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Hollywood's Election Flop (Liberal Coastal Elites Wake Up In A More Red America)
Frontpagemag.com ^ | 11/04/04 | Stephanie Mansfield

Posted on 11/04/2004 2:13:23 AM PST by goldstategop

Sherry Lansing, the soon-to-be-retired Paramount studio honcho and friend of Sen. John Kerry, is said to be "depressed."

Actress Sharon Stone, who stumped for Mr. Kerry in Wisconsin, reportedly was "traveling" yesterday. It wasn't clear whether the "Basic Instinct" star had fled the country, as she had hinted that she might do if the Democratic nominee lost.

There were tears and tribulations. Long sighs and short tempers. Shock and bawl.

For a rich and powerful demographic used to getting its way, Hollywood was downbeat yesterday as President Bush — more heinous than a mid-February release date to so many celebrities and other bold-faced names — made his gracious victory speech.

Not only entertainers were said to be dispirited. The literary crowd in New York was crying into its Evian.

"Sure, I feel terrible," said New Yorker editor David Remnick, whose published endorsement of Mr. Kerry was a first for the magazine. "There are a lot of long faces today."

And "Fahrenheit 9/11" propagandist Michael Moore's Web site actually went silent.

That's the same Mr. Moore who only a couple of weeks ago had paused in his anti-Bush road trip to opine: "I have a feeling that slackers are going to rise up in this election. The slacker motto is: Sleep till noon, drink beer, vote Kerry."

George Soros, the Hungarian-born billionaire who went on his own 12-city speaking tour and spent an estimated $17 million on ads and get-out-the-vote drives to defeat the president, posted a message on his Web site describing himself as "distressed."

"I'll be back," he wrote.

Buoyed by early exit polls that put their candidate ahead, many in Beverly Hills dined together and waited out the night. Slowly, their leading man faded from the political screen.

"There's a lot of disappointment out here. A lot of apprehension," said Robert Dowling, editor in chief of the Hollywood Reporter. "People are comatose."

It was the right coast versus the left coast, and the morning-after mood was described by Mr. Dowling as "somber." It left many Kerry supporters reaching for their Prozac vials.

"Mine is already empty," joked a high-level publicist who counts A-list celebrities as his clients.

"Everyone's so down. All the studio execs are bummed. I have to tell you, when gay marriage becomes a bigger issue than the Iraq war, we're missing something."

Long decried as out of touch with "the real America," Hollywood woke up to its worst nightmare on Main Street.

"This is definitely Kerry country," said Gabriel Snyder, senior writer for Variety, the industry bible.

One can only imagine the despair of the Hollywood stars over the specter of glittery state dinners and policy lunches that could have been: Barbra and Moby,, Uma Thurman and Viggo Mortensen, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, Bette Midler and George Clooney. Directed, perhaps, by Rob Reiner and Steven Spielberg.

Who knew "moral values" voters could triumph over production values?

Asked whether outspoken stars might regret their more vitriolic sentiments about the president, Mr. Snyder said he doesn't think there is a risk of backlash.

"My prediction is the political tenor will come down for a little while," the Variety scribe said. "I don't think anyone will say anything wild. Next week, of course, might be different."

Among the most shrill in past months: Jennifer Aniston, the "Friends" actress who called Mr. Bush "a [expletive] idiot." Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who stumped for Mr. Kerry in Oregon and Florida and appeared in an ad for the Democrat on the Internet. Singer John Mellencamp, who described Mr. Bush as "a cheap thug."

Cher also threw her wig in the ring, calling Mr. Bush "stupid and lazy" during a sparsely attended rally at a Miami Beach disco in Florida.

Al Franken is also a loser today; Dennis Miller a winner.

Sean Penn, Whoopi Goldberg and Meg Ryan: losers. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ron Silver and Angie Harmon: winners.

Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi lost their full-throated bids to play at an inaugural ball. Larry Gatlin and Brooks & Dunn, call your agents.

