Obama the last-chance kid for Democrats, says Redford

[kevinmc]

Irish Times

If Barack Obama doesn't win November's presidential election in the United States, "you can kiss the Democratic Party goodbye", the actor and director Robert Redford told an audience in Dublin last night.

Speaking at a public interview in Trinity College in advance of his conferral with an honorary degree by the university today, Redford said he hoped Obama would win because while John McCain "represents yesterday", the Democrat embodied the sort of change America needed.

Asked by Michael Dwyer, film correspondent of The Irish Times , if he was looking forward to "regime change" in the US, Redford said: "Yes. Where my country is at the moment, I'm not confident of anything. I'm hopeful.

"I think Obama is not tall on experience . . . but I believe he's a really good person. He's smart. And he does represent what the country needs most now, which is change."

"I hope he'll win. I think he will. If he doesn't, you can kiss the Democratic Party goodbye . . . I think we need new voices, new blood. We need to get a whole group out, get a new group in."

The 71-year-old American is best known for his roles in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid , The Sting and All The President's Men .

He won his first Oscar as a director for the emotional family drama Ordinary People in 1980.

[saltpoint]

1. Redford is a "movie star" in name only. That is, he's also one of the

most astute citizens we have.

The body of his films is a great portal into a progressive society. JEREMIAH JOHNSON. THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. And on and on.

Art changes things more slowly than legislation but it changes things for a far longer period of time. Good films are invaluable for this process, and Redford is attached to dozens of them.

Nice endorsement of Barack Obama in Dublin by R2.

[leveymg]

2. You can kiss the United States of America goodbye, along with it, if McCain is Prez.

[paparush]

15. Insert the Draft, a few more years of bloody confilct, and then it s (mushroom) Cloud City.

[mdmc]

3. I think Robert Redford works for ENTERGY now

I heard him touting Indian Point as "safe, secure, vital." :eyes:

[blondeatlast]

4. What is that, and do you have a cite for the Redford connection? nt

[mdmc]

5. Let me look around my friend - I posted on DU here a while ago

ENTERGY runs Indian Point and Yankee (VT) nuclear plants, plus some others elsewhere.

[Bluerthanblue]

7. I do believe you've got butch and the sundance kid mixed up-

I think it's Paul Newman you're thinking of.

:hi:

peace~

[mdmc]

10. i think you are right

:)

[NattPang]

6. Me and Robert Redford agree.

[mtnester]

8. I absolutely agree

the word of the day will be Implosion if we cannot get a Dem into the WH this time.

[anonymous171]

9. Not just the democratic party. America will be toast if McCain is elected.

[TheDonkey]

13. ugh seriously. This win is CRUCIAL

2004 was very serious, we cannot miss another chance to rescue America.

[jody]

11. I'm confident Obama will win in November but if he loses, the Democratic Party will continue. We

are more than one person and only losers would give up the fight for the issues to which our Democratic Party is committed just because one person was taken out of the fight.

[Mz Pip]

12. I agree completely

If the Democrats can't beat McCain when they pretty much hold all the cards then we are in big trouble.

MCCain proves to be a disaster with each passing day. He can't remember his votes or his positions. He's a terrible speaker and is milking his POW status because that's all he's got. The stock market is tanking and his chief advisor says it's all in our heads.

My cat would make a better president.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. I think he may be right.