Written by 
In 2009 Robert Downey Jr. was interviewed by the New York Times. When I read it I smiled, because the old phrase, “A conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged by reality,” seemed to ring true for the good actor:
“I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics ever since.”
It turns out that one paragraph in a single interview years ago made quite a few waves in the Hollywood community, so much so that Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere tried his hand at character assassination in 2011. I wonder if he’ll do a companion piece, since Joss Whedon wants to insert Democratic talking points into Captain America’s mouth; Mark Ruffalo (i.e., The Hulk) wants to stop oil companies from providing gas and heat to our homes; Samuel L. Jackson (i.e., Nick Fury) admits that the only reason he voted for Barack Obama was because he’s black; and Scarlett Johansson (i.e., Black Widow) hawks Barack Obama clothing and accessories for his re-election campaign. I won’t hold my breath.
Given all this, the universe demands that I write something pro-Robert Downey Jr.
Let us first establish one thing: Liberal Hollywood actors get to be activists. They get to loudly and proudly state their opinions. They get handed megaphones in front of large audiences or microphones off to the side of a fashion show runway. Robert gives a passing reference to rejecting liberalism and he’s attacked. Here’s what an anonymous source told Wells:
“His values are pure Republican values … He’s a serious materialist. He loves the great clothes, the beautiful house, the cool cars. He’s a ‘protect the rich’ guy. Why should the rich have to pay for this or that? The people who have it should keep it, and the people who don’t have it shouldn’t complain.”
Really? So Robert Downey Jr. tells the New York Times that his time spent in prison had a profound impact on his politics, but somehow we’re supposed to believe it’s really about wanting to swim in Olympic-sized pools of gold like Scrooge McDuck? Consider me skeptical.
What’s more likely: that Robert Downey Jr. found out that there are some really bad, really evil people behind bars…or that he just loves designer clothes? What’s more likely: that Robert Downey Jr. learned that allowing someone to suffer the consequences of their actions is often times better than perpetually shielding them from blow back…or that he wants to have a really nice house he can lord over the rest of us?
Robert admitted to the New York Times that he didn’t talk politics too loudly at dinner tables in Hollywood. Can anyone blame him? Even somewhat obscure allusions to a conservative streak gets the guy lambasted by his peers. It would be incredibly dangerous for Hollywood’s “Iron Man,” … someone as “cool” as Downey, to be openly conservative. The kiddies might take to such a message if it was articulated by an actor with a respected resume that runs the gamut. Downey can give a serious performance in an art house flick, he can do dark comedy, or he can do the summer blockbuster. And so, Hollywood must make the message loud and clear: “Great career you have there. It would be a shame if something happened to it.”
I’m sure that liberals in Hollywood aren’t happy that Iron Man 3 is getting The Tom Clancy treatment, particularly if that includes a script infused with Clancy’s conservatism. And so, I will leave them with one more comment to ponder. During his time directed by Joss Whedon for The Avengers, Downey said this:
“I will never mess with your intent. I will question every day how you plan to get there. But I will never mess with what you’re trying to accomplish.”
That sounds like many conservatives I know. Conservatives are much more inclined to say, “I know that you want to create a better place. However, your policies are naive, they don’t work in the real world and they actually have the opposite effect of your intended goals.” Remember when liberals used to pride themselves on questioning authority? Now it’s up to conservatives and libertarians; the Progressive college students soak up everything they’re told and liberal Hollywood stars blindly follow Barack Obama off a financial cliff.
Anyway, God bless you Robert Downey Jr. You’re one hell of an actor. See you opening night.
Related: Robert Downey Jr. ambushed over politics: Reporters want Iron Man to be a liberal activist
Update: Since Robert Downey Jr. has attended a Barack Obama fundraiser, I have addressed the matter in depth.
Related: Iron Man 3: Americans will love it, but so will moviegoers who hate America
Douglas Ernst Blog 
Very interesting post. Intriguing how the tables have turned from the blacklist of Macarthurism (albeit for communism, not liberalism) into a sort of exclusion of conservatives. I wasn’t aware of Downey’s politics – not that it matters. Thanks!
