# Are there any Republican celebrities? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238 "2011-10-29T23:15:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/61 "2011-10-30T22:50:02Z")
Steve Largent (former wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame) was a Republican congressman from Oklahoma from 1994-2002. He left Congress to run for governor of Oklahoma, but lost in a three-way race (there was also a conservative independent candidate). J.C. Watts (college football quarterback for the University of Oklahoma) served four terms in Congress as a Republican representative, also from Oklahoma. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/62 "2011-10-30T23:48:28Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > How accurate is that list? > > It doesn’t provide any cites and frankly I’d like to see an explanation for some of the names on there. Likewise, I’ve been looking for cites on SMG and Freddie Prinze Jr. for years, and the best I’ve ever come up with is Freddie gave some money to R candidates or something, which isn’t particularly telling. Maybe something more concrete has emerged since I last tried to track something down, it’s been a while. Some of that list has to be wrong though. Rob Lowe? What? He played a Republican on Brothers & Sisters, but that doesn’t mean much. I mean, he was stumping for Dukakis when his underage sex tape scandal hit. Not that people can’t change party affiliations over the years, so who knows. Anyway, while I’ve never been able to find anything on SMG directly saying anything, her former BTVS costar, Emma Caulfield did say some things back in the day placing her in the R camp. She was also really into Elizabeth Dole and once said she’d quit acting to campaign for her if she ran again. I once saw Shannen Doherty say she was a Republican in an interview, I almost wonder if that doesn’t contribute to her problem of getting along with coworkers on various shows. Drew Carey is a Libertarian, and on at least one occasion he’s said that just means he’s a Republican who likes to get high. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/63 "2011-10-31T00:19:19Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Dennis Miller used to be an outspoken liberal comedian, until 9-11-2001 turned him into a pussy. I guess it took him ten years to learn how to be an outspoken conservative comedian. Many people say it’s the first responders, but I have always felt 9/11’s biggest victim was Dennis Miller. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/64 "2011-10-31T00:44:27Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Where in the world did you get this idea? Is there any proof of this? If not I’m going to assume you pulled this from the fact producing gland located deep inside your gluteus maximus. Since cites provided don’t convince you, what would be the point of responding to your asinine comment. How long have you worked in Hollywood? Aside from your own responses which prove my point, that conservatism is hidden until a celebrity reaches a level of popularity, do you have anything to add? Or do you just make rude comments based on a lack of knowledge about the subject as a matter of course? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/65 "2011-10-31T00:56:04Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > How accurate is that list? > > It doesn’t provide any cites and frankly I’d like to see an explanation for some of the names on there. > > For example, I’d like to see evidence that Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones and Denzel Washington are right-wingers. > > Based on statements he made while making Malcolm X, I have a difficult time believing he’s ever voted Republican. David Lynch is a pretty active member of the Natural Law Party and I don’t think Van Morrison hasn’t lived in the US since the early 70’s. I’m pretty skeptical of the list as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/66 "2011-10-31T01:13:48Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > And Kerry considered McCain for VP in '04. That doesn’t make McCain a Democrat. > > If you have a cite that isn’t decades old about his party registration, bring it. Until then, I’m unconvinced. You don’t trust James Baker, former GHWB campaign manager and SecState? Also, one of the must respected men in Washington? No one is saying that he’s a raving Tea Party Republican, Mace. But as Wendell said if he’s a registered Republican (and Baker says in his interview “He’s a Republican Mayor”) then it is perfectly valid to call him a republican celebrity. Though I will say I can (anecdotally) recall him being described that way and him presenting himself that way in the early 90s give or take he certainly seems to have gone to some distance to, well, distance himself from the label now. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/67 "2011-10-31T01:25:08Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Dennis Miller used to be an outspoken liberal comedian, until 9-11-2001 turned him into a pussy. I guess it took him ten years to learn how to be an outspoken conservative comedian. It wasn’t exactly 9-11 that turned Miller. Miller himself says he turned because of Democrats behavior towards (1) Adm. James Stockdale (Ross Perot’s running mate) in the 1992 Presidential election - Stockdale was virtually deaf as a result of torture by the Viet Cong and Hollywood used that as a club against the right for the Vietnam War, (2) the “Giuliani is Hitler” reaction to Rudy Giuliani’s mayoralty of NYC, and (3) the “Bush is Hitler” reaction when Bush took the fight to Al-Qaeda in the wake of 9-11. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/68 "2011-10-31T01:30:52Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > You don’t trust James Baker, former GHWB campaign manager and SecState? Also, one of the must respected men in Washington? > > No one is saying that he’s a raving Tea Party Republican, Mace. But as Wendell said if he’s a registered Republican (and Baker says in his interview “He’s a Republican Mayor”) then it is perfectly valid to call him a republican celebrity. > > Though I will say I can (anecdotally) recall him being described that way and him presenting himself that way in the early 90s give or take he certainly seems to have gone to some distance to, well, distance himself from the label now. I think Baker got it wrong. Eastwood is on record as not liking either party, and being more of a Libertarian than anything else. He was a Republican, but now he is an Independent/Libertarian. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/69 "2011-10-31T01:31:58Z")
“Republican” doesn’t always mean “Hates gays, wants school prayer in public schools and owns stock in Halliburton.” Usually, it just means “votes with his pocketbook instead of his heart.” I have no problem believing that Kevin Costner, Denzel Washington and Clint Eastwood do precisely that, and in Eastwood’s case, the evidence is pretty overwhelming. Mick Jagger, in a 1985 **Penthouse** magazine interview, said that not only did he support Ronald Reagan, but so did every major Black musician he was aware of. The Republican Party isn’t just for creeps and aging frat boys anymore! ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/70 "2011-10-31T01:39:13Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > How accurate is that list? Beats me. In the absence of any of these people denying they’re Republican or actively campaigning for Democrats, I’d guess that enough people on it vote for their pocketbooks for it to be mostly accurate. Voting Republican isn’t exactly a character flaw. I’d never do it, but I understand where it comes from. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/71 "2011-10-31T01:40:38Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > “Republican” doesn’t always mean “Hates gays, wants school prayer in public schools and owns stock in Halliburton.” Usually, it just means “votes with his pocketbook instead of his heart.” I have no problem believing that Kevin Costner, Denzel Washington and Clint Eastwood do precisely that, and in Eastwood’s case, the evidence is pretty overwhelming. Ok, then please provide credible, compelling evidence that Denzel Washington is a Republican. No offense, but your last cite was hardly all that credible. Sorry, but enthusiastic supporters of Barack Obama don’t strike me as Republican. [http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/w0007800.html](http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/w0007800.html) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/72 "2011-10-31T01:42:03Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think Baker got it wrong. > > Eastwood is on record as not liking either party, and being more of a Libertarian than anything else. He was a Republican, but now he is an Independent/Libertarian. The standard for being a Republican isn’t “Carries a card affiliation,” it’s “tends to vote Republican and not Democrat.” He could be a member of the Free Soil party in his heart of hearts for all I know, but they and the Libertarians don’t float a viable candidate in most elections. And my understanding is that he’s a “small L” libertarian, not an actual party member or an advocate for privatizing the firehouses. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/73 "2011-10-31T01:44:01Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Eastwood … is, by all accounts, what I would like the republican party to be: actually conservative and pro-business while honestly wanting to avoid government intrusion into private lives. That is, of course, a far cry from what we have now in the Republican party. Just quoting this so I get to read it again next time I open this thread. Clint is now officially my hero… underscored by the fact that he played my role model in _Gran Torino_: Got to sit on a porch, with a dog (AND a cooler of beer!), and tell the neighbor kids to stay off his lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/74 "2011-10-31T02:00:12Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Ok, then please provide credible, compelling evidence that Denzel Washington is a Republican. > > No offense, but your last cite was hardly all that credible. > > Sorry, but enthusiastic supporters of Barack Obama don’t strike me as Republican. > > [http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/w0007800.html](http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/w0007800.html) Denzel Washington’s voting record isn’t available to me, nor is it the centerpiece of any argument I ever considered making; my most inflammatory claim was that it wouldn’t surprise me if he votes for his pocketbook most of the time. The list I linked to? I will concede that it might only be about 85% accurate. I suspect it’s at least that accurate, though. I sure don’t know the significance of Van Morrison’s presence on it. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/75 "2011-10-31T02:00:38Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > \*\*Beats me. \*\* In the absence of any of these people denying they’re Republican or actively campaigning for Democrats, I’d guess that enough people on it vote for their pocketbooks for it to be mostly accurate. Voting Republican isn’t exactly a character flaw. I’d never do it, but I understand where it comes from. So by your own admission you posted a cite which you presented as a credible source which you have no reason to believe is accurate. Sorry but just because some guy on the internet claims that Rob Lowe is a Republican isn’t what I’d call evidence which is the only thing you’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/76 "2011-10-31T02:03:56Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Denzel Washington’s voting record isn’t available to me, nor is it the centerpiece of any argument I ever considered making; my most inflammatory claim was that it wouldn’t surprise me if he votes for his pocketbook most of the time. > > The list I linked to? I will concede that it might only be about 85% accurate. I suspect it’s at least that accurate, though. I sure don’t know the significance of Van Morrison’s presence on it. And why exactly should we possibly assume that the list is remotely accurate. Sorry, but just because some guy on the internet claims something doesn’t make it so. For your sake I hope you’ve never ridiculed the birthers because your arguments hold about as much water as their’s. Also, I find it hysterical that you’re claiming that you have no idea what “Denzel Washington’s voting record” is after I linked to ABCNEWS(a bit more credible than your some-guy-on-the-internet) which mentions him voting for Obama. If you’re not going to bother reading people posts and cites there’s really not much point in having a discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/77 "2011-10-31T02:20:15Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > And why exactly should we possibly assume that the list is remotely accurate. > > Sorry, but just because some guy on the internet claims something doesn’t make it so. > > For your sake I hope you’ve never ridiculed the birthers because your arguments hold about as much water as their’s. > > Also, I find it hysterical that you’re claiming that you have no idea what “Denzel Washington’s voting record” is after I linked to ABCNEWS(a bit more credible than your some-guy-on-the-internet) which mentions him voting for Obama. > > If you’re not going to bother reading people posts and cites there’s really not much point in having a discussion. You linked to something called “ACEShowbiz,” not ABC News. Maybe that’s better than “some guy on the internet,” but not by much. In my last post, I said that Denzel Washington’s voting record isn’t available to me, nor is it the centerpiece of any argument I ever considered making. I stand by that. If you’re not going to bother reading people posts there’s really not much point in having a discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/78 "2011-10-31T02:30:50Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > In my last post, I said that Denzel Washington’s voting record isn’t available to me, nor is it the centerpiece of any argument I ever considered making. I stand by that. If you’re not going to bother reading people posts there’s really not much point in having a discussion. Sigh, I linked specifically to a cite listing Washington as voting for Obama and you’re insisting you don’t know what his voting record was. Washington even attended Obama’s inauguration. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/4286692/Thousands-gather-in-Washington-for-Barack-Obama-inauguration-rock-concert.html](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/4286692/Thousands-gather-in-Washington-for-Barack-Obama-inauguration-rock-concert.html) Now, either post some evidence that Washington is a Republican or admit that the site you linked to is not remotely credible. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/79 "2011-10-31T02:49:15Z")
I’m surprised to learn that whether Clint Eastwood is a Republican or not is controversial. I always thought he was. And even if the mayoralty of Carmel is a nonpartisan position, I clearly recall him being touted as a Republican at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238/80 "2011-10-31T03:33:53Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m surprised to learn that whether Clint Eastwood is a Republican or not is controversial. I always thought he was. And even if the mayoralty of Carmel is a nonpartisan position, I clearly recall him being touted as a Republican at the time. What I find more interesting is the claim that being politically conservative is harmful to one’s career in Hollywood. We’ve yet to see any real evidence of this. Personally, I think Hollywood cares about money. If you can make money for them, they don’t care your politics whether you’re Daniel Glover or Bruce Willis. The exceptions to this are people who become so extreme they’re liabilities and this is true on both the Left and the Right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-republican-celebrities/601238.md?page=5)