Robin PottratzTo the Youth of America: VOTE!!!...for my guy
October 30th 2008 20:27
Well we are less than one week away from choosing a new President of the United States. We are less than one week away from having the madness stop. The 24 hour news cycle will finally have to find something new to report on besides Obama's associations, McCain's transformation from maverick to sheep in the herd, Biden's numerous gaffes and of course that "rogue" Governor from Alaska. One aspect of the campaign that is simultaneously annoying and entertaining is the input of the youth in Hollywood and their encouraging of anyone between the ages of 18-20 to vote for the very first time in this election.
The message is always the same: "Youth of America, this is the most important election of your lives, so get out there and vote." As soothing as it is to hear Matt Damon, P. Diddy or Hayden Penetierre tell me that I need to vote in this election, it just rings hollow because anyone who thinks about it can figure out what their message really is: Get out there and vote...for my guy. Don't get me wrong, I am a card carrying liberal who will be proudly voting for Barack Obama on November 4th. The difference is that I am not encouraging people that don't know anything to vote. The only time that I have encouraged someone to vote, I asked them to in a brutally honest way. I told a friend of mine to "vote...for my guy."
When I see ads from liberal hollywood, or from some conservative celebrities encouraging young people to vote, I can't help but laugh. I am reminded of the 2004 when I was an impressionable 18 year old who would be voting in my first Presidential election (I voted for John Kerry by the way). I had been encouraging my fellow classmates to vote...following the examples of such intelligent political minds as P. Diddy (remember "vote or die"). I was simply too ignorant to really identify the agenda of the Hollywood left like Michael Moore and George Clooney who were encouraging the youth of America to get out there and vote...for John Kerry. I was crushed when George W. Bush was re-elected (I still have trouble fathoming that one) and was ribbed by my classmates about my devotion to the liberal platform. Now that I am a cynical 22 year old, I am no longer blind to media tactics whether they come from the left or right.
On the left, there are videos of celebrities encouraging people to vote, especially one of "Heroes" star Hayden Penetierre listing off how many horrible things would happen if John McCain would be elected President. Now I have already made up my mind about who I am going to vote for, but even if I hadn't I doubt that the star of "Bring It On: All or Nothing" could convince me of anything. My favorite right wing Hollywood celebrity is Dennis Miller. Miller, who's comedy is simply too smart for most, seems to be stuck in 2004. He has been fired from HBO and NBC for what may have been ideological differences (actually I think that he just wasn't funny). He now appears once a week on the "O'Reilly factor" where he continues to spew a bunch of blind patriotic sentiments. His exact rationale for voting for McCain is that "Barack Obama is not going to go kill the bad guys," who does Miller want to be President: John McCain or Batman?
Anyway, on a preshow for the 3rd Presidential debate Miller said that in order to win, McCain needed to come out with one statement "I'm going to cut pork and kill terrorists." Now if this were 2004, that plan would work, however the American people are now tired of the shoot first, ask questions later mentality that won the Republicans the White House in 2004. Miller is attempting to use fear in order to convince people to vote for his guy, the American People are sick of those tactics however. People want to try something else to solve the world's woes. However, I do think that both sides of the celebrity political aisle just need to SHUT THE HELL UP!!! People are sick of ads and I'm sure that they don't want to hear Jason Bourne or the Weekend Update guy from 20 years ago tell them how to vote.
Truth be told, I believe that Barack Obama is going to win this election and where we go from there, who knows? I think that this time the American people are not listening to as many outside sources as they have been in the past and because of that, basic political tactics are not working. This time, voters have made up their own minds, and this election is still not decided, we shall find out on November 4th what their decision is. I know that this will not deter the Hollywood community from descending from on high to mingle with the commoners, however the swaying power of celebrity may finally be on its last legs.
Lastly, for those of you who are undecided...I encourage you to vote...for Obama, because of course, he is my guy : )
The message is always the same: "Youth of America, this is the most important election of your lives, so get out there and vote." As soothing as it is to hear Matt Damon, P. Diddy or Hayden Penetierre tell me that I need to vote in this election, it just rings hollow because anyone who thinks about it can figure out what their message really is: Get out there and vote...for my guy. Don't get me wrong, I am a card carrying liberal who will be proudly voting for Barack Obama on November 4th. The difference is that I am not encouraging people that don't know anything to vote. The only time that I have encouraged someone to vote, I asked them to in a brutally honest way. I told a friend of mine to "vote...for my guy."
When I see ads from liberal hollywood, or from some conservative celebrities encouraging young people to vote, I can't help but laugh. I am reminded of the 2004 when I was an impressionable 18 year old who would be voting in my first Presidential election (I voted for John Kerry by the way). I had been encouraging my fellow classmates to vote...following the examples of such intelligent political minds as P. Diddy (remember "vote or die"). I was simply too ignorant to really identify the agenda of the Hollywood left like Michael Moore and George Clooney who were encouraging the youth of America to get out there and vote...for John Kerry. I was crushed when George W. Bush was re-elected (I still have trouble fathoming that one) and was ribbed by my classmates about my devotion to the liberal platform. Now that I am a cynical 22 year old, I am no longer blind to media tactics whether they come from the left or right.
On the left, there are videos of celebrities encouraging people to vote, especially one of "Heroes" star Hayden Penetierre listing off how many horrible things would happen if John McCain would be elected President. Now I have already made up my mind about who I am going to vote for, but even if I hadn't I doubt that the star of "Bring It On: All or Nothing" could convince me of anything. My favorite right wing Hollywood celebrity is Dennis Miller. Miller, who's comedy is simply too smart for most, seems to be stuck in 2004. He has been fired from HBO and NBC for what may have been ideological differences (actually I think that he just wasn't funny). He now appears once a week on the "O'Reilly factor" where he continues to spew a bunch of blind patriotic sentiments. His exact rationale for voting for McCain is that "Barack Obama is not going to go kill the bad guys," who does Miller want to be President: John McCain or Batman?
Anyway, on a preshow for the 3rd Presidential debate Miller said that in order to win, McCain needed to come out with one statement "I'm going to cut pork and kill terrorists." Now if this were 2004, that plan would work, however the American people are now tired of the shoot first, ask questions later mentality that won the Republicans the White House in 2004. Miller is attempting to use fear in order to convince people to vote for his guy, the American People are sick of those tactics however. People want to try something else to solve the world's woes. However, I do think that both sides of the celebrity political aisle just need to SHUT THE HELL UP!!! People are sick of ads and I'm sure that they don't want to hear Jason Bourne or the Weekend Update guy from 20 years ago tell them how to vote.
Truth be told, I believe that Barack Obama is going to win this election and where we go from there, who knows? I think that this time the American people are not listening to as many outside sources as they have been in the past and because of that, basic political tactics are not working. This time, voters have made up their own minds, and this election is still not decided, we shall find out on November 4th what their decision is. I know that this will not deter the Hollywood community from descending from on high to mingle with the commoners, however the swaying power of celebrity may finally be on its last legs.
Lastly, for those of you who are undecided...I encourage you to vote...for Obama, because of course, he is my guy : )
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