McCarthyism*
Thanks for taking the time to give it a read. I appreciate it. Downey has never been too open about his politics. On some level he probably just doesn’t want to disclose some of the painful lessons he learned in prison… He seems like a pretty bright guy, so it would be nice to see him to expand on the NYT article, but I completely understand why he’d rather just act. It’s probably better that way.
Excellent choice!!
Thanks, as always, for the read and the kind comments my friend.
I find it maddening that the faux Hollywood intelligentsia discriminates against other actors simply for their political opinions. It does seem come off as a McCarthyite (spelling?) reversal.
Indeed. They always deny it, but it’s there. Jeff Wells’ piece even begins, “I knew there was something, no offense, that I didn’t like about Robert Downey, Jr.” That’s the thing; even if there isn’t an organized effort to blacklist someone, it happens because they don’t like conservatives. They can’t simply agree to disagree. Once you “out” yourself as a conservative they start saying stupid crap like, “He’s a ‘protect the rich’ guy.”
The conservative victim mentality is so tiring and played out. The liberals aren’t out to take away your gods, guns, ruin marriage, or sell the country down the river. No more than conservatives are trying to ruin the country. This blog stretches a single quote or point into some flim-flam soufflé of anti-liberal diatribes. You see what you want to see, I guess.
The sad fact that it is easier to scapegoat some perceived evil than it is to admit that your own party has lost its collective mind and is just as sick as the opposition. Both parties suck. Both ideologies suck. Fox News is a biased joke, MSBC is a joke too.
What now? Let’s stop segregating people into one of two camps and trying to shit on those who have different thoughts than we do. Why don’t we have a constructive conversation like civilized people?
Hollywood is not blacklisting conservatives. Republicans such as Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold have done fine. Arnold even got some Hollywood liberals to vote for him when he ran for governor. Downey if he really is a Republican is doing great he’s had 50 million dollar pay days. As long as they bring in money they ain’t going anywhere. Ultraconservative and racist Mel Gibson career has suffered but he has not been blacklisted.
It’s hypocritical to whine that Hollywood liberals are blacklisting conservatives when conservatives during McCarthyism were blacklisting people. The conservatives set up trials and took away peoples jobs in the film industry. Whatever happened to all that freedom conservatives say they support. Oh yeah it’s total BS! Conservatives don’t support total freedom since they want to create all these rules based on what the bible says. Conservatives are all about “authority.” They want everyone to blindly obey and stay in line. This is authoritarian and is the opposite of freedom. It is a big lie for conservatives to say they support freedom. Just look at how they treat people who are different such as gays. Look at how much they hate feminism which free’s women, if conservatives were so much for freedom they would support feminism. Back in the day a lot of the slave masters and segregationists were Democrats but guess what? Ideologically they were conservatives they were conservative Democrats they were not liberals. The strongest opponents of slavery and segregation were liberals and the rest of the left-wing.
My fathers a conservative republican and was authoritarian when I was growing up a bit like a dictator. He set all these rules (some very stupid) and tried to control me and would get pissed when I would question his authority. This is how most conservative parents are. Liberal parents on the other hand are more like friends instead of parents to there kids. They don’t set a bunch of rules and give there kids freedom to explore and nurture there kids.
The truth comes out: you have daddy issues. You’ve dealt with that by watching a lot of MSNBC and then regurgitating liberal talking points on blogs like this. Kudos!
Anyone can have a friend, but you can only have two parents. That you wish your parents acted more like friends than parents is actually rather sad. Maybe you’ll realize that when you grow up.
Read Whittaker Chambers’ ‘Witness’. Maybe you’ll learn something.
Sounds like this piece struck a nerve with you. In this case I’m confident that I’m not just seeing “what I want to see” … I’m seeing what’s there.
Of course not. Nobody thinks they are wrong on a closely-held belief. My questioning probably reinforces it.
http://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/06/10/the-backfire-effect/
Hollywood, being a creative place (that’s debatable of course) certainly encourages people with liberal views, but to say that Downey is somehow in danger because he is conservative is ridiculous. Hollywood is all about the almighty buck. As long as Downey is selling tickets, his conservative views are a-okay with Hollywood execs.
