A défaut de savoir jouer la comédie et de chanter juste, la starlette
grassouillette (tellement "génération Y" !) entretiendrait une
correspondance suivie avec le Sauveur (a.k.a. Barack Hussein Obama, du parti
Nouspasseronsdelombrealalumieriste).

En revanche, elle ne sait pas encore lire, ou à tout le moins comprendre ce
qu'elle lit, puisqu'elle se prétend lectrice de The Economist ("But last
week, the actress, who reads The Economist"), hebdomadaire libéral
intelligent qui soutient l'intervention en Iraq et qui a plus d'une fois
dénoncé le programme populiste, protectionniste et anti-business des
candidats Démocrates (
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10766009 ).



 ---
"Actress has a crush on Obama", 6/10/08
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10980.html

    Every presidential candidate can use a sexy blond movie star to liven
up his or her campaign, appear at big money events and rally the
entertainment community. Sen. Barack Obama's go-to Hollywood hottie is
Scarlett Johansson, a starlet who trades frequent e-mails with the
presumptive Democratic nominee, campaigns tirelessly on his behalf, hosts
lucrative fundraisers and even appeared in that "Yes We Can" viral video
that got 10 million views in its first week online.

    Of course, there's always the possibility of a backlash. "Even I'm
wary of celebrity endorsements," Johansson told Politico on Friday. "I don't
want to seem like I'm holier than thou. We all have the same right to vote
and, especially in this technical age where we all can broadcast our
opinions, we all have the opportunity to entice others to vote." But, she
adds, "if the spotlight is on me, I might as well try to direct it on
things and causes that I believe in."

    The 23-year-old actress, known for cool, quirky films such as "Ghost
World," "Match Point" and the Oscar-winning "Lost in Translation," has
been an Obama supporter for years, even before the first Democratic caucus
in Iowa, and she's made no secret of her deep devotion to the candidate.
"I am engaged to Barack Obama," she said back in January, joking with
reporters after returning from a USO tour to the Persian Gulf. "My heart
belongs to Barack."

    She's not alone. Jessica Alba is for Obama. So are Ryan Phillippe,
John Legend, Anthony Kiedis, Taye Diggs, Kate Walsh and countless others.
But Johansson emphasizes that it's not just young Hollywood coming out.
"His support goes across all of America, not just with celebrity
endorsements," she said, laughing. "Trying to find McCain's youthful core
group is going to be challenging. One of the driving forces behind the
Obama campaign is that all of these young people who never had a reason to
vote before finally got the fire under their ass."

    Hollywood Politico last heard from the Gen Y icon when she phoned us
with Barack-boosting robocalls before Super Tuesday and the California
primary. But last week, the actress, who reads The Economist, serves as an
ambassador for Oxfam and also speaks out on behalf of several charities,
engaged in a back-and-forth conversation about her political activism and
how she expects the Hollywood-Obama connection to play out between now and
November.

    Drawn to his candidacy largely because of her anti-war views, she met
Obama several times on the trail, talking to him one-on-one on many
occasions. "The most time I spent with him was the first time I met him,
at a private event for supporters," she said. "After that, it's been a few
minutes here, a few minutes there on the trail."

    She e-mailed him after some of the Democratic debates, offering her
thoughts on his messages and performance. "After the silliness of the last
ABC debate," she said of the highly criticized event co-hosted by Charles
Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, she wrote to congratulate him on
"holding his ground."

    His replies have been thoughtful, she said, more than a brief line or
two; on the ABC debate, he responded that the questioning was "difficult"
and he was being pounded on "one silly question after another."

    Johansson is somewhat shocked that he keeps up their back-and-forth
correspondence. "You'd imagine that someone like the senator who is
constantly traveling and constantly 'on' - how can he return these
personal e-mails?" she asks. "But he does, and in his off-time I know he
also calls people who have donated the minimum to thank them. Nobody sees
it, nobody talks about it, but it's incredible." She adds, "I feel like I'm
supporting someone, and having a personal dialogue with them, and it's
amazing."

    He has followed her career as well, telling her that his favorite
performance was her turn in "Lost in Translation." He's a "huge movie
lover" and "knows who every actor is," she said.

    As for her own involvement with his campaign, she's pragmatic. "I
approach my campaigning for Obama the same way I do my work for other
social or environmental causes: I'm hoping to raise awareness," she
explains. "I'm not telling people who to vote for, and I don't expect that
if I did it would swing votes. At least, I hope not. What I want to do is
raise awareness of Obama and his policies, and share my own story of how I
became involved in his campaign. Perhaps, if they're a fan, my story might
entice them to learn or spark their interest some other way. If I can
answer questions or direct people to a website where they can get more
information, that's how I can help."

    As far as the split in Hollywood between Obama and Hillary Rodham
Clinton supporters, Johansson said "it's been a delicate situation," but,
she added, "of course, they're going to vote Democrat." (Johansson said
she has met some conservatives in show business and a well-known comic
actor who calls himself "a liberal Republican." But she admits GOP
supporters in Hollywood are "rare.")

    The Obama organization has a smooth-running surrogate booking system
in place so government officials as well as Johansson and other celebs
know how to best channel their time and energy on behalf of the candidate.
(Her point person with the campaign is former Podesta Group lobbyist Teal
Baker.) In addition, she has other friends on the campaign who organize
events and might ask her to participate at certain functions. "It's very
simple," she said. "I'll tell them I have some extra time, and ask where
they can use me for two days. I'll do cold calls, public service
announcements, all different things to help out."

    Right now, in the post-primary season, Johansson is gearing up for
involvement with private events to raise cash. In other words, if you pony
up enough dough, you too can have Johansson (or another celeb) hang out at
your house. "There are several different ways to approach fundraisers,"
she said. "One is to join up with, say, a prominent family in New Mexico
who wants to hold a fundraiser at their home or at a restaurant and they'd
like someone to host it. There are other ways, too - being part of a
benefit concert or show, and then perhaps hosting after-parties or dinners
beforehand."

    Of course, the "Yes We Can" video was a pivotal tool for the campaign,
even though it was launched as an independent effort by a group of young
show biz fans, including hip-hop star will.i.am, director Jesse Dylan and
soul singer Legend. Johansson describes the effort as "poetic, without
shoving its message down your throat."

    As far as a sequel goes, Johansson concludes, "I don't know that I'd
want to touch it or re-create it, but I hope to find new and interesting
ways to highlight the campaign and bring supporters together, whether it's
live shows or concerts that are fun and affordable and not closed off to
big fundraisers. Maybe we can even perform the song live."