FOUND ON THE STREETS OF
SAN FRANCISCO.
BUT FIRST, CELEBRITIES RUSHING
TO FIX DEMOCRACY.
THAT'S THE SUBJECT AT THE
KNIGHTS ANGLE.
>> Laura: THIS IS VERY
EXCITING, IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T
HEARD, HUNGER GAMES STARLET
JENNIFER LAWRENCE MADE A BIG
ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY.
>> I'M GOING TO TAKE THE NEXT
YEAR OFF.
I'M GOING TO BE WORKING WITH
THIS ORGANIZATION I'M A PART OF.
IT'S TRYING TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE
ENGAGED POLITICALLY ON THE LOCAL
LEVEL.
>> THAT'S AWESOME.
>> IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO
DO WITH PARTISAN.
IT'S JUST ANTICORRUPTION, TRYING
TO PASS STATE BY STATE LAWS.
THAT CAN HELP PREVENT
CORRUPTION, FIX OUR DEMOCRACY.
>> Laura: THAT'S ALL.
WOW.
WE ALSO LEARNED TODAY THAT ACTOR
GEORGE CLOONEY IS DONATING
500,000 BUCKS FOR THE MARCH FOR
OUR LIVES, THE TOTALLY STUDENT
ORGANIZED.
THE OCEAN'S ELEVEN ACTOR, THE
TEQUILA BARON, HE'S BEEN
SNIFFING AROUND POLITICS FOR 20
PLUS YEARS.
LET'S NOT FORGET 2016 HE RAISED
$15 MILLION IN ONE WEEKEND,
THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, FOR
HILLARY CLINTON AND OTHER
DEMOCRATS.
AND OF COURSE HE WAS HORRIFIED
BY THAT.
>> IT IS AN OBSCENE AMOUNT OF
MONEY.
THE CAMPAIGN WHEN THEY TALK
ABOUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT,
IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT WE SHOULD
HAVE THIS KIND OF MONEY IN
POLITICS.
I AGREE, COMPLETELY.
>> Laura: OF COURSE YOU HAVE
TO LOVE CLOONEY BECAUSE HE WENT
ON TO SAY IF ASKED IF YOU WOULD
ENGAGE IN THIS OBSCENE ACT
AGAIN.
IF IT'S LEGAL, HE WILL CONTINUE
TO DO IT.
THEY CONTINUE THEIR ROUTINE BY
PUTTING ALL THEIR CHIPS ON
HILLARY.
AFTER ALL, THEY HAD HELPED HER
HUSBAND, WHO HAD BEEN A VERY
SUCCESSFUL TWO-TERM PRESIDENT
MINE IS THAT IMPEACHMENT THING,
AND STAYED IN THE LINCOLN
BEDROOM, THEY FLOCKED TO THE
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS
DINNER.
IT WAS ALL HUNKY-DORY.
BUT HOLLYWOOD WAS CUT OUT OF THE
PICTURE UNDER GEORGE W AND
HOLLYWOOD MOCKED HIM ENDLESSLY
AND VICIOUSLY.
SO WHEN THE MOST LEFT-WING
PRESIDENT EVER WAS ELECTED,
BARACK OBAMA, IT WAS NIRVANA FOR
ALL THOSE ENTERTAINERS WHO HAD
FELT DISRESPECTED AND OFFENDED
BY THE VERY EXISTENCE OF BUSH
AND CERTAINLY OF CONSERVATIVES.
BUT WITH THE OBAMA'S, THEY
CELEBRATED FROM THE BEGINNING.
THE INAUGURATION.
>> PLEASE WELCOME BEYONCE.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
♪ ♪
>> Laura: BIRTHDAYS.
>> THE PRESIDENT OF THESE
UNITED STATES.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> Laura: WHITE HOUSE PARTIES.
♪ ♪
>> IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> Laura: EVEN IN THE
SITUATION ROOM.
THAT IS A COOL PHOTO.
ALL THE WAY TO THE END.
>> FOR EIGHT YEARS YOU KEPT YOUR
WORD AND YOUR CALM.
YOU ARE THE EPITOME OF COOL.
>> Laura: THEY ARE HAVING FUN.
COME ON!
DOESN'T THAT LOOK FUN?
SAD TO SEE PRESIDENT OBAMA GO
BECAUSE HE ECHOED THEIR
WORLDVIEW.
