Hmmm....I like this article quoting from an interview with George Clooney where he talks about his own less wealthy upbringing than Trump's and how Trump has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and he does not, yet Clooney is seen as the celebrity living in a "bubble" who should not be taken as seriously as, well, Trump who literally lives in a gold-plated house.
I could say, in response, that George's family was already in Hollywood or show biz when he was born (Aunt Rosemary Clooney was in Hollywood as a singer and actress and Dad Nick was a regional television show star in the Kentucky-Cincinnati area). But his point is validly made when comparing himself to economic royalty such as Trump.
The argument that has also found resonance with me is from DC insider/political consultant/corpoate media commentator Paul Begala, who said, when he was in the Clinton administration, business people lobbied on behalf of themselves and nobody bats an eye at the selfishness of that. When Hollywood actors and actresses came to the White House, it was to lobby on behalf of causes and people who were not themselves at all. It was Jessica Lange for farmers. It was another actor or actresses about land mines or welfare mothers. Yet, the hostility from more often right wing media pundits and sources has been relentless over the decades, all while right wingers promote and elect celebrities in and out of Hollywood, but still celebrities. Let's name some shall we?
George Murphy, tap dancer and vaudeville type actor of mid Century Hollywood who served (ingloriously and embarrassingly) as US Senator from California from 1964-1970.
Ronald Wilson Reagan (Mr. 666, count the letters evangelical fans...)
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Jim Bunning, baseball pitcher who served as US Senator in Kentucky for two decades or so
Clint Eastwood, who served a couple of terms as mayor of Carmel
Fred Grandy, Gopher from "Love Boat," served several terms as a Congressman from Iowa
Sonny Bono, served as Mayor of Palm Springs and Congressman until a tragic skiing accident, and then his post-Cher wife, Mary, served as Congresswoman in the same district for a few terms
Fred Thompson, US Senator from Tennessee
...and lesser lights like Kevin Johnson, former basketball player who ran first as a Republican for Mayor of Sacramento, Stephen Peace, a CA Congressman most famous at the time he ran as the mind behind the film, "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," and a few others.
Yes, Jerry Springer was Mayor of Cincinnati, but he was a political figure first, unlike Trump who was a business guy who became a television star and then ran for political office. And there are two fairly prominent Dems in Congress: Al Franken, US Senator from Minnesota and Ben Jones, US Congressman from Georgia.
But when we think about it, I would have rather had President Paul Newman than Ronald Reagan any day of the week. But the one way demonization that continues with the whole "Shut Up and Sing" style of argument from the right wing is pretty amazing considering how the same right wingers who say that at the end of the bar on a barstool rush to embrace a right winger when he or she is a celebrity.
