This was a revenge move: George Clooney called White House to defend wife's work on Israel warrants

[flamingdem]

Clooney and his wife were upset with Biden about the ICC. Three weeks ago George Clooney publicly rebuked the Biden admin for rejecting his wife’s work on the ICC trying to jail Netanyahu as a war criminal.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/06/george-clooney-biden-criminal-court-israel/

Biden had sharply criticized a move by the International Criminal Court to issue warrants for Israeli leaders.

George Clooney called one of President Biden’s top aides last month to complain about the president’s criticism of the International Criminal Court’s action against Israeli leaders — a case his wife, Amal Clooney, worked on.

Clooney called Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, to express concern about Biden’s denunciation of arrest warrants sought by ICC prosecutors for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, especially his use of the word “outrageous.”

The actor was also upset about the administration’s initial openness to imposing sanctions on the ICC because his wife might be subject to the penalties, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.

[shrike3]

1. Knew there was more to the story.

[orion9941]

33. I agree

I thought this was very odd as well. But talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face just to get a dig in at the President.

[Biophilic]

55. Hey, he's one of the elite. He can just go back to his palace in Italy. No real skin off his nose. nt

[pnwmom]

72. If this was the reason, then why didn't Clooney back out of the big fundraiser?

His call with Biden occurred weeks before the fundraiser, so people were speculating he might cancel it.

[shrike3]

73. I have no idea. This is very strange.

Colbert came back from vacation and was all about Joe dropping out. Prominently featuring the NYT in his monologues. Something's going on here. Damned if I know what it is.

[DiamondShark]

99. USSC ruling declaring Presidents immune to prosecution and Project 2025. eom

[themaguffin]

94. What is the "more to the story?"

[shrike3]

95. Read the OP?

[themaguffin]

98. Yeah, &the OP is wrong. Clooney had done a large fundraiser for Biden recently too. Let's drop the baseless conspiracy

theories....

[CincyDem]

104. I think that fund raiser was the been before his phone call to the WH.

Feels like George called the WH to collect on his fund raiser invoice and when it didn’t get paid, he went hissy fit.

I’m sure Amal will have lots of work against a Trump II reign.

[pnwmom]

110. No, his phone call to the WH was weeks BEFORE the fundraiser.

The WA Post speculated that he might cancel the fundraiser because of being upset with Biden, but he didn't.

[shrike3]

124. So, it was known before the fund raiser that Clooney was upset.

And he held the fund raiser, and within a week decided Biden was unfit to be president.

[pnwmom]

155. The fundraiser was on June 15, so almost a month ago,

giving him time to process seeing the debate, see the ABC interview, and talk to other Dems.

If he was so mad at Biden, why wouldn't he just drop out of the fundraiser? I don't think anger is behind his opinion piece now. He had a more effective way to express it a month ago.

[shrike3]

163. I'm trying figure out his agenda, because they all have one.

Biden has one. His is pretty clear; he wants a second term. All these people screaming for Biden to drop out: what's their agenda? I am much too cynical to believe they are all just patriots who love their country. George lives in Italy and is worth $233 million dollars. Let's not kid ourselves that our donors are all wonderful and their donors are all bad. Donors get involved in politics for a reason. Reasons vary. I'm not going to speculate what George's is. I'm at the point where I figure I'm not going to know. I do find it grimly amusing that some people who pooh-poohed the political types plastered all over the NYT op-ed page are ready to go with George. The handsome movie star. My cynicism there, sorry. Wonder if George contacted the NYT or they came to him. They're bound and determined to get Biden out and they apparently picked the right person this time.

[CincyDem]

134. Got it. Misread it as 3 weeks ago from today.

Still…shitty move from someone I never thought of as a fair weather friend.

[shrike3]

109. You do you.

[themaguffin]

122. Yep, I will continue to not get caught up in bullshit. Next.

[shrike3]

126. Well, good for you.

[themaguffin]

141. Ok, not sure why a baseless, irrational & unplausible conspiracy theory is good to you, but you do you...

Last edited Wed Jul 10, 2024, 06:06 PM - Edit history (1)

[ColinC]

2. Any movement from Biden on this issue followed with Clooney subsequent re-endorsement

Would confirm our thinking

[LeftInTX]

50. I got a text from Clooney and Robert De Niro on July 3

"Robert De Niro and George Clooney are rallying for President Biden"

[shrike3]

96. So did I.

[The Magistrate]

3. Exactly, Ma'am

Political figures calling for Mr. Biden to step down have some pre-existing gripe with the man, or with the Party leadership. There are very few exceptions.

[flamingdem]

4. Bennet lost his bid for President

Nasty stuff this is. Glad to get it out of the way.

[PatSeg]

64. Yes, whole bunch of egos floating around out there

and apparently this seemed like a good opportunity for many of them. There is so much at stake right now and they're playing these stupid, ego-driven political games.

