Eva Longoria and Kal Penn are two more members of the Hollywood elite who are throwing their political support behind United States President Barack Obama. The president-elect is facing a tough bid for a second term and democrats like the Desperate Housewives star and the actor from the hit TV series House want to do everything they can to help. But will their political support as famous faces from Hollywood be enough to help the accused “lame duck president — the worst since Jimmy Carter” get himself re-elected?
United States President Barack Obama has a lot of critics in the general public but when it comes to asking for Hollywood support, he’s got lots of friends in high places. He’s buddies with Beyonce Knowles and Jay Z. He regularly meets with humanitarian actor George Clooney. He’s even met with Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Now, he’s adding two more names to his re-election campaign support team: Eva Longoria (the Latino actress from Desperate Housewives) and Kal Penn (the Indian actor from the Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle stoner movies).
Both star celebs have some free time on their hands in the coming year, as each of their respective television shows are airing their last season. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Obama reelection campaign managers say, “… the new co-chairs will act as the president’s electoral ambassadors with a special emphasize on getting out the vote in all 50 states.”
But don’t think either of these green celebrities are strangers to civic activism or playing politics.
Kal Penn actually left Hollywood for quite some time and has worked for Barack Obama at the White House. However, after being robbed at gunpoint in the crime-ridden city of Washington, DC, Penn quit his position and went back to doing what he knows best: acting. Famous for appearing in the stoner movie series Harold and Kumar and for playing the assistant to Ryan Reynolds in the funny college movie Van Wilder, the Indian actor landed his role on House because he’s smart. Supporting his friend Barack is a wise choice now by acting as an ambassador nationwide and speaking at fund-raisers for the democrats is a good idea because is keeps him in the political loop without needing to be a Washingtonian elite himself.
Eva Longoria has been a long time activist for Latinos. As a Latino woman herself, she’s spent countless hours doing work for charities. Taking on the task of getting her favorite president of all time get re-elected seems to be a smart political choice for her at this time since a Republican president is likely to be far less responsive to immigrants and those students who are bi-lingual than Obama is as president. The actress has nixed an offer to appear in a movie series based on the television show Desperate Housewives and really does not have big commitments as of yet. Mingling in political social circles might be a smart decision for her right now, as she is still so famous and might be able to pull influential female donors in to help fund the re-election bid.
Reuters reported the Hollywood news that the two celebrities have officially decided to join Barack Obama’s campaign, saying, “Longoria and Penn will serve as national co-chairs of the president’s re-election campaign, the Obama for America campaign announced Wednesday. “Harold & Kumar” star Penn and “Desperate Housewives” actress Longoria will join dozens of other co-chairs to “serve as ambassadors for the President, advise the campaign on key issues, and help engage and mobilize voters in all 50 states.””
Barack Obama has been accused of being a lame duck president and the most ineffective political leader in United States history than former US President Jimmy Carter. Carter and Obama are both Nobel peace prize winners — something that seems to make them wildly unpopular with angry and militant right-wing factions that typically are openly Republican.
What do YOU think? If a bunch of high-profile Hollywood celebrities back the president, will they be able to get him re-elected? Or does Obama catering to the Hollywood elite make him less presidential and more like someone only interested in being remembered historically as the rock star president?
Let readers know your thoughts about Hollywood stars getting involved in politics in the comments section below — does their involvement in political campaign rhetoric help of hurt candidates?