THE ANGELS.- What would happen if Hollywoodthe Democrats’ financial pillar, cuts the support a Joe BidenFears were mounting after George Clooney and other wealthy donors publicly called on the US president to withdraw from re-election.
“I love Joe Biden but we need another candidate,” the actor, director and producer wrote in an article published in the newspaper The New York Times.
The post caused a stir, given that Clooney had just participated in a fundraising gala in Los Angeles three weeks ago that raised $30 million for Biden.
Beyond the psychological impact of the well-known ally’s words with less than four months to go before the presidential election, there was also concern about the industry’s role in financing the Democratic campaign.
“If all these big donors pull out, Biden will go under,” said Steve Ross, a history professor at the University of Southern California and author of a book on Hollywood’s influence on American politics.
At a time when Biden is struggling to keep his candidacy afloat after his poor performance in the presidential debate against Republican candidate Donald Trump, Clooney’s voice is not an isolated one in the mecca of cinema.
Following the televised debacle of June 28, Biden has lost support.
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, Walt Disney’s granddaughter Abigail and celebrity agent Ari Emanuel — whose brother Rahm is Barack Obama’s former chief of staff — have all announced they will withdraw their financial support for Biden.
Other celebrities such as writer Stephen King, filmmaker Rob Reiner and actor John Cusack have also publicly called on Biden to drop out of the campaign.
Changing sides in Hollywood
While the millions generated by the American entertainment industry are essential to both parties, the heart and wallet of Hollywood have favoured Democrats for the past three decades.
Bill and Hillary Clinton, for example, had this support when they ran for the White House.
Barack Obama benefited from the influence of renowned presenter Oprah Winfrey, who in 2007 organised a dinner to promote the then senator.
In the last campaign, in 2020, the entertainment industry donated $104 million to Democrats and $13 million to Republicans, according to the organization Open Secrets.
But in the distant past, the city of gold was red.
In the 1980s, Republican Ronald Reagan, an actor turned president, enjoyed the support of stars like Frank Sinatra and was a beneficiary of industry coffers.
“Hollywood began as a conservative base for the Republican Party,” Ross explained. “When Louis B. Mayer took over MGM studios in the late 1920s, he turned it into a publicity machine for the Republican Party and raised huge amounts of money.”
But then the four brothers in charge of Warner Bros. backed Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s with their studio and their stars, and balanced the scales.
According to Ross, the election of John Kennedy in 1960 was the turning point, when the industry-wide witch hunt for actors suspected of being communists ended.
“Temporary phenomenon”
But does Hollywood really have the power to force Joe Biden to step down?
“Clooney’s editorial increases the pressure on Biden,” said Steven Maviglio, a Democratic aide with experience in government.
“But this is a temporary phenomenon. If the President decides to stay and it becomes clear that the choice will be between Biden and Trump, Hollywood will return to its initial position and support Joe Biden,” he added.
Maviglio maintains, however, that things could take a different tone if a heavyweight like producer Jeffrey Katzenberg speaks out.
The former Disney boss and co-founder of the DreamWorks studio hosted the gala in Los Angeles in mid-June, which featured Clooney and Julia Roberts.
“He is the engine that drives the machinery,” Maviglio said. “If he stops, that would be significant.”
Source: AFP