[flamingdem]

89. Can't say it's making me proud of my party

But I have a newfound respect for Biden. He's the only one I can see running in this environment.

[PatSeg]

118. Same here

I've always found Joe Biden to be quite unlike most politicians, which is what drew me to him many years ago. I get so frustrated at times like this, as I believe he deserves so much better.

I am disappointed in quite a few politicians right now, though I can't say I'm surprised at some of them.

[Silent Type]

5. Yeah, he would host a $13 Million dollar Biden fund raiser before the debate just to get him back after.

[flamingdem]

14. He's trying to stay relevant and pressure Biden to declare Bibi a war criminal

for his wife's career. He probably expected support from Biden on this, didn't get it, so this is the result.

If Biden shows flexibility on that watch Clooney come around.

Nasty business but horse trading happens.

[Silent Type]

19. Probably would have been best to stand their with a $13 M check asking for consideration than to say this today.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

34. I thought it was fourteen million.

[Eyeball_Kid]

63. Biden's likely thinking...

that the Israel problem is far more important than the Clooneys' problem. It's immensely complex with short, medium, and long-term consequences and will far outlive the Clooneys', and Biden's lifetimes.

BTW, wasn't Clooney the guy who financed a highly critical film about Trump and his over-the-top lies? What happened to that film and why hasn't it been released???

[Big Blue Marble]

25. Exactly.

Just three weeks ago, after he called the Whitehouse, he organized a huge fund raiser.

Sure it is revenge.

[shrike3]

83. That's why this thing makes absolutely no sense.

[questionseverything]

103. It makes sense if clooney is doing it for the good of the country

[Progressive dog]

132. Clooney may believe he is doing it for the good of the country

I hope he considers the only alternative to Biden in existence.

[shrike3]

136. I'm not buyin' it. Something's going on. I don't know what it is.

[shrike3]

133. The good of the country? Really? At a time when Trump is out in the wild he decides to go after the old guy.

In the NYT, no less, which has been pounding Biden for months. Yeah, he's a real patriot, man. Who knew it'd take George Clooney to turn DU.

[YodaMom2]

128. It makes sense if

it happened exactly as Clooney described it. His observations at the fundraiser, followed by the disastrous debate performance, clearly have him concerned.

I am as sickened by the piling on as anyone. But I am also able to accept that some people, even people proximate to Biden, have genuine concerns. I also believe that George Clooney has never given us (loyal Democrats) any reason to question his sincerity, his commitment to small-d democratic principles, or to believe he’d literally risk our nation’s future for a petty gotcha.

This whole thread is a great example of how baseless conspiracy theories get started.

[shrike3]

135. NYT sure picked the right guy for an op-ed this time. The handsome movie star'll get it done.

He'll even turn the diehards.

He's not what he plays in the movies, you know.

I don't believe in conspiracies. I do think this is a really weird time and people are doing things that don't always make a lot of sense, and it's pretty hard to know what their motivations are. I'm skeptical of everyone's motivations, including Clooney's.

[pnwmom]

175. I'm skeptical of people who comment extensively on things they haven't read. nt

[shrike3]

183. I'm skeptical of people who can't see the obvious.

[pnwmom]

157. What bothers me about this whole thread is that so many people are piling on

who didn't read the op-ed! I thought DUers were more thoughtful than that.

Anyway, welcome to DU, YodaMom2.

[YodaMom2]

166. Thanks!

I’ve been lurking since Dubya. Thought now would be a good time to wade into the fray. But at the rate we’re starting to eat our own, I may need to rethink that.

[pnwmom]

174. Well, I hope you stay. Pre-convention is always a stressful time around here,

and of course the stakes are so much higher this time. Fear can bring out the worst in us.

[ScratchCat]

6. I was concerned that Joe's comments on the ICC warrants would cause problems

Another unforced error.

[valleyrogue]

7. There it is. I hope Lawrence O'Donnell will talk about this tonight.

This has nothing to do with Biden's "infirmity" or "cognition." This is about Clooney's wife and his hurt feelings.

Well, Clooney can just go pound sand or endorse Donald Trump.

[Pisces]

8. It's incredible how people on this board want to spin concerns from true blue Democrats. Maybe they have

A direct experience with the President and know something we don’t. Maybe we should be asking more questions about why people like Pelosi, Axelrod and Shiff and talking about a change. We all have eyes and ears and after watching the debate had some reaction in the privacy of our homes.
We are all trying to protect democracy and want to win in November.

We are talking about the voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and from that we are talking about 5 to 7% of the voters that swing. We cannot forget that Hillary lost Michigan by 10,000 votes.

I think we should be discussing reasonably why so many who know the President personally are expressing doubts.

