Angels, Demons & Democrats

How much of the box office of “Angels & Demons” will end up in the Democrat campaigns? If it makes money, it could be a lot.

Tom Hanks, the star of “Angels & Demons”, endorsed Barack Obama, claiming he represents a “seismic shift” in our political and social fabric. He said an Obama victory will “redefine our republic” (see his YouTube video here).

He backed this endorsement with $29,800 in contributions (see here). He also gave to the campaigns of Al Franken ($14,600), one of the most deceitful public figures in the United States; Henry Waxman ($500); Barbara Boxer ($500); Patrick Kennedy ($250); and, Ethan Berkowitz ($250), all Democrats. He also contributed $12,300 to the Franken Recount Fund! In addition to his political contributions, Tom gave $50,000 (the maximum) to President Obama’s Inauguration Fund.

Ron Howard, the famous director of “Angels & Demons,” was equally smitten by Barack Obama.

He even recorded a video endorsement during the 2008 presidential election in costume as Opie with Andy Griffith and then as Richie Cunningham with Henry Winkler (see it here). In it, he says, “I know a lot of you are thinking I’m just following some liberal Hollywood trend. That’s not me.” He said it is crucial that we vote for change adding, “I mean real change – the kind of change that will allow us to trust our government again – which is why I’ve chosen to vote for Barack Obama. And, I say that not as a Democrat or a Republican because I have voted for candidates from both parties in the past, and I probably will again.”

Ron’s political contributions are less non-partisan than his video. In fact, he gave to Hillary Clinton’s primary campaign before being smitten by Barack Obama. His largest contributions went to the Democratic National Committee and Committee for Change (see full list here). Like Tom, Ron also contributed $50,000 (the maximum) to President Obama’s inauguration.

Sony, the company releasing “Angels & Demons,” was smitten enough with Barack Obama to buy the international rights to the documentary “By The People: The Election of Barack Obama.”

According to the Center for Responsive Politics the TV, Hollywood and the music industry contributed $8.6 million to the 2008 Barack Obama Campaign and only $1.1 million to John McCain. Overall, the industry contributed $36.5 million to Democrats (78%) and $10.4 million to Republicans (22%) in 2008. This is a big increase from the Clinton/Dole days of 1996, when the industry only spent $12.3 million on Democrats (62%) and $7.5 million on Republicans (38%).

Hollywood’s favorite Senate candidates were Democrat Al Franken ($639,838), followed by Barbara Boxer, D-California ($318,518), and Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut (285,520), who was able to land a questionably sweetheart deal with Countrywide during the housing bubble.

It’s not just celebrities that favor Democrats. The Center for Responsive Politics reports that Hollywood corporations favor Democrats by wide margins: DreamWorks SKG (100% Democrat), Creative Artists Agency (99% Democrat), Time Warner (81% Democrat), News Corp and Fox (77% Democrat), Walt Disney Co. (74% Democrat), and Sony Corp. (67% Democrat).

Tom, Ron and everyone else in the country have the right to endorse, support and vote for whomever they please. Likewise, however, the American people have the right to buy tickets and DVDs of the movies they please. When an actor or director uses their celebrity for political purposes, they should not be upset if people apply their political convictions when making choices to purchase movie tickets.

Many Americans are not excited about the current seismic shift toward big government. Some of them may not be anxious this summer to help Tom and Ron buy tickets to a 2012 inauguration for President Obama.