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Obama’s Toxic Endorsers

April 3rd, 2008
By HOLLY IN CINCINNATI, Copy Editor

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Some of the least popular Democrats support Barack Obama:

A former President for whom I’ve lost any respect I had, Jimmy Carter:

Politico:

Carter hints at Obama backing

The Nigerian paper This Day reports that the former president all but came out for Obama, speaking to reporters in that country:

We are very interested in the primaries. Don’t forget that Obama won in my state of Georgia. My town, which is home to 625 people, is for Obama, my children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama. As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for but I leave you to make that guess.

He was in Abuja, the paper reports, for the Carter Center awards for guinea worm eradication.

A famous actress and activist whose very name still distresses my Vietnam veteran friends, Jane Fonda:

LA Times Top of the Ticket:

Jane Fonda endorses Barack Obama; there goes his crossover vote

Jane Fonda, the actress and ardent anti-Vietnam War advocate who visited North Vietnam during those hostilities, has endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president.

Actress and anti-war advocate Jane Fonda at a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft battery in June 1972 singing an anti-war song with soldiers during her visit to North Vietnam in the Vietnam war has just endorsed Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois for president

There were no formal ceremonies for the endorsement. In fact, the Obama campaign may just be learning about the actress’s approval now as word spreads like lit gunpowder via the Internet.

Fonda was eating out last night and exited the restaurant, ignoring as celebrities often do the assembled press contingent.

But a video camera was rolling as she approached the street and someone, perhaps just trying to get her to turn around for a picture, shouted out at her back, “Who are you going to vote for?”

There was a moment of silence. Then, the actress did turn around toward the cameras, paused and with a smile said simply, “Obama!” Then she got into a car and drove away.



This entry was posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 at 10:37 am and is filed under Celebrities, Vietnam War, Newsweek Blogitics, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Politics, 2008 Elections, Democrats, Entertainment. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 23 Comments

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    I have respect for the courage of Carter and Fonda to stand up for what they believe. (albeit Fonda could have been more diplomatic in her activism.)

    Carter, in particular, for criticizing of the Israeli government for fomenting conflict by building in the occupied territories. A few more prominent Western leaders who can make the distinction of supporting Israeli while criticizing their tactics would enhance our worldwide credibility and effectiveness.
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    Why no respect for Carter? He's done a lot for diplomacy and humanitarian causes as a former President. He strikes me as being a generally decent human being who uses his position of influence to do good things. Is it simply because he said nice things about Obama? And why the hate for Fonda? She's just an actress and an activist - not too many people wait with bated breath to find out who she's supporting because her opinion doesn't really matter.

    Honestly, this reads like just another post trying to fling mud (and anything else you can throw) in the direction of your candidate's opponent. If there's something substantially wrong with Obama himself, please share it. But if all you can do is insult people who support him, you're fighting a losing battle.
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    I'm getting tired of beating on candidates for who supports them. A lot of good folks support Obama as well. Lets focus more on the candidates messages than on which nutjob invariably supports them. I heard there is a crazy guy in MN who supports Clinton, oooohhhhh, she must be crazy too. Right?
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    Political supporters are somewhat like relatives. You can't really pick who you want in life, only how much you associate yourself with them. Regardless of how little you actually do associate, people still try to define you by those supporters and/or relatives to varying degrees. Is it important? Yes, because it is still a factor. How important it is depends on each voter's perspective.

    There are certain supporters that I will give more weight to than others. If I think poorly about a given supporter, the weight will be less. Now, if a given candidate actively seeks said supporter's approval, only then do those negative aspects of the supporter start to sway my opinion of the candidate. Instead of looking at it from the supporter's perspective on associations and reasonings, I then look at it from the candidate's. To do so beforehand (in my opinion) is unfair to any candidate.

    To reach the full spectrum of the conversation, I agree that there are individuals and/or groups that I have decided have enough negative connotations associated with them where denouncing support is preferred over neutrality on the part of the candidate. But, again, this varies per voter.
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    Excellent guilt by association post. Since we've had a couple Clinton guilt by association posts from other bloggers, this will keep things nice and even.
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    If you can name an ex-president who has been more selfless and untiring in his humanitarian work than Jimmy Carter, then please name him. As for Jane Fonda, who cares what she thinks? The answer to that would be 1% of America.
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    Given enough time, historians will dramatically revise the current assessment of Carter, just like they have recently done with Truman.
    In some ways, he just didn't fit the times. He was the first (and so far, only) 'green' president. , for example.

    Calling a hurried reply to a reporter an endorsement, is stretching it a tad, IMO.
    It's not like Jane Fonda was a speaker at one of his fundraisers. Even if she had been, Ann Coulter's appearance on stage didn't bring Romney down.

    I agree with Shamfu. We are going way overboard in reading meanong into every move, every word and every handshake.
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    Not quite sure what relevance the Jane Fonda story has here. So she's going to vote for Obama. OK - does that mean that if Hillary is the nominee and Jane decides to vote for Hillary, we can expect a post from you, Holly, declaring her to be a "toxic endorser"? Obama can no more control who votes for him than can Hillary.

    Or are you saying we CAN hold Hillary responsible for whatever kook decides to vote for her?
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    Remember, Rush Limbaugh endorsed Hillary. Same w/ Ann Coulter.
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    I have more respect for Jimmy Carter than almost any other living American. Yes, a generally lousy President (with a couple of important exceptions), but an extraordinarally decent and good man. A real Christian in the age of phony prosperity preachers with closed minds and open mouths.

    Fonda, not so much, but why would anyone think somehow Obama is damaged by her saying she supports him is beyond me.

    I hear Kim Jung Il loves Hillary. Boy, she's toast!