Why can't we run George Clooney against Arnold Schwartzenegger?

[...of J.Temperance]

Arnold was a joke as an "actor" and he's a joke as a "politician", he's like a cross between something from Louis Tussaud's Palace of Wax and a bad cartoon character.

In my opinion, Warren Beatty is just too old now to run. So why can't we run George Clooney - he's handsome, youthful, charismatic, articulate, intelligent, savvy and compassionate. Clooney's obviously very interested in politics, so I think we should somehow get the California Democratic Party to ask him if he's interested in running against Herr Schwartzenegger.

Considering Colly-forn-ia thinks it's okay to have fake, plastic third-rate "actors" embarrassing them as "Governor", why don't we run someone that has a brain?

Clooney would win in a landslide.

[Rowdyboy]

1. I agree that Beatty is too old and that Clooney would be fabulous....

Just have to convince him to take the pay cut.

He's a class act. I met him as an extra on "O'Brother" and have a very high opinion of him.

[...of J.Temperance]

5. Clooney

I don't think he'd mind taking a pay cut, he doesn't come across as the greedy type.

So you were an extra in 'O'Brother Where Art Thou', heck, that's fab! Clooney seems a genuine fellow.

[Rowdyboy]

12. The scene where his daughters sang at the political rally was filmed

4 blocks from where I sit right now. Each time they filmed the scene, he began by standing right next to me, before barging through the crowd. He was very genuine and funny and joked around with the extras a lot.

He was my definition of a class act.

[...of J.Temperance]

14. How wonderful that is

Of course I'd die if he came anywhere near me, him and Jude Law of course.

I notice that your hobbies are: "gay men, old houses, good food and gardening." I always like people who have the ability to be all-round and multi-talented in their hobbies :)(I've commented that in a friendly way, just so you know)

[Rowdyboy]

21. I'm an old-school, 50ish gay southern man from Mississippi

What can I say, your mom from Louisiana and I may be cousins! As to my profile, my partner Michael (he's a language teacher) and I live in an old house-by American standards, circa 1900. We have a really great garden with hibiscus, hollyhocks, foxgloves, columbine, and all sorts of hummingbird/butterfly plants. And I am a decent cook-certainly not a chef but reliable on most comfort foods.

During breaks while filming the movie, Clooney stood very close to me in a crowd of extras. I remember this bit of fun he had....

Clooney "Damn, where's my ass-scratcher?"

Dumb extra: "Your ass-scratcher?"

Clooney: "Yeah, my ass-scratcher. Everybody in Hollywood has their own ass-scratcher. Wanna know who the highest paid man in Hollywood is? Roseann Barr's ass scratcher!"

He was a really nice man. The director asked all us extras to please leave the stars alone as they were working but MANY people couldn't do that. Clooney NEVER refused an autograph or a picture. Later, I read that he came from a small town and felt a connection with small town southerners.

[nbsmom]

25. Beatty is not too old

FWIW, I did participate in a Zogby poll recently that did appear to be vetting a Beatty run vs. a Reiner or the already-announced cast of characters (Angelides,Sanchez, Westly). I did think that Beatty would be the (slightly) more compelling candidate than Reiner, but of course anybody on the Democratic ticket would be a VAST improvement over our ham-handed governator.

[JI7]

2. he probably doesn't want to run

he hates people getting into his private life and it would be far worse if he gets into politics.

the one famous person i would like who isn't just a star but really gets the issues and is able to debate and discuss them is Robert Redford.

but i don't think we need a star just because of Arnold. Phil Angelides is going to run and he is a good candidate.

[...of J.Temperance]

6. If his private life was brought up, the way to shut them up is to

Publically say: "Well, if you want to discuss MY private life, let's discuss Arnold's private life TOO." Cut them off at the pass.

I like Redford, but unfortunately, like Beatty I think he's too old now.

Angelides is a good candidate, but I was thinking of the star power thing.

[pinto]

3. Appreciate your input, but I live in CA... No thanks.

[...of J.Temperance]

7. Oh heck...sorry mon amie ;)

[pinto]

8. ...

:hi:

[...of J.Temperance]

10. Oh hello...

...:hi:

[AtomicKitten]

4. Clooney is too cuddly.

Warren Beatty is sassy as ever. I saw him give a commencement speech on C-SPAN and he was excellent. I think he would be a brilliant opposition to Lumpy.

Ps: I also am a Californian, so I have a vested interest.

[...of J.Temperance]

9. He is, but isn't 68 too old to run these days?

This is the same reason why McCain won't get picked in 2008, he'll be 72.

What do you think of Angelides?

[AtomicKitten]

11. He looks mahvelous.

Really. I believe he's that age, but he looks fabulous. And he's smart, and witty, and savvy, and, best of all, bitingly sarcastic. He'd make short work of Schwarzenneger.