AS SAMUEL JACKSON SAID, HE HAD
THAT HOLLYWOOD COOL FACTOR.
LET'S FACE IT.
TRUMP, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD A HIT
SHOW WITH THE APPRENTICE, HE WAS
NEVER REALLY PART OF THEIR WORLD
BECAUSE ON SOME KEY ISSUES HE
THOUGHT DIFFERENTLY, AND HE
DARED TO SPEAK UP.
WHEN SO MANY IN THE
ENTERTAINMENT ARENA PUT ALL
THEIR MONEY, THEIR CHIPS ON
HILLARY, THEY RAISED SO MUCH
MONEY LIKE CLOONEY AND ANNA
WINTOUR.
LET'S FACE IT, WHEN TRUMP WAS
ELECTED, THEY WERE EMBARRASSED
AND FURIOUS.
MOST OF THE ENTERTAINMENT AND
SPORTS IN CROWDS, THEY SEE FROM
SUPPORTERS AS EITHER IGNORANT,
RACIST, OR BIBLE-THUMPING
FANATICS.
GEORGE CLOONEY TO HIS CREDIT PUT
BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS, ON
HILLARY.
HE TOLD "THE DAILY BEAST" AFTER
SHE LOST IT WAS FRUSTRATING
BECAUSE I NEVER SAW HER ELEVATOR
GAME.
I NEVER SAW IT.
AND I HAD A LOT OF LIBERAL
FRIENDS WHO WERE LIKE SHE'S NOT
GOOD AT THIS.
WELL, I AGREE, GEORGE.
LET'S FACE IT, TOP-TIER CELEBS
SURROUNDED BY P.R. PEOPLE,
MANAGERS, AGENTS, MILLIONS OF
ADORING FANS, THEY CAN GET
PRETTY USED TO COASTING ON
POLITICAL CLICHES.
THEY ARE USED TO DISHING IT OUT
AGAINST CONSERVATIVES.
SOMETIMES IN THE VILEST OF TERMS
WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO EXPLAIN
THEMSELVES.
AND WITHOUT EVER GETTING CALLED
ON IT.
SO WHEN CELEBS WAIT INTO
POLITICS AS WE ARE SEEING TODAY,
JENNIFER LAWRENCE AND GEORGE
CLOONEY, THEY WIN FANS ON THEIR
POLITICAL SIDE, BUT THEN THEY
CAN ALIENATE MANY MORE.
YOU THINK OF WHAT HAPPENED, FOR
INSTANCE, WHEN THE NFL, COLIN
KAEPERNICK REFUSED TO STAND FOR
THE ANTHEM.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS HE SPURRED
OTHER PLAYERS TO DO THE SAME.
THEN THE NFL LOST TENS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
ADVERTISING REVENUE DURING THE
REGULAR SEASON AS VIEWERSHIP
TOOK A SIZABLE HIT AND
ATTENDANCE WAS DOWN.
IF TOO HEAVILY INFECTED BY
POLITICS, THE SPORT, STAGE AND
SCREEN, THEY KIND OF JUST BECOME
LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN
WASHINGTON.
NASTY AND POLARIZING.
CALL ME CRAZY, BUT I THINK WE
NEED MORE, NOT FEWER PLACES
WHERE WE CAN GATHER, CHEER, AND
EVEN BOO WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT
POLITICS.
EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK
THEIR MIND, BUT STARS ON SCREEN
AND THOSE ON THE FIELD SHOULD
KNOW THAT WHEN THEY PRACTICE
HATE HATEFUL POLITICAL VITRIOL
THEY ARE LIKELY TO GET SOME
PUSHBACK JUST LIKE THE REST OF
US IN POLITICS OR POLITICAL
ANALYSIS.
NOW IT'S YOUR TURN, CLOONEY AND
JENNIFER LAWRENCE.
WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN BEYOND
JUST EPITHETS OR BROMIDES,
CLICHES, SOMETIMES MAYBE
INSULTS, YOUR OWN IDEAS ON HOW
TO GROW THE ECONOMY, HOW TO
INCREASE THE STANDARD OF LIVING
FOR THE POOR AND MIDDLE-CLASS
AMERICANS, HOW TO INCREASE
VIOLENCE AND DRUG ADDICTIONS.
YOU SEE, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO
GET INTO THE POLITICAL RING,
REALLY, YOU CAN'T JUST TALK TO
YOUR FANS OR EVEN WRITE A CHECK.
