The latest celebrity endorsement, via TMZ: Jane Fonda. Andrew Malcolm at the LA Times‘s Top of the Ticket blog reports:
And she thinks Obama would make a good U.S. president. Bloggers on both the left and right agree that this is one endorsement that definitely won’t help him. For one thing, Fonda contrasts sharply with John McCain. Power Line’s Scott Hinderaker says, “Close observers of the campaign may recall that Senator McCain admits to having been tied up at the time of the 1969 Woodstock festival. He was still tied up at the time of Fonda’s 1972 visit to Hanoi.” And Goldfarb wrote earlier today, “Part of Obama’s electability argument is that he can win in otherwise red states, but having Jimmy Carter and Jane Fonda endorse…that isn’t going to play well in Kansas.” Ed Morrissey adds that this endorsement might even help McCain: “McCain’s narrative as a Vietnam War POW who suffered torture while Fonda gave his captors photo-ops will resonate even further if she takes to the stump on Obama’s behalf.” If blogger sentiment is any indication of how Americans feel about Fonda, then this could mean big trouble for Obama. For example, blogger McQ at QandO says, “For many Vietnam and Vietnam era vets she symbolized those who crossed the line from responsible dissent to materially aiding the war effort of the enemy. Legally she got a pass. But in the minds of many veterans she is a despicable creature that few have forgiven.” And even some lefty bloggers are disgusted by Fonda and think this endorsement is no good. Like Dustin at Comments From Left Field says, “Even if she is just another over-the-hill Hollywood elite answering an ambush reporter’s question she’s damning company to keep. What Fonda represents to the many Americans is everything that’s wrong with liberalism and all she can do is harm the Democratic nominee.”