You often rattle off names of conservative hollywood actors. Many are doing just fine financially. Stallone? It took Mel Gibson YEARS for his views to catch up to him. And that’s only because he went apeshit.
It’s interesting how you often try to redefine my pieces in ways that suit your message in the comments section, when all anyone has to do is scroll back up to see how wrong you are. Let’s go to the heart of the piece:
“Let us first establish one thing: Liberal Hollywood actors get to be activists. They get to loudly and proudly state their opinions. They get handed megaphones in front of large audiences or microphones off to the side of a fashion show runway. Robert gives a passing reference to a new found conservatism and he’s attacked.”
Being in Hollywood is probably something like I experienced in grad school; your liberal friends will “like” you and invite you to all the great parties…as long as you shut up and generally don’t say a heck of a whole lot when it comes to conversations that require conviction. Start pushing back, and suddenly they’re not so friendly anymore.
That was pretty obvious from the post, but if you want to twist it into something it’s not feel free to go ahead. Like I said, people are smart enough to scroll back up if they need to.
“Redefine my pieces?” Oh, the you misunderstand me thing again.
No. You found one author, who doesn’t have any real juice in the ‘wood, and you base your “Hollywood hates conservative actors” bit on that? C’mon. Who’s being intellectually dishonest here? Is there a genuine movement or a litany of voices decrying poor Mr. Downey’s political beliefs? No, there isn’t. He makes bank. He’s hugely popular. Everyone loves a winner, especially an underdog/bad boy done good story. You couldn’t write stuff that good.
I’m sorry those people didn’t like real intellectual debate, but don’t categorize anyone who disagrees with you as distorting your message or being a liberal retard.
Have you ever heard of Big Hollywood? It exists for a reason.
Who is this “Big Hollywood?” Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.
I had better be careful, or Breitbart might call me a “pile of excrement.”
🙂
If Robert is honestly converted, I may start seeing his movies in the future. I am not what might be called an avid movie-goer. I average about one per year, give or take. 🙂
Well, this helps Oldnamevet69-70: Downey Jr. Dedicates ‘Avengers’ Screening to 9/11 Heroes
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/05/01/Robert-Downey-Jr-Conservative
Thanks for the comment, and your service!
Downey replaced one addiction with another…crack with money. Crack is pretty much apolitical. Desire for limitless wealth lends itself to conservatism. I doubt RDJr was ever converted from anything. He was doing drugs when he was 10. Prison scared him. Conservative values protect his replacement addiction. He is still an addict, he has merely changed the substance.
“Desire for limitless wealth lends itself to conservatism.”
The people I see who desire limitless wealth reside in Washington, DC, they’re liberal and they seek to feed the federal government’s bottomless stomach. They also exist in places like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, demanding taxpayer money to pay for endless social engineering projects.
If Robert Downey Jr. acquires wealth through legal means (e.g., making really good movies), it’s nobody’s business what his motivations are, and it isn’t right to steal his wealth to give to someone else in the ever-expanding definition of “the middle class.” I don’t care if he makes a billion dollars. It’s his. He earned it. He can do whatever he wants with it.
Great post! Love how you mentioned the double standard in Hollywood.
I find it hard to believe that Downey is much of a conservative, seeing as he is one of the guests at George Clooney’s Barack Obama fundraiser, to which the tickets are $40,000.
Downey doesn’t talk much on politics. So, given that, I’ve used his own words from a New York Times interview.
Did he pay for a ticket, or was he guest of someone else?
Robert Downey is a guest at George Clooney’s $40,000 a plate Obama fundraiser. I wouldn’t exactly say he’s a conservative.
Again, the publicly available comments on Downey’s politics come from a New York Times interview in which HE said he basically said he was conservative. There was an attack piece run on him because of it. Until he says otherwise, you can’t really blame those of us who take him at his words and intimations.
