Bob Novak reports that Hillary is losing Hollywood to Obama.
The buzz in Democratic circles for the past two weeks has been over the decision to raise money for Sen. Barack Obama by two or three multi-millionaire liberals from Hollywood, who were previously thought to be supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president. An explanation that this is the movie industry’s delayed reaction against some of President Bill Clinton’s policies is not credible. The real reason for the defection is more troubling for Sen. Clinton’s presidential campaign.
My first instinct was “the movie industry’s delayed reaction against some of Clinton’s policies”? Like what, somebody’s invite to a Lincoln Bedroom sleepover got lost in the mail? But Novak explains:
Two theories for these defections have been put out by Democrats favorable to Clinton. First, the gay community in Hollywood is seeking revenge against President Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy restricting open homosexuality in military service. Second, the entertainment industry still harbors resentment about Clinton-Gore Administration criticism of the material that is presented to children.
But these explanations defy reality, in the opinion of Democrats not yet committed to any candidate. Hollywood, including the DreamWorks producers, was solidly behind Bill Clinton’s re-election in 1996 and then Al Gore’s campaign in 2000.
And then Novak homes in on a word that we’re going to hear associated with Clinton a gread deal over the next year or so: “caution.”
I wonder if Hillary Clinton learned the lesson of her health care debacle too well. Having been burned by being too radical and proposing a sweeping change, she has been inclined to propose boring gradual half-measures ever since…