Rap impresario Sean "P. Diddy" Combs made his preferences known, without using the names "Bush" or "Kerry," in urging the hip-hop nation to "Vote or Die." Fellow rapper Eminem put in a belated appearance with the animated video for his venomous anti-Bush single "Mosh," in which his "army" appears to veer from violence in the streets to voting at the polls.

What proved to be a tonic: Building 429 and other Christian rockers who urged prayerful consideration of the stakes on their "Redeem the Vote" tour.

"It was a very gradual thing," the Hollywood Reporter's Mr. Dowling recalled. "First it was Puff Diddy, then Bruce Springsteen came along, then Ben Affleck came out and the bandwagon rolled. It was slow to engage, and I'm not sure if Kerry wasn't just a surrogate for anti-Bush feelings."

"Celebrity testimonials may help [sell] erectile-dysfunction products," Marty Kaplan, communications professor at the University of South Carolina, told Agence France-Presse, "but in politics, they're mainly eye candy for the media."

Mr. Dowling agreed.

"It didn't work," he said of the Democrats' star-studded support.

Asked whether Mr. Affleck, who wasn't available for comment, would suffer any repercussions, Mr. Dowling laughed and alluded to the actor's latest box-office flop "Surviving Christmas."

"Ben Affleck," the Hollywood journalist said, "has more career problems at the moment than his political beliefs."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bushvictory; hollywood; hollywoodleft; lattedrinkers; leftcoast; liberals; newyork
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To: laredo44
........to liberals power isn't everything, it's the only thing. They will trash-talk and disagree with everything and anything......they are incapable of graciousness, of being the loyal opposition, of playing fair, or being honest and honorable.......

But you forget. (Sniffle) Liberals are really, really "tolerant and compassionate" (sob).

41 posted on 11/04/2004 3:37:44 AM PST by Liz (The man who establishes the reputation of rising at dawn, can sleep til noon.)
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To: kb2614
"I feel a little Schadenfreude coming on. Watching the 'beautiful people' snivel is fun"

Come on kb, just a little? Lets feel it big time!!!Aerobics


42 posted on 11/04/2004 3:38:56 AM PST by Lockbar (March toward the sound of the guns.)
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To: Free Trapper

I definitely remember the switch in the colors in 2000 -- there was a bit of confusion and discussion at first.


43 posted on 11/04/2004 3:39:42 AM PST by maryz
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To: goldstategop

* There were a lot of long faces*.......LOL


44 posted on 11/04/2004 3:40:09 AM PST by mystery-ak (This military thanks America for re-electing our CinC)
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To: Liz
My husband said he heard a comment yesterday that he agreed with. "America is divided between those who think 'Little House on the Prairie' good television, and those who think 'Sex in the City' is good television."
45 posted on 11/04/2004 3:40:48 AM PST by Tuscaloosa Goldfinch (THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR MERCY TO US!!)
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To: SerpentDove
"...I'm not sure if Kerry wasn't just a surrogate for anti-Bush feelings."

Good guess, brainiac. Now go snort some more coke, go back to making your garbage and being a cheerleader for sdodomy, and leave the rest of us real Americans alone.

I agree with the original statement, these "hollywoodites" aren't smart enough to delve into the issues, it was just anti-Bush.

I also think you are very rude

46 posted on 11/04/2004 3:44:43 AM PST by estrogen (Please Lord, spare us from the Democrats)
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To: maryz
I didn't know about the switch before and find it interesting.

I do remember their explanation about blue "always" being the incumbent.

The MSM lies,nothing new.

47 posted on 11/04/2004 3:48:19 AM PST by Free Trapper (Terrorism is the Black Heart of Islam,not the fringe!)
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To: goldstategop

Actually they are quite powerful. Their hysterical and extremely unwarranted persecution of GWB contributed a lot to his resounding victory.

Idiots.


