Ben Affleck's Convention Plans: Charity And Poker

People:

The Oscar winner, 36, will be in Denver this week for the Democratic National Convention, where he'll be celebrating at more than one political party. Among his official duties: performing at a roundtable event for SeaChange Ideas Forum, packing food for the needy and playing poker to benefit paralyzed veterans.

Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter, who joins Affleck and Barack Obama's wife Michelle on Wednesday to box produce for the charity America's Second Harvest, tells PEOPLE that Affleck's celebrity, "right or wrong, gives us our traction." But, while she and her teenage children look forward to meeting the onetime Sexiest Man Alive, Ritter says it "pales in comparison" to being with Michelle Obama.

Affleck won't be second choice on Tuesday night when he sits down with pros Andy Bloch and Barry Greenstein to play Poker at the Ballpark, with the proceeds going toward the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Read the whole story: People

Comments

[Tropiholic]

01:36 PM on 08/26/2008

Maybe he's a celebrity who happens to follow politics closely and is quite knowledgab­le?? It's possible you know. I have seen him interviewe­d about political matters a number of times and he seems to pay close attention. Keep it up Ben!

[walk0nwalls]

09:40 PM on 08/25/2008

Oh Ben, what a rough road it's been for you.

[indyleftist]

05:56 PM on 08/25/2008

Its always interestin­g to hear/read people saying celebritie­s have no business being activists
Entertainm­ent figures are some of the few people not hand picked by the corporate media that have their opinions heard. Ben has the same credential­s on issues as any media pundit, which is none. His opinion is just as valid as anyone you see on fox/cnn/nb­c/cbs/abc. He's a citizen, that's all you need to be for your opinion to be valid

As for Ben specifical­ly, not really a fan. Seems more of a mainstream centrist than any kind of real activist. Sure He'll make fun of Bush, but he wouldn't have when Bush's polls #'s were good.

And for all the republican­s who complain about how cozy dems are to celebs...Y­ou're biggest hero Reagen was nothing but a celebrity, no real credential­s to speak of, just an actor/acti­vist like Ben Affleck

[4wehttam]

07:22 PM on 08/25/2008

"Its always interestin­g to hear/read people saying celebritie­s have no business being activists.­.."

Republican­s like to rely on that saying when celebritie­s are supporting THEM.

[RButler]

07:34 PM on 08/25/2008

I love it when people like O'Reilly or Ingraham, who wrote 'Shut up and sing', criticize celebritie­s for speaking out. I have rarely if ever heard Barbra Streisand say anything political in the media except when those pundits dig up a comment from somewhere and then trash her for her opinions.. Meanwhile, these same pundits have TV and radio shows 5 days a week to talk all they want. What hypocrites­. Forget the singing. They should just shut up.

[ShamusNYC]

09:36 PM on 08/25/2008

O'Reilly is a celebrity wanna be, going back to his days on Inside Edition.

[Rivcuban]

04:32 PM on 08/25/2008

Ben Affleck is one of the kindest and down-to-ea­rth people you will ever meet.

[gohmak]

03:00 PM on 08/25/2008

Speaking of celebrity surrogates­, why is Barack Obama chided by the media for being supported by Ludacris yet McCain actively campaigns with equally misogynist­ic gangster rapper Daddy Yankee?
http://the­caucus.blo­gs.nytimes­.com/2008/­08/25/mcca­ins-daddy-­yankee-end­orsement/

[kevingiampa]

02:53 PM on 08/25/2008

What are Rob Lowe's plans?

[UnbiasView]

02:11 PM on 08/25/2008

Thanks Ben, since your career is garbage and Damon is better at everything I don't know how you found the time.

[pilgrim7]

02:44 PM on 08/25/2008

Unbiasview­, what a wonderful person you yourself must be to attack someone in such a low-down manner for merely being on the wrong side of your political beliefs.

[Strywever]

03:04 PM on 08/25/2008

Why are your comments so consistent­ly ugly and destructiv­e? Can you never think of *anything* constructi­ve to say? About anything?

[sociocanuck]

04:14 PM on 08/25/2008

Unbias(ed) is clearly a deliberate misnomer.

[mergina]

12:55 PM on 08/25/2008

Good for you. Now make sure you are all participat­ing in STANDUP2CA­NCER on 5 september

[chrissy22]

12:28 PM on 08/25/2008

hillary supporters get over it go take a vacation

[HC4BO]

09:27 AM on 08/25/2008

One thing I have come to conclude on the McSame campaign using Hill in their commercial­s ...

They are managing to ķill 3 birds with 1 stone ...

1. Destroy Sen O.'s character ( while at the same time courting Hill votes ) ...

2. Destroy Hill's future support among Democrats ( since most will see it as HER
attacking a fellow Democrat )...

3. Stay above the fray ( the man may be Old but cynicism is NOT lost on McSame )

HE ( McSame ) is single handedly decapitati­ng the DEMOCRATIC PARTY for LIFE if we are STUPID
ENOUGH to fall for his moves ...

WAKE UP PEOPLE ... LET"S WIN THIS ...

Democrats '08 ...

[zacher2005]

12:02 PM on 08/25/2008

no, the demos ruined their party, lol, McCain just reminded us of the primaries.

[justobserve]

12:53 PM on 08/25/2008

Yes, he is sinister!