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DOUG ELFMAN: Galaxy full of stars favors Obama over McCain



It's no wonder John McCain gets so crotchety about celebrities because stars are aligning with Barack Obama on a massive scale. No matter what you choose to be entertained by -- movies, music, TV, fashion or sports -- you could be getting entertained by a famous Obama donor.

Contributors such as George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson have become sex symbols stumping for Obama. But hundreds of Obama star donors include the most respected actors (Tom Hanks, Glenn Close, Morgan Freeman), authors (Judy Blume, John Grisham), supermarket cover stars (Jennifer Aniston, Ellen Pompeo), sports stars (Michael Jordan, Joe Paterno), and Las Vegas headliners (Barry Manilow, Bette Midler).


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  • Even if you watch a movie trailer narrated by the guy who says, "In a world ..." -- even that narrator guy, Don LaFontaine, has donated $3,300 to Obama and the Democratic Party.

    And if you get dressed up -- in clothes made by Vera Wang, Tom Ford, Calvin Klein or a range of other designers -- you are putting on threads crafted by an Obama donor, and maybe modeled by an Obama contributor (Cindy Crawford, Christie Brinkley).

    The company keeping an eye on all these contributions is the source of this column: Newsmeat.com. A thorough reading of Newsmeat suggests McCain has energized perhaps the weakest list of star contributors in decades.

    For McCain, there's just one famous actress donor: Susan Saint James. Actors and musicians are almost entirely composed of Clint Eastwood, Gary Sinise, Pat Boone, Ben Stein and Rip Torn. Some checks have come from athletes, like Roger Staubach, Richard Petty and Mario Andretti.

    McCain does best among famous Vegas moguls, taking checks so far from Donald Trump, Sheldon Adelson, Kirk Kerkorian and Steve Wynn. (Elaine Wynn has donated to both campaigns and to Obama's VP pick, Joe Biden.)

    So here's something funny: Most of those McCain men's casinos are constantly writing checks (for tens of thousands of dollars) to pay celebrities to appear in their hotels, where they have been known to advocate Obama's candidacy.

    All year, I've interviewed stars playing Vegas, and I've often fished for their political picks. Only one celebrity spoke up for McCain: the self-described "raunchy moralist" Jackie Collins, and even she said Obama is "OK" and cautioned that she really doesn't care who wins.

    Stars tell me there are basically three things going for Obama. 1) Obama is an exciting candidate. 2) Clumsy President Bush's actions persuaded America to turn more Democratic. And 3) McCain is just like Bush, threatening more war and fewer jobs.

    "McCain scares me," says Obama fan Wanda Sykes -- the comedic co-star of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine."

    She says if McCain were somehow to win the presidency, you could expect stand-ups to recycle anti-Bush material.

    McCain would "be like more Bush," Sykes says. "You could keep your whole act and just switch 'Bush' for 'McCain.'"

    "Definitely, John McCain would be better to make fun of ... because he's 100" years old, says comedian and actor Jamie Kennedy.

    And comedian and actor Katt Williams agrees McCain equals Bush for comedy material, while he cites a different age for McCain: 111.

    "We are really blessed with the Bush era, as a comic," Williams says. "He provided about as much material as a president could ever provide."

    Or as a different Williams, Robin Williams, tells me: "How stupid do you have to be if you're from a family where the smart brother's named Jeb?"

    Hip-hop star Nelly says Bush's bungling of Hurricane Katrina and other national affairs helped activate youth and music movements to work on behalf of Obama and Democrats.

    "If Bush hadn't done all the ... stuff that he's been doing the past couple of years, we wouldn't have woke up," Nelly says. "As much as we hate him, we gotta thank him."

    Quite a few stars haven't yet donated to Obama, even though they wrote checks earlier to Hillary Clinton. This is a notable list that, as of the end of last week, starred Tony Bennett, Nancy Sinatra, Alec Baldwin, Renee Zellweger, Elizabeth Taylor, Jon Bon Jovi, Chevy Chase, Hank Aaron, Sally Field, Vivica A. Fox, Lou Holtz, Felicity Huffman, Donna Karan, Annie Leibovitz, Debra Messing, Anne Rice, Rachael Ray, Moby, Martha Stewart and Barry Switzer.

    But just because a Clinton fan hasn't yet donated to Obama doesn't mean they aren't supporters and won't give in coming months.