[shrike3]

9. Why did Clooney host a fund raiser for Biden prior to the debate if he was so concerned?

Btw, Pelosi just said she supports the president, so you can scratch her off your little list there.

How about people who've had direct experience with the President and say he's capable? Are we to ignore those people?

[flamingdem]

11. Courting favor with the elites to promote his anti Bibi agenda for his wife

He wants to stay relevant. He thought he could parlay that into a win for his wife.

[shrike3]

13. I'd believe that.

[Pisces]

16. Keep spinning and throwing shade on true blue Dems. None of this matters until the convention and

We will see what happens.

[The Magistrate]

20. Keep Trying To Nobble Our Party's Candidate, And See What Happens

The campaign to drive the man from the race does more harm than could conceivably result from getting behind him and pressing the attack on the open enemies of Democracy.


"Order, counter-order, disorder."

[shrike3]

21. If Debate Biden is the real Biden, why has Clooney raised all that money for him?

Is he that craven? Are they all that craven? btw, as for the rest of your list, Axelrod has had an axe to grind with Biden for years. Didn't want him as VP. He's been anti-Biden for years. So, he may be a true-blue Dem, but he's also a true-blue Biden hater.

[Pisces]

42. Ridiculous premise that these True Blue democrats have a

Vendetta against Joe Biden that they are willing to throw the election to Trump by saying he should step down. Can you even hear yourself?? These are real democrats not trolls on a board trying to divide true Democrats trying to debate a serious concern

[shrike3]

57. I hear myself just fine, thank you very much. You obviously don't, but I don't really care.

This defies logic. Suddenly Clooney is revealing the real Biden? Didn't occur to him to do it before? Didn't occur him that maybe he should step back from fund raising if he knew the real Biden? These rumblings are nothing new. They've been around forever. He couldn't have put his two cents in before? Or declined to fund raise? The real Biden appeared overnight? If he didn't appear overnight, George was just going to go along and let him be president of the United States (if the debate hadn't happened) with his help? It's possible this is just personal with George. To reiterate what the Post said:

Biden had sharply criticized a move by the International Criminal Court to issue warrants for Israeli leaders.

George Clooney called one of President Biden’s top aides last month to complain about the president’s criticism of the International Criminal Court’s action against Israeli leaders — a case his wife, Amal Clooney, worked on.

Clooney called Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, to express concern about Biden’s denunciation of arrest warrants sought by ICC prosecutors for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, especially his use of the word “outrageous.”

The actor was also upset about the administration’s initial openness to imposing sanctions on the ICC because his wife might be subject to the penalties, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.

Kind of weird that WaPo muddied the waters like this. They're mad because George didn't write the Oped for them? Because the Times got that scoop? I don't know. Lot of stuff behind the scenes. I don't know what's going on. Weirdest damn thing I've seen for a long time. I was in media for thirty years. While I didn't work in an elite newsroom I met my share of elites, and they work angles that would seem quite cynical to the rest of us. They're about money and power in a way most of us aren't. (I include Biden in that mix because he is an elite and I doubt he's that much different from the rest of them.) They make power moves, they stab each other in the back without a second thought. Part of me isn't all that surprised this is happening. Part of me is also sure Clooney isn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart. Or out of patriotism or love for his country. Why he's doing it, whether it has to do with Amal or no, I do not know.

[dchill]

71. "True Blue democrats."

A term I guess you get to define. Axelrod? Really? And "trying to divide true Democrats?" How about "I know you are but what am I?"

[GoreWon2000]

17. Far right pro tRump Netanyahu is preventing mid-east peace

You need to understand that Bibi is Israel's tRump who looked the other way while Hamas was building it's tunnel network, withdrew Israeli defense forces from the border before the very horrific and totally unacceptable Hamas attack on innocent Israeli citizens, while at the same time he tried to kneecap Israel's Supreme court so that he could turn Israel into a dictatorship. He should be charged with war crimes for killing thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians who also don't like Hamas.

[Mosby]

173. Everything you wrote is false.

Hamas needs to release all the hostages and surrender.

Hezbollah needs to be dismantled.

[GoreWon2000]

180. Everything I wrote has been widely reported

such as Netanyahu withdrawing Israeli troops from the Gaza border before the despicable October 7th attack by Hamas, letting Hamas build their underground tunnel network while he looked the other way. Netanyahu has also tried to pass legislation to kneecap the Israeli Supreme court so he can do as he please, there were mass demonstrations in Israel over Netanyahu's attack on the Israeli Supreme court. Netanyahu is a well documented far-right extremist. This information about Netanyahu has all been widely reported.

[Mosby]

184. You're victim blaming.

And insinuating a conspiracy theory with Neyanyagu at the center of it.

What's the rest of your theory, why did Bibi do all these devilish things you claim?

