Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger discusses a few of his films that did not
win Academy Awards.
** AN INCONVENIENT AL. Will the likely Academy Award tonight for former Vice President Al Gore’s climate change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, lead to another presidential candidacy? In addition to being a commercial success — it’s a best seller as a DVD — the film has been hugely influential. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger touted it to NWN last spring.
And if frontrunner Hillary Clinton runs afoul of her past support for the Iraq War — Gore called it a loser from the beginning — as the Democratic nomination contest unfolds, and if Barack Obama proves too inexperienced and/or unsubstantive, there could be a real call for Gore to enter the race. While John Edwards is well positioned to benefit from the stumble of either, and well thought of in the party, Gore is a very knowledgeable and vastly experienced figure with an obvious handle on one of the biggest issues in the world. He has four national campaigns under his belt, having run in the Democratic presidential primaries in 1988, serving as Bill Clinton’s running mate in 1992 and 1996, and having actually won the national popular vote for president in 2000.
However, it may be that he’s found his calling. Global climate change is certainly a big enough issue for an ambitious man. Gore is promoting a series of concerts around the world. He’s serving as senior advisor to the British government, which is likely to continue no matter who succeeds Prime Minister Tony Blair. The leader of the British Conservative Party, David Cameron, is also on the anti-greenhouse gas bandwagon. Gore doesn’t have to win what would almost certainly be a nasty election to have a huge impact.
** SO, THE ACADEMY AWARDS. Aside from Al Gore’s climate change film, An Inconvenient Truth, a lock for best documentary, and Helen Mirren’s star turn as the queen of England in The Queen, and Martin Scorsese for his direction of The Departed, it’s not all that clear which films will win in tonight’s Academy Awards ceremony. What is clear that few of the films made much of an impact on the culture.
I noticed when I got my ballot early last month for the Screen Actors Guild Awards that there were quite a few film performances I simply hadn’t seen last year. Of course, I’m not exactly a representative person. Last year I was totally caught up in the campaigns, covering them around the clock. Which is an issue in itself. But even though I was sent a number of DVDs to view prior to voting as a SAG member, the titles didn’t seem all that compelling. Talking with friends it seems that few if any of the films that are up for awards this year made much of an impression on them, either. After a period earlier in the decade when movies like Gladiator and The Lord of the Rings pictures were massively impactful both culturally and critically, we’re in a period in which most of the country doesn’t particularly care about the Oscar nominees.
** NO PROBLEMO FOR NEWSOM. As predicted here, the Gavin Newsom scandal in San Francisco has proved to be a scandalette. No legal problems for the mayor, no lawsuit, no resignation, no hit in his lofty poll numbers. People who seize on such things in the blogosphere and elements of the mainstream media need to think things through better.
Next scandal, please.
** ARNOLD FACES THE NATION ON POST-PARTISANSHIP. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on the CBS News program Face The Nation today, talking up his post-partisan theme. What it means, he says, is that “you ultimately want to serve the people rather than serve your party.”
Schwarzenegger lauded John McCain for his stance on climate change, although he did not endorse the Arizona senator and Vietnam War hero in his race for the Republican presidential nomination. Schwarzenegger is in Washington for the National Governors Association conference. He will give a major address on post-partisan centrism tomorrow at the National Press Club.
** WINNING OR LOSING THE TERROR WAR? This report from the head of British counterintelligence suggests that things have actually gotten worse.
** DISSATISFACTION IN HUNGARY. Of course, things could be worse. You could be the socialist prime minister of Hungary. Nevertheless, it’s been far worse there. Imagine what they felt like after the Soviets invaded — again — in 1956.
** “SECONDARY VIRGINITY.” Veteran conservative lobbyist Grover Norquist has a new concept! With the “right promises,” you, too, can be a virgin again. No matter how old and, ah, experienced you are. Isn’t it great when political operatives, like Grover Norquist, offer you moral absolution?
** THE GIULIANI CHALLENGE. A Detroit News columnist notes the free ride former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is getting from the media and the Democrats. Oh, but I suspect some Republicans will be jumping in on this point. In the not terribly distant future.
** BOMB, BOMB, BOMB, BOMB BOMB IRAN. OH, BOMB IRAN, OH, BOMB IRAN … With apologies to the Beach Boys. A golden oldie transmogrified at the time of the Iran hostage crisis. Not all that popular a tune in the Pentagon. Several flag rank officers are said to be ready to resign in the event of a present day attack.
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| Comments (47) |
The Schwarzenegger clones are back!
Of course things have gotten worse. We’re not stupid.