    George Takei of "Star Trek" and "Heroes" gave to Clinton, yet hasn't endowed Obama. But when I interviewed him a few weeks ago, he was pro-Obama and anti-McCain.

    Some stars are very outspoken for Obama. Although, Nelly understands why Republican voters around the country don't want stars to be too aggressive because "I wouldn't want (expletive) Chuck Norris to tell me to vote for anybody."

    So, Nelly says, "I tell fans ... 'I don't think you should vote for somebody because an entertainer tells you to. But if you're gonna listen to me, then I ask you to listen to him.'"

    Personally, Nelly sees Obama as history in the making:

    "When JFK was running, and you looked at all the (famous) supporters he had, it looked like such a long time ago. But now here you are, and this is history for kids. Kids are gonna have to write essays and answer questions" in school on Obama, he says.

    Thus, just one enticement for supporters, famous or not, is to someday say, "You were there and involved in it."

    Doug Elfman's column appears on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 383-0391 or e-mail him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He also blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.

    OBAMA STARS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS

    (If the amount is above the legal max of $4,600 for a candidate, that means the star has also given to the Democratic Party):

    J.J. Abrams: $2,300
    Ben Affleck: $4,600
    Byron Allen: $2,300
    Jennifer Aniston: $2,300
    Patricia Arquette: $2,300
    Rosanna Arquette: $2,300
    Kevin Bacon: $2,200
    Billy Baldwin: $1,000
    Tyra Banks: $2,300
    Ellen Barkin: $2,300
    Angela Bassett: $2,300
    Shane Battler: $2,300
    Maria Bello: $2,300
    Tom Bergeron: $1,750
    Halle Berry: $2,300
    Valerie Bertinelli: $2,300
    Jerome Bettis: $2,300
    Judy Blume: $4,600
    Steven Bochco: $30,800
    Andy Borowitz: $2,100
    Zach Braff: $2,300
    Steve Brill: $4,600
    Christie Brinkley: $2,000
    James L. Brooks: $4,600
    Blair Brown: $500
    Jackson Browne: $2,300
    Warren Buffett: $4,600
    Mark Burnett: $2,300
    Ken Burns: $2,300
    LeVar Burton: $300
    Candace Bushnell: $1,000
    Kate Capshaw: $2,300
    Michael Chabon: $4,600
    John Cleese: $2,300
    George Clooney: $2,300
    Glenn Close: $2,300
    Harry Connick Jr.: $4,600
    Cindy Crawford: $2,300
    Alan Cumming: $500
    Jamie Lee Curtis: $4,600
    Matt Damon: $4,600
    Larry David: $2,300
    Geena Davis: $4,600
    Robert DeNiro: $2,300
    Danny Devito: $2,000
    Taye Diggs: $2,300
    Paul Dooley: $30,800
    Michael Douglas: $4,600
    Anthony Edwards: $2,300
    Michael Eisner: $500
    Hector Elizondo: $200
    Omar Epps: $2,300
    Linda Evans: $2,300
    Milos Forman: $3,050
    Jodie Foster: $3,300
    Michael J. Fox: $2,300
    Jamie Foxx: $2,300
    Jonathan Franzen: $1,000
    Morgan Freeman: $2,300
    Jim Gaffigan: $1,250
    Jeff Garlin: $250
    Jennifer Garner: $4,600
    David Geffen: $2,300
    Richard Gere: $2,300
    Jamie Gertz: $2,300
    Thomas Gibson: $1,000
    Cuba Gooding Jr.: $2,300
    Berry Gordy: $30,800
    Lou Gossett Jr.: $4,600
    Topher Grace: $4,600
    Brian Grazer: $4,600
    John Grisham: $1,000
    Jasmine Guy: $2,300
    Herbie Hancock: $2,300
    Tom Hanks: $2,300
    Ed Harris: $2,000