48 posted on 11/04/2004 3:48:29 AM PST by Let's Roll (For a guy who shirks his own job, Kerry sure is eager to tell others how to do theirs ...)
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To: goldstategop

Out of this group of losers, there is nobody that I hate more than Soros. Here you have a guy who used whose own personal fortune to try to unseat a sitting President during a time of war and who tried to undermine the will of the American people. He is a filthy swine and he should be run out of this country.


49 posted on 11/04/2004 3:49:02 AM PST by New Girl
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
Does anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with calling the conservative victory "Red America".

How about red-blooded Americans? As opposed to blue-bloods, who are so Old-Europe.

Definitions for red-blooded :
Vigorous, lusty
Strong and highly spirited
Endowed with or exhibiting great bodily or mental health

Definitions for blue blood :
A member of the aristocracy
Membership in a noble or socially prominent family

50 posted on 11/04/2004 3:50:52 AM PST by knuthom
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To: goldstategop
Shock and bawl.

Hehe, I like that one......

51 posted on 11/04/2004 4:03:52 AM PST by machman
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
Does anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with calling the conservative victory "Red America".

Seeing that the other side is blue, no.

52 posted on 11/04/2004 4:08:08 AM PST by Raycpa (Alias, VRWC_minion,)
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To: Beckwith
If your Michael Moore, just shut up.

You forgot to add .., just shut up and go on a diet
53 posted on 11/04/2004 4:14:32 AM PST by NotADove (My heroes wear fatigues)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

I kind of like "Right America".


54 posted on 11/04/2004 4:16:41 AM PST by MortMan (John Kerry - Lt. Clueless, Junior Grade)
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To: Tuscaloosa Goldfinch

Nice take.........but will Hollyweirdos ever "get it"?


55 posted on 11/04/2004 4:18:18 AM PST by Liz (The man who establishes the reputation of rising at dawn, can sleep til noon.)
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To: goldstategop
I wish that people would hit these people back where it hurts them most, in their bank accounts. I have a list of most of these idiots in my head and will not spend a dime on anything they put out, be it a movie or music CD. Maybe I can make a web page with a picture of every one of these morons and all the evil statements they made over the last few years. People should be reminded of just how anti-American some of them are.

If you remember that Baldwins remarks years back when he called for the stoning of Newts family and all the Republicans. It most obviously hurt his career and taught him to keep his thoughts to himself.

56 posted on 11/04/2004 4:20:56 AM PST by Sparky760 (The sleeping Giant has been awakened)
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To: peyton randolph
So the 'Rats were red in 2000?

That is my recollection.

Uh, wrong. Remember the 2000 Bush Country map being all red?

57 posted on 11/04/2004 4:50:56 AM PST by Carolina
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To: goldstategop
"It was a very gradual thing," the Hollywood Reporter's Mr. Dowling recalled. "First it was Puff Diddy, then Bruce Springsteen came along, then Ben Affleck came out and the bandwagon rolled. It was slow to engage, and I'm not sure if Kerry wasn't just a surrogate for anti-Bush feelings."

Geez, ya think?

58 posted on 11/04/2004 4:56:47 AM PST by NYCVirago
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To: goldstategop

Look, not having gay marriage is important, but it isn't the biggest thing. Preserving our liberty, defending the nation, limiting the power of govenment, keeping more of our paychecks, and so forth are very important too. W would still have one with out the gay issue floating around, you can take that to the bank.

Only a bunch of brainless wånk3rz like Hollywierd would think that gay marraige is was the biggest factor. How can someone be that stooooooopid and still have the capacity to BREATHE? Geez.

My mind is officially boggled.


59 posted on 11/04/2004 5:01:22 AM PST by Constantine XIII
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To: goldstategop

Every bit of their misery and woe they brought on themselves. I have NO sympathy for any of them. They have no class whatsoever. As I said about Jane Fonda many, MANY years ago, I now say about them: not one red cent of my money will EVER enter any one of their bank accounts.


60 posted on 11/04/2004 5:05:02 AM PST by Old Grumpy
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