Do you think that Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran have anything to do with the troubles in the ME? Or is it just Netanyahu?

[GoreWon2000]

185. I'm reporting actual facts!

You're not aware of the massive Israeli protests against Netanyahu's attempt to take away the Israeli Supreme Court's ability to strike down Netanyahu's anti-democracy legislation while he ignored Hamas and their underground tunnel building? You're not aware that Netanyahu withdrew Israeli troops from the Gaza border before October 7th? You're not aware that Netanyahu is a far-right extremist? He's been called Israel's tRump many times. The moderates in Israel know that Netanyahu is an impediment to mid-east peace.

[Rebl2]

18. My question too

[Cha]

40. Thanks.. & Axelrod? He's Whined about Pres Biden forever.

he disqualified himself to be on the "list".

[shrike3]

60. I know. I mean, Axelrod's a non-starter. If it was something new, yeah, but .., n/t

[pnwmom]

66. From his op-ed, it appears he became concerned about Biden AFTER he was with him

at the fundraiser.

Did you read the op-ed?

[shrike3]

69. No, I didn't read it. I don't read the NYT. Anyway, I find it hard to believe that he became concerned,

at the fund raiser, and decided that the guy at the fund raiser was the real Joe Biden, after all this time. DIdn't occur to him that maybe Joe was sick, or tired, or whatever. He interacts at the fund raiser and says, "By George! (Pun intended) I've met the real Biden!" He's interacted with Bide3n for how long? Strange.

I don't know what's afoot here, but something weird is going on.

[pnwmom]

74. The impression I had from reading the piece was that the debate solidified an impression

he'd had at the fundraiser. And the ABC interview didn't relieve him of the concern.

[shrike3]

77. Again, this is an overnight conversion Clooney apparently had.

Things were so bad that it took away all positive interaction he'd had with Biden in the past and he decided this was the real Biden, in spite of the fact he had never seen it before. Meanwhile, Joe's been out on the campaign trail, giving speeches, and just had an unscripted event with Labor. People who interacted with him in Wisconsin said he was his usual charming self. I don't get this at all.

[pnwmom]

78. Not overnight: The fundraiser. The debate. The ABC interview.

Also, he's been hearing from other people in contact with Biden who share his concerns, according to him.

[shrike3]

81. Which happened within a week.

All his interactions, everything in the past, were erased by this sudden ah-ha: Biden is unfit and needs to go. And he's supported by "people."

My bullshit detector's going off. I have a really good one. I don't know what's going on here, but something is.

This is sort of a parallel to Trump. I have watched Trump get weirder and weirder all year long. Now this. Weirder and weirder.

One example: the NYT got a massive fail when they didn't check Biden's schedule. If they had, they'd have seen he wasn't even there on some of the days the neurologist visited. That's something a first year J-school student would get an F for. And the NYT did it? I don't get this.

[pnwmom]

100. If you haven't even read his piece, I don't think your bullshit detector would work very well. nt

[shrike3]

107. It works very well. It's been going off ever since this whole thing started.

And this is one more weird development. If you want to believe Clooney, fine with me. I don't tell other people what to think or do.

[pnwmom]

112. If you haven't even bothered to read what he wrote, your opinion is uninformed. nt

[flamingdem]

149. Meaning he got caught up on the dump Biden train

But still. Did he have to do an Op Ed??

[pnwmom]

154. How can you criticize an op-ed you haven't bothered to read?

I'm very open to hearing informed comments on it, but if you haven't read it then you're not in a position to evaluate it.

[flamingdem]

91. You're right. That one stinks. Others should have been alarmed as well

if that was the case. Regardless it's a low blow to say that at a fundraiser he organized!

[shrike3]

92. As Alice in Wonderland said, Curiouser and curiouser.

[pnwmom]

101. He didn't say it at the June 15th fundraiser he organized. He's saying it now,

after interacting with Biden at the fundraiser and watching the ABC interview.

[flamingdem]

10. Clooney bitched about the Stephanopoulos interview

I saw that. Clooney was repeating right wing (and right of center nasty dem) talking points about his answer about what if he loses.

That was a gotcha.

Clooney isn't too bright in my opinion and just wants influence.

[Big Blue Marble]

37. Name one "right of center Democrat", please.

There is no such animal. The closest would be Manchin and he is gone. George Clooney is
as strong Democrat as anyone.

[MotownPgh]

24. Yes. Your first paragraph says it all.

I am in a swing state, did not watch the debate but everyone I know was texting that trump just won the election in real time. I checked DU and reddit/politics and everyone was saying the same. I will vote blue no matter who and am staying neutral on this one. I can't blame anyone with doubts though

[emulatorloo]

28. The election is not until November. So yr friends were wrong Trump, did not "just win the election in real time."

June was not November, no matter what your ‘calendar-challenged’ buddies may think.