    Emmylou Harris: $2,000
    Mariette Hartley: $250
    Teri Hatcher: $2,300
    Sean Hayes: $1,000
    Dennis Haysbert: $2,300
    Christie Hefner: $2,300
    Hugh Hefner: $2,300
    Cheryl Hines: $1,000
    Dustin Hoffman: $2,300
    Susanna Hoffs: $2,300
    Bruce Hornsby: $2,300
    Ron Howard: $4,600
    Phil Jackson: $2,300
    Randy Jackson: $2,300
    Joan Jett: $250
    Billy Joel: $2,300
    Scarlett Johansson: $2,300
    Kevin Johnson: $2,300
    Magic Johnson: $2,300
    Spike Jonze: $2,000
    Michael Jordon: $2,100
    Casey Kasem: $1,000
    Jeffrey Katzenberg: $2,300
    Garrison Keillor: $200
    David E. Kelley: $2,300
    Margot Kidder: $500
    Don King: $2,300
    Calvin Klein: $2,300
    Michael Kors (fashion: $2,300
    Cedric The Entertainer: $2,500
    Don LaFontaine: $3,300
    Christine Lahti: $2,300
    Jim Lampley: $1,000
    Jessica Lange: $2,300
    John Larroquette: $1,500
    Sharon Lawrence: $2,300
    Norman Lear: $2,300
    Spike Lee: $2,300
    John Legend: $4,600
    John Lithgow: $1,000
    Nia Long: $2,300
    Julia Louis-Dreyfuss: $4,600
    Sidney Lumet: $2,300
    Bernie Mack: $2,300
    Seth MacFarlane: $1,000
    Tobey Maguire: $2,300
    Norman Mailer: 200
    Natalie Maines: $2,300
    Barry Manilow: $2,300
    Stephon Marbury: $2,300
    Branford marsalis: $4,600
    Seth Myers: $2,300
    Bette Midler: $4,600
    Toni Morrison: $1,000
    Rob Morrow: $500
    Alonzo Mourning: $2,300
    Eddie Murphy: $2,300
    Paul Newman: $4,600
    Randy Newman: $2,300
    Craig Newmar: $2,300
    Mike Nichols: $2,300
    Leonard Nimoy: $2,300
    Cynthia Nixon: $1,000
    Edward Norton: $33,100
    Rosie O'Donnell: $2,300
    Frank Oz: $2,300
    Sarah Jessica Parker: $2,300
    Adrian Pasdar: $4,600
    Joe Paterno: $250
    Jane Pauley: $2,300
    Holly Robinson Peete: $4,600
    Robin Wright Penn: $2,300
    Rhea Perlman: $2,000
    Tyler Perry: $4,600
    Oliver Platt: $978
    Sidney Poitier: $4,600
    Ellen Pompeo: $4,600
    Annie Potts: $2,300
    Bonnie Raitt: $2,300
    Harold Ramis: $3,300
    Lynn Redgrave: $600
    Carl Reiner: $200
    Paul Reiser: $2,300
    Ryan Reynolds: $3,100
    Lionel Richie: $2,300
    Jay Roach: $2,300
    Tim Robbins: $2,300
    Chris Rock: $4,600
    Linda Ronstadt: $500
    Eli Roth: $500
    Mark Ruffalo: $1,000
    Meg Ryan: $1,00
    Horatio Sanz: $500
    Susan Sarandon: $3,000
    Martin Scorsese: $1,000
    Garry Shandling: $2,300
    Brooke Shields: $2,300
    Maria Shriver: $2,300
    M. Night Shyamalan: $2,300
    Ben Silverman: $2,300
    Alicia Silverstone: $400
    Russell Simmons: $1,000
    Tom Skerritt: $1,000
    Emmitt Smith: $2,300
    Jada Pinkett Smith: $4,600
    Will Smith: $4,600
    Steven Spielberg: $2,300
    Morgan Spurlock: $2,300
    Ben Stiller: $2,300
    Oliver Stone: $1,000
    Meryl Streep: $2,300
    Barbra Streisand: $2,800
    Betty Thomas: $2,300
    John Thompson III: $2,300
    Cheryl Tiegs: $500
    Garry Tudeau: $2,300
    Kate Walsh: $2,800
    Vera Wang: $2,000
    Denzel Washington: $2,300
    Isaiah Washington: $4,550
    Steven Weber: $2,300
    Jann Wenner: $4,450
    Forest Whitaker: $2,300
    Bradley Whitford: $2,300
    Gene Wilder: $2,300
    will.i.am: $2,300
    Oprah Winfrey: $2,300
    Joanne Woodward; $4,600
    George Zimmer founder of Men's Wearhouse: $2,300

    FAMOUS CONTRIBUTORS TO McCAIN:

    Sheldon Adelson: $2,300
    Troy Aikman: $2,300
    Mario Andretti: $2,300
    Pat Boone: $4,600
    Jerry Bruckheimer: $9,600
    Barry Diller: $4,600
    Clint Eastwood: $2,300
    Dick Ebersol: $4,600
    John Elway: $2,300
    Kelsey Grammer: $2,300
    Brad Grey: $2,300
    Kirk Kerkorian: $2,300
    Lorne Michaels: $2,300
    Jack Nichlaus: $1,100
    Arnold Palmer: $1,000
    Richard Petty: $1,000
    Jerry Reinsdorf: $4,600
    Susan Saint James: $2,300
    Curt Shilling: $2,300
    Vin Scully: $2,300
    Gary Sinese: $2,300
    Harry Sloan: $40,800
    Roger Staubach: $40,800
    Ben Stein: $2,800
    Rip Torn: $2,300
    Donald Trump: $33,050
    Dick Van Patten: $2,020
    Darrell Waltrip: $1,000
    Steve Wynn: $30,800
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    Born after 1970 wrote on August 26, 2008 11:50 AM: Susan Saint Who???


    CommonSense wrote on August 26, 2008 10:50 AM: Thanks for the last list of those that I can continue to support with my patronage. The larger HollyWeird crowd that seems to just join a bandwagon catch phrase without the brain power to understand long term, or the liberal fall out involved.
    When has Liberalism worked? What has Obama done, or promises to do that will be helpful or not detrimental to the USA - if you care about the USA. Which is the real question. It's not questioning patriotism, or any of that crap, it's asking the common sense questions about what will happen down the road based on the choices made today? Susan Sarandon, Michael Moore, Sean Penn??? These are the torches on the hill that Hollywood rally's around? No thanks.....I'll continue to boycott and reserve my money for alternatives to the Hollywood Elites.
    And continue to sway and encourage others to look at it from my point of view and to do the same boycotting while holding a bunch of "Entertainers" accountable for opening their mouths with nothing more than emotion vs. mental fotitude and common sense thought processes.


    fedups wrote on August 25, 2008 04:45 PM: We have separation of church and state, why cant we have separation of stupid hollywood wannabes politicians and real politics. all them hollywood stars that supporting obama, have no clue of whats stake in this election. they wanna see history, so they will support an african-american candidate with no experience at all. just to satisfy their politically correct personalities. Very selfish people!!!!


    urnuts wrote on August 25, 2008 03:11 PM: More reasons to support McCain; these so called "stars" don't live in the real world. They have everything given to them, and they think that they are above the law. Obama;Biden - where is Laden. He wants to be president.


    Charles wrote on August 25, 2008 02:32 PM: I'll take McCains people. Look at the list. Wynn, Trump, Kerkorian!!!!---Elway, Staubach, Aikmen--- Nicklaus, Palmer, Andretti--- I rest my case


    americannproud wrote on August 25, 2008 02:26 PM: The Obama are pathetic pieces of garbage,vote for a true American,John Mccain someone who is proud of his country,who cares what these gay,drug addicted phonies in Hollywood support


    WOW wrote on August 25, 2008 12:51 PM: Wow, idiots with a GED flock to Hussein Obama, I'm NOT impressed.

    If you're black or g@y, it's mandatory to support Hussein, although most were supporting Hillary before, as well as John "what bastard child" Edwards.

    Celebutards actually make the general public flock in the OTHER direction because most hate the opinion of the LEFT COAST!


    Edgar wrote on August 25, 2008 08:33 AM: YEAH, WE GET IT! THE RJ IS A LEFT LEANING TABLOID, SUCKING UP TO THE LIBERAL VOMIT MACHINE. TOO BAD THE RJ WILL BE EXTINCT SOON! NOT!


    Stan wrote on August 25, 2008 08:23 AM: At least now we have a list of the Communist Party Elites. Stalin Obama as the Chairman and maybe Alec Baldwin as his commazar. When this all blows up in the commies face they will pretend they didn't know, but we will remind them of their Commie support. Notice that the Billionaires Like Buffet And Gates want Obama to tax the life out of Americans after they made their Billions on our backs, then they will move to the Caymans like the Campbells did. Anti Americans can be Rich TOO!


    Stan wrote on August 25, 2008 08:17 AM: I hope the A List Deviants In Hollywood can finally put their WHITE GUILT Behind Them with the nomination of the empty suit and thin if not none existent resume Communist Racist Muslim Obama. They are now on the same list as Ayers, Wright and all of the terrorist that Obama sympathizes with. Hollywood is as responsible with the deaths of our soldiers as the Muslim Obama.


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