Does anyone know if Jay Leno is a dem or a pug?

[lonestarnot]

And if so which one?

[lonestarnot]

1. kick

[lonestarnot]

2. It's public record, just don't have time to look at the moment.

[patricia92243]

3. Big Arnold supporter

[lonestarnot]

4. But is he registered Dem or pug? or independent?

[Annces]

5. I really don't think he is either one

but that is just my guess. I think he makes the jokes, but relies on his writers to know what is going on. When he does those Jay-walking skits, I think he is as dumb as those contestants. His wife does charity work. She seemed like a genuine social minded person to me.

[lonestarnot]

6. I am told he is a dem, but do not believe it. Guess I'll be forced to check.

Thought someone would just know here.

[lonestarnot]

28. look what I just found.

Jay Leno
Michael Moore's New Health Care Solution: Coercion
By Julia A. Seymour | July 27, 2007 - 19:12 ET
In addition to insisting the U.S. needs universal health insurance, Michael Moore introduced another plan to help Americans on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" July 26.

He urged audience members to use threats and intimidation with his new "SiCKO health care card:"

http://newsbusters.org/taxonomy/term/393

Even more of a dem case.

and this at http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0010/19/lkl.00.html

LENO: Oh, I don't know what best -- oh, the best joke on the show tonight -- I don't know. You know, what you try to do is you try to -- you know, you analyze what the candidates say and you try to find the best -- my favorite joke, at least from last night, was -- you know, Gore keeps talking about this wealthiest 1 percent, and you know what Bush and Gore call the wealthiest 1 percent: Daddy. That was my favorite, I just like that joke.

(LAUGHTER)

RATHER: Not bad.

LENO: Not bad. RATHER: Now, did you write that -- you wrote that yourself, of course?

LENO: No. I'm sure one of the writers wrote it and I contributed something to it. But, I mean, when you do a show like this, obviously you don't -- I mean, when you do your nightclub act you tend to write