Besides that, focus groups on debate night hated Trump. They saw he was a liar and a narcissist who refused to answer a single question. And it pissed them off.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Def vote Blue no matter who! We will win!

[MotownPgh]

35. Well calendar challenged or not,

they know Biden cannot debate trump again. Which will not help our cause. My 93 year father said that Biden was markedly declining 2 years ago. So shocked dems don't seem to have a response or good damage control. The press secretary et al are scrambling. Bad look.

[emulatorloo]

38. Majority of Dems are standing up in support of Biden, and the press secretary is dealing w a pack of rabid dogs

Meanwhile Biden gave a great speech about NATO and a very good session with Unions, where he spoke spontaneously and off the cuff. Which you have probably not seen as media isn't covering it. (too busy playing w celebrities)

Biden today with labor leaders. Totally unscripted. Pretty damn good. SEE LINK
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219130566

[marble falls]

39. When Joe gets to be 93, get back to us. Not going to change my mind with an anecdote not germane to Joe Biden.

[MotownPgh]

58. You can be dismissive, but people

know what they saw.

[shrike3]

88. I know what I saw. A stutterer with a cold.

I'm a stutterer. It was obvious to me Joe wasn't able to control his stutter. When I'm sick or very tired I can't control it either. And I'm a lot younger than him.

Since a Northeastern study just found the debate didn't significantly impact Joe's support (check out the threads; there are two) you might want to be careful assessing what people know.

[MotownPgh]

111. I really really don't want to get into a back

and forth but the point was an elderly man was observing an elderly man. There is no shame in Joe losing a step, but there are optics and ramifications. This isn't a contest to see who is more loyal to Joe. It's a discussion on how dems plan to go forward

[shrike3]

87. Tell your father you can't diagnose a person by watching them on TV.

And I assume he's a renowned neurologist and gerontologist who is more than qualified to comment on someone he never met.

[MotownPgh]

114. He never diagnosed anyone. He observed

an older man walking slowly and looking more frail. We couldn't begin to diagnose some neurological problem. He just looks and acts OLD! Optics people

[shrike3]

121. Uh -- he was old in 2020? He was old before all this started?

Tell your father that Biden has osteoarthritis in his spine and his foot never properly healed. It's all in the medical report which has been available to the public since February.

[MotownPgh]

129. Listen, i am talking about optics.

Whether we like it or not, the debate was a sweaty Nixon vs handsome tanned Kennedy moment. Swing voters are not looking up Joe's February arthritis report. 😒

[shrike3]

131. And here Northeastern University's crunching of the numbers found Biden's support wasn't significantly impacted.

Too bad they didn't talk to you.

[MotownPgh]

137. I have never actually said how I

am looking at the situation personally. But everyone should be aware of the ramifications no matter how we personally feel.

[shrike3]

138. I defer to your wisdom, even if Northeastern didn't.

[Cha]

44. TY for the Reaction of the Swing Voters!

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[edisdead]

43. If it isn't Joe it will be Trump

We did this in 2016. JFC.

How can we be this stupid.

There is NOBODY put forth that can beat Trump. Nobody.

[Eyeball_Kid]

65. The panic was immediate and temporary.

After the first utterance from Biden, I was thinking, "Plan B". But that was in the immediate. It's good in normal times that we don't make decisions on the spur of the moment. After several days, Biden's temporary ill health has dissipated, but the press still loves the drama and the horse race, so people like Andrea Mitchell and Clooney and other notables all have their own agendas that get latched onto the upshot of the "debate." It's like they all scurried up the tree and now have to be coddled and cajoled down and told to relax, the danger has passed. But some are staying on the tall branches for... other reasons.

[Doodley]

32. Thank you for saying that. Confirmation bias can result from attacking anyone who has a different opinion.

[Xoan]

68. Please identify 'so many' ...

my list is less than 6.

[Progressive dog]

142. It is not possible to discuss removing a sitting President

from the ballot now. It is too late as shown by the failure of his detractors to even give a name of who they expect to choose. It is ridiculous to believe that this won't damage his replacement.
They are not interested in discussing who is going to replace Joe for the simple reason that they can agree on no one.

[GoreWon2000]

12. No evidence that Clooney publicly said Biden should step down

Before making an allegation, I would strongly recommend providing evidence that George Clooney has said publicly that Biden should step down. I'm not aware that there's any such evidence.

[flamingdem]

15. It's in the NYT

He's another Op Ed insurrectionist I'm afraid.

[GoreWon2000]

27. Did Clooney write an op-ed saying this?

No one has posted it.

