Which Way the Political Wind Leans

Was June really the last time I posted anything to this blog? Egads! That's shameful. I have to admit that my lack of attention to my space here has more to do with my complete and utter frustration with the status quo with regards to politics than it does with what might be perceived as laziness or disinterest. Let's touch on a couple of things here before I get to the meat of my entry...
My choice for the Democrat Presidential candidate:
~ The jury is mostly out on this but I lean towards Senator Obama
~ This would change in an instant if Al Gore were to toss his hat into the ring

With that said, my mind has been hard at work trying to make sense of the hypocrisy that spews forth from the mouths of republicans whenever a celebrity (aka "Liberal Hollywood") voices their political opinion...unless of course said celebrity is a republican. With the emergence of Fred Thompson into the Republican presidential side of the race, I was all set to update my blog with a well researched "article" (for lack of a better word) about the aforementioned hypocrisy surrounding Democrats v. Republicans and politics. While compiling my list of celebrities turned politician whose opinions were/are considered acceptable by the right wing media machine (because they're republicans) I came across an article at TMZ (of all places) that sums it up quite nicely.

Obviously, celebrities aren't limited to disagreements with the right wing. Some see eye to eye on many issues. Charlton Heston and Ted Nugent (despite being the author of such "family friendly" lyrics as "Wang Dang Sweet Poon Tang") are darlings of the right for their stance on guns. And, it is interesting to note that over the years movie actor Ronald Reagan, singer/tv star Sonny Bono, and sports stars: Steve Largent, JC Watts, Jim Bunning and Tom Osborne all used their fame to win office as Republicans. These people actually made official government policy so you would think that those who say celebrities aren't qualified to speak out on issues would be outraged, right? But, consistency has never been a hallmark of the right wing's chattering class.

The article does go on to say (and I disagree with):

So, even though there is little substance or logical consistency behind the "celebrities aren't qualified to speak out" argument, I do agree with the general notion that they should stay out of politics. However, as I alluded above, it's for different reasons. After all, I hope these same celeb bashers wouldn't tell a plumber to stick to plumbing and stay away from political discourse. Indeed, by their logic, everyone but politicians and the self-appointed political elite would be disqualified from having a "valid opinion." You only need to flip through the Sunday political talk shows for the briefest of glimpses to see the irony and absurdity of that proposition. No, I think musicians and other celebs should shut up for a different reason. When these stars speak out, via some crafty public relations work, the stars themselves become the debate instead of the issues. All we hear is" the Dixie Chicks hate America" or "Hollywood wants the terrorists to win." The real issues get swept under the rug and the focus is on bashing the celeb for speaking out.

I don't agree that celebrities should quit speaking out. I believe everyone has the right too and shouldn't be silenced because issues get swept under the rug BECAUSE they're celebrities. The issue isn't the celebrities but rather, what's under that rug...don't let the pundits wield such a hefty broom.
TMZ