I just saw a bit of a CNN program called "American Voices." It is a large group discussion (30 or so) which includes a buch of citizens, a host and, apparently, a celebrity voice. Ron Silver was the celebrity. Yes, the same Ron Silver who muttered after the jet flyover at Clinton's first inauguration, "Well, now those are <b>our</b> jets..." Anyway, he came out very much in favor of the War on Terror in Iraq. He thought a stabilized Iraq was vital for peace in the Middle East. My jaw dropped. When asked why more of Hollywood wasn't supportive of the war in Iraq, he answered, ~"I think that most people in Hollywood have a visceral dislike for the President." Isn't that a great argument to justify a position!?!
I thought we weren't supposed to care about what a celebrity thinks. Oh wait, he agrees with you...that's a completely different story, see Sonny Bono, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Ronald Reagan, etc.
Thie lack of interest thread was indicative of Ron Silver's appeal to the general public, which is generally in the range of that of Dave Coulier or Abe Vigoda.
RM95: My objection to the Dixie Chicks was the venue of their politicking and, somewhat, their specific language. Ron Silver made these remarks on a politically-oriented talk show. I am not prejudiced against him just because he is an actor. That would be wrong. I was just completely caught off-guard by what I would consider to be a 180-degree turn in his thinking. He, BTW, has a master's degree in Chinese Culture, so he's not your average high-school dropout turned actor. <b>SamFisher</b>: Stop being so star-struck and consider what a working actor had to say! You have to admit that this, coming from Ron Silver, comes as a complete surprise. The Dems want to run Wesley Clark up the presidential flagpole because of his atypical point of view.... Wesley Clark-- the man who was but one phone call away from being a Republican. Another brilliant Karl Rove political maneuver perhaps?
It's funny, that the liberals on this board do exactly what they accuse me of doing: marginalizing folks. Just because Silver doesn't agree with you and then you reflexively say "he's not that great an actor, blah, blah, blah." I think he spoke some truth there, because the left has a damned hatred of Bush, humorous because he's done more to further the leftist agenda than Clinton ever did. You guys should be praising the guy to the nines, but instead, he is public enemy number one.
I'm not making an icon of Ron Silver, but his position on the war in Iraq is irrefutably a radical turnaround for him... and no one of the liberal persuasion wants to acknowledge it other than to dismiss him-- as bamaslammer points up. What makes me care more than a whit about what anyone says is whether or not it is substantive, not whether or not they have celebrity. Are you denying that it is the liberal mind-set that more actively recruits celebrity spokepersons. The discrimination in Hollywood towards conservative thinking has been recognized for decades. I think it is fascinating that the media has not "outed" Ron Silver on this... or have I missed it?
Good grief!! Conservatives care waay too much about celebrities political views. ****! is ROn Silver even considered a celebrity ?
Many liberals (celebrity and non-celebrity, elected official and plain citizen) have expressed support for the Iraq war. As a country we were all told various lies in support of it and it's no surprise that some liberals (along with the vast majority of conservatives) would buy into them. (Most people don't like to believe the White House would lie about something as serious as reasons to go to war.) Ron Silver's a non-issue. There are many others like him. Interesting to note that support for the war (among all ideologies) is over 65% among people who mistakenly believe that we've already found WMD's or that there was a proven link between Saddam and Al Qaeda and under 25% among people who are not mistaken in these regards. Silver may well be educated, but that doesn't mean he necessarily knows more than all the other educated but misled Americans out there.
Also, who has the media "outed" in Hollywood for being conservative? Why does anyone care what celebrities think? Democrats don't go beg movie stars to campaign with them. Celebrities who have certain views and like a certain candidate will go support them . (ahhnold line) Which party is the one recrutiing Dennis Miller to run for senate?
That's not what I said. I mentioned the well-known discrimination felt by conservatives in Hollywood. My comment was that this unusual opinion held by Ron Silver has not been disclosed by anybody. Obviously, he is not hiding it; he appeared on a national talk show. I guess he's a middle-age sellout, huh, RM95?
Nah. Much more likely he believed the same lies the rest of you guys believed. I don't blame him (or the rest of you). It seemed so plausible...
Uh, I think the reason is that Ron Silver is not famous nor a celebrity. I know a lot of arcane trivia, and I can't name one movie or tv show he was in off the top of my head. The extent of my Ron Silver knowledge begins and ends with the fact that I I belive that he has facial hair. Other than that, I don't think he has been in a major motion picture or been engaged to J-Lo at any point in the last decade, so I think its just not news.
Can anyone even pick Ron Silver out from a police lineup? He's a nobody. Andrew Stevens and Treat Williams are bigger stars than him. Ron Silver wouldn't even qualify for Hollywood Squares. NEXT!
So why was he a guest on this CNN show? Is that how devastating a blow that Fox News has struck? Ron Silver may, indeed, be better known for his political opinionating than his acting career. Nevertheless, he has a new series coming up this fall. He plays a porno entrepreneur on FOX I believe. Oh, so that explains his selling out..... Ha-ha. I can name several of his movies. Didn't he have a recurring role on West Wing a couple of years ago. Yeah, that show is for the really loser-actors! Ha-ha, again. Ron Silver is a very bright guy (like many of you here that I regularly disagree with). Give him his due. He's only one guy, of course but you have to admit that this is surprising. I wonder how many other Ron Silvers are out there?