YOU NEED TO BE DARING ENOUGH TO
GO INTO UNFAMILIAR AND EVEN
HOSTILE TERRITORY AND ANSWER
TOUGH QUESTIONS.
THINK ABOUT OPRAH, MAYBE FOR A
MILLISECOND SHE MULLED DIPPING
HER TOE INTO THE POLITICAL POND,
THEN SHE QUICKLY PULLED IT OUT.
IF THERE WERE RUMORS OF KID ROCK
RUNNING FOR THE SENATE.
RUMORS THAT THE ROCK MAY HIT THE
TRAIL.
NO CLOONEY, WHO IS WORTH
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS,
GOOD ON HIM FOR EARNING THAT
CASH, HE IS SHOVELING MONEY AT
GUN CONTROL.
IT'S HIS RIGHT TO DO THAT.
BUT AS DEMOCRATS WATCH, WORRY
AND HOPE THAT SOMEONE IS THERE
NEXT OBAMA, MAYBE EVEN CLOONEY
BECAUSE HE IS THE STAR WITH A
KILLER SMILE AND A COOL FACTOR,
IT GOT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE
REPERCUSSIONS WILL BE.
OUR CELEBRITIES REALLY THE BEST
CANDIDATES?
CELEBRITIES THAT ARE NOT QUITE
RONALD REAGAN, BECAUSE REMEMBER
HE WAS AN ACTOR AND PEOPLE SAY
LAURA, YOU WORKED FOR REAGAN,
DON'T YOU HAVE A DOUBLE STANDARD
HERE?
NO, NO, NO.
IT'S TRUE I DID WORK FOR
PRESIDENT REAGAN, I'M A REAGAN
CONSERVATIVE, BUT REMEMBER WHAT
HE DID.
HE SPENT AT LEAST TWO DECADES
STUDYING, READING, DEBATING
ANYONE WHO WOULD DEBATE HIM AND
WRITING ON POLITICS.
HE WAS MASTERFUL.
HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL TWO-TERM
GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA.
HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 1976.
HE LOST THE NOMINATION BY A HAIR
AND THEN HAD TO COME CLAWING HIS
WAY BACK FOUR YEARS LATER TO
CHANGE POLITICS FOREVER.
IT DID NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
HE DIDN'T JUST WRITE A CHECK OR
LAUNCH INTO INSULTS AGAINST HIS
OPPONENT.
HE DID MORE THAN JUST DRIVE BY
HITS ON HIS POLITICAL
ADVERSARIES OR JUST RAISED MONEY
FOR HIS POLITICAL FRIENDS.
I THINK WHAT MOST OF THESE
CELEBRITIES WILL FIND OUT IS
THAT THE TALENTS THAT MAKE THEM
MEGASTARS, ACTING, SPORTS, OR
MUSIC, DON'T ALWAYS TRANSLATE
INTO POLITICS, AT LEAST NOT
WITHOUT A LOT OF REALLY HARD
WORK.
AND YOU CAN'T JUST ISSUE AD
HOMINEM ATTACKS ON YOUR
POLITICAL OPPONENTS WITHOUT
MAKING A SUBSTANTIVE ARGUMENT AT
SOME POINT.
POLITICS IS NOT EASE COVERAGE
AREN'T THE RED CARPET.
THERE'S ALSO A BIG DOWNSIDE FOR
PEOPLE IN NEED OF ADORATION IN
TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, THE MOMENT
YOU ENTER POLITICS, NATIONAL
POLITICS, LET'S FACE IT, YOU
ALIENATE HALF THE COUNTRY.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL
INSTANTLY DISLIKE YOU.
MANY WILL HATE YOU.
OTHERS WILL LIE ABOUT YOU.
STILL OTHERS, JUST TO ELEVATE
THEMSELVES AND WIN BACK POWER
WILL SAY VILE AND HATEFUL THINGS
THAT ARE DEMONSTRABLY FALSE.
LET'S FACE THIS, MOST
CELEBRITIES HAVE NO DESIRE TO
RISK THEIR CUSHY LIVES TO REALLY
MAKE THAT UP BIG TIME IN
POLITICS.
THINKING ABOUT IT, THE ONLY ONE
I CAN REMEMBER POST-REAGAN WHO
DID THIS IS THE ONE CELEB, ALSO
A BUSINESSMAN LIKE CLOONEY, THAT
