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

[avicenna]

I think something got lost in translation - Hillary voted for the war - not too smart. Nobody is holding it against her that her husband strays, they are holding the fact that she is divisive and puts self-interest beyond the needs of those she claims to represent. Never has any other democratic candidate suggested that the leader of the opposition - and Bush war-mongering supporter - would better serve as leader of the US before Hillary made the comment about McCain over Obama. She obviously isn't aware that problems can't be solved with the same mind-set that created them - which goes to show that 35 years weren't as instructive as 35 minutes with Obama's innate astuteness.

[panchovilla]

"Just totally focused, and [Hillary] knew more about the issues than anyone else, and was so able to go from one thing to the other."

Well, it's been scientifically established that women are superior to men at switching from task to task and even doing more than one task at once. So you really don't need to rub it in our faces, you know.

Hey, Natalie, my 3 year old son *loves* your youtube video with Elmo. The elephant dance. Nice. (I'm sick and tired of it. Nah, just kidding. Thanks!)

[furion]

She's certainly entitled to her opinion on this subject, but we care about it.. WHY exactly?

[ClaudiaJean]

Beats me but you cared enough to post a reply? It boggles the mind.

[furion]

That's right, the comment system is here for absolutely no reason at all.

Tool.

[inthecolour]

Hillary is "moral"? People hate her because of Bill Clinton's promiscuity?

Portman needs to lay of the crazy pills.

[CalliDem]

She is an intellectulal ... she supports Hillary same as Jon Stweart, Stephen Colbert, most of SNL

[johnqeniac]

Sorry. Kyle-Lieberman. QED.

[jessiep]

Dumb, pretty actresses who get into Harvard because they are famous inevitably go on to say dumb, pretty things like "Terrorism is bad," and "I disagree with his war stance--which is a really big deal--but I think he's a very moral person." She does not have a clear or orignal thought in her head and is incapable of understand any issue with a smidgen of complexity. You are joking if you group her with intellectuals or satirists. Come on, let's be honest--she is a little bit smarter than Lindsay Lohan and has made better personal choices. She is a marginally talented actress. She is physically attractive. She is an expert on which haircolor formulation is being sent to which of her overseas movie sets and that's about all. I am 110% confident she doesn't understand mircolending, political sociology, feminism or lawmaking. After hearing this, I am wondering what she does understand, exactly (aside from the movies, haircolor and general activities involved with being pretty).

[SKayum]

I'm not sure about Stewart, but I get the feeling Colbert supports Obama.

[Heen19]

I'm sure about Stewart. Look at the show proir to his interview of her. He was forced to put her on by the owner of the station. Further, Hillary's traditional support is not from intellectuals. She tends to get the vote from uneducated people while people with more education go to Obama.

[Ajita]

Such absurd claims in the face of poll after poll showing Obama supporters are a smarter demographic only goes to reiterate the relative stupidity of you Clinton supporters. Natalie Portman is an intellectual like Noam Chomsky is a Broadway dancer

[signifyingnothing]

Actually, I never saw any polls showing that Obama supporters are smarter. I have seen polls saying they've had more college.

[bobdevo]

Natalie Protman ... pretty as a picture, dumb as a doorknob. McCain a very moral person. ROTFL

[RogerHWerner]

And she got into Yale because....Keep in mind she didn't have Bush's connections. I suspect she must have something going for her besides looks (bimbos don't start their own production company).

[oddjob1993]

Try to keep up, Roger. She went to Haahvid.

[sansego2000]

I don't like Hillary because she is an experienced politician ( an accomplished liar), they practice the status quo dirty politics ( spinning others actions and accusing others of the very same things she is doing). This has turned me off on Hillary. I want the farthest thing from what the Bush administration has done. McCain is the closest, then Hillary next to the closest, then Obama.

[AtiasMom]

Can you prove she is a liar? What makes you think Obama doesn't lie? Maybe it's just that Senator Clinton has been in public life a lot more.

I think Senator Obama is a good looking polished speaker. But, as we are finally finding out, there is cracks in the facade.

I want us out of the war, but not at the expense of any more lives. If Obama does get into the office bet he doesn't honor his 60 days. Or, he'll just doe what Senator Clinton has proposed. It will also be interesting to see what he does with NAFTA. Also, how many broken promises will there be when it comes time to give everyone what they want.

Where's all the money going to come from? The 3 trillion is borrowed money that has to be repaid. Not money that can be used to heal our country.

That's ok, we'll take it from Social Security...opps, can't do that, already robbed that coffer.

[Impeachthechimp]

Of course Hillary is the best and the brightest! Anyone that has ever met Hillary knows this. Well said!

[johnqeniac]

Kyle-Lieberman

[sufi0828]

She likes McCain? Well she's covered about everyone, a real profile in courage, How bout the Huckster?, just in case he re-emerges sometime in the future as a viable anything. Don't want to piss anyone off.

[vippy]

Sad that the Clinton supporters don't have an open mind. They have made up their mind for whatever
reason, close their eyes on what has happened in the past and make excuses for her short comings.
Are we ever screwed.

[grisgris]

Sad that the Obama supporters don't have an open mind. They have been swept up by Obama's charisma and youthful good looks and don't seem to have noticed that he says absolutely nothing. "Change"? Tell me, "change" HOW? "Change" WHAT exactly?

[jth252]

you meant Obama supporters right.... really, Clintonians are closed-minded? Have you ever met an Obamaniac?

[Seafarer61]

Such a classy woman....I knew there was a reason why I like her.

[sufi0828]

She likes McCain?

[Forest]

Natalie Portman said she disagreed with McCain's war stance which is, as she said, a big deal.
Yes it is! 43 cents of every tax dollar goes to the US military budget while 3 cents goes to science and energy research and 3 cents to education.

[johnqeniac]

What's that to her? She'd filthy rich.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Republicans don't like Hillary Clinton because she is married to Bill Clinton. They hate both Clintons equally. Independents don't like Hillary Clinton because they don't trust someone who would knowingly let her husband fool around their entire marriage and then claim innocence and the victim role, when his cheating became a scandal.

Democrats don't like Hillary Clinton because she is a neocon, who has voted lockstep with the Neocons and furthered the Bush agenda. It's no coincidence that the Bush administration trust Senator Clinton with "their legacy":
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20080127/ai_n21218524
Even the CATO institute agrees that Hillary Clinton is a neocon:
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8495
Clinton has accepted more campaign contributions from defense contractors than any candidate including John McCain:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/sectors.asp?sec=D
Clinton has not signed a pledge to return constitutional Liberties:
http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/politics?type=politicsNews&w1=B7ovpm21IaDoL40ZFnNfGe&w2=B7tmRCRJt2YFzDsa7MJ1CblL&src=blogBurst_politicsNews&bbPostId=Cz1VeFnrO5fmhCz7sNEgkr6eaqCz3hWJURc5eE5Cz8bp0emPnej3&bbParentWidgetId=B7tmRCRJt2YFzDsa7MJ1CblL
Clinton is the only Democratic candidate who accepted federal lobbyists money for her campaign:
http://lessig.org/blog/2007/08/on_clinton_and_lobbyists.html
Hillary Clinton has shady money men backing her campaign and one in particular (Alan Quasha) who has been Bush's money man for decades!
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071105/baker_federman
Clinton supported using cluster bombs in civilian areas and refused to sign the treaty to ban landmines:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/today-global-day-of-acti_b_71144.html
Clinton didn't bother to show up for the FISA vote and does not care about warrantless wiretapping:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/senate_votes_for_retroactive_i.php
Clinton betrayed the Children's defense fund and the founder does not support Clinton politically:
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/editorblog/034
Clinton has flip flopped on torture purely because she is running for President:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2007/09/28/2007-09-28_hillary_flipflop_on_torture_inspired_aft.html

Senator Clinton has run a despicable campaign against Senator Obama that is more reminiscent of Republican smear tactics and is hurting the Democratic party, and could be one of the worst possible choices for President ever put forward by the DNC.

[CaseyBabes]

Citing left bent sources for your opinions is counter productive. I can forge any argument opposite your's merely by citing publications by Bill Kristol, Fred Barnes, Brent Boozell, etc. However, when you come up with comments put forward in your last paragraph you reflect the wisdom of Solomon.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Actually, most of the sources I cited, such as reuters, nydaily, opensecrets, cato institute, aren't left bent. I wouldn't put up a link to anything that came out of Kristol's mouth because he is one of the most singularly stupid blowhards in the media. Barnes is an imbecilic hack. Bozell is a joke. The fact that you even mention these fools, means you are most probably a conservative. If you understood any of what I have referred to with my links, they aren't opinions except for the Cato Institutes question as to whether Clinton is a neocon. The CATO institute is a right wing conservative think tank, with a strong libertarian bent. Everything else, are FACTS based on her votes, non-votes, or publicly available information on her campaign contributions. Right wingers have trouble understanding the differenced between facts and opinions because opinions are presented as facts within the right wing media.

Most of what I posted are facts, except for the first and last statements which are my personal opinion.

[Max7073]

Who cares.

[knerd]

Dear Ms. Portman,

Natalie, do we want a woman like Hillary Clinton either not paying attention, deliberately distorting or ignoring what other leaders of other nations might tell her?

Early on, Obama gave an interview (you can find it on youtube) praising the Reagan Revolution in the 1980s for inspiring people to have a new vision about America. The next day, Hillary accused him of saying that Republicans "had better ideas" than the Democrats.

That was either a lie or ignorance,
And it was early on. The pattern is still playing out between Hillary and Obama right now. Educate yourself and don't take my word for this,.

Thanks!

[BigCheese]

Are you so delusional that you actually believe Natalie Portman reads the comment threads of the Huffington Post? Or are you just really desperate for attention?

[signifyingnothing]

The latter.

[BaManu]

The former.