Arnold should have been nominated for Best Actor for Total Recall …
This server does not work right.
Can’t the conservatives you work with get the basics right?
I can’t believe Norquist actually said that. I mean, I thought it was hilarious (and apt) that the article made the comparison, but that they actually got it from Norquist — a man hated and feared within his own party — is just priceless.
BTW, I think you forgot the http:// at the front of the link for the “BOMB IRAN” item.
Britain has rolled over for the radical Islam folks, like the Muslim Council of Britain, and it isn’t surprising to me to see that the threat of terrorism there has risen as a result of such hospitality.
I would bet that the Joint Chiefs and ranking officers at the Pentagon are digging these good vibrations coming from Israel
So, I read this article in this morning’s Washington Post.
Why does Hillary keep making these stupid mistakes and letting a one-day story run for a f(&*()&*ing week. This is why it is becoming increasingly unlikely that she can be the President — the rigors of the campaign are just too much for someone with such thin-skin.
Here is the story…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/24/AR2007022401166.html?nav=hcmodule
I love the clones…too funny and I needed a laugh this AM as my WiFi keeps going on the fritz…can’t wait for the Oscars at 3 our time…
CADTS I totally agree that Hillary is going to have problems in the long haul, which is ironic because the long campaign season (back then) was what helped Bill Clinton pull it out of the flames. I get the feeling that the longer we see Hillary, the less we will like her. She really seems to be about the “hell toupee” more than anything else. Mickey Kaus has some thoughts about her early entry into the race. I don’t think it is a good idea for anyone to be in the race this early. I think that having an early Nevada caucus was a good thing for all the reasons Bill has cited, but doing the same in California might ruin the whole experiment before it starts. It would be better in my view to put the California primary on Super Tuesday or thereabouts…
When is “Super Tuesday?”
Ann the first Tuesday in March originally
CADTS I read the WaPo article you referenced…this is going to be a long campaign season any candidate that is thin skinned on either side will encounter problems….when candidates decide to get in this they know what is going to happen as the vetting process progresses…it’s nothing new but how they choose to handle is always worth watching again on both sides
So Hillary is trying to bask in husband Bill’s accomplishments, but will bludgeon anyone who talks about his perjury before a federal grand jury? I hope the Democrat candidates cower in fear, allowing general election voters to be reminded about her sad history much closer to Election Day.
Maybe Hillary will take a cue from Rudy and “lose” an embarrassing campaign memo that deals with the shady Whitewater deal, her long-lost Rose law firm billing records, her amazing cattle futures profits and what she knew, when, about her husband’s perjury. I am sure I left something out, but GOP researchers have no doubt kept it all.
Wasn’t it those lefty losers at “Calitics” who were all on you about Newsom and their dim bulb belief he was out?
CADTS, I don’t know that that stuff matters much, one way or another.
As I said from the outset with regard to the Geffen nonsense, attacking Bill Clinton in a Democratic primary race is very stupid.
Actually, Hap, nice try at spin there, but what MI5 is saying is that the terrorist threat has increased since 9/11, not decreased. And not because of internal British politics.
Bill the lead says “The terrorist threat facing Britain from home-grown al-Qaeda agents is higher than at any time since the September 11 attacks in 2001”
You’re right that my spin is that there are more home grown AQ agents there because they haven’t exactly been hostile to radicals.
oops not trying to spin anonymously
And what has Britain been doing since 9/11 that might possibly play precisely into their hands?
Today Seymour Hersh told CNN Wolf Blitzer that U.S. military and special-operations are conducting
clandestine operations in Iran, Lebanon and Syria against Shia and Hezbollah…”guided by Vice President Dick Cheney”…the funds for these operations are from the bundles of monies found in Iraq and although he did not say it in the interview I am sure also from Saudi Arabia …Hersh also charged that this funding is “falling into the hands of Sunni Al-Queda extremists.”..i.e., our enemies in the “war on terrorism.” I have heard rumors that this was going on for soome time now from friends living abroad…Hersh also said this morning that these activities again are being financed and executed without the involvment of congress pursuant to Iran-Contra days…
If there is any truth to Hersh’s charges, then it appears that Cheney, Rumsfeld, Feith and Abrams and friends STATEGY was to WIDEN sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunnis THINKING that would make the US and the rest of the world safer…this, in my opinion is very twisted and wrong-headed thinking.
If any of this is accurate we have set in motion even more unintended consequences which the whole world is going to pay for …for some time.
Further, Congress dropped the ball on Iran Contra investigations…I am beginning to think they are going to do it again.
Very good point about Blair sending troops to Iraq — even the Prince is going there. I would still spin the possibility that both factors have played a role in the situation they face there.
Oh, I think that’s true. Britain, like much if not most of Western Europe has allowed an anti-Western tendency to grow within its borders.
Super Tuesday will have to be in February this time around. lol
Barbara,
Received a little letter from Comcast yesterday and couldn’t help but think of you…effective March 22 they are adding CSPAN 3 to their channel line-up.
For me they’re adding ESPN 2 and TNT so that I can watch more sports in HD!
Now, if only the morons would make the Capitol channels available at a reasonable price I would be a happy camper.
I received the same letter!
I wish I had C-span 3 today because at 5 they have a program on Putin! But I don’t have it so I shall go to Mass instead…
The Daily (& Sunday) Telegraph is one of my favorite papers… this report also said that every Muslim country in N Africa, ME and Central Asia has an Al Queda operation…of course,… that is also post-9/11…
and many of the Governments of these countries we have competing (with Russia/China) or poor relations or NO relations with….
Not Good.
C-SPAN is my favorite channel. Next to the Home & Garden Channel. lol
I know my views of Hillary’s vulnerabilities are not widely shared in this space, but for those who want to at least understand my point of view, read this PBS piece on Hillary’s mysteriously re-appearing billing records (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/recs.html).
Obstruction of justice is a big deal, at least it was when Nixon did it.
To borrow a line from the governor: “Old news.”
I wonder if the Oscar will jump start a Gore for President campaign.
I suspect Mr. Gore is happy doing what he does now.
I agree that the Newsom story won’t make much difference for his mayoral reelection race. But its impact on a statewide gubernatorial primary could be rather different. Not only are San Franciscans more tolerant of sexual peccadilloes than almost anywhere else in the country; San Francisco voters already have formed their opinions of his governance. Most of the rest of the state knows very little about him, and to Democrat voters concerned about electability (not an unreasonable concern after Angelides), being the alcoholic who slept with a top staffer’s wife is not a good start.
Nick
Well, the man who invented the internet has just won an Oscar. What a wonderful life!
Could be, Nick, but all that stuff is years away.
Good for Gore!
It’s very good for Gore. Of course it was going to happen all along.
Ya know, I was watching the Oscars and heard about Gore winning (YEAH AL!!!!) and it brought me to the following conclusions about the Democratic Primary race == in particular, why Hillary is in trouble. And it comes down to a comparison to her husband and 1992.
Whereas in 1992, the opposition was desperate to make the issue ABOUT Bill Clinton and his personal peccadillos (stole your word NickM…thanks). But Clinton took these daily personal attacks, turned on the charm/massive intellect and made the campaign, in effect, about the failings of the opposition on key issues. As a result, he was able to weather Genifer Flowers, et.al. and come out on the other hand through great use of political juijitsu.
Now in 2008, while the opposition wants to talk about the war, Mrs. Clinton , because of how she acts, is making the race about her.
So, note the difference here. Bill took the personal attacks and spun them into issues — forcing his opponents to fight on unfamiliar ground. Whereas, Hillary takes the issues and makes them personal — if for no one other than herself. She invites criticism rather than deflects it.
And THAT my friends, is the whole point of why voters can’t buy into her. Bill Clinton was ALL ABOUT the people. Unfortunately, Hillary is about Hillary — and not about the voters. Voters notice these things more than you think.
BB, do you think the public has done a Political 180 on Al? I mean to the point wherein he could, should he choose to, run for national office with some chance for success?
Or he just happy making a crapload of money?
On Hillary … It’s important not to generalize off of one event. You can’t connect dots until there are more dots.
Is Talabani being eased out on a health excuse?
Doesn’t look like it. His health is poor. Also if he goes that could create problems on the Kurdish front.
CADTS, my guess is Al Gore has found his mission.
I thought it was interesting that Etheridge managed to snag the best-song Oscar — I’m guessing it’s because there were three songs from Dreamgirls up, and so any constituency for that was split. It’s my understanding that the Oscar ballot is done with Instant Runoff, but of course, as anyone who actually knows anything about voting systems can tell you, IRV doesn’t actually work very well.
Honestly, I hadn’t noticed that Inconvenient Truth had a song on it, much less an Academy Award winner!
The closing credits, with the morphing words exhorting people to take action. She actually got to perform the song, in front of the credits text. It was pretty cool. I mostly fast-forwarded the Oscars (especially the acceptance speeches and musical numbers), but that bit was worth seeing.
Oh, went right over my head.
Had no idea I was missing such a classic song …
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