# Ben Affleck a Political Sage? Give Me an Effin' Break! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 26, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005 "2004-07-26T23:24:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005/41 "2004-07-28T14:15:02Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > . . . the speech by the cadaverous Jimmy Carter (“malaise forever”), and the rantings of Al Gore. The real “treat” was listening to Bill Clinton, who seems to be displacing Ted Kennedy as the most crapulent democrat…his speech was boring. Yeah: Carter, Gore, Clinton—what a bunch of boring, fluff-headed nincompoops! I look forward to the deep-thinking philosophers of the Republican Convention, like Cheney, Pat Robertson, Schwarzenegger, Bush . . . ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005/42 "2004-07-28T14:38:19Z")
I happen to know Ben Affleck. He’s no idiot and his strongest intelligence is his ability to work both formal and informal power structures towards his ends. I can’t stand it either when uninformed celebrities chime up, and Ben is no doubt still uninformed, but his arguments will always be sound and he probably has a big future in politics. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005/43 "2004-07-28T15:56:23Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Affleck said he disagreed with his policies, particularly that he didn’t a) finish the job in Afghanistan … If anything, Afghanistan seems, in some respects, to be sliding back. Just today, [this announcement](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5532090/), that Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) is pulling out of Afghanistan. Five of their people were killed, apparently by the Taliban (who “took credit” for the murders), and the government’s investigation of the crime was less than satisfactory. Another interesting comment, one about which I’d like to know more: > [@](#): > > The Nobel Prize-winning group… said it was pulling out also because it was unhappy… with the “co-optation of humanitarian aid” by U.S.-led forces here “for military and political motives.” I don’t believe anyone could accuse this particular group of being a bunch of partisan hysterics, so I have to think their charges have some credibility. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005/44 "2004-07-28T16:10:21Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > If anything, Afghanistan seems, in some respects, to be sliding back. Just today, [this announcement](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5532090/), that Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) is pulling out of Afghanistan. Five of their people were killed, apparently by the Taliban (who “took credit” for the murders), and the government’s investigation of the crime was less than satisfactory. > > Another interesting comment, one about which I’d like to know more:I don’t believe anyone could accuse this particular group of being a bunch of partisan hysterics, so I have to think their charges have some credibility. Pfft. Look at the name of their organization - It’s in FRENCH for gawd’s sake! They’re obviously a bunch of pinko democrats. -Joe, mauve independent ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005/45 "2004-07-28T16:30:06Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Pfft. Look at the name of their organization - It’s in FRENCH for gawd’s sake! > > They’re obviously a bunch of pinko democrats. > > -Joe, mauve independent Ah, yes! What _was_ I thinking?! :smack: They’re not pulling out - they’re _surrendering_! And I’ll bet they’re taking their cheese with them. Simians! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005/46 "2004-07-28T21:12:13Z")
I don’t have one problem with a celebrity going on Fox or wherever and voicing their political views. Frankly, I’m glad they give a damn. Ben Affleck is quite active in his support for the democrats yet I’ve never seen him be brash or arrogant about his beliefs. When he met the President, he was respectful. Aside from that brief period where he lost his dignity trying to woo Jennifer Lopez with full page newspaper ads, I think he seems like a thoughtful, caring young man. I do have problems with celebrities who use entertainment venues to spout off about the politics. If I paid $150 to see The Eagles sing “Take It To The Limit”, the last thing I want is a lecture from Don Henley about the environment. (He didn’t, BTW, which is why my love for him endures.) Were he to cross that line a la Linda Ronstadt, I’d be royally ticked off, no matter if I agreed with what they were saying or not. I want to be entertained at a concert. If I wanted a lecture, I’d go back to college. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005/47 "2004-07-29T02:06:35Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > All of the hollywood liberals arein Boston for the DNC…and I just saw Ben holding forth on his politicalphilosophy! What a dope! Ben has admitted that he never voted …now he is holding forth and telling us lowlives howwe should think?? > Somebody should remind this second-rate actor who pays his salary. What a good one…I hope the DNC has a lot more knuckleheads like this one! :smack: Ben was bitching/bragging about how the tax cuts got him back about a million bucks and how he didn’t need it. Hey, Ben, you asshole - cut me a check. I’ll take that nasty old million off your hands for you. No, don’t thank me. It’s a dirty job but somebody has to do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-affleck-a-political-sage-give-me-an-effin-break/257005.md?page=2)