Natalie Portman Defends Hillary Clinton

Natalie Portman graces the April cover of Elle magazine to promote her period flick "The Other Boleyn Girl." Whole interview here.

Highlights:

On Hillary Clinton:

A lot of the stuff people say about her, I hear it and my stomach falls because it's so sexist. You ask people why they don't like her and it's because her husband cheated on her! That was obviously not her choice. She's so much more polished and experienced than anyone else. Last night, a friend, a social worker in L.A. who works with underprivileged kids, was saying how these girls who have never been interested in politics before are so excited that a woman might be president. I mean, look how many women are in government...Hillary's one of, what, [a handful of] female senators?

I also like Obama. I even like McCain. I disagree with his war stance--which is a really big deal--but I think he's a very moral person. I met him and Hillary on the same day, actually, when I went to Washington with Finca [a nonprofit that gives loans to businesswomen in developing countries]. Hillary was by far the smartest person I met that day. Just totally focused, and knew more about the issues than anyone else, and was so able to go from one thing to the other.

On starting her own production company:

It is proactive. It gives you more control over creating things, as opposed to having to get hired every single time. After you've worked for so long it's kind of annoying to have to be dependent in that way. With acting, getting work can be very passive. You're sort of subject to the whims and fashions of your moment. I've been working 15 years, and I know some years I get everything first and some years I read only uninteresting parts. I didn't want to just be at the mercy of whoever is making those decisions. Having your own company is a nice way to concentrate your ideas and make the kinds of movies you want to see.

Comments

[zorrobozo]

Somebody needs to go back to school. . .

[Futuristic]

Natalie Portman this is perhaps your best acting job to date. I can see an Oscar ahead of you for playing out this Hillary fiction. Congradulations, you are now officially part of the irrational women who support Hillary, just waiting to pick up your very own broom stick and fly with them to Salem.

[kozmik]

Portman is a mall chick starring in roles that appeal to a mall rat audience. She's in the prequel to Wes Anderson's latest film: Daljeling Express and the butt of the joke.

[20rothmans]

I'm surprised at the level of hating going on here. I am not a Hilary fan, and I think that her support of Hilary is misguided. But the implication that Natalie Portman is dumb, unschooled etc. is a weak ad hominem attempt to discredit her and to ignore her point of view. Similarly, I would disagree with Natalie Portman's views on Israel, but given her Jewish background they are hardly surprising. As it is, she is uncommonly well-educated for an actress in Hollywood. For sure, disagree with her - I do - but let's be objective about it.

While I am here: let's also be a little more objective about Hilary too. I no more want to see her win the nomination than others here, but she is not the utter disaster-area that she is caricatured as. She is unquestionably a smart person, experienced and very good at what she does. Has she allowed her sense of personal ambition get in the way of her feelings for the country and the democratic process? Yes, I think so. Gary Hart's comments, I think, are accurate. But once again, let's not paint her as a monster. Otherwise, we make the same mistakes that she has, and give more fuel to the GOP come November should Obama not achieve the nomination (which is hardly a foregone conclusion).

Objectivity - it's good, isn't it?

[amanda85]

Are you really surprised that someone who believes the genocidal government of Israel is "moral" has good feelings about Hillary and McCain?

[wilhelmR]

Comment: “are so excited that a woman might be president. I mean, look how many women are in government...Hillary's one of, what, [a handful of] female senators?”
Answer: People all over the world are extremely excited about Obama not only because he is an African-American but because of what he stands for!
Comment: “Hillary was by far the smartest person I met that day.”
Answer: Did you meet stupid people THAT day as well or this, by itself, says nothing.
Comment: “Just totally focused, and knew more about the issues than anyone else, and was so able to go from one thing to the other.”
Answer: Who was there to compare her to? Was Obama there as well? No, right? Your comments are very superfluous.

[sammy333]

John-war'n'torture-McCain is a 'very moral person' ???
Tim Russert used to call Dick Cheney 'honorable'. Apparently the more war crimes one commits the more 'honorable' one becomes.

