Actor Tom Hanks Endorses Barack Obama

Time Magazine's Mark Halperin reported late Saturday that Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks is endorsing Barack Obama for President:

Actor/activist who had given money to both the Illinois Senator and Clinton posts compelling video on his MySpace page explaining his choice.

Watch Tom Hanks' endorsement of Barack Obama:

Beware: Celebrity Endorsement

Comments

[freshnotbitter]

08:04 PM on 05/05/2008

How disappointing to see all the negative comments about Tom Hanks from Hillary supporters.

Can't you just say why you disagree with him without attacking somebody who has done so much good for us as a country (getting the WWII memorial built on the Mall in Washington DC for example).

It just seems that Hillary supporters want to tear down anybody who loves this country. I am really tired of all their negativity.

[spec4F]

09:22 PM on 05/05/2008

I'm betting most of these "hillary supporters" are rush-bots doing their part in operation chaos. They have no life other than being a "ditto-head" and they must do exactly what their fat oxy-riddled master tells them.

[mortrefuge]

06:42 PM on 05/05/2008

Wow! Tom Hanks very nicely and positively states why he has decided to support Obama and this is what he gets from the Hillary crowd. Can't you just say you disagree? Or at least make a counter argument that doesn't turn into an ad hominum attack on both Hanks and Obama?

[loudspeaker]

05:36 PM on 05/05/2008

Tom Hanks has been fooled to lend himself to the empty promises performed by puppet Obama.

[Mollye]

05:32 PM on 05/05/2008

You step way down when you endorse a bird flipper.

[MarionBell]

04:49 PM on 05/05/2008

Tom, according to your speech, no matter who wins the presidency this year, he is going to make history. Could you explain to us, as an afterthought, how would McCain being president be a first? To put Obama next to Rosevelt does not make a lot of sense either. But history is not your forte. And neither is Obama's. After all, during his famous speech on race in Phily Obama stated for the ignorant that the Declaration of Independence was "stained by the sin of slavery". Had he read the Declaration, he would have found out that it was the document which set the stage for the writing of the Constitution, that little legal thing that freeed the blacks. It is were all it started. Never new that ignorance is actually a sign of intelligence. That changes the whole game plan. Vote Obama!

[MasterPierpont]

06:01 PM on 05/05/2008

"that little legal thing that freed the blacks"? Are you shitting me? Yeah, 100 years after it was written. And that's using "freed" in a very generous way. As in, they were no longer whipped and forced to work on plantations, but instead were hosed down and attacked by dogs for almost ANOTHER 100 years.

So great argument. I think Obama was trying to say that the idea behind The Declaration of Independence was tainted, considering the dudes who were so keen about it were enslaving people of their own.

Your logic makes my brain hurt.

[zoozey]

10:26 PM on 05/05/2008

So, MarionBell, you never "'NEW' that ignorance is actually a sign of intelligence?" Sorry.... I wouldn't point this out; but since you are being so trite, I just couldn't resist. I believe that Tom Hanks probably IS a student of History. I think you had better check your History cliff notes, too, regarding the Constitution. The Constitution, at its inception, did NOT free the slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, MANY years later, was the first attempt to free the slaves, and, uh, the Union went to war with the southern states over that (and some other issues, but that was the catalyst). Yes, the Declaration of Independence might be considered "stained" in that it spoke of virtues, freedom and independence from tyranny, but only for WHITE men.

[LibRS]

04:13 PM on 05/05/2008

So another hollywood actor has blessed us with "his choice". Most of these people don't like guns either. Of-course, they live behind fenced yards and gated communities with 24/7 security. I'm so sick of these idiots thinking i give a rats ass who they endorse. I dont agree with them on anything else so why the hell do i care who they endorse for president?

Oops. I forgot. I'm suppose to bow down to the hollywood elite and follow them without question. NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT !!

[dr4Will]

04:11 PM on 05/05/2008

forest gump is a big snag--obama should be proud!!!! now try to get someone with a brain!!

[saulpaulus]

01:58 PM on 05/05/2008

Well, Tom is one celebrity endorser who has given some careful thought to his choice...and his endorsement. One quibble though: if Barack is John Adams in the scenario at the end, Dubya must be the Father of Our Country. That part needs some work, Tom!!!

[Christopher1]

11:46 AM on 05/05/2008

What do you expect Tom Hanks has millions with money stuck over seas in off shore banking. Why should he care about people who have to make it from week to week. I'm sick of hearng from these people............

[pakean3]

10:29 AM on 05/05/2008

A change? Read this.. all politicians tell you what you want to hear.. They aren't lying, they know the loop holes..

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Sen. Obama has received over $160,000 from the oil and gas companies. Two major bundlers for his campaign -- George Kaiser and Robert Cavnar – are oil company CEOs. Sen. Obama has accepted money from Exxon, Shell, BP, Chevron and just about every other major oil company. Just last month, Sen. Obama accepted another $8,400 from ExxonMobil,$12,370 from Chevron and $6,500 from British Petroleum.
In 2005, Sen. Obama voted for the Dick Cheney energy bill, which was written in secret with the oil industry. Hillary Clinton opposed Cheney's energy bill, has a plan to eliminate oil industry tax breaks, and would require oil companies to contribute to a $50 billion strategic energy fund to jumpstart research and investment in clean energy technologies.

[in4success]

04:19 PM on 05/05/2008

no no no -- he has received donations from EX-employess and lobbyist -- still not squeaky clean, but, come the fuck on!

[meanguy]

10:06 AM on 05/05/2008

and another hollyweird endorsement means WHAT???? i'm not surprised that the hollywood types flock to obama; after all, they ARE in the business of 'make-believe'

[oncethere]

01:48 PM on 05/05/2008

The reality-based Hitler hated actors and actresses and had many of them arrested and deported. I guess he thought their "make-believe" political views were in direct contrast to his more accurate way of viewing of the world.

[Hartal]

04:41 AM on 05/05/2008

Pretty interesting bit about how the first peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected person to another happened in the United States of America in the late eighteenth century. I liked the sense of history, the idea that we have ideals worth fighting for.

[swoosie1]

03:06 AM on 05/05/2008

Another unimportant endorsement from another silly actor who somehow thinks that his Hollywood-ness influences people in some way. If this were so, we should all be praying for the good grace of God to protect us from our ignorance. Tom, you are an actor. No more, no less. Try doing something difficult in life where you have to deal with life.

[hibbiejibbies]

09:32 AM on 05/05/2008

You're just mad that he's endorsing Obama and not your canddate - just admit it.

[zoozey]

01:53 PM on 05/05/2008

O.K., so it is ok for you to voice your opinion, but not for Tom Hanks. Thousands of "regular" people talk about their nominees on their web pages, YouTube, etc. But somehow we are all more influential than he is because he is an actor, "no more, no less,"? What is your profession that gives you the right to voice your opinion, but not for an actor? Besides, he has done a lot for the "greatest generation" with his WW2 movies, veterans awareness and all his talents used to brings peoples' attention to their sacrifices. He is one actor who appeals to older, younger, and tweens.What's the matter, just mad that a good-guy/patriotic sort of a guy didn't endorse your candidate? Sort of like the hypocricy the right-wing shows for our military. Vote against veterans as long as wear the flag pin and the phoney-baloney yellow ribbon magnet on the car. I bet Top Hanks has done a heckuva lot more than the radio and TV wingbags who use that old hard line about "celebrities making endorsements." Boo hoo. The same ones who complain are the VERY ones who would be NOTHING if they didn't spout their opinions all day long and make money doing it.

[acudoc]

01:34 AM on 05/05/2008

So much hot air...the only man who raised Constitutional issues in the campaign and who stands up repeatedly in the House of Representatives to vote no on the numerous unconstitutional proposed bills is Ron Paul. No one in this campaign would have even mentioned the Constitution had it not been for Paul's insistence on a government limited to the confines of the Constitution, and a constitutional foreign policy that doesn' t involve us in a self-defeating interventionism everywhere Obama has made the required obeisances to the Israeli Lobby, and disowned his pastor who spoke the truth on many issues, so I guess that qualifies him to be President as much as any of the others. Obama, like Hillary and McCain have unlimited faith in government---and so do I: unlimited faith that the government will screw things up and collect more taxes for the privilege of screwing us further.

[Irons]

01:02 AM on 05/05/2008

O WOW, does this make Barack a mediocre politician because he's been endorsed by a mediocre actor?

[stringer]

04:00 AM on 05/05/2008

You think Tom Hanks is a mediocre actor? As in average? Are you serious?

Did you see Philadelphia? Did you see Forrest Gump? Did you see Apollo 13? Did you see Saving Private Ryan? Two Oscars.

Yeah I hope Barack Obama is as much of a "mediocre" president as Tom Hanks is a "mediocre" actor.

Yeah or maybe as "mediocre" of a president as Ernest Hemingway is "mediocre" of a writer.

Apparently you and society have very different definitions of mediocre.

[ladyv]

07:22 AM on 05/05/2008

If Forrest Gump is anything to go on, no, he's not a mediocre actor. He's a terrible actor. =)

However, Barack will be an outstanding President.