Obama banks on Hollywood friends
US: Film legend Clint Eastwood claims that Hollywood’s image
as a Democratic bastion is exaggerated -- but the evidence says
otherwise, with stars like George Clooney leading an A-list Obama cast.
The “Dirty Harry” star -- whose talking-to-an-empty-chair routine
stole the show at the Republican convention -- issued another
endorsement for Mitt Romney last week, warning: “There is not much time
left... our country is at stake.”
But while his high-profile backing is no doubt welcomed by
Republicans -- even if his August skit wasn’t quite what they expected
-- he is a lonely figure among Hollywood’s big-hitters in backing the
conservative candidate.
The list of President Barack Obama’s celebrity supporters includes
Clooney, Robert De Niro, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Leonardo
DiCaprio, Morgan Freeman and Robert Redford -- and that’s just a
fraction of the A-listers.
“Hollywood actors still do lean toward liberalism and the Democratic
Party,” Steven Ross, a University of Southern California professor and
author of “Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American
Politics,” told AFP. Eastwood, now 82, insisted this was not the case,
when he made his infamous appearance at the Republican National
Convention in Tampa, Florida, shortly before Romney formally accepted
his party’s nomination.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, what’s a movie
tradesman doing out here? You know they are all left-wingers out there,
left of Lenin,” he told his conservative audience.
“At least that’s what people think. But that’s not really the case.
There’s a lot of conservative people, a lot of moderate people,
Republicans, Democrats, in Hollywood.” He explained: “It’s just that the
conservative people, by the nature of the word itself, play it a little
more close to the vest. They don’t go around hot-dogging it. .. But
they’re there, believe me, they’re there.” “Ocean’s Eleven” star Clooney
might object to the description “hot-dogging it” -- showing off -- but
he’s certainly not shy about posting his colors, hosting a lavish
fundraiser at his Hollywood Hills home for Obama in May.
Dubbed “Starmageddon” and organized by DreamWorks Animation chief
Jeffrey Katzenberg, the event was said to have made some $15 million.
AFP |