[melann830]

You mean like the huge 5 and a half year war crime committed against him as a POW! You are such an ingrate. That man stayed there contingent upon all of his fellow soldiers being released as well. You have all become so cynical. I think maybe we need to start drafting some of you "boys" so that you know what people like McCain go through so that you cans spew your hateful diatribe.

[bccity]

I am not supporting John McCain but he is an honorable man. Do not compare Dick Cheney to John McCain. Dick Cheney is a gutless draft dodging piece of shit and John McCain was a hero. John McCain has committed no war crimes. I am an ex-Marine and I would be proud to serve under John McCain.

[transendentilist]

Thank you Natalie!!! The sexism is a huge disappointment. But I have to say, there are alot of female Hillary haters. I am not sure why, jealousy? Cattiness?

[dora rice]

most female haters do it to please their husbands. My son in law is such a Hillary hater. Our daughter is not but she would never admit it infront of him. Go figure she is a professor and teaches at the University of Gorgia. If that was me, I would tell him, one more time and I kick you in the a............
Yet she is a total slave to her family. Two grown daughter still in the house. I kick them out. But I love them all. But go figure.

[Denni]

Reality? Clinton isn't a feminist. She's treated women like fodder on her way to the White House. It's so hypocritical that 'feminists' swallow Hillary's sexism just to get what they want. Clinton took money from a firm she KNEW had the worst complaint record in EEOC history (but 'eh', those "broads" were only yakking and whining, right? There's not PROOF they were physically and verbally savaged. They were just trying to work their way to the top and turned on the boys and lied when they didn't. )

[WASanford]

Denni, why is it I can't figure out what you're talking about? What firm did Hillary take money from that had such a horrible record? Go on, you can name it. Do you have an example of Hillary's sexism? Preferably with some verifiable details! Finally, are you sexist?

[WASanford]

Denni, you seem to have had a lot to say about the Obama picture that was displayed on Drudge's site. Here's my take on that.

I just can’t imagine how any of you can not be suspicious of this!

“In their 2006 book The Way To Win, Mark Halperin and John Harris report that Ken Mehlman, the Republican Party chairman, kind of brags (as CNN host Howard Kurtz puts it) about utilizing the Drudge channel. They also write that:
"Drudge, with his droll Dickensian name, was not the only media or political agent whose actions led to John Kerry's defeat. But his role placed him at the center of the game -- a New Media World Order in which Drudge was the most potent player in the process and a personification of the dynamic that did Kerry in."
Matt Drudge. (2008, March 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:02, March 5, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matt_Drudge&oldid=195810241

The photo that has you all atwitter showed up on the Drudge Report website along with claims that it came from the Hillary campaign. This was a stone that hit two birds. It associated Obama with the Muslim religion and made Hillary’s campaign look like it doesn’t play fair. Neither campaign made an appropriate reaction to it and the damage was done. This should serve as a warning to you that the right wingers are not going to play with kid gloves. They have the right wing smear machine up and running on all eight cylinders and winning the presidency will not be a cakewalk.

The Republicians have already admitted to meddeling in our election. Why are you so anti-Clinton? Are you part of the Right Wing Slime Machine? You might as well be!

[bccity]

Denni, Please do yourself a favor and read Hillary's bio on Wikipedia. It will open your eyes. Hillary Clinton Wikipedia ----------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_clinton

[wilhelmR]

Woman doe NOT EQUAL feminine values. There are such women as falic women, those who just want power for power's shake just as most men.

[Dalpine]

The news outlets are human and they want the Democrats to win the general election. Hillary has done the mud slinging and gutter politics then she blames the media. The Hillary campaign threatens the media for not enough favorable reporting but MSM is not part of any political campaign and doesn't owe the public any more than reporting the news. If Hillary had her way all negative reporting would be censored.

[meeneecat]

There's a lot of female Hillary haters, heck there's a lot of Hillary haters because the media tells people to hate Hillary. I'm sure there are right-wing folk that hate her just on the fact that she's a democrat. But I'm willing to bet money, that a lot more people have been influenced by the media rhetoric than they will admit to.