[...of J.Temperance]

15. Would Beatty run though?

Has he said he's interested?

[AtomicKitten]

17. Well, his wife, Annette Benign, seems to think so.

I get the impression he just needs a nudge.

[...of J.Temperance]

19. Well I'd say to her, give him a nudge n/t

[bluedawg12]

13. Clooney said he doesn't want to be in politics

Just saw him on Charley Rose tonight and that was Clooney's answer.

Besides, he is an unashamed liberal and he is doing some damn good with many of his films.


He did say that he would debate that Macy's-balloon head Swill O'Really on the Rose show. But maroon Bill is to afraid to face Clooney in a fair forum.

[...of J.Temperance]

16. So why does he always appear on these political shows then?

He's obviously political, so it's silly him saying that he doesn't want to be in politics, when an interest in politics is there for all to see.

Macy's-balloon head Swill O'Really :)

Bill's your typical GOP coward, he's on par in the lower food chain with the Baby Jesus Hannity.

[longship]

18. Why do we need to elect Hollywood actors to government?

One of them wasn't enough. Idiots have elected a second one.

One actor pretending to be governor and then president wasn't bad enough. Stupid people in this state had to do it again. Now we have another person playing governor when we need somebody with brains and resources to govern, not some actor whose only qualifications are that he possibly played one on TV. Or for christ-sakes, maybe he stayed the fucking Holiday Inn last night. They might as well have elected Gary Fucking Coleman, or the blonde stripper with big boobs.

So, indeed. Let's elect another actor as governor of the third largest economy on the planet with the lives of some 34 million souls in the balance.

No thank you. No more people acting like leaders. Maybe that's our big problem. We can't tell the difference.

We might as well live in Klopstokia. Bah!

[...of J.Temperance]

20. Because that's the way it seems to be going these days

And at least the actors on our side have a brain, know what they're talking about, understand politics and have compassion. So if the GOP run one, I say let us run one against their greedy doofus.

[longship]

22. I have no problems with qualified, intelligent people

running for elective office. I have a rather *large* problem with the naive thinking that fame == qualification. I just don't see the calculus behind that thinking. I believe it's part of some sort of social disease in this country that is at the core of so many of our problems. I see Bush attaining the White House solely on this basis and I'm at a loss to understand how so many people can still be so fooled by it. It's a collective delusion that's both a wonderment and a frightening aberration.

Somehow we have to break through it. But how?

[NYCGirl]

24. Longship! You've thrown in a reference to one of my FAVORITE movies!

:yourock:

[BlueCaliDem]

26. Name Recognition...Name Recognition...Name Recognition...

It's that simple.

In a country where we actually make serial killers famous through movies, and documentaries (should give us all pause to wonder if televising these monsters is a good thing) while OTHER criminals not heavily touted in cable/network/court programs are (happily) sent to oblivion in the dark cells of prison (where they really belong), do you really need to ask why, in heavily Latino-populated California, people (stupid or not) elected Aaahnold over Latino and experienced politician, Bustemante??

Have you forgotten that Terminator III was then a recent, and HUGE hit??

Don't forget too, that people understand that it's not the Governor, but his advisers (and to NO small degree, his campaign-contributors) who make the laws. Unlike most senators, and representatives in both State and Federal governments, Governors and Presidents need only "approve" bills laid before them.

Knowing Aahnold didn't have the brain (if not command of language) to see the bigger picture; how his decisions could effect the lives of hundreds of thousands, even millions of Californians, I set my "adoring fan" side, aside, and set my "political side" to the forefront.

What we're looking for (or should be) is someone like Clinton and Gore, who don't give a shit just how much money you contribute to their campaigns, but rather care what effect their decisions on bills passing over their desks have on ALL Americans--even when their "base" disapprove.

For the record? I voted against the recall, but for Bustamante, because I thought like you did, and believed others would set their star-struck glasses off just a few moments before voting...and discovered just how naive I'd been.

It's all about name-recognition. And for Aaahnold, it worked, didn't it? It worked because he "knew the game", and how it was played.

[longship]

28. Competence, competence, competence.

Qualifications, qualifications, qualifications
:hide:

Unfortuantely you've made my case. It can't be about name recognition alone. If only everybody would take your attitude (and mine).

[zann725]

23. Clooney OR Beatty. I'd vote for either. Or actually ANYONE but Ahnald

Clooney'd be great. Charismatic, feisty, politically saavy.

[AndreaCG]

27. Clooney was on Charlie Rose last night

and said he is not interrested in being a ploitician because he does not want to have to compromise his values. A pity but there you have it.

[beaconess]

29. Clooney said if he ever ran for office, his platform would be "I did it!"

"Mr. Clooney, did you really . . . ?"

"Yep, did it."

:-)