If a good friend asked me if I wanted to be a guest at Clooney’s fundraiser I would go just to have face time with the president. Would that make me a liberal? No. I have liberal friends who would go if they had $40k on hand. If they took me it wouldn’t change who I would vote for on election day, and I’d get a chance to ask the most powerful man in the world tough questions. With that said, I do work at a newspaper, so it’s entirely possible my “need to know” mentality is clouding my judgment.
Before you “gloat,” Mr. Gloating Rich Guy, you might want to bite you tongue and wait for Downey to give a few more interviews.
Being materialistic doesn’t make one a Republican; there are materialistic people on both sides of the proverbial fence. The real question should be “Is Downey a conservative?” To that, I say “no”. Republican? Maybe. But conservactive? No.
As for the Capitol’s gala event, whether he was a guest or not, there’s no excuse for attending (i.e supporting) an Obama fundraiser. And trying to defent it with the notion of gaining “face time” with POTUS is just a lame rationalization. If Downey wanted face time to talk politics with the Bamster, he could get it elsewhere…that is if the Bamster were to break away from the mirror for a few minutes.
Again, no excuse. Life’s full of choices. Downey made a choice to show support for Obama, and in doing so he showed his true colors. In the swill of Hollywood, it didn’t take him long to revert back. Republican, maybe. But conservative, no.
If Downey didn’t pay for the ticket, I see nothing wrong with him being in attendance. Or, perhaps his wife is a Democrat and she wanted him there. Like Obama or not, he’s the president. If I had a chance to speak one-on-one with him, I would take it. Very few people ever have that honor.
But yes, you are correct in saying Hollywood has plenty of “Republicans” who are not conservative. My piece was written within the framework of lessons Downey may have learned while he was in prison (e.g., there are some really bad people out there, and many of them behind bars aren’t there because of “the system” … but because they’re bad people).
Downey paid for his own ticket.
Link?
If true, that’s interesting. I’d love to know why he would tell the New York Times he’s essentially conservative, attend the 2008 Republican convention, and then plop down $40k for an Obama fundraiser.
Downey said his political position was “not liberal” and that it was “interesting”. He never said it was conservative. Why is it so hard to believe that Downey might (like huge swaths of this country) find himself somewhere in the middle? That his views might range based on the specific topic?
This whole thing shows how crazy we have gotten with this left vs. right bullsh*t.
If I were to wager a guess (only a guess, but based on research), I’d say his views break down like this:
Gun rights: for it. He’s always owned and enjoyed fire arms.
Gay marriage/rights: for it. He has only had good things to say about LGBT people as far as I know. Also, since he describes his religious views as “Jewish-Buddhist” (whatever that means), I don’t think he has much religious argument against it. (And as a side note, can we honestly expect someone who describes their religious views as “Jewish-Buddhist” to fit cleanly into ANY black and white label? Why would we expect him to fit into a one-size-fits-all political label?)
Drug legalization:against it, strongly. He’s essentially said as much. Most of his charity work goes to rehab programs.
Environmental regulation: for it, but probably not overly concerned. He’s been featured on television programs being fitted for eco-friendly clothing to wear to premiers. And he eats a lot of Whole Food sh*t. So I’d say he has an awareness, as long as he would still be allowed to have his fancy ass cars he’d probably support it.
Economic reform: hard to tell. I think it would depend on his level of “millionaire guilt” on the given day. It is my personal opinion that his need for acquisition (a vice he has admitted to) has less to do with “greed is good” mentality and more to do with impulse control issues and the means to indulge them. But I could be wrong.
Obamacare: for it, probably. He understands how health challenges are difficult even for the well off (his step-mother had ALS), so easing that burden would probably be a priority. Although, I would guess that he (like most people) has his own specific views on how public health care should be implemented. Although it could be influenced by his economic views, whatever they might be.
Woman’s health: probably for it. But maybe not for abortion, having kids tends to make people more conservative on that issue, and he is a new dad. Although there are so many unacknowledged shades of acceptance and non-acceptance on the issue of abortion, Downey could hold a very nuanced view.
Illegal immigration: hard to tell. Maybe neutral. After all, illegal immigrants aren’t stealing HIS job anytime soon.