A lot of people don't stop to think how watching MSNBC or other mainstream programming has influenced their sphere of thought. They don't stop to think about the programming they watch or the books they read (if they read). Most people like to think their ideas are their own, but I think the majority of people (including myself) have all had ideas put in our heads by some other person or entity (including corporate media) and these implanted ideas influence our believes and our norms. So I think Hillary hating has become akin to a cultural norm. People say they "hate" her, but nine times out of ten the reasons I hear for "hating" her are full of fluff. Things like: "I just do" or "I like the idea of a female president, I just don't like HER" or "I don't want Billary as my president" or "she's corrupt" or "she lies" or "she's hawkish" or "she's just too _____ (insert media rhetoric here)" It's all the same stuff and the one thing all these "I hate Hillary-isms" have in common is that I've heard them all before, coming from the TV. I'm not saying I'm a Hillary supporter, or I'm voting for her, but I think the Hillary hating phenomenon is interesting. Most of the reasons are full of fluff, since you almost never hear "I don't like Hillary because of -policy stance X, or her position on Y". The other phenomenon is the sexism, but I don't think that this is anything new, because if you paid attention before all this started, you would know very well that sexism and misogyny are rampant - in our media, in our workplace, in our government, in our culture, it's everywhere and it's always been there, Hillary just brought it to everyone's attention.

My final thought is this, I don't trust the MSM at all, so I get suspicious when they go off on Clinton, all the while they treat Obama as their golden boy. Doesn't anyone else find that suspicious?

[SouthCentralDel]

Funny,

I had been thinking the exact opposite that Hillary has been playing the MSM like a fiddle.

[WadeNYC]

Maybe women who dislike Hillary dislike her for reasons having nothing to do with her sex. Maybe they are holding her accountable for her vote to enable Bush to go to war in Iraq. Maybe they find her to be inauthentic and opportunistic. But, to suggest that women should support Hillary solely because or her sex and to dismiss their failure to support her as "jealousy" or "cattiness" strikes me as the epitomy of sexism.

[Dalpine]

Too true. I just think this is the Wrong woman. It's one thing to fight but Hillary lives to fight and divide people just for the joy of doing it. Not good qualities for a leader.

[mix2007]

"A lot of the stuff people say about her, I hear it and my stomach falls because it's so sexist. "

That's funny, so Hillary is as tough as the boys, but if she gets criticized, it's sexism??

Is she goign to cry when talking with Putin, Kim Jong Il, Amadinejad??

You can't be Commander in Chief and keep playing the victim here.

And Portman is another WHITE person who is ignoring Hillary "Jesse Helms" Clinton's racist smears against Obama. Obama is man enough to brush it aside andf not cry about it.

[dawlishgal]

Not only that, but Hillary has had little to no success in taming Bill's hostile behavior that resulted in repeated public humiliations for her. She even lied for him to protect him, or, alternatively, she was gullible enough to believe his lies and to repeat them to millions of voters who trusted them enough to have voted for them twice. (I am including myself in this number).. Is this the person, this gullible enabler, that we want to be the one to deal with hostile world-leaders?

[bccity]

Hillary is not racist and she is tougher than you are and a hell of a lot smarter.If you can consider the truth a smear then you are obvious a bias Obama supporter. Nothing wrong with that but do not use snear tactic lies to criticize Hillary when you do exactly what you accuse her of doing. You only embarrass yourself.

[comraderoger]

Can't imagine she'd be talking to Putin since his presidency ends on May 5, 2008 and hers would start on January 20, 2009.

The new Russian will be Dmitry Medvedev when he takes power on May 5th.

Clinton didn't inject race into the campaign, Obama and his people did by taking comments made by Hillary and Bill and twisting them into false racism. The Clintons have done more together to helps blacks than Obama.

[mheister]

Natalie Portman is actually a pretty sharp cookie, so she knew just what she was doing when she set up her straw man argument, defending Hillary Clinton from sexist attacks about her husband cheating on her.

The only people I've read this campaign bringing up Bill's infidelity directly are two women writing here on the HuffPost, Gloria Steinem and now Ms. Portman. For the rest of us, this is old news.

My problem with Hillary Clinton has much more to do with her Rovian campaign tactics. In her pursuit of the nomination she is poisoning the well and if she is the nominee, may very well toss the election to McCain.

