NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/02/haysbert.obama.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

RENO, Nevada (AP) -- Dennis Haysbert likes to believe his portrayal as the first African-American U.S. president on Fox's "24" may have helped pave the way for Barack Obama.

"If anything, my portrayal of David Palmer, I think, may have helped open the eyes of the American people," said the actor, who has contributed $2,300 to the Illinois Democrat's presidential campaign.

"And I mean the American people from across the board -- from the poorest to the richest, every color and creed, every religious base -- to prove the possibility there could be an African-American president, a female president, any type of president that puts the people first," he said Tuesday.

Haysbert, who now stars on "The Unit" on CBS, made his comments to reporters during a teleconference call promoting the upcoming American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe.

Haysbert, who also played Nelson Mandela in the 2007 film "Goodbye Bafana," said his role as President Palmer seemed to "confuse people" who would approach him on the street "every day, almost every hour, and ask me to run."

"I still, even after three seasons into `The Unit' playing Sgt. Maj. Jonas Blaine, I'm still asked by people on the street to run," he said.

Haysbert, 54, said he recently stopped for dinner south of Los Angeles with his daughter in Dana Point, Calif., a town he described as "very wealthy, very white and very Republican."

"I go into this little restaurant with that demographic and a lady comes up to me and says, `You know, I want to vote for you,"' he said. "I don't know if it is a joke or that people just like to say those things. But to me, for them to say it out loud means they are thinking about it."

What a big head on this fool eh?...really its things like that that make me continue to feel bad about being an american, cause of course we would want to make an actor who played the president on a show about terrorism and stronge police justice to be our real president. I mean he obviously knows how to handle nuclear situations and his qualification of 'played one on T.V.' totally checks out and is a valid reason to walk up and tell him you'd vote for him if he ran for president...please people don't encourage this stupidity

Honestly, it is as much of a qualification as "I was in the military."

Chris Rock did it first. :p

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/02/haysbert.obama.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview



What a big head on this fool eh?...really its things like that that make me continue to feel bad about being an american, cause of course we would want to make an actor who played the president on a show about terrorism and stronge police justice to be our real president. I mean he obviously knows how to handle nuclear situations and his qualification of 'played one on T.V.' totally checks out and is a valid reason to walk up and tell him you'd vote for him if he ran for president...please people don't encourage this stupidity

i dont think you have to worry about it. mr haysbert isnt running for president.

and if fred thompson's candidacy is any indication, people are quite able to tell the difference between tv persona and reality when it comes to actually voting.

Considering that people actually asked him to run, I suddenly find his claim of making a black president seem more acceptable to be slightly less retarded of a claim.

Honestly, it is as much of a qualification as "I was in the military."

well the military is a better qualification, at least there you got strict dicipline, training and such whereas this man here just goes off and pretends to be someone for a little while then walks out with a million dollar paycheck.

Meh. Morgan Freeman was there first in Deep Impact, if I remember rightly.

Clearly his inspiration was from the African-American President on the N64 Perfect Dark. All I can say is that Obama should be beware of disloyal National Security Advisers who have close relations with tall blonde men.

well the military is a better qualification, at least there you got strict dicipline, training and such whereas this man here just goes off and pretends to be someone for a little while then walks out with a million dollar paycheck.

Yeah, but that discipline and training also comes with the conditioning of situations being handled by battle. Shouldn't we want a guy who thinks of diplomacy first?

the idea that the portrayal of african americans as president in the mainstream media has served as a cultural ice breaker of sorts seems entirely plausible to me. its not like there isn't tons of precedent for this sort of thing in race relations.

Meh. Morgan Freeman was there first in Deep Impact, if I remember rightly.

james earl jones beat him by a bit

Meh. Morgan Freeman was there first in Deep Impact, if I remember rightly.
The Onion (http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/do_we_really_want_another_black):
I am not prejudiced. Far from it. What I am—or, I should say, who I am—is a man who loves his country so deeply that he is unwilling to stand idly by while our nation allows itself to be completely annihilated by another incoming comet.

Have we learned nothing from the tragic events of 1998, when, under the watch of President Morgan Freeman, this nation was plunged into chaos, and hundreds of millions of people died at the hands of the deadly Wolf-Beiderman space rock? The mere fact that this country is even considering putting another black man, Barack Obama, in the Oval Office proves that we have not.

We can't deny the facts, people. All we will get by electing an African-American is Texas-size space particles crashing into the Earth's surface, mega-tsunamis that barrel into the Appalachian Mountains, and 6.6 billion dead people.

I'm not suggesting that President Freeman was directly responsible for the creation of the Wolf-Beiderman comet or its Earth-bound path. That would be ridiculous. What I am saying is that under the watch of a black man that comet destroyed the entire Eastern seaboard. So, if history is any indicator, a vote for Barack Obama in 2008 is essentially a vote for the complete and total obliteration of the human race.

Don't we owe it to our children, and our children's children, to use this upcoming election to guarantee the Earth's existence rather than dooming it for eternity?

To even risk putting Mr. Obama in a position where he would insist, as past black presidents have, that our nuclear arsenal is powerful enough to divert the incoming comet would be foolish, to say the least. Any decision like that would only break the fast-approaching space rock into two very powerful asteroids, both of which would end up heading straight for Earth, leaving all of us who aren't on the small list of people picked to live in the government-sponsored protective caves to burn, drown, or die while in the arms of our estranged fathers. The only difference is, this time around, the late astronaut Robert Duvall will not be alive to save millions of lives by conducting a suicide space mission to destroy the larger of the two asteroids before it enters the Earth's atmosphere.

In my book, any possible repeat of this extinction-level event is reason enough not to elect another African-American president. Consider that later that same summer, just two months after the first deep impact, this very country once again faced Armageddon in the form of another comet hurtling toward Earth. In this instance, under the watch of a white president who sort of looked like an older Dennis Quaid, that catastrophe was avoided entirely.

As if that is not enough, history shows us that, besides carrying the baggage of a guaranteed asteroid strike, black heads of state also give terrorists extra motivation to destroy the United States. During the presidency of 24's David Palmer, there were no fewer than four nuclear bombs smuggled into this country. That's four more than under any white president. Though we should have known better than to elect President Palmer in the first place (he was elected three years after President Freeman left office), the U.S. populace made him the commander in chief because it was swayed by then-Senator Palmer's commitment to change, his no-nonsense approach, and his ability to inspire. Sound familiar?†

Asteroids and nuclear bombs—that's what this nation can expect from an Obama White House.

Need I even mention that former President Chris Rock and his administration's slogan was "The only thing white is the house"? Though this attitude broke down the stuffiness typically associated with proper White House decorum, President Rock's laissez-faire approach not only made a mockery of the office at home, but made the United States look like a joke abroad.

I concede that the United States has had a competent African-American president in the huge black guy from the The Fifth Element, who did great things for this country by keeping the evil Mr. Zorg at bay. But that is years from now. There is no denying that by 2236, when we have flying taxicabs, this country will be ready for a black president. But until then, if we want life in this great land to continue as we know it, we owe it to ourselves to make the right choice and reelect Kevin Kline.

james earl jones beat him by a bit

Tommy "Tiny" Lister was president of the WORLD in The 5th Element.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/02/haysbert.obama.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview



What a big head on this fool eh?...really its things like that that make me continue to feel bad about being an american, cause of course we would want to make an actor who played the president on a show about terrorism and stronge police justice to be our real president. I mean he obviously knows how to handle nuclear situations and his qualification of 'played one on T.V.' totally checks out and is a valid reason to walk up and tell him you'd vote for him if he ran for president...please people don't encourage this stupidity

We elected an actor to be President a long time ago. Perhaps you forgot.

California, the supposed paragon of how our nation "should" go, and how we Americans "should" live our lives, has elected Ronald Reagan (an actor) to be their state Governor, George Murphy (a song and dance man) to be a Senator, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (who is an actor, but just barely) to be state Governor. And Clint Eastwood (an actor, director, and producer) to be mayor of Carmel, California.

Not as bad as another state, who voted in a WWF wrestler and would-be actor to be their governor.

"24" Sux!!! People really watch that dull show?

the idea that the portrayal of african americans as president in the mainstream media has served as a cultural ice breaker of sorts seems entirely plausible to me. its not like there isn't tons of precedent for this sort of thing in race relations.

Well, the claim isn't that farfetched, but taking all the credit for it? That is. From the top of my head I can think of movie named Fifth Element where they had black president, and I'm sure there are others besides the two...

well the military is a better qualification, at least there you got strict dicipline, training and such whereas this man here just goes off and pretends to be someone for a little while then walks out with a million dollar paycheck.

You mean like our current Beloved Dear Leader who spent his "military career" in the Air National Guard sitting in bars pretending he was being a war hero like Daddy by constantly shooting down Kamikazes? If that's considered a military qualification hell, anyone who played Call of Duty can run for President on a military background!

i dont think you have to worry about it. mr haysbert isnt running for president.

and if fred thompson's candidacy is any indication, people are quite able to tell the difference between tv persona and reality when it comes to actually voting.Are you sure they didn't not vote for Thompson because he portrayed a neo-Nazi?

You mean like our current Beloved Dear Leader who spent his "military career" in the Air National Guard sitting in bars pretending he was being a war hero like Daddy by constantly shooting down Kamikazes? If that's considered a military qualification hell, anyone who played Call of Duty can run for President on a military background!Company of Heroes is where it's at. Anyone can pick up a gun and fight. It takes a real (wo)man to send squads of riflemen to their deaths at the hands of an MG42, hoping to distract it long enough for your flamethrower engineers to flank it. That's presedential material! :D

Next the Bruce Almighty guys will be claiming they gave black people souls.

California, the supposed paragon of how our nation "should" go, and how we Americans "should" live our lives

...wait, what? Who 'supposed' this? Besides you in yet another lame strawman, that is?

No one ever suggested that just because we have freedom and prosperity in California that people in Virginia should have it too. You're most likely not ready for it.

has elected Ronald Reagan (an actor) to be their state Governor

...you do know that he was POTUS? Elected by the entire country?

, George Murphy (a song and dance man) to be a Senator, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (who is an actor, but just barely) to be state Governor. And Clint Eastwood (an actor, director, and producer) to be mayor of Carmel, California.

Entertainers in political office? Clearly that's un-American.

Are you sure they didn't not vote for Thompson because he portrayed a neo-Nazi?

i cant be SURE but it was a minor role and far earlier than his stint on law and order.

Old joke from the Reagan era:
A conspiracy theorist is going on about how John Hinckley really did kill Reagan, but "they" covered it all up.
Somebody objects, "No, no, I saw Reagan just the other day."
"That's a stand-in, a body double."
"You mean... there's some actor pretending to be the President???"


And a Schwarz joke: did you know that 68% of those who voted Schwarzenegger for governor did so because they thought a cyborg of his capacity could help prevent a nuclear war?

Haysbert is probably just as well known for his role as Cuban emigre and Voodoo practicing slugger Pedro Cerrano in Major League I and II.

Let me dig up a few good quotes

Pedro Cerrano: Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straightball I hit it very much. Curveball, bats are afraid. I ask Jobu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him cigar, rum. He will come.
Eddie Harris: You know you might think about taking Jesus Christ as your savior instead of fooling around with all this stuff.
Roger Dorn: Shit, Harris.
Pedro Cerrano: Jesus, I like him very much, but he no help with curveball.
Eddie Harris: You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?


Pedro Cerrano: Hats for bats, keep bats warm.


Pedro Cerrano: Is very bad to steal Jobu's rum. Is very bad.


Harry Doyle: So a tough loss for the Indians as Pedro Cerrano doubles off a pigeon and is tagged out while administering CPR before the tying run could score. Funny game ain't it Monty?
Monte: Well at least the bird survived.
Harry Doyle: Who cares? It's a rat with wings.

My Inspiration comes from the Daily Show so i think we're about even, lol...

But, i actually think its a damn sight better than all your plans/ideas coming straight from Reagan's Playbook...30 year old plans just dont work in this day and age...

I mean what if Eisenhower's economic plan came from the Twenties? we'd be in a depression inside a week, its the same with trying to use an economic plan that died in the Eighties...Hell, same goes for Military plans too...

Haysbert is probably just as well known for his role as Cuban emigre and Voodoo practicing slugger Pedro Cerrano in Major League I and II.

Let me dig up a few good quotes

Pedro Cerrano: Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straightball I hit it very much. Curveball, bats are afraid. I ask Jobu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him cigar, rum. He will come.
Eddie Harris: You know you might think about taking Jesus Christ as your savior instead of fooling around with all this stuff.
Roger Dorn: Shit, Harris.
Pedro Cerrano: Jesus, I like him very much, but he no help with curveball.
Eddie Harris: You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?


Pedro Cerrano: Hats for bats, keep bats warm.


Pedro Cerrano: Is very bad to steal Jobu's rum. Is very bad.


Harry Doyle: So a tough loss for the Indians as Pedro Cerrano doubles off a pigeon and is tagged out while administering CPR before the tying run could score. Funny game ain't it Monty?
Monte: Well at least the bird survived.
Harry Doyle: Who cares? It's a rat with wings.

I'd forgotten that it was the same guy. I love those movies!

What is inseparation?

What is inseparation?

Conglomeration.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister was president of the WORLD in The 5th Element.

Aww, dammit, you beat me to it! ...by quite a lot.

What is inseparation?

Something that apparently can't be separated....