Welfare (general)- hard to tell. Another topic with often unrecognized nuances. He does seem to care about homelessness as an issue.
Affirmative action( and other race based initiatives)- hard to tell. Downey seems to be pretty blind to race as much as a white guy can be. (A quality that made it possible for him to pull off his role in Tropic Thunder successfully.) That blindness could could work in two different directions, but whatever his views I’m fairly certain the reason he holds them are not race based.
US involvement in the middle east- hard to tell. Probably changed over time, like most people I know. As a native New Yorker, 911 probably effected him deeply, and he seems to be very patriotic. I would guess that in the 00’s he supported our involvement, but maybe not so much anymore.
And again, that was merely a educated guess at what his views might be.
I think its safe to say that RDJ is neither straight Republican nor Democrat. I believe Robert Downey Jr. is a complex person with “interesting” political views, just as he stated.
And it’s not cool to use his declaration of atypical views as support for your less nuanced, less personal and more pandering political opinion. Just saying.
Actually, my post was rather even-keeled. I was defending him against liberal attacks, and as I said, the whole post is framed around lessons he may have learned in prison. I never tried to postulate on his across the board stances, as you’ve done. The word ‘conservative’ has meaning. He used it. That also says something.
I have also defended his attendance at the Obama function in these comments, so your assertion that I have a “less nuanced” and “pandering” opinion is laughable. Nice try.
What nonsense, I laugh because I don’t think would like it if Robert Downey Jr. was truly conservative. You want him to be a middle of the road type because your probably one. And you political hypothesis on RDJ is a reflection on your own beliefs.
RDJ may said someone nice things about Gays but does not mean he condones their behavior. Has he commented on “Gay Marriage”? Until he reveals to the public his opinion gay marriage or what ever else gay people are seeking, then it is wrong to speculate that he for gay rights.
When did he say “conservative”? I read the interview. It never says conservative. It says “not liberal” which leaves A LOT of wiggle room. (Heck, I know many “not liberal” Democrats who identify as such.) “Not liberal” is exactly what it means: not liberal. That means a big no to crazy hippie, pass- the-joint, everything-should-be-free, save the whales, everyone is a victim shit. But that doesn’t equal conservative. And you’re kidding yourself if you think it does. And if Hollywood is as liberally biased as you say, (which I doubt, as it’s full of greedy businessmen and lawyers last time I checked) “not liberal” could in fact be very liberal to the rest of us.
.
The only thing the article says is that RDJ thinks that most of the people behind bars are there for a reason. That may not be a dyed-in-the wool extremist liberal view but I can’t see how it’s a definitely conservative view either. I’d say that most people (outside of the radical, bordering on anarchist types) would agree with that view regardless of political affiliation.
The rest of your argument for RDJ’s conservatism is so flimsy, it’s laughable. Like this quote: “I will never mess with your intent. I will question every day how you plan to get there. But I will never mess with what you’re trying to accomplish.” He’s talking about his role as an actor on set. How does that play into his political views at all? Seriously. You’re grasping at straws,dude.
I don’t think I need to mention the outlandishness of the excuses you have concocted to explain away RDJ’s (and his wife’s) attendance at the Obama fundraiser. I’m sure you’re aware of that yourself. Conversely, as an independent, I don’t have to make excuses for someone holding a variety of views and supporting the candidate that they think best represents their personal values. In my opinion, it makes sense that RDJ would support Obama this time around. Obama didn’t really turn out to be the radical left-wing socialist president everyone pegged him for. For many middle of the road people, Obama is gonna be the way to go since the Republican’s idea of a candidate that will appeal to the masses is the super-slimy flirting with uber-conservatism monster that is Romney.
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but political views are not binary,and not everyone defines themselves by the affiliation on their voters registration. Some people actually vote based on issues that are important to them, not according to labels. It is exactly the sort of binary, black and white thinking (that you espouse) about what “liberalism” or “conservatism” means that leads those who don’t fit neatly into either mold to define themselves by what they are not, rather then what they are. RDJ is most likely an independent like myself.