[dora rice]

Bill's infedelity is not worse than any other man's. And Hillary is campaigning. It doesn't give
a nice campaign or a good campaign or a clean campaign for the highes job in the country.
She says it like it is. That's why she will make a terrific president. The only way Obama wins, if
his Brethrens and a few naive whites will vote for him. The spanish vote he wont' get, because
say what you want, the spanish people are honest and won't vote for someone they don't believe in.
That's a white and black thing.

[demo crat]

Poisoning the Well?

And so you think that if Obama is the nominee, McCain will "play nice" with Obama? You think McCain will be concerned about "poisoning the well"?

[Fernando]

My problem with Obamabots is their hypocrisy in using Rovian tactics while claiming to run a clean campaign. Again, not Obama, just Obamabots.

[Dannydel]

Right on the button..

[mrcontinental]

I thought she was against the Empire? What does Luke and Leia have to say about this?

[bccity]

I talked to them last night and they say only President Hillary Clinton can save the empire from the dark side. They said we all need to work to get her elected so Darth Vader and the dancing fool can be punished for their sinister plan to turn us into the evil planet. May the Force be with you.

[Progress08]

Why does every person of fame and notoriety think that their opinion she be heard over others? Just because people chase you around with cameras and stalk you through the mall doesn't mean that you should get an article in Huffpo or that your opinion is more cogent or relevant. No offense to all celebrities; I know you are talented and work very hard. Many of you have great and informed opinions on politics, but the only reason you get two paragraphs on a website is because of your day job, not some political expertise. If you want to defend a politician do what the rest of us do, create a username and account and post like everyone else. No one here will value your word with your name more than they would a well informed posters word.

[meeneecat]

And why should YOUR opinion be heard over others? Just because HuffPo has a comment section here doesn't mean you should get a space on this thread, or that your opinion is more cogent or relevant. No offense or anything, I'm sure you are very smart, and I'm sure some of your opinions are informed, but the only reason you get a paragraph here is because you have too much free time, it's not because of some political expertise. If you want to defend your opinion do what the rest of us do, shut up....

Jebus, don't you realize how patronizing you sound. If you don't care about what Natalie has to say, DON'T READ HER ARTICLE. Also, I didn't understand a single word of your last sentence.

[shuaib]

Oh, i wanted to add one more thing:

It's a bad idea to vote for Hillary just because she is a woman and just because there are sexists out there. But even if one weren't voting for Hillary based on the reasons just mentioned, there is still plenty of reasons not to vote for her, including her malevolence in this race and her constant attempts at 'throwing the kitchen sink'. Just look at what happened today. Samantha Power, a Pulitzer prize winning lady who has written greatly on genocides in Africa and aide to Obama, has been asked to step down by the Clinton campaign because she referred to Clinton as 'a monster', which she obviously said in a hot-headed temper. Hillary has accused Obama of being 'Bush like' and taking rules out of Carl Rove's books and, more recently, one of her aides has called Obama a Kenneth Star (a huge inslut in democratic circles). Did he step down? Ofcouse not. And that is the difference between Obama and Hillary.

[WASanford]

No! You have it wrong! I'm a fan of Samantha Power, she's well deserving of her Pulitzer prize. She resigned her post with the Obama campaign when her comment was published. She made it thinking she was talking off the record. Neither Hillary nor her campaign had anything to do with it!
Here's a question for you. If right wing Kool-Aid has been so toxic to the American discourse, do you believe left-wing Kool-Aid is better? The stretching of the truth and the half-lies about Hillary have become suffocating and they are unecessary. If we continue in this mode, we will lose in November!

[shuaib]

Natalie, I really enjoyed you'r movie 'V for Vandetta' and I'm hoping that you've chosen to star in that movie for career related and, more importantly, personal reasons. I do think that she has had to face sexism. And Barak Obama has had to face racism. But supporting Hillary just because she has sustained sexism or supporting Obama just because he has sustained racism is not a smart decision.

