David Geffen Talks Clintons, Dowd, And The Private Obama

LA Times:

David Geffen is no dummy. When I called him today, he knew exactly what I wanted to talk about: "Maureen's column, right?" he said before I could finish a sentence. I guess you don't get to be a fabulously successful media mogul without having a sixth sense of what on someone's mind, whether they're a famous filmmaker or a tongue-tied reporter.

When historians start looking for turning points in the trajectory of the Obama campaign for the presidency, they will inevitably turn to Feb. 21, 2007, the day that the New York Times' Maureen Dowd ran a column where Geffen blasted then-Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton. He didn't just say he disliked Hillary, he dismissed her as "the easiest [candidate] to beat." He called Hillary overproduced and overscripted. "It's not a very big thing to say, 'I made a mistake' on the war, and typical of Hillary Clinton that she can't."

Geffen added that after eight years of George W. Bush as president, "I don't think that another incredibly polarizing figure, no matter how smart she is and no matter how ambitious she is--and God knows, is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton--can bring the country together." Geffen's indictment of Clinton caused a firestorm. It's easy to forget that back in the winter of 2007, Hillary wasn't just the front runner--she was considered inevitable. The entire Clinton campaign was based on a sense of her invincibility. Clinton operatives were telling deep-pocket party supporters--you better

Read the whole story: LA Times

Comments

[SEQUOIABISON]

Naturally I think you are a genius David, not because of your senstational films but because I came to the same conclusion you did about the Clintons and their support for the war in Iraq.

Thanks for your outspoken condemnation of Hillary I think it helped a great deal to get Obama off to a good start.

Of course we now all love Hillary again.

[w&cheneysuck]

It only takes one...

[sueno]

Geffin is the man!
He stood up when no one would and spoke the truth
unlike the many who would not and because they were
scared, were willing the let our country down for personal politics.
I remember the hard time Geffin was given because he went rogue...
I thank him now for his stand and support of our new president-

[useyourbrain]

Get over the Iraq vote. Bush don't need no stinkin' vote. He was already bombing Iraq in September of 2002 (Downing Street memos).

Guess which Democratic Vice-President Elect voted for the Iraq resolution? Take a guess. So much for that being a deal-breaker for Obama.

Obama even said he didn't know how he would have voted if he was in the Senate. And what does "being sorry" for a previous vote? It doesn't change the vote. It's just the typically American puritanism that someone says "mea culpa" and the damage is undone. Baloney. What matters is what the person does to try to undo the damage.

PS -- guess who voted for all of the money bills supporting the Iraq war? (hint: Obama) So, what does that say about a person? Voting for political reasons against your beliefs.

[nomobull]

stuck on stupid

[klandish]

Off topic and wrong anyway.

[UWNBM]

Hey David: Maybe you should have also spent your megabucks on helping defeat Prop 8, too...

True progressives need to understand one thing:

Sexism cannot be pushed aside
Homophobia cannot be pushed aside

If we can move past the notion of whether a black man can be President, then we better learn that minority communities need to support each other, and not just approach issues as "what's mine is mine, what's yours is yours..."

The sad tragedy of Prop 8 passing in California and similar misguided measures elsewhere is that African Americans and Hispanics chose to let religious bigotry get the better of them. I know both groups tend to be socially conservative, and their views were clear by voting for Prop 8...still, if all progressive communities are going to succeed in obliterating bigotry of all forms, we need to work together and not let narrow minded views of religious orthodoxy cloud one's judgement. It was once that people used religion to propound their racial hate, and some use side-issues to promote xenophobia towards Hispanics...none of this should stand...but when we have some groups working against others, we go nowhere in ridding the world of hate and ignorance.

[GrainOSand]

Christianity suggests homosexuality is a sin. There are many stories that are pointed to by preachers of the faith, which suggest that such inclinations are indicative of a society in decline (Sodom and Gomorrah, the End Times of Revelations). For true believers it is hard to bridge the gap between divine beliefs and practical societal experiences that suggest that gay people are people too.

That said, I am (against my better judgment) going to offer up a comment on this issue. As an African American who grew up as a devout Christian I find that I am not conflicted on the question of whether a person should be allowed to have legal representation and protection of their decision to spend the rest of their lives with another person. As one who knows many fine people of the LGBT community, I cannot in good conscience, be against any thing that denies human beings the right to love and the legal protections afforded to all other humans under law concerning expression of love in matrimony. This position speaks to nothing more than my exposure. It does not speak to some level of obtained moral certitude.

The position of the LGBT community is that God made them as they are. The position of the moralists who oppose is that the LGBT community chooses immorality. I am not gay. I did not choose this position; it is the way I am. I assume the same for other humans related to who they are.

[klandish]

Nicely worded.

[QueenVictoria]

I spoke to David Geffen once on the phone many years ago. I was supposed to spend a weekend at his home.

He has an open heart from what I could tell.

[useyourbrain]

When he said you couldn't trust anything the Clinton's said as truthful (I guess their effusive words about Obama weren't true), I burst out laughing. This is a guy who's made billions in the movie business and if there is one business filled with more self-serving, toady LIARS, than the movie business is the music business. Geffen wouldn't know the truth if it tea-bagged him.

He gave 100k late in the no on prop 8 campaign which left him with 7 billion. He and his Hollywood pals let everyone down by not going big time making commercials against Prop. 8. Now the damage is done, people will be hurt, marriages dissolved by the very people who "want to protect" marriage.
Hundreds of millions will have to be wasted to fight this fight over and over. Geffen should have spent 10 or 20 million to fight the Yes crowd. I think he'd make it back with interest in a few weeks.

Shame on him.

[JulieSA]

I would like to go out on his 450 ft yacht. The ultra-rich are big Democrat donors.

[TakLoufer]

If nothing else, Geffen really needs to hammer Obama about the fact that 70% of the black vote that made BO president also took away the civil rights of hundreds of thousands of gay people in California, Florida, Arkansas, and to a lesser extent Arizona. Sure you can have a civil union in CA but we get zilch in FL with wording so faith-based ultra-conservative it will deeply affect hiring practices and other business-related situations. Considering how many of us gays voted Obama into office, he owes us something concrete -- like encouraging legislation that states that any Constitutional (US and state) amendments that are solely faith-based should be automatically and retroactively stricken from the record, and not just public admonishment of the black bigots who threw us under the bus the same night they put him into the Oval Office.

[UWNBM]

My point exactly...you bet Obama owes the LGBT bigtime, and he needs to step up to the plate. Even though I did vote for him, I had serious reservations about his stands on issues affecting the LGBT community, his lackluster performance at the Human Rights Campaign's candidate forum earlier this year, and his refusal to disavow an "ex-gay" gospel singer. That blacks and Hispanics let their religious views guide them rather than a desire to see how voting for Prop 8 was a slap in the face of another group of people who have faced hate is a sad development.

[IluvAmerica NOW]

Outside of voting for Obama, when was Gay Community that actively involved in the black community? Blacks only make up 6% of the CA's population. Even if they voted a 100%, the white and Latino vote would cancel it out.

[evgolightly]

Cut the crap about Obama owing anything to the gay community. He does not support gay marriage because if he openly did he would have LOST the election. Period.

I am not prepared to throw the baby out with the bath water ever again. This is how Kerry got screwed.

People voted yes on Prop 8 and that sucks. Don't blame it on Obama.

We have to crawl before we can walk and I'm sure that gay marriage will be de rigeur in the next 10 years. For now we have an economy to heal, millions of Americans in poverty, billions of people living below poverty in the world, too many dying of hunger and disease every day, and 140,000 troops languishing in the blazing heat of Iraq.

[utleftie]

"We have to crawl before we can walk and I'm sure that gay marriage will be de rigeur in the next 10 years."

You can count on it. You can also count on being called out on your ignorance. As soon as you bigots learn your place, we can all move on.

[realityczech4u]

Exactly. Obama owes homosexuals nothing at all. He made them no promises and if they voted for him it is their hard luck if he does not make sufficient concessions to please them. They should have voted for him because he was generally, far and away. the best candidate for the country and looked beyond their own narrow self-interests.

[rzan1]

So black people voted for Proposition 8. How is that Obama's fault? There are gay black people. Were any of them in leadership positions representing the LGBT community against prop. 8, or were any of them otherwise visible to the black community. I was against Prop. 8, but I unfortunately don't live in California. I did, however, contribute to the anti-Prop. 8 campaign.

[utleftie]

Your insinuations are disgusting.

[trish74]

Blacks in California lack the numbers to defeat your measure. Don't you dare make it a race issue, that's childish and lazy. I'm sure you know many African Americans died to get the rights they so freely enjoy today, SO DON'T YOU DARE THRASH THEM. It obvious that if the population has a problem with gay marriage, you would need to persuade them to change their minds.