[CaptainTruth]

45. Yes, it was posted here, I responded. Give me a minute to find it.

Edit to add:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219129577

[GoreWon2000]

181. I stand corrected. I hadn't seen it on DU

Clooney is a rich guy traitor. The SAG-Aftra acting union he belongs to is part of the AFL-CIO and they reendorsed Biden again today. It was the lead on NBC Nightly News tonight but they did also play the clip of Nicki Haley exposing tRump's lack of mental capacity during the primary again which I think is a shred of progress. I've complained to NBC about their failure to report on tRump's failing mental capacity.

[CaptainTruth]

187. No problem, I know how hard it is too keep up with everything. I'm usually several steps behind.

"Clooney is a rich guy traitor."

You notice how much of this anti-Biden BS is coming from rich folks? To be more detailed, rich white straight male folks? The group least threatened by Trumpian fascism?

[GoreWon2000]

182. I stand corrected. Shame on traitor Clooney

He's mistaken if he thinks he can take away 14 million dem primary votes.

[oasis]

22. Just another snot nosed celebrity w/ax to grind.

[Pisces]

47. You sound like a Repub. snot nosed celebrity, hmm. Giving yourself away

[Cha]

67. Well Just for your FYI, Pisces.. he's a True Blue Dem. I've respected oasis on DU

for years.

[oasis]

93. Thank you Cha.

[Cha]

97. lol I was hoping

It was you.

🕯️🕊️💙🌊🇺🇸😊

[shrike3]

139. NYT sure chose the right op-ed writer this time.

All these analysts, political types didn't move anybody, but now that it's Clooney.

[Cha]

146. Yeah doesn't

Faze me. I really liked GC But I Love ❤️ Democracy!!🕯️🕊️💙🌊🇺🇸

[shrike3]

151. I love him, too. And he's used to bare knuckle brawling. I mean, he's from Hollywood.

You think there isn't bare knuckle out there? I wonder what his agenda is, but I wonder what everybody's agenda is. I don't expect to find out.

This is also a very weird time and it's reminding me more and more of the Clinton years.

[Cha]

156. It might be

Payback for Clooney.

Oh yeah.. It ain’t bean 🫘 bags.

[shrike3]

165. I don't know. We'll probably never know.

[oasis]

113. Consider yourself and Clooney uninvited

to Joe’s inauguration festivities.

[Big Blue Marble]

168. You do understand that Clooney has raised millions for Biden?

Last edited Wed Jul 10, 2024, 08:48 PM - Edit history (1)

He would not be saying this if he was not deeply concerned. If Biden wins, Clooney will be invited.

[oasis]

170. "We are not going to win in November with

this president” George Clooney.

G.C. would have to have one helluva nerve showing up.

[Big Blue Marble]

171. Biden does not hold grudges.

That is one his best qualities. And that is why Harris is the VP.

George .Clooney is a great Democrat and is speaking from a very significant
perspective. He is not our enemy; he is trying to save our country like we all are.

[oasis]

172. Joe won't harbor animosity, nor will I.

I just don’t see Clooney taking part in a celebration in which he deeply believed wouldn’t happen.

BTW, Clooney, most likely would have to think about ditching the Mrs. before going to the event.

[brooklynite]

23. Why do people feel the need to come up with conspiracy theories when the simple answer is what was stated?

Why is it unreasonable to assume Clooney, who has invested time and money in getting Democrats elected, thinks that Biden can't get elected at this point?

[emulatorloo]

30. Exactly. Clooney is entitled to his opinion.

As I am entitled to my opinion that Clooney is dead wrong. But I don't ass-ume a conspiracy theory or that Clooney is acting in bad faith.

[edisdead]

46. So were Bernie bros.

That was so awesome.

[emulatorloo]

90. Clooney's nothing like our 'beloved' B-or-Bust crowd of yesteryear fortunately.

Dude will vote for Biden in the end.

[Doodley]

31. Agreed! Well said!

[dlk]

59. Asking Biden to step down at this late stage of the race

Shows not only a lack of understanding of the mechanics of presidential races, but also undermines Democrat’s chances of beating Trump, our true enemy.

If we are to overcome this very real threat, we can’t afford self-indulgent pronouncements stating our personal preferences for a different candidate. It will take all if us, united and working together, not at cross-purposes, to defeat Trump.

Technically speaking, at this point in time, how would a different candidate put themselves on the ballot in all 50 states? What would they do about the convention delegates already pledged to Biden?

Winning this election is everything and it won’t be done by “very important people” opining they want a different candidate.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

85. I think everyone suggesting that Biden step down wants to choose the nominee at the convention.

First, Biden would announce he's not running and release his delegates. Then the delegates would choose the next nominee. The nominee is then more or less automatically put on all the ballots.

Of course, that omits a lot of potentially messy details about how the delegates would decide who to vote in as the nominee. But from a rules-based perspective, it's all pretty clear.

[dlk]

108. How realistic would it be to find a "magical" candidate who could defeat Trump at this late stage of the election cycle?

