Just heard on Leno...

[Catch22Dem]

Happy birthday to President Bush who just turned 57. If you're looking for something to get him, an economic plan would be good. Any plan will do, because he doesn't have anything that works.

I'm paraphrasing, but I think that's pretty close.

[phishhead]

1. Is Leno a conservative?

[SOteric]

3. No.

And his wife is extremely active in progressive causes.

[Catch22Dem]

5. Good question

I think a lot of people here will argue, YES. I don't really think so. I think he's a mediocre entertainer who just does what it takes to get laughs. He's pretty friggin' relentless RE Clinton though. Really gets on my nerves. It's been over 2 years since Clinton left office, and he still manages to get in a couple of Clinton jokes each week it seems.

[DS1]

7. each week? try each night

He's a shill for the right-wing, Dennis Miller has become his most frequent guest since turning to the dark side.

I wish he'd stick to pushing Doritos.

[SOteric]

10. That's an interesting opinion.

Unsupported, of course, since you tell us you don't watch him anymore.

:hi:

[DS1]

12. My remote control

must be a quantum powered Jay Leno Clinton joke adapter then, because every time I do give him 5 seconds, it's a Clinton joke.

[SOteric]

13. And that makes him a right-wing shill?

The fact that he still jokes about Clinton..? I mean, it's not as though the public still finds some humour value in Clinton's peccadillos. The entirety of the American public is so obssessed with their political agendas, black and white interpretations and the great competition that they wouldn't poke fun at anything without a hidden agenda.

Leno still makes jokes about O.J. Simpson, too. I suppose you're going to tell us he's patently anti-football.

Long before the battle heated up between liberals and conservatives, Leno and Letterman competed for a television audience. Letterman has in the past been more conservative, and Leno has in the past been more liberal.

All of that notwithstanding, they're comedians. They make their daily bread amusing their audiences. Letterman broadcasts from very liberal New York city. If he wants to get any measure of authenticity in a laugh track, he has to tell liberal-leaning jokes regardless of his personal opinions.

Leno broadcasts from a very conservative area in southern California. If he wants his laugh track to sound real, he has to keep the studio audience laughing up their sleeves.

To his credit, Leno has long joked on both sides of the isle. Even he has acknowledged that he misses the Clintons in the White House, because they gave him so much professional material. I don't believe he finds the current administration laughable or even amusing and it may well be that that is part of his problem. But it doesn't necessarily make him a shill for the right wing.

Leno and his wife are well known in many circles for the great works and impressive donations they garner for progressive causes. To me, that buys him a certain amount of tolerance for poking fun at the Clintons.

[DS1]

15. it's not just Clinton

It's Hillary, Davis, basically anything Dem is misconstrued as half-assed or weak. But there's always Letterman to balance him out.

anti-football, that's a good one

[regnaD kciN]

17. B.S.

As was pointed out back in 2000, Jay Leno is one of the biggest contributors to the California Democratic Party.

[Bush Loather]

14. Leno just goes with the flow.

Whomever it's popular to joke on -- he'll do it, regardless of political preference. And, really, he's not even funny.

[VOX]

23. And that flow often includes RW asshole Dennis Miller; TWICE last Feb.

I have no respect for Leno at all. He's like the Faux News of the late-night chat circuit -- he'd like you to think that he's "fair and balanced," but he gives far too much shrift to RWers like Miller, and he falls all over himself when talking about Schwarzenegger.

[SOteric]

2. I love it on Father's Day,

when he 'whispered' to Jenna & Barbara a little hint for a gift for 'Dad.' "I think what he really wants is some 'Weapons of Mass Destruction.' - Can't seem to find any anywhere. Maybe skip the tie this year."

[Sliverofhope]

4. Leno's monologue is a pretty good barometer

of public mood. It's probably worth watching him. When jokes start really turning on Bush, you know things are reaching critical mass.

[Archae]

6. Had a Freeper in "Headlines"

A guy who won a Remington rifle, he's holding it so it's pointing right at the gun shop owner's head. :-)

[Archae]

8. And he showed a picture of Al Sharpton's news conference

Nothing but Sharpton talking to empty chairs. :-)

[tabasco]

9. Can't stand Leno

Unfunny conservative ass-kisser. Throws in the obligatory jokes to make it look like he's hitting both sides, but he's a shill for the right, IMO. Letterman hits Shrub much harder.

[Skip Intro]

11. Completely share that opinion. (eom)

[mitchum]

16. Leno could have Karl Marx and Mother Jones tattooed on his asscheeks...

and he still wouldn't be any good. He's just not very funny. Letterman was right; Leno is a hump.

[MoonGod]

18. He's a Republican according to the Washington Post...

At least according to this article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39647-2003Jun27.html

...Schwarzenegger, taping "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Thursday at NBC Studios, was introduced to the audience by Leno, his friend and fellow Republican, as "the next governor from the great state of California."...

[SOteric]

19. What an odd thing, then that Open Secrets

Indicate Leno and his wife Mavis gave a grand to the campaign of Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California.

[MoonGod]

20. All I see is Mavis' name...

... where do you see Jay's name? He wouldn't be the only Hollywood Republican married to a Democrat.

[SOteric]

21. And this wouldn't be the only time

that a major newspaper with a known conservative leaning reported as fact those things which were merely popular presumption.

I find it consistently disappointing that so many, even on these boards which are home to liberals and progressives, can be so quick to judge with little or no evidence. (not you specifically, y'all in general)

First there was a hue and cry over Starbuck's Schultz and how he was a Likudnik and the company practices were vile and near slavery. Never mind that no evidence is offered to support those claims and that reliable statements to the contrary are in the progressive press. We buy into the popular meme. We spread the word and before you know it, 'everyone knows' Schultz supports Likud and Jay Leno is a Republican.

Leno and his wife may very well be of differing parties, much like Arnold & Maria, but I'm more than a little dubious.

I've been watching his show for years. If you listen to his casual, unscripted conversations, a liberal tendency rings out clearly.

A few years ago, I actually heard him tease Schwartzenegger about his Republican politics in the face of his marriage.

Leno has his closest friendships with prominent Democrats, including Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart.

He has turned down raises every year that his contract comes up for renewal, because he loves what he does. He does have a fondness for collecting classic cars, but he apparently isn't living large. Not very neo-con in approach.

I don't have his voter registration card. Maybe he's fully on board with PNAC. I find that unlikely.

[diplomats]

25. I also recall Leno helped the Clintons when they did

their Harry and Louise spoof for the WH Correspondents Dinner. And someone here said Leno has said he relies on Clinton jokes for ratings. It seems weird that Post story says he's a Republican.

[VOX]

22. CBS ran this too...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/11/entertainment/main558073.shtml

CBS News
June 27, 2003
Schwarzenegger Not Saying No
<snip>
Schwarzenegger, taping “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” Thursday at NBC Studios, was introduced to the television audience by Leno, his friend and fellow Republican, as “the next governor from the great state of California.”
<snip>
During “The Tonight Show” taping, Leno suggested campaign slogans for the Austrian-accented actor as “Who better to represent a state where no one speaks English?” and “Not a good enough actor to fool you on taxes.”
<snip>

[BritishHuman]

24. That last quote

Sounds a little like Republican bashing to me.