[utleftie]

We dare call out ignorance. We dare make people accountable for their actions. We dare point out prejudice, oppression, and hate. If you don't like it, move to Iran.

[uheardme]

Obama doesn't owe you jack. More non-gays voted him into office than gays. Hammer yourself.

[theaviator]

Geffen is right about one thing. Hillary's refusal to call her vote on Iraq a mistake lost her a chunk of support that probably lost her the nomination from day one.

It's not sexism, it's not sexism, it's not sexism. It was her.

[rzan1]

I did not ever support Hillary's candidacy, but I thought she said she "regretted" the vote. I don't know if that is an apology, or if she said it because she was losing, but it indicates that she thought her vote was a mistake. When she threatened to bomb Iran, that kind of cancelled out any regret she may have had, at least in my mind.

[saltpeter]

I just know that for the first time in my adult life neither a Bush or a Clinton is going to be POTUS and that's a good thing. If Geffen had any hand in pointing on the obvious point about what's wrong with back-to-back dynasties in a democracy and the very real fact that, as far as right-wing pundits are concerned they are parasites and Clintons are their hosts and how polarizing Hillary Clinton and, even Bill (for stupidly playing right into their hands) are then kudos to him. I thought it all along and was a bit miffed that a year ago the same media that often fawned over Obama now were doing essentially the same thing for Hillary without so much as allowing the American people have a say. I'm tired of the politics of the party elites deciding that it's a certain persons turn as opposed to the politics of allowing the PEOPLE (remember them) to hear each candidate out and then DECIDE. That's democracy folks, Hillary got caught up in thinking she was the annointed one not by virtue of deed, but virtue of association.

[useyourbrain]

Get over yourself. If it wasn't for Hillary running and running through the last possible primaries, Obama would not have been elected. Both she and Bill worked hard to get him elected and she was able to bring her supporters to Obama (supporters like me).

The press annointed her. She never did and ran hard, not like she expected it. But it's sad to think that if HRC ran with Obama as her VP, we'd have 8 years of Hillary and then 8 years of Obama.

[uheardme]

If Hillary had run, she would have lost big. You should get over yourself.

[saltpeter]

If Hillary would have gotten the nomination, they would have thrown just as many kitchen sinks are her as they did her husband and Obama. Unfortunately, her husband played into their hands and caved more than a few times to Republicans and it still cost him an impeachment and the Democrats the 2000 and then 2004 election. She would have withstood it only slightly better than her husband and would have possibly lost because of it. Obama's approach was simple, devise a plan and stick to it. Do not waver from it, no matter what they try to say about you. And hit them back with that plan right away with the necessary funds to do so. Ultimately, Hillary lost because her campaign was erratic. And I will concede one fact that put Obama over the top was the HUGE financial advantage he had to work with. Clinton would have most likely taken matching funds and it would not have allowed her to make many dents in states like Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia. And for her erratic campaign (that very often went off message) and for her matching funds (which would have confined her to only so much money) she would have run a similar campaign to every other recent Democratic Presidential candidate and, thus, lost. She doesn't get to have the nomination just because she has the last name Clinton, the person who get's the nomination is the one who runs the best campaign and that was Obama.

[behindthescene]

YOU WILL SEE HE WILL DONATE THE MAJORITY OF HIS WEALTH TO THE CHANGE HE VOTED FOR.!!!!

THIS IS CHANGE AND CELEBRITIES WILL STEP UP TO THE PLATE...

NO MORE 5 MANSIONS....LIMOS....SERVICES.....

REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IS HERE ...AND THEY ARE ON BOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bluekatz]

I am really happy Geffen said what he said about the Clintons for they thought they were entitled. Never voted for them, never liked them. The reason why Ayers and Wright surfaced was because of Hillary. And if anyone noticed she called for Obama to denounce Geffen but not once did she denounce Palin or McCain. So in essence good rid.dance to Bill and Hillary. New York needs to send her a message. Hillary and Bill were just as bad as McCain attacking Obama but through it all he remain calm, steady and he is the victor. Priceless.

[concern4civility]

Take a cue from Obama and let this heal. First, Hillary provided the practice field that honed Obama's game. Second, she rallied behind him with great force & eventually so did Bill. Their speeches for Obama were inspiring--and extremely helpful. And, you can be sure that Ayers & Wright would have surfaced even without her. Be thankful that things worked out like they did & stop focusing on blemishes. You may not like Hillary's ambition (& sorry--but that does seem a bit s e x i s t), but she has likely contributed a heck of a lot more for the citizens of this country than most of us have.

