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Politics : President Barack Obama -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (1315)	2/11/2007 10:52:55 AM
From: ChinuSFO	Respond to of 149317

My comment: If he announces, then for sure the WH belongs to the Dems in 2009. On Jan 20. 2009 we will have the repeat of the scene of Jan 20, 2001. But this time it will be Bush handing over he White House to Gore. Just "not kidding". =========================== For Gore, Oscars a very convenient opportunity By DAVID SARASOHN c.2007 Newhouse News Service As usual, the news media were concentrating on the wrong 2008 campaign developments. While everybody was fastened on Hillary Clinton's announcement, Barack Obama's law school adventures and whether George Bush's poll numbers will drop below Franklin Pierce's, pundits missed the key moment: Al Gore was nominated for an Oscar. Designers for his outfit are already on standby. Because when Gore wins his Oscar at the end of this month, he'll have a TV appearance watched by more people than have ever voted in a presidential primary, let alone in New Hampshire. It will be an irresistible opportunity to declare not that he's king of the world — as director James Cameron did when he won — but that he will run for the job. And he'll have a full 30 seconds to do it before the music comes up, although he will also have to thank his agent. Technically, of course, the nomination is not for Gore, but for "An Inconvenient Truth,' his documentary on global warming that raised the profile of diminishing glaciers. Typically, a film's producers accept, but it's hard to imagine that Gore — who's in just about every scene of the movie, which co-stars only a polar bear or two — won't be heading up to the podium in black tie Feb. 25. (Most male accepters and presenters dress formally because it's expected. Gore can say he's doing it in solidarity with penguins.) True, "An Inconvenient Truth' is just one of five Documentary Feature nominees, and Gore could find himself with his presidential announcement stuck in his pocket while he applauds and tries to look happy for the producers of "Jesus Camp.' But somehow, it's hard to imagine hanging chads and butterfly ballots knocking him out this time. Besides, two different documentaries on Iraq will probably split that vote. So there he'll be, before a TV audience larger than any political convention or presidential inauguration, holding the Oscar that Ronald Reagan never won, in front of a audience that's friendly, famous and financially gifted. Before even leaving the stage, he could have the crucial endorsement of Ellen DeGeneres. It would be the first presidential announcement closely covered by both the Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly. This week's hot story in the race for the Democratic nomination — and since there are still 82 weeks to go, there's a serious need for stories — is the competition for Hollywood support. Steven Spielberg is reported friendly to both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, with Barbra Streisand staying neutral. Gore's new advantage in this contest, attending all the Oscar parties and bringing his statuette with him to fund-raising breakfasts, could be huge. And it could only help his image, which has been considered a bit on the stuffy side, if he started campaigning with sunglasses and a sports car. Gore in 2008: Less C-Span, more HBO. Of course, the former vice president would not be the only award-winning contender in next year's race. Hillary Clinton — and it's amazing that her campaign doesn't emphasize this — is the only major presidential candidate to win a Grammy. Officially, it was for the audiotape version of "It Takes a Village,' but the voters were probably also thinking of her great early work with the Supremes. Gore has his opportunity at a moment when politics and show business are getting ever closer together. Movie stars all have political causes, politicians seek out movie stars for their fund-raising and attention-drawing power, the two groups share the same consultants and make-up artists, and both politics and movies are now all about special effects. Feb. 25, Al Gore — politician and movie star — could have a chance to capitalize on the connection. When he declares his candidacy for the White House, 40 million people could see him getting a standing ovation from Ben Affleck. Let Mitt Romney match that. And at least we know that if by some fluke "An Inconvenient Truth' doesn't win the Oscar, Gore won't be telling the news media that it was an honor just to be nominated. That honor, he's already had.