Tough-guy De Niro a softy for Obama
Barack Obama campaigns with actor Robert De Niro, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Caroline Kennedy at a rally Monday in East Rutherford, N.J. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Wait, wait, wait. Now Robert De Niro is for hope, too? This is really getting surreal.
De Niro, the dean of "Goodfellas" thuggery, just made a surprise appearance at a rally here for Barack Obama, using words that we didn't know were even in his vocabulary.
"I've never made a speech like this at a political event before. So what am I doing here?" De Niro said. "I'm here because finally one person has inspired me. One person has given me hope. One person has made me believe that we can make a change."
Pretty florid words from a guy who's whacked more than a few wise guys in his long career, don't you think?
De Niro began his remarks with a backhanded compliment: "Barack Obama does not have the experience to be president of the United States." The crowd booed, but De Niro continued, and his intent was clear: Obama didn't have the experience to get the country into a misguided war, or operate a government run by special interests, and so on.
"You know, that's the kind of experience I could get used to," said De Niro, who stood clapping as Obama, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Caroline Kennedy mounted the stage, his trademark half-smile, half-scowl etched on his face. Allowing himself a moment off-character, he gave Obama a big hug, and descended.
Obama called De Niro "one of the greatest actors of our generation." "Some of you know I now have Secret Service protection," Obama said. "Those guys never smile; they are always cool. But I noticed when De Niro walks in, they're all like elbowing each other - 'Hey!' They were excited. Who wouldn't be excited?"
Given that we're at the Meadowlands, the home of those pesky Giants, there's one other little item we have to address: Last night's big (awful?) game. Obama, who had been rooting for the Pats, waded right in.
"I have said repeatedly that this campaign is about bringing people together," Obama said, referencing the senior Massachusetts senator at his side. "And for me to be able to bring a Patriots fan to the Meadowlands the day after the Super Bowl is like bringing the lion and the lamb together. We can bridge all gaps and all divisions in this country."
Obama then congratulated Giants fans, and said he had been commiserating with Kennedy. "My Bears didn't even make the playoffs," Obama said. "Although I think we should take heart, Ted, by the fact that sometimes the underdog pulls it out."
Obama was indisputably an underdog before. Is he still? He's pulled close to even in many polls, he's won more pledged delegates than Hillary Clinton, and he's drawing record crowds and record campaign contributions. So don't feel too badly for him.
LOL.
I guess Deniro likes Obama's style of acting as he goes from one speech to another in generalities playing out a scene for "change"...Only he never says what the change will be but lets the audience read into the scene what they think it means. Status Quo elitism all the way, he can't even expound on freedom and liberty in its essential nature but talks about lobbyists lol, well thats just a syndrome of a bigger portrait in Washington he doesn't comprehend let alone challenge.
Ron Paul 2008
Obama is still the underdog. He's been gaining in the polls but she still leads most of the averages. She still enjoys greater name recognition and is a known commodity, and thus the default leader in most polls before Obama has a chance to campaign in a state. Obama's odds are looking better in the past 2 days but I would still be surprised if she does not come out of Super Tuesday with more delegates.
That's the kind of inexperience that George W. Bush had and look where we ended up:
http://thedamedomain.blogspot.com/2008/02/please-submit-your-resume.html
You got a problem with that?
GO OBAMA!
HAVE A GREAT ELECTION DAY ...
http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/yeswecanvideo
Si, se puede!!!
Tough guy DeNiro, brilliant, eloquent, sensitive....sounds like a match to me.
I am a "tough" lady living in Afghanistan the past 5 years, helping to reconstruct this nation of noble, honorable people.
Barack Obama understands their plight and has shared his views with the world.
I sent in my absentee ballot. I had written to Mrs. Obama some months back that this is the first time in my life that I am excited about being an American - I haven't felt like this since JFK!!!! I campaigned for JFK even though I wasn't old enough to vote (you had to be 21 back then). I have a sense of "dejavu" as I watch the Obama family and I remember JFK, Jackie (elegant) -- that was our Camelot. Let's put America back on the map with PRIDE. from Kabul, Afghanistan
If you believe that congress has a lower approval rating than Bush, it would seem that Obama is the only choice. Also Clinton was elected in 1992 and the republicans proceeded to take over congress in 1994
"OBAMA PORTRAIT MUSIC VIDEO" on Youtube - Don't Miss It!
For those of you who still have not heard:
There is a WONDERFUL and INSPIRING music video on Youtube.com entitled "Obama Portrait Music Video by Bjarne O."
You can use the free downloaded high-quality stereo version from the composer's website in DVD form to show at house parties and fundraisers. Even people who knew nothing at all about Obama have been moved: either a thrilling introduction, or further inspiration for those of us who already know and fight for Obama.
The music soundtrack, which incorporates excerpts from the famous 2004 speech, can also be downloaded separately in high-quality.
So please, SPREAD THE WORD!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mCPwbozpIzM
YES WE CAN
Anne
Obama is the man. He has so much charmisa. Even when he lost New Hamshire he still walked tall like he won. Like Oprah said a BRILLANT
MAN IN HIS OWN RIGHT MORE INTELLEGENCE THAN THE PRESIENTS
I KNEW IN MY LIFE TIME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JF KENNEDY.
HE IS THE MAN TO TRY AND RUN THE COUNTRY. HE HAS A TOUGH JOB AHEAD OF HIM. GOD BLESS HIM BECAUSE HE WILL NEED ALL THE HELP HE CAN GET. HE IS TOUGH ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE JOB.
Yet another reason why I love Robert DeNiro! Not only is he a great actor/director/producer, he can see that our country desperately needs Barack Obama as our next president. We need a uniter, a president who inspires and incites pride. Obama does that, and he has good plans to make our country a much better, stronger place for all of us. It won't be an easy job, but I believe he can do it. Like many Democrats, I am excited tonight. I'm hoping for a great turn out for Sen. Obama.
Go Obama, Viva Obama
I am a right-wing conservative who voted for President Bush twice, but I will be voting for Senator Obama over John McCain.
OBAMA FOR AMERICA
A CHANGE WILL COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO HILLERY GO........MY GREAT GRANFATHER WAS GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA YEARS AGO[[WILLIAM JENNINGS] IT TAKES A GREAT WOMAN TO STAND BY HER MAN WE WONDER WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR WHITE PEOPLE???WHO ARE BACKING OBAMAI / IT IS NOT TIME FOR OBAMA.....HIS BACKGROUND IS ENOUGH TO SCARE US........ AMERICANS THINK TWICE ABOUT OBAMA.....PLEASE HILLERY IS A STRONG WOMAN, AND VERY INTELLEGENT... AMERICANS, 'WAKE UP' AND VOTE FOR HILLERY....WE NEED TO GET OUR U.S. BACK FROM THESE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT BELONG HERE....ALSO....BRING OUR MEN AND WOMEN HOME................
GO HILLERY
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