So lets talk about the real reason you posted this tripe. This blog post is a thinly veiled attempt to continue the “poor, persecuted conservative” myth, something that anyone with a brain immediately laughs at. That kind of thinking turns off independents such as myself. If the liberal view can be described as “everyone is a victim” then the conservative view can be described as “we (who happen to be among the most entitled people in this country) are the REAL victims. Poor, poor us.” You guys are even more pathetic then the liberals in this matter. Nobody buys this game anymore.
So to you I say this:
Nice try. Better luck next time. 😀
I’m a big boy. I can admit when I’m wrong. I replied to you based on memory, and it failed me there. Regardless, as I said, my postulations on his conservatism stuck primarily to lessons he could have learned in prison. I didn’t try and say what his positions on any number of policy areas are, and at no point did I try and make it sound like people were binary political robots.
My “excuses” for Robert weren’t excuses. I try and be moderate (i.e., let’s wait until we have more public statements to go on to gauge his political identity) and you try and nail me for that. I try and defend Robert from LIBERAL attacks, and you cast me as some sort of right wing extremist. So basically I’m in a no-win situation with an “independent” like yourself.
What I didn’t add to the story were the reports that he had a picture of George and Laura Bush on his refrigerator. The LIBERAL hit job on him also added the to “conservative” mosaic.
If someone goes to the New York Times and says “I’m not liberal…I don’t mention this much at the dinner table,” and then they attend a Republican convention, then most people will read that he has some conservative streaks in him. And if you don’t believe that Hollywood is overwhelmingly liberal and that conservatives need to keep quiet at the dinner table, then we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. Breitbart’s websites exist for a reason.
I lived in Los Angeles. I have friends out there. Conservatives are a rare breed, and that’s a fact. But again, I’m not going to convince you of that.
On a separate note: Obama isn’t the “binary” type of guy, you say? You mean Mr. “you’re either ‘forwards’ or ‘backwards'”? (‘Forward’ being his new campaign slogan if you haven’t heard, and ‘backwards’ the designation he placed on Romney less than 24 hours after his ‘evolution’ on gay marriage.)
http://douglasernstblog.com/2012/05/11/barack-obama-the-evolution-of-a-flip-flop/
You don’t think taking over 1/6 of the U.S. economy with Obamacare was a socialist move? Okay.
No, I actually agree with you. Obama IS a binary type of guy for sure. I mean, I don’t think he’s the kind of uber liberal freedom killer he was made out to be in right wing media sources, nor the liberal wunderkind that would save us from ourselves as portrayed in the liberal media. He’s really just your standard Democrat fare if you ask me.
All I’m saying is that even though our political system is binary, it doesn’t mean the people in it have to be. Sometimes it gets expressed by voting with your head and heart instead of the political affiliation on your voter registration card. Lots of people I know vary election season by election season between democrats, republicans, and third parties. Lots of people I know vote mixed tickets for local elections. That right there is what democracy is all about.
If RDJ supported Bush and then switched to Obama, I’m sure he has his reasons. As I demonstrated previously, I love to guess at these things (lol) but only RDJ himself can know for sure what those reasons are and if he doesn’t want to share them, I guess its not our business.
But I do want to point out that falling between carries its own awkwardness. People on BOTH sides accuse you of disloyalty and it’s really a pain in the butt to have to explain where you stand all the time, especially because you usually end up breaking it down issue by issue (as I did in my first post) and arguments inevitably happen no matter who you are with. And that’s what I hear in the quote you cite at the beginning of your post.
Because RDJ probably hangs out with actors and directors and other creative types who tend to be more liberal, maybe it IS liberals that are giving him more of the shit, as you say. But transplant him to where I live and he’d probably have trouble there too.
Thanks for such detailed responses. This was fun. Cheers!
Likewise!
If you ever get a chance, I highly suggest reading Thomas Sowell’s ‘The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy.’ Great book. It explains where conservatives like myself are coming from, better than almost any other source I’ve come across.
