really is upside down

And disgusting at that.

[KennedyGuy]

17. from last summer?

I think the times, thry are a changin....

[goldcanyonaz]

18. Who?

[cd3dem]

19. one word: Gigli

[Az_lefty]

20. LA has figured the Clinton's out....

they adjust their positions for every crowd. Nothing new in politics, but this country's in trouble and we don't need the old guard politico's running the show any more. Something new would be nice and Obama is it.

[Jed Dilligan]

30. L.A. is not Hollywood nt

[WinkyDink]

41. AS IF Obama's thinking he can reach compromise with Republicans ISN'T "Centrist"!

P.S. He'd better embrace his middle name lest he be called "B.O."!

[VotesForWomen]

42. apparently ben doesn't know that obama's a centrist. more projection from obama groupies. nt

[nonconformist]

52. Obama's more of a centrist than Hillary is... I don't get this.

Hillary is more liberal and progressive than Obama is.

[Tom Strong]

56. Fine. Now have him explain why he made Gigli. n/t

[BootinUp]

60. Obama never met a centrist position he didn't like

Affleck has been fooled though.

[BenDavid]

64. and his ass was pro clinton back when bill endorsed kerry

in Philadelphia Pa. October 25, 2007 to save Kerry's ass from embarassment from losing Penn.Sidebar: Kerry was either tied or 1 to 2 points down to Bush....a week later Kerry took Pa.)

[1776Forever]

68. Exactamondo!!!!!!!! This is so right on!!!!!!!

:headbang:

[earth mom]

69. Hollywood loves Oprah that's why.

:eyes:

[Darth_Kitten]

70. Whaaaa??????

So Obama's now a flaming liberal?

[mdmc]

73. kick

[no name no slogan]

74. Hollywood loved George McGovern too

Unfortunately, Hollywood is not a very good picker of winners

[BooScout]

76. Hollywood is shallow and plastic.....

And they moved towards Obama because Oprah told them to.

[begin_within]

77. Apparently nobody here has ever read his posts on affleck.com, or watched Politically Incorrect

when he was a guest. Ben Affleck, Barbra Streisand and George Clooney must be the 3 most politically astute Hollywood celebrities there are. This thread illustrates the ignorance of DUers. His discussion forum on affleck.com is long gone, but those who read it know that he keeps up on everything.

[Emit]

81. The fact that Affleck used the term 'DLC' -- it just rolled from his lips

as smoothly and matter-of-factly as it's typed by some good DUers -- should clue DUers in to his astuteness.

[meow mix]

79. all of socal loves obama, not just hollywood or la

been sayin this for months lol

[Geek_Girl]

80. Affleck hit the nail on the head as to why LA has embraced Obama

Why is everyone dissing him? He seems very knowledgeable to me.


Brains and a hotty too :loveya: