If anybody told me that fifteen years after I met Ron Silver… just before he was about to start acting in a movie I had written — Enemies, A Love Story… that he and I would be virtually the only “Hollywood liberals” publicly backing a “Bush” for the presidency, I would have told him or her they were drinking too much tequila (or imbibing controlled substances).
But with far more guts than I, Ron has come out pro-War on Terror and therefore pro-Bush. The New York Times this morning is asking him the inevitable question — is this costing him work? Ron says no, but who can know without a clone? In any case, in these times when who deserves a “Silver Star” is much disputed, Ron Silver gets mine. [Big deal. That's worth about ten cents. It's not even pure silver.--ed. Well, he can throw it over the fence if he wants to.]
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24 Comments
1. Yehudit:What is most interesting to me about the latest stories on Ron Silver, is that they all acknowledge the liberal Democrat hegemony in Hollywood, and all lead off asking him if this is going to hurt his career. That’s the liberal mainstream media making a pretty damning indictment of their own turf, and values.
Sep 1, 2004 - 12:48 pm 2. Yehudit:The next twist will be: he’s only advocating for Bush to HELP his career by giving himself an interesting niche to freshen his career, and/or: just watch, now he will get work from Mel Gibson or Ah-nuld.
Sep 1, 2004 - 12:50 pm 3. Roberts:If you talk to him again, Roger, tell him that he has at least one fan here. Hopefully he won’t cringe when I say that I still love the Wiseguy story arc he guested in.
Sep 1, 2004 - 12:59 pm 4. Jamie Irons:I admire Silver tremendously, and I think his speech two nights ago was a small masterpiece.
Jamie Irons
Sep 1, 2004 - 12:59 pm 5. Barry Dauphin:He had a part a couple of years ago on the West Wing, playing a campaign consultant to Bartlett. Wonder if he’ll be called back? If it did cost him work, would anyone in Hollywood (who disagrees with his position) admit it or raise a stink about it? Or is it only an indignation if it’s about the Dixie Chicks?
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:00 pm 6. Jamie Irons:I can’t believe I’m so slow on the uptake: I just “got” Roger’s “Silver” star pun.
;-(
Jamie Irons
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:00 pm 7. Jamie Irons:Speaking of people I admire, Yehudit (if you’re still around), I have long admired and valued what you do on your weblog.
Jamie Irons
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:03 pm 8. Peter G.:I like the fact that Silver didn’t try to claim he was being blackballed in Hollywood because of his political views. Sean Penn said this, even though it was obviously not true. Even if Silver does lose work because of his politics, I doubt he will mention it. I’m not even sure he will regret it.
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:11 pm 9. RogerA:Hmmm–a black list in Hollywood? and not linked to Joe McCarthy? I have heard Hollywood complain about McCarthism for nearly 50 years and yet there seems to be something akin but with ideologies reversed. “Liberals” wouldnt do THAT would they? (real liberals wouldnt which is why the quotation marks).
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:22 pm 10. Catherine:Yehudit
That’s the liberal mainstream media making a pretty damning indictment of their own turf, and values.
Absolutely.
This is one of the main elements in contemporary liberalism, and I should put that word inside quotation marks, that made me stop defining myself as a liberal.
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:31 pm 11. Catherine:ALTHOUGH I should probably add that the comments I see on conservative blogs damning all Liberals do make me wonder whether conservatives hold the high ground here.
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:33 pm 12. Knucklehead:Catherine,
This is one of the main elements in contemporary liberalism, and I should put that word inside quotation marks, that made me stop defining myself as a liberal.
The next step is to regain control of the word so that those of us with a more classic understanding of liberalism can openly call ourselves liberal and the “contemporary liberals” can be known as what they really are – illiberal reactionaries.
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:35 pm 13. Charlie (Colorado):The next step is to regain control of the word so that those of us with a more classic understanding of liberalism can openly call ourselves liberal and the “contemporary liberals” can be known as what they really are – illiberal reactionaries.
Yeah, what he said.
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:40 pm 14. Piranha:You (especially you, Catherine) may want to read the thread at Free Republic for people to deliver a message to Ron Silver.
The thread is at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1204860/posts
Sep 1, 2004 - 1:44 pm 15. David Thomson:Ron Silver once portrayed Alan Dershowitz. The latter gentleman seems quite upset with the radical liberals. He even wrote this most interesting article:
http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13590
Does anybody know if Dershowitz is also backing President Bush?
Sep 1, 2004 - 2:03 pm 16. Terrye:Roger:
I have loved Silver for years.
He is not alone in Hollywood, but the list is not very long.
Bruce Willis, James Woods, Mel Gibson and of corse there are all those country western stars and the nascar drivers. I guess it just depends on how you define celebrity.
Sep 1, 2004 - 3:05 pm 17. RandMan:Ron Silver was terrific on Monday night. And from what I’ve read elsewhere, he’s been quite impressive on the news/talking heads shows.
Piranha
Earlier today I saw the FreeRepublic thread you mentioned. Some of the posts had tears welling up in my eyes. Of course, the same thing has happened reading some of the posts/comments here.
I was especially touched by Samuel’s post from Monday evening. This is a wonderful country.
Sep 1, 2004 - 3:28 pm 18. Yehudit:“Speaking of people I admire, Yehudit (if you’re still around), I have long admired and valued what you do on your weblog.”
Wow! Thanks! I also got a nice email today from Tacitus.
It’s always hard to tell because I don’t have a site counter and for some reason we don’t get the same kinds of comment thread community as Roger or Charles or Tacitus or Michelle, so I am more insulated from feedback than many bloggers.
Right now I am working on a post tying together some of the links and stories about how a lot of Bush-haters behave, and my reaction to the social conservatives book panel. It’s going to be about finding my ideological home in the Grownup Party.
Sep 1, 2004 - 3:44 pm 19. MeTooThen:Roger,
LOL!
I already had posted the Ron Silver-Roger L. Simon connection over at Allah’s and Ace’s place after Silver spoke.
Perhaps I revealed too soon, the growing conspiracy within the Celebropshere…
DextroStars!
And yes, per an old GF of mine who (still) lives in LA, who works with and around some of the A-listers, she often would tell me of James Woods’ Dextro tendencies. She thought I should meet him, but I demured.
I think Silver’s speech was one of the best of the convention, if only for his righteous indignation and fury at his hypocritical Celebrosphere colleagues.
Sep 1, 2004 - 3:48 pm 20. Mr Vee:Silver has indeed been very impressive on MSNBC’s coverage. Compared with the other celebrities on both sides, Silver comes off as supremely knowledgeable (at least on modern historical aspects), he speaks to points rather than vainly trying to score them with put downs or non-sequiturs (unlike Ron Reagan who does no else and therefore has been soundly thrashed by Silver in their conflicts). He hardly looks overmatched next to old hands like Andrea Mitchell or Mike Barnicle. He is of course, not quite as savvy when it comes to “inside politics” as they are, but on arguments of history he appears to have superior knowledge. I’m guessing history is a hobby/passion of his even outside of whatever political issues he wishes to debate.
He’s been one of the stars of the convention, really.
Sep 1, 2004 - 5:13 pm 21. Knucklehead:OT, but since the NYT is mentioned… Those of you who have online accounts (I refuse to go through the NYT account nonsense again, so I can’t and won’t link) with the NYT or access for the dead tree version are invited to go look in the P Section, page P5, and see Giuliani Described Remark to Kerik Years Ago. The NYT has now put infinitely more time, effort, and column inches into investigating Giuliani’s convention speech statement that he told then police commissioner “Thank God George Bush is president” on 9/11/01 than they have, or likely every will, into looking at Kerry’s claims for Christmas (or any other day) in Cambodia having his memory seared.
Sep 1, 2004 - 5:33 pm 22. richard mcenroe:Just got this off the Hollywood Reporter home page…
“Actress and activist Whoopi Goldberg filed suit against novelist and screenwriter Roger L. Simon in Beverly Hills Civil court today.
“According to fading star of Hollywood Squares, she was struck in the head by a heavy medallion flung into her back yard this afternoon.
“Goldberg described the star-shaped medal as coming over the wall her property shares with “that fascist Silver” and “I know damn well where he got it…” ”
BTW, posted a link to a preview of my two new protest signs down on the “Off Night” thread… >:D
Sep 1, 2004 - 7:10 pm 23. Kevin P:Roger:
The best thing about Mr. Silver is that he knows what he is talking about. I have heard him on several talk shows and his description of how the democratic party has abandoned it’s traditional stance against dictatorships and has adopted the pacifist exclusion of force against even the most brutal regimes. During the sixties, seventies and eighties the left railed against the US governments support of dictatorships during the cold war. At least the right had the excuse of saying that support was in the cause of fighting a greater evil,even though it was taken too far in some cases. We never heard the end of their wailing abour Pinochet, the Shah, the military dictatorships of Greece and the Marcos. But when it comes to Iraq they suddenlly adopt the cynical real politic policy that would have left Saddam and his sons in control.When Bush 43 began his term he was going to continue the 60 year old policy of leaving the governments of the ME in place for the sake of stability. But after 9-11 he knew that policy was bankrupt, for security and moral reasons. He ended the Taliban and the Saddam regimes and the left now complains about hiow he did it. If Kerry was in control they would still be there. Of course he would stand up at the UN and state what terrible regimes they were, he might even threaten sanctions, but at far as removing them he would have done nothing. Saddam and his sons would still be funding suicide bombers in Palestine, still be a safe haven for any terrorist who needed sanctuary. The Taliban would still be forcing the women of that country back into the dark ages .I have no doubt that Mr. Silver shares our host’s disdain for the social ideas of the current administration but as far as the security of this country and the world he has been able to lift the blinders of party loyalty and come to a rational conclusion about who should lead this country in the struggle against Islamo-Fascism. Bravo Mr. Silver!
Sep 1, 2004 - 10:04 pm 24. ksamson:He’s a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, so unlike some Hollywood actors, he won’t embarass himself when he talks about foreign policy or history.
http://cultureconnect.state.gov/?p=RSBiography
Sep 2, 2004 - 3:23 am