Very well put. I read the blog and was not sure where it was headed. Trying to label people with only 2 sides is fruitless. Myself, I went to the most conservative MBA school in the country and have read Von Mises from tip to toe. As a person living with a life long pre-existing condition, and a person whose parents made career choices to keep me insured along with my career choices over the last 25 years to keep me insured, I support heath care reform. I use to be one who said “no issues with health care” until I lost my job and saw my entire life being flushed to keep profits going for the insurance companies.
Working for a Fortune 20 corp, making well into 6 figures, white, southern man who actually knows Austrian Economics, I should be the GOPs best friend But I cried outloud with joby the day what you call Obamacare and I call Heathcare reform was passed as I have lived this all my life.
“It is an enormous simplification to speak of the American mind. Every American has his own mind.” – Ludwig Von Mises
Subs,
Thanks for the comment. While I’m not sure what you’re ailment is, I can’t help but think you’re confusing a few things about the conservative objection to Obamacare. While there may be individual provisions within the act that are tolerable (we’re still finding out what’s in there!), the mandate is simply unconstitutional.
Two: Whatever your situation is, I’m sure that there could have been reform that addressed it without upending 1/6 of the U.S. economy and putting it in control of the federal government. So while you personally may see certain benefits of Obamacare, it doesn’t mean that more market-oriented approaches aren’t out there.
I truly hope RD Jr. Is a conservative. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth when actors get on their liberal high horse and try to sway us. Having said this, on ABC’s ET during a party for Obama at George Clooneys house Robert Downey Jr. was there. I hope he isn’t a flip flopper. Thanks.
Thanks for the comment. As I’ve said before, I find it interesting that he would make the comments he did to the times and then go to an Obama fundraiser. It could be a case where he’s conservative on “crime” and defense issues, but liberal on social issues. Time will tell. Although, truthfully, I kind of like that he has kept his politics to himself for the most part.
Sod off.
Amazing contribution, Ted.
I can’t see him going to an Obama fundraiser and then voting conservative no matter what anyone says. No one–including Downey himself–will ever convince me that he’s a conservative. And that’s a GOOD thing. 😉
Abbs, the statement “no one — including Downey himself — will ever convince me he’s conservative,” is very telling. I always like it when liberals admit that their worldview is impenetrable to even the most crystal clear evidence that they are wrong.
Yes, because as we all know, Liberalism and conservatism are the only two political viewpoints in existence.
Perhaps he just meant that he came to realise what the rest of america has not; that the world isn’t just black and white.
Great article. Being a minority, and part of the 47%, I had to defend my political view many times over. The rationale you used was pretty smooth. Good job!
I love Downey Jr to the point of man-crush. Check out the movie “Restoration” — an absolute masterpiece and his most brilliant performance.
I vaguely remember you mentioning that in one of your blog posts. I’ll have to check it out.
He meeds to do a movie with Ch Sheen. Hollywood’s two biggest genX fuck ups. Both remain funny, poignent, and intelectual, despite their political differences. Something the subsequent generations have failed to achieve dead cold sober. Irony is lost. Trust nobody under 40…
Wow. Iron Man is a conservative. Who would’ve thought. Meaningful story of his though, going to jail and experiencing reality to inspire a turn to conservatism.
I was fortunate to have met Mr Robert Downey Jr while he was in a halfway house just after his release from prison the last time. My boss was one of his sponsors. I have read several articles like this one including the interview that was referred to. What I find missing is the knowledge of Mr Downey Jr’s character. I found him to be very humble and repentive of his wrong doing.A character not too often found in Hollywood. (Yes I have worked with many so called stars). Mr Downey Jr pulled himself up from the gutter and put himself back to work. He never blames his father’s drug usage or lifestyle. He never blames his relationship with his mother. He is very vocal in taking the full responsibility and that only by doing this can he be fully responsible for his recovery. He is now happily married and he accredits this to help in his daily fight for sobriety. So, I find it is his character and his ability to take full responsibility for his action to be a very conservative characteristic.
Wow. Thanks for taking the time to read and write this response, D’Rhonda! I really appreciate it. Your comment is incredibly insightful. I can’t thank you enough for adding your perspective to this conversation.