Posted on 08/09/2008 7:19:16 AM PDT by Zakeet
Barack Obama is to defy the critics who have branded him a shallow celebrity politician by holding the most star-studded political convention in American history.
A list obtained by The Sunday Telegraph shows an unprecedented number of Hollywood personalities and rock stars being lined to play a role in the Denver convention, where Mr Obama will formally receive the party's nomination at the end of the month.
The decision to let some of them take to the centre stage is a calculated gamble by Mr Obama to stick to his guns in courting the celebrity vote. It comes after his Republican rival John McCain landed a telling blow last week, mocking him as the "Paris Hilton" of the White House race in a so-called "attack ad".
Mr Obama's strategists have concluded that the publicity gains from rubbing shoulders with actors like George Clooney, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will outweigh the risks of appearing lightweight.
The list of those approved for credentials to attend the event includes the actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who recently filmed a campaign advertisement for Mr Obama, who is expected to bring her friend Madonna.
Hollywood royalty, including Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee, Warren Beatty, Susan Sarandon, Forrest Whitaker and Scarlett Johansson, will also be in Denver, as well as singers Kanye West and Wyclef Jean. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones may also put in an appearance.
It is a high risk strategy in a country where Hollywood is associated with the liberal values despised by many in Middle America.
[Snip]
[Obama's] team is banking on the kind of wall-to-wall media coverage that accompanied his recent trip to Europe and the Middle East to dwarf Mr McCain's outing in St Paul, Minnesota a week later.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
David Guggenheim, who directed Al Gore's environmental documentary An Inconvenient Truth, is working on an Obama biographical film to be shown at the convention. Stevie Wonder, Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow and the Black Eyed Peas are all expected to perform at convention related events in Denver.
The official added: "Obama can't avoid Hollywood even if he wanted to. They have raised so much money for him."
Ain’t Obama cool?
The Obama candidacy is the hopeless quest of trying to shoehorn a joke of a candidate into winning the most serious leadership job on Earth.
What has been totally misread by the Democrats in general and Obama's image consultants in particular is the American dream is not about excellence through endless bullshit.
Achieving the American dream requires you actually accomplish great things through proven achievement and proven leadership by your own initiative.
You win laurels and medals by having DONE something remarkable, not by just conning your way up the ladder using minority quotas and the polished delivery of a world-class grifter.
An Obama presidency would be the ultimate "sting."
Comparing Obama to Paris Hilton is an insult to her.
She has actually accomplished more than he has.
I’m really not a celebrity, I just play one on TV. And oh, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
How do you counter cool? Raised in an age where cool is everything, one can only hope to counter it with being more cool. McCain has to be more cool by being less cool... and it might work.
Bread and circuses.
**Barack Obama to continue to court celebrity vote**
Really not for the everyday little person, is he?
bttt
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