Magical thinking will give the election to Trump. We need to live in reality. The stakes are too high.

[Blaukraut]

116. They probably already decided on a replacement

Or at least narrowed it down to a couple of prospects. There's likely a lot of behind the scenes maneuvering and planning for every contingency.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

117. There's no magical candidate that would guarantee a win, for sure.

People have different opinions on who would have the best chance. I don't think anyone can really be too sure.

As for magical thinking, I'm sure everyone thinks those who disagree with them are thinking magically. I really wish everyone could talk with more open-mindedness (not you, just people generally).

[pnwmom]

115. He has opinions about that, too. If you don't at least read what he had to say,

how can you know whether there was anything to it?

[Renew Deal]

70. Agree

[shrike3]

140. I'm just sort of chuckling at the reaction.

There have been tons of op-eds by all kinds of seasoned folk who were disposed. But the op-ed by the movie star makes certain people go "Ooh, maybe he's right."

[MorbidButterflyTat]

145. I wonder who Clooney will

"invest his time and money" in now?

[shrike3]

148. Also, I don't think it's out of line to wonder what kind of agenda Clooney has.

Most people have an agenda. Including Biden. His is fairly obvious. He wants his second term. Other agendas are not so obvious. I don't expect to find out what most, or even any of them, are.

[kimbutgar]

26. I remember that and shame in him

He has the money to go live in another country if the convicted felon gets back in and he and his family won’t be affected by project 2025.

[themaguffin]

29. Oh so that's why he did the massive fund raiser for the President even more recently. Got it.

People, enough with the conspiracies. Oof.

[LeftInTX]

54. I know. I got a text on Jul 3. Article is from June 6.

[Indykatie]

36. Of Course This Was a Revenge Move by Clooney n/t

[yardwork]

41. The opinions of actors mean very little to me.

[Behind the Aegis]

53. Agreed.

I said to my husband a few hours ago; "Isn't amazing the number of people shitting themselves over ONE bad "debate"? The ones crowing for Biden to "step aside/down" fail to acknowledge the INCREDIBLE job and speeches SINCE the debate. Support for the president has dipped, knives are out...but after a FORMER president is CONVICTED of 32 FELONIES (which means he could never serve in the military*) that shitstain's SUPPORT and NUMBERS and DONATIONS went UP!!!"

The Mango Menace cannot join the military, like he ever would given he thinks them a bunch of "losers", yet, he can run for the highest office in the land and RUN the military, again, an organization he could never join!? What the FUCK?!

[dlk]

48. If someone wants to play in the big leagues

They have to be willing to take the hits that go along with it, including Amal Clooney.

Saying Biden should step down after promoting his candidacy in a fundraiser was a weasel move by George.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

147. Agreed.

What an ego. Who GAF.

[SunSeeker]

49. Yup, this has Amal written all over it.

Oh, and the NY Times can go fuck itself.

[Turbineguy]

51. Why lose one vote when you can influence losing hundreds?

Trump will have to thank a lot of democrats.

[LeftInTX]

52. I got text from Robert De Niro and George Clooney on Jul 3

"Robert De Niro and George Clooney rallying for President Biden"

I article in the OP is from June 6th.

[BannonsLiver]

56. If that's the case he's dumber than I thought

There’s nothing related to the I/P saga that is more important than this election.

[BumRushDaShow]

61. Yes.

Look at EVERY ONE who you see "coming out publicly" and you WILL find they have had "issues" in the past and are now on a "Grievance Tour".

That includes the elected officials and some of those "millionaires".

[Wingus Dingus]

62. Take no one at face value!!

Unless they are saying what you want to hear, or already believe.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

75. Are we going to assign evil motive to everyone who we disagree with?

Why can't people just have an honest, differing opinion?

[MorbidButterflyTat]

150. They can

And they can check their ego and keep their honest, differing opinion to themselves.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

153. Whose opinions can be shared, then?

[malaise]

76. Looks more like fundamental differences over matters war crimes and genocide

rather than revenge.
That is all.

[BannonsLiver]

79. On the upside

Neither have referred to Hamas as freedom fighters “like Mandela.”

[GumboYaYa]

80. An alternative theory is that he watched the debate.

And he has a legitimate concern that Biden does not have the stamina to run an effective campaign against Trump.

[bigtree]

82. another rich man pushing his weight around

...stepping over voters in this effort to try and get what he wants.

Michael Douglas, George Clooney, Rob Reiner, and Stephen King. A bunch of rich OLD white men.

[TexasDem69]

84. So you speculate Clooney joined the calls from some for Biden to drop out

Only because of Clooney’s wife?