Also, please read up more on McCain. He is not at all the person you think he is. If elected, he will stay in Iraq and he has said that he would "bomb Iran" (watch the video on youtube quoting him). Also, with an enormous deficit and the economy at an extreme low in yeas, McCain wants to give tax cuts to the rich (a sentiment shared by most Republicans). He was also endorsed by Reverend Hagee, who has said that 'all muslims have a mandate to kill' and that Palestine should be destroyed so that the second coming of Christ can come and that the leader of the EU (European Union) is going to be the next Anti-Christ. And when Obama get endorsed by Louis Farrakhan, the media jumps on him and makes him defend every black man in America including Harry Belafonte. I personally think that racism is more of a problem than sexism. And McCain has the nerve to say that he is PROUD to be endorsed by Hagee.

I do agree with you; young women have been inspired by Hillary Clinton. Similarly, young women AND young men AND many americans of any age, race and backgroud have been inspired by Obama. Hillary might inspire women but Obama inspires ALL, including women.

[BatedBreath]

Is there anyone left who's falling for that sexist crap? The Clintons use it to rabble rouse among women who have no self confidence and/or who feel slighted by life in general and men in particular. It is not a reason to elect someone president in any case!

[Swift2]

Is there anyone who's falling for that racist crap coming from the Obama camp? Why, yes, there is.

[mix2007]

You mean redfaced Bill Clinton's "jesse jackson" remark?

That was caught on TV camera, not Obama's fault at all.

HRC and WJC are racists, and it's documented

[londubh]

HuffPost's Pick

So what does Scarlett Johansen have to say?

[Progress08]

I'm dying to hear what Lindsey and Paris think.

[transendentilist]

About what?

[xtremeartist]

After meeting with Hillary for what?? maybe 5 minutes you have declared her to be the smartest person you met that day?? Ok.. I have a piece of property Ms. Portman....
Second .. should we really listen or trust a person who uses the word totally...
Third.. what college did you earn your degree in political science Ms. Portman??
Fourth .. Obama offers something more than experience (which he has) and judgement (which Hillary lacks) he offers Hope.
Many of you Hillary supporters laugh at that, but without hope... what have we got left.. I will tell you what we have left .. Republicans.

[beaves35]

I am just curious how long you've known Mr. Obama. Have you ever met him, even for a second? Yet you are so ready to let him lead you to the promised land. Who did you buy that piece of property that you want to sell Ms. Portman from?
Mr. Obama is not the only one who believes in hope, he is just the one who seized it for his campaign slogan first.

[xtremeartist]

After reading his book and meeting him in Richmond a month ago.. I think I know him fairly well. He is a man of unquestionable charater and integrity. I have done more than my share of political homwork and yes.. I am ready to let him lead us all to the promise.
All you Hillary supporters ( and Hillary herself) seem to say the same thing. Hillary has experience, Hillary has been vetted, Hillary knows foreign policy, well name one piece of experience that qualifies anyone for a job they have never had yet. Name one piece of foreign policy experience Hillary has accomplished. Vetted?? She spent 25 million dollars on a senate campaign against a person who spent less than 5 million, and she only won that because of the sympathy vote for her. Sure she has helped (I say helped) pass some decent legislation as every other polical rep we have. But she is not 'hope.'
She is Bill Clinton in a pants suit and now pulling out all the stops to trash her opponent. She cannot win the nomination through pledged delegates, so she must rely on the super's. So when she steals the election and over 60% of the Democratic voters voices didn't count for anything. That's just so cool ain't it. You will have your nominee, but she will lose the WH. Congress will probably soon follow and we will live under the dictatorship of the Republican party for another 8 years. Oh well.. say what you will, but when they cut your Social security and lay you off and you lose your health ins and they forclose on your house and send your children to die in a crimminal war, I will be nice and not say I told you so.
Hillary is untruthful, a corporate supporter and the Bane of Hope.

[US55588144]

Obama offers change too. About 65 cents on a dollar. I'll stick with Hillary.

[dadumdee]

Natalie,
when we finally get together, I am so breaking up with you! Consider our future lover affair over. How could you say " I even like McCain. I disagree with his war stance--which is a really big deal--but I think he's a very moral person." after starring in V for Vendetta.

[transendentilist]

She is young, but she isn't stupid. I don't think she has a very clear picture of McCain. It is kind of surprizing after V. I know it was only a movie, but George Orwell's 1984 was just a book. Art imitating life? Or life imitating art??