[learnsomething]

The Clinton's are disgusting hypocrites, They trashed Obama, and they are responsible for that drama which Ayers and Wright brought. I can't stand the Clinton's.. They caused so much grief in the campaign. Months of grief caused by the Clinton's. I always thought Hillary is too polarizing to run for president.
And the damn nerve of them demanding Obama apologize for what Geffen said.

Thank you David Geffen for telling the truth about the Clinton's.

[useyourbrain]

Rove & Co. knew about Wright and Ayers before Obama declared -- you think they're dumb or something? Hillary did not bring up Wright and Ayers.

If it wasn't for HRC, Obama would not have been elected. It's just a fact.

And if Clinton was so terrible, why did Obama have so many Clintonites as his advisors and now his staff and Cabinet will be Clintonian. And that's all good.

[Rondo]

I don't care about Geffen.

We are moving as a nation into new territory.

I'm hungry for new voices.

I'm waiting for the unknown to excite my imagination.

[QueenVictoria]

I can't believe you. ~

[dct1999]

The Clinton's overraction to Geffen's comments is typical of them. Their belief that they are always right, and that no one is allowed to criticize them (except John McCain) is one of the main reasons for Hillary's defeat.

[useyourbrain]

There was something of personal betrayal in what Geffen did since he never said what he felt to their faces, but felt safe (with 7 billion in the bank) in going after them the way he did.

Funnier and ironicier is Geffen calling them out as liars. This from a man immersed in the movie and music business. Yeah, you can trust those people. Not!

[dct1999]

That attitude is exactly why Hillary lost. The Clintons are not the rulers of the world, like all politicians they are subject to criticism. Geffen may or may not have said it to "their faces", that's irrelevant.

All this talk of loyalty is pretty stupid. Who have the Clintons ever been loyal to, excepting themselves of course.

BTW, suggesting that people involved in the entertainment industry are dishonest = a sweeping generalization, a stereotype

[TroubleNYC]

I knew Hillary's inability to say she was sorry for her mistake on the war was going to cost her.

[dct1999]

Exactly.

[UWNBM]

Hillary didn't have to apologize to you or to anyone else...as the Republican party was hijacked by religious nuts and whackos, the Democratic party has been similarly taken over by the freaks of the left, and Hillary had to be sacrificed at the altar for the audacity of making a mistake...

Earth to all those who skewer Hillary for her decision on war:
Obama made some pledges about getting us out of Iraq in a certain time...

...let's see how he lives up to that pledge...if he deviates by ONE day, ONE minute, he deserves as much condemnation as you people who seem to still rant about Hillary's war position...Obama will deserve nothing less. Otherwise you are all hypocrites.

[useyourbrain]

I'm sorry. Mea culpa. Now it's all good. What puritanical bullshit.

Seemed voting for the Iraq resolution (not the war, dummy, read the debate transcriptions) didn't hurt Biden in his campaign.

[utleftie]

"He's really quite consistent. It's why the Republicans were never able to bring him down. He's a calm but commanding presence, thoughtful, measured and always consistent. He'll be an inspiring president."

Hey David, his persona with you was the same as his public persona because he was not going to befriend a Gay man, because he thinks you're inferior. I'm just saying...

[klandish]

You're just saying nothing.

[utleftie]

Whatever...KKKlandish

[UWNBM]

This blind devotion some of you have to Obama is a disease...a sickness...and needs treatment...please stop subjecting us to it...

[useyourbrain]

sad but true, Obama believes gays are inferior and not deserving of basic rights. when he comes out for civil unions for straights, maybe I'd believe it. but there is a cosmic disconnect when someone can preach change, tolerance and equality for all and then say gays can't marry. religion or not, it's still bigotry. being based in religion doesn't make it unbigoted -- it's the definition of bigotry.

I still support Obama, voted for him and glad he won. Perhaps he will grow as a person and see that religious beliefs is no reason to have laws based on religion. History shows how religion was used to keep blacks down in the country -- kept them 3/5's of a human (that's men, women were nothing), kept them from marrying as slaves, kept them segregated in schools, housing, transportation, military, etc.

Religion makes one blind to one's own bigotry. How many wars would there be if it wasn't a matter of my religion is better than yours?

[klandish]

I read your profile blogs which changed my outlook on what you wrote above. I'm Gay too, I assumed you were straight and giving your opinion on how you view Gay people. I now see your intent.