Hollywood Woos Obama Volunteers

Bruce Springsteen, Edie Falco, Dave Matthews, Among Those Urging Campaign Support

(AP)  Edie Falco is fidgeting and looks nervous. The star of "The Sopranos" admits to her North Carolina audience that she's a product of lower Manhattan who barely understands voters above 14th Street. She talks for just five minutes and never mentions John McCain or George Bush.

"I've never had any intentions of trying to change anybody's mind," says Falco, a Barack Obama supporter. "I've heard a lot of celebrities talking about politics who, in my estimation, are not qualified to do so."

She adds, "Frankly, I'm embarrassed sometimes that they are representing my ilk, if you will."

For the seemingly endless number of celebrities who back Obama, trying to persuade people who already support the Illinois senator to volunteer for his campaign is as important as swaying undecided voters.

Four years ago, rocker Bruce Springsteen was the face of celebrity politics, making his first public endorsement of a candidate with a column in The New York Times before leading a series of swing-state concerts to urge a vote for Democratic nominee John Kerry.

While Obama has his share of celebrity concerts and endorsements, singer Dave Matthews is playing a show in his home state of Virginia, legendary driver and team owner Junior Johnson is sending an e-mail to NASCAR fans - he is using his support among famous faces differently.

"They're less focused on being messengers for the campaign and are more plugged in to helping the organization be more effective," said Bill Carrick, a California Democratic consultant and veteran of past presidential campaigns.

"You've got people in the campaign working very, very hard and surviving on buckets of fried chicken, pizzas and caffeine," Carrick said. "It's nice to have somebody come in and appreciate them."

For Falco's stops in North Carolina, the campaign placed her in front of a few dozen dedicated Obama supporters.

"If you have any extra time to volunteer, between now and then, or on Election Day at the polls, you can help the workers or bring food to people who are exhausted," she told them.

The GOP has tried to bring celebrities into its fold, but the party knows that's not its base.

"We were making a list of who are some celebrity singers who could come out and help us and, gosh, for the life of us, the pickings were slim there," Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said at a fundraiser in Greensboro last month. "Who's quasi-conservative out there in the celebrity land?"

Between production work for his FOX series "House," actor Kal Penn is working phone banks for Obama and helping out in other ways. While he mentions why he decided to campaign for Obama in the Iowa caucuses, he does little to lay out Obama's policies.

Instead, Penn urged about 100 college students at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, some wearing pajama pants and munching on breakfast at a midday event last Sunday, to get involved in any way possible.

"It requires a little bit of sacrifice - and we're hoping that you do that because the stakes are just way too high," Penn said. "The simple acts of what you guys are doing - volunteering and signing up - is going to make the difference."

[inketolstoy]

"Hollywood celebrities do more than any thieving republican politician does for the people."

As worthless as most politicians (repub and dems)are, I can''t really say they do less than Hollywood celebrities (again, a few exceptions).
So goes the wisdom of the so-called liberal minds. Thoreau said hurl your words like cannonballs, and if you are wrong take them back and hurl new ones (my paraphrase). A lot of loony liberals have been hurling some crazy ideas around. When will they take the time to consider the truth of these statements? Or do you just keep running your mouth''s?

[gig15]

Yes, Obama is the best of the best. His tax plan is for the cohesion of this country. The rich represent 5% of America, and Obama''s tax plan helps 95% of Americans. Go Obama.Biden with Clinton for change 2008. Go, fight, win!!!

[wakeup60]

FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENT .....
OBAMA/BIDEN.........ALL THE WAY........FOR THE CHANGE AND HOPE WE ARE ALL NEEDING TO WORK TOWARDS!!!!!!
VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wakeup60]

gotravel1...Go and do something which is unheard of for the majority of GOP''ERS.Do just alittle/just a wee bit of research-before you spew vile & find out true facts/doesn''t take much effort/probably more than you can muster but... heh,be like your "JOE THE PLUMMER" & take a "CRACK AT IT " and YOU-2 don''t need a LICENSE! As for Oprah,she has given MILLIONS and VOLUNTEERED COUNTLESS HOURS to many ORGANIZATIONS,GROUPS & INDIVIDUALS/CHICAGO AND ALL OVER THE WORLD-DEARIE.P-DIDDY-SEAN COMBES-HAS CONTRIBUTED,SHARED AND ACCOMPLISHED ALOT WITH HIS WEALTH/SAME GOES FOR COUNTLESS OTHERS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY/BRAD PITT/NEW ORLEANS/ORPHANS AND WAR TORN COUNTRY''S SICK AND HOMELESS CHILDREN/FAMILIES-CHER/WITH unending $$$ to reconstuct faces of children,her EFFORT & TIME WITH THE CRANIAL FACIAL INSTITUTE IN DALLAS-HOW DARE YOU-THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON WITH "AMERICANS" DOING SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE LESS FORTUNATE THAN THEMSELVES.USING A QUOTE FROM THE MOVIEE "PATTON"...
"AND WHEN SOMEONE ASKS "YOU"-WHAT "YOU" DID IN THE GREAT WORLD WAR II...AND YOU ANSWER,"I SHOVELED S..T IN LOUISANA"...LOOK IN THE MIRROR, HONEY!

[kittykatty2]

gotravel1, you must be one of those greedy-azz repugs who just loves free money. Have you never heard the proverb "give a man a fish you can feed him for a day, teach a man to fish you will feed him for a lifetime."
Hollywood celebrities do more than any thieving republican politician does for the people. *** has George Bush done? John McCain? Sarah Palin? Not a dam thing. Another thing, funny how Sarah Palin didn''t mind "socializing" profits from oil companies to give to Alaskans...but now she demonizes Barack Obama for wanting to do the same thing. I work with women who vote republican, their husbands lay around the house and they''re all to ready to take that earned income credit at the end of the tax season. Republicans, say one thing, live by another.

[nicole_simon-2009]

Don''t be silly. No one person to going to change everything, but motivating people to get involved could. We have no right to judge anyone whether it be a regular person from a regular neighborhood or a person that lives in Hollywood. Celebrities don''t have to do anything for anyone but a lot of them do and that''s great! What have you done in your community lately?

[bills416]

Bob5Ford....
I suggest you read the article on the front page of CBS website. It compares Obamas and McCains tax plans. Unless your family is making more than $250,000 dollars you would benefit more with Obamas plan. But even if you don''t like that....according to the aforementioned article McCains plan will cost the country more than Obamas. And you pay more....so whats wrong with this picture?

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by gotravel1

Actually Oprah is financially involved with several Chicago community groups, and gives scholarships to students whose grade merits, but whose finances don''t.

Diddy has opened several business, from clothing shops and the like, to recording facilities and the like, providing employment to hundreds, and music industry opportunities to hundreds more.

They invest in film projects that would never see funding otherwise, providing employment and exposure opportunities for hundreds more.

Commenting on subjects you know nothing about only makes you look foolish.

[andsab]

gotravel1,

Well put...I agree with you 100%!

[gotravel1]

Let''s all listen to Hollywood;they''re so intelligent about real Americans! If they really have an interest in relieving poverty and improving education,why don''t they donate some of their millions and put it where their mouth is? Is Oprah going around Chicago,helping the poor and volunteering in the school?How about PDiddy,and all the other upstanding citizens.Don''t be fooled by their double standard.By the way,what kind of positive change has Obama caused in Chicago?Looks like their murder rate and taxes are highest in the country and education hasn''t improved even after he and Ayers wasted 50 million on the Chicago Annenberg Challenge.Obama,change we CANNOT AFFORD!