[Patton French]

86. I wouldn't doubt it. NT

[elleng]

102. ;-(

[applegrove]

105. Oh god. Clooney is not petty like that. He is concerned.

[flamingdem]

119. Maybe Amal pressured him

We'll never know

[applegrove]

123. They are not petty people. They are human rights defenders.

[flamingdem]

127. That doesn't make them smart about US politics

Personally I think he's a traitor and idiot for writing that piece for the NYT.

The NYT has it in for Biden. He went along by doing that.

[muriel_volestrangler]

125. Sure, just put the blame on the woman.

It clearly hasn't occurred to you that other Democrats are also just as focussed on winning the November elections; they just have a different idea of the best way to do that.

At least "we'll never know" is an admission your OP is empty.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

106. President Biden correctly criticized Clooney's wife for supporting Hamas terrorists

Link to tweet

[pnwmom]

120. If that's the case, then why did Clooney throw his massive fundraiser weeks AFTER

he was upset about that issue?

It would have been very easy to express his anger by simply dropping out of the fundraiser.

[muriel_volestrangler]

130. Jesus Fucking Christ. She does not "support Hamas terrorists".

The team, which included her and other top British international lawyers, recommended 3 Hamas terrorists are indicted for crimes against humanity.

[JI7]

143. This type of reaction and conspiracy does not help Biden

[nbsmom]

144. Were you at the LA fundraiser?

(Posting this as someone who will support whoever is running on the Dem ticket.)

No, I wasn’t at the fundraiser in LA, but had heard concerns from those who were. The debate only amplified their concern.

You can buy into any theory you want, but it seems to me that if Clooney wanted to pull his support for Biden (because of his wife’s work), he could have done that before the fundraiser and the debate.

But anything I would say is simply conjecture. Instead, I will share a post from someone who has actually spent some time with Biden:

Link to tweet

?s=46&t=HujzDBtK8TbG1gKskAP1bw

[LisaL]

152. As far as I am concerned, Mr. Clooney should stick to his day job.

He is a rich white guy who doesn't even live in US anymore. Why should anyone care what he thinks?

[TexasDem69]

158. I assume the people who want his money

For their political campaigns care what he thinks

[LisaL]

160. I am not one of those people.

Yea, I suppose those people are going to care.
The rest of us shouldn't. He lives in Europe. If Trump wins, he can just stay in his castle. While the rest of us have to live here.

[TexasDem69]

161. Nor am I

I have to admit I’m confused by the bashing of those Democrats who want Trump to lose, regardless of who he loses to.

[LisaL]

162. As far as I am concerned, what they are doing is going to get Trump elected.

What do they think bashing our candidate is going to accomplish?
What candidate do they think can come in now, get everybody united, and win the election, if not Biden?
Do they not realize that if Biden is forced out, his base is going to be very upset? Do they think the base is just going to vote for whatever candidate these people think they can stick us with?

[TexasDem69]

164. No idea!

I just know that DJT cannot be the next President.

On edit—this question occurred to me. What is more important, loyalty to Biden or defeating Trump?

[Miami Blue]

159. Hey Butthurt Clooney

Your wife is U.G.L.Y.
Sad 😩

[eShirl]

169. what's ugly is your comment

[ClickClack]

167. Good grief, is everything a conspiracy or a grudge with you people?!?

I have spent years looking in here at DU to see what is being talked about, mostly because it helped me to stay informed about things I might have missed in the news. I hardly ever bothered to comment on any posts. But ever since that catastrophe of a debate, a whole lot of you seem to have collectively gone off the deep end.

Anyone — regardless of their voting history and core beliefs — who has expressed their sincere and understandable concerns over keeping a diminished candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket gets branded as bed-wetters, pearl-clutchers, bad actors pursuing hidden agendas or acting on personal grievances....

Do you not realize how irrational you sound?

The bronzed blowhard, convicted felon, wannabe mob boss, sexual predator, serial liar, self-serving petty bully, and dictator-in-waiting CANNOT be allowed to re-enter The White House, but right now there is a terrifying likelihood that hate-filled rightwing lunatics and cult members will outnumber rational, compassionate voters. Yet if anyone dares to express their doubts about Biden's chances, you accuse them of being part of some conspiracy or vendetta or electoral interference. Some of you are making such accusations without even bothering to read the op-ed that you're convinced is so offensive and dangerous.

Some of you will now probably respond by attacking me or dismissing my concerns. I fear for my country and its democracy, and I don't know what to make of you all. Heaven help us.

[Groundhawg]

176. I don't buy it. Clooney has been solid on our side.

[Doc Sportello]

177. I don't agree with Clooney but

I think his heart is in the right place. I've stated the problems with replacing Biden and think this is all an overreaction. Clooney saw him in person and was disturbed by what he saw. I don't think he is petty, just wrong.

[BoRaGard]

178. Bugger off, George

You done spewed. Now sit down and shut up.

[pwb]

179. It seems to me Clooney was just in it for the glory?

Fuck his movies.