Posted on 12/05/2003 6:00:40 PM PST by jmstein7
You may have heard that some Hollywood types are organizing to unseat President Bush next year. "So what," you say. "What can these people really do?"
Well, they've got money, number one. Far-left billionaire George Soros has pledged ten million to a group called "America Coming Together" which is recruiting celebrities like Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Rob Reiner, and Mike Farrell to spread the anti-Bush word.
But money is not really the issue here... access is. Here's what's going on.
Right now, only about half of the voting age population in America actually votes. And for Americans under the age of 30, the percentage is far less than that. The anti-Bush forces believe if they can reach young Americans, they can boot the President out. But the only way to connect with many of those people is through entertainment vehicles. And that's where the celebrities come in.
Increasingly, singers like Bruce Springsteen and the Dixie Chicks, to name just four, are using their venues to talk up liberal politics. So are other performers like Sean Penn, George Clooney and Susan Sarandon. While promoting their films, they drop anti-Bush grenades that millions of people hear. The message is getting stronger and louder: Bush is a menace.
This strategy will become even more organized and intense in the coming campaign year. The danger for Republicans is that only the anti-Bush side will be heard as many entertainment venues do not actively seek political balance. Let's take a look at the landscape.
* Jay Leno is a fair guy and books people on all sides of the political spectrum so there's no problem here.
* David Letterman is a different story. Since Labor Day, for example, his guest list has included far more liberal thinkers than right-leaning people. The anti-Bush people will have support on this program.
* The network morning programs are hosted by people who are primarily socially liberal, but these shows do present a wide variety of guests. However, conservatives are usually challenged harder, and celebrities are mostly given soft treatment. The democrats have an advantage in the morning.
* The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is a liberal funhouse, but right-wingers with a sense of humor are welcome, so this venue is a political wash.
* Oprah wields enormous power, but does not get involved with partisan politics much. However, she will allow celebrities almost free reign. Advantage: Hollywood liberals.
* The View ladies take a decidedly liberal approach to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but they are not exclusionary. You can get a contrarian point across on the program, but you'd better be quick.
* The late night gabfests like Conan O'Brien play to their young viewership which means the mean, old Republicans don't have a chance there.
So if liberal entertainment people really invest some time and effort, it might be bad news for President Bush. We are living in a time where perception is reality, and impressions are formed from rank propaganda and outright deception. A flood of anti-Bush celebrities on the chat shows could help the Democratic candidate bigtime, and the GOP really has no answer. Can you imagine Dick Cheney dishing with Star Jones?
The left-wing sharpies see an electoral potential in the young vote and they believe they've found a way to tap into it. Seven hundred votes decided the last presidential election. This time Letterman is good for at least that.
Always good advice. In this case, I think the Dems are going to re-elect Bush by running some deadheaded dunce against him the way the Repubs re-elected Clinton by running Dole. Repaying a favor, maybe.
Yeah, Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Meathead and Mike Farrell all aged baby boomer has been hippies, Yeah they really resonate so well with the under 30 crowd
Increasingly, singers like Bruce Springsteen and the Dixie Chicks, to name just four, are using their venues to talk up liberal politics.
HUH? Yeah they did awhile ago but for the most part Bruce Springsteen and The Dipsy Chicks seemed to have vanished off the face of the Earth, Has anybody seen or heard from them in the last couple of months?
So are other performers like Sean Penn, George Clooney and Susan Sarandon. While promoting their films, they drop anti-Bush grenades that millions of people hear. The message is getting stronger and louder: Bush is a menace.
More aged baby boomer ex-hippies that resonate so well with the under 30 crowd. The last movies/ TV shows they each made were all major bombs. So they can preach all they want, Nobody is watching them.
This strategy will become even more organized and intense in the coming campaign year. The danger for Republicans is that only the anti-Bush side will be heard as many entertainment venues do not actively seek political balance. Let's take a look at the landscape.
* Jay Leno is a fair guy and books people on all sides of the political spectrum so there's no problem here.
Actually, While he does have guest of all stripes I would say Jay Leno leans to the right.
* David Letterman is a different story. Since Labor Day, for example, his guest list has included far more liberal thinkers than right-leaning people. The anti-Bush people will have support on this program.
Also Dave has guest of all stripes but unlike Jay he leans to the left. But still Jay is whooping his ass.
* The network morning programs are hosted by people who are primarily socially liberal, but these shows do present a wide variety of guests. However, conservatives are usually challenged harder, and celebrities are mostly given soft treatment. The democrats have an advantage in the morning.
Ummm. Fox and Friends plus how many under 30 even watch morning news shows?
* The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is a liberal funhouse, but right-wingers with a sense of humor are welcome, so this venue is a political wash.
True enough both views get on this low rated show, However the very same liberals that get on the Daily Show were no doubt just recently crucified on higher rated South Park in the time slot before.
* Oprah wields enormous power, but does not get involved with partisan politics much. However, she will allow celebrities almost free reign. Advantage: Hollywood liberals.
I am not sure you could say Oprah wields the same power she once did, However her main viewers are liberal "Victim" women to begin with, So any Liberal guest would be just preaching to the choir.
* The View ladies take a decidedly liberal approach to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but they are not exclusionary. You can get a contrarian point across on the program, but you'd better be quick.
The View? Yeah that's a big one on college campuses. Come on now, Since The View got rid of the young cute blonde how many people under 30 ever watched it even once.
* The late night gabfests like Conan O'Brien play to their young viewership which means the mean, old Republicans don't have a chance there.
Well I can't picture mean old Democrats like Robert Byrd making it either.
So if liberal entertainment people really invest some time and effort, it might be bad news for President Bush. We are living in a time where perception is reality, and impressions are formed from rank propaganda and outright deception. A flood of anti-Bush celebrities on the chat shows could help the Democratic candidate bigtime, and the GOP really has no answer. Can you imagine Dick Cheney dishing with Star Jones?
Well maybe not Cheney but I can and have seen Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity "Dish" it up on the view.
The left-wing sharpies see an electoral potential in the young vote and they believe they've found a way to tap into it. Seven hundred votes decided the last presidential election. This time Letterman is good for at least that.
Geez Bill, Suffering Writers Block? This article you wrote is about 11 years outdated. In the past this article might have made a little sense since back then liberals monopolized the media but today with all the outlets Liberals can't silence/overwhelm Conservative views like they used to. Also come on now, Big name liberals stars have always been touting liberalism for years on TV stations like MTV yet Gen-X and even Gen-Y continue to become increasingly Conservative. Star power is over rated.
New Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social aspects that directly effects Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1982) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.
Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my Homepage for details.
If in my country Oprah can determine the next president then this nation does not deserve to exist. Break it up and be done with it now before it gets real messy.
half kidding.
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