Mitt Romney picks up Jon Voight’s endorsement–and jokes about Angelina Jolie

Yahoo ^ | 1/28/12 | Holly Bailey - The Ticket

[NormsRevenge]

PENSACOLA, Fla.—The run-up to Florida's Republican presidential primary has already been weird, thanks in part to an extended debate over whether there should be a colony on the Moon. And on Saturday, it got a little weirder.

Stumping at a seafood restaurant here along the Gulf coast, Mitt Romney picked up the endorsement of actor Jon Voight, the star of "Midnight Cowboy" who is perhaps best known these days as the father of actress Angelina Jolie. The actor has long been active in Republican politics, stumping for Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign in 2008 and traveling with Mike Huckabee to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year.

Voight told the crowd he was backing Romney because he was "strong" and "honest." He declared President Obama had "decided to follow his father's footsteps and take us to socialism."

The actor said Newt Gingrich "fell short" of being able to take on Obama. "We cannot afford another four years of rhetoric," Voight said.

While Jolie's name wasn't mentioned on the stump, Romney did manage to sneak in a reference to the actress's wild child reputation.

Explaining to the audience that he wasn't sure how to "chit chat with a famous actor" when he phoned Voight to ask for his support, Romney said he decided to talk about his kids.

"I started talking about my five boys," the candidate explained. "I said, you know, it's easier to raise boys than girls. Well, after a long pause, he says, 'Tell me about it.'"

The line got a huge laugh from the crowd of several hundred people who turned out to see Romney stump with Voight, as well as Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Sen. John McCain, who entertained the crowd with his own stand-up routine while introducing Romney.

[Berlin_Freeper]

[CatherineofAragon]

Well, let’s see. Ann Coulter has proven to be a fraud, my governor, Bob McDonnell, whom I once admired and respected, is a fraud, and Jon Voight, whose views on Israel are laudable, is a fraud re: conservatism. Say what you like about this primary season, but it’s really bringing the shamwow-sters out into the bright light.

[smokingfrog]

Jon Voight is dead to me now.

[Doc Savage]

Sorry to hear that. Time can whither the mind.

[crosshairs]

John Voight the dentist?

[traderrob6]

I think alot of folks don’t believe Romney is a conservative but they do believe he is the only one that can beat Obama. (My very conservative father being one)

Unfortunately one belief is as misguided as the other.

[budj]

or is it John Voight, the dentist?

[SoConPubbie]

Of the two I prefer Gingrich and think he would be better than Romney. But that is not saying much, if anything.

Then you know next to nothing concerning Romney's record.

Romney, just by his record alone, is a progressive. There is not a conservative chapter in the book of his life.

Newt, even with his daliances with bad ideas, has a solid conservative history.

You need to get informed fast, before posting anymore uninformed comments.

[freemarketsfreeminds]

Romney is not a conservative, and you can’t possibly point to a substantial difference between he and Obama except their motivation.

[The Cajun]

John Voight the dentist?

Yeah, he used to drive a Chrysler Le Baron :^)

[2111USMC]

Voight thinks Romney is “honest”? Really?

Wonder what Romney offered him for his endorsement.

[cayuga]

I think alot of folks don’t believe Romney is a conservative but they do believe he is the only one that can beat Obama.

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton

[cayuga]

I think alot of folks don’t believe Romney is a conservative but they do believe he is the only one that can beat Obama.

I will not vote for Mitt, and the threat of four more years of 0bama will not change that.

[JediJones]

Newt is a bold Goldwater/Reagan conservative like almost no other politician you could name. He stood up to the biggest powers in Washington time and time again during his career to force them to be more conservative.

I think Voight's problem is he's not particularly bright. He is an actor after all. His heart's in the right place but I suspect he, like a lot of these primary voters, are taking Mitt at face value that he's a conservative without questioning his record as governor.

I see Romney's showed his typical smarm...I mean charm... A few feet away, Romney let out an awkward giggle.

"I thought we only brought one actor and comedian here today," Romney told McCain when it was his turn at the mic. "Gosh, that was quite a repartee there, senator. That was fabulous."

[SgtHooper]

Agree that Voight is not a RINO. He simply stated that he believed Mittens could beat Odumbo, and Newt couldn’t. That was his reasoning.

[Warthog-2]

Voight appears to be sincere. He mentioned something about not wanting 4 more years of “rhetoric.”

[Morpheus2009]

Okay, seriously, does anyone think Voight is acting like a pothead today, I mean, he was the lead actor in the film September Dawn, then this guy turns around and endorses a guy who is a strong adherent to the very faith that Voight was trying to discredit, at least in his acting anyways, but then again, I guess Hollywood actors are fickle enough to make Greek Dieties look tame. Either way, I think Jon Voight just set the record for the political flip-flop of the year, endorsing someone who you spent your time seeking to discredit.

[beaversmom]

Jon Voight appears to be a man that truly gets it as far as Obama. He says things about Obama and doesn’t hold back. I disagree with him about Romney, but I’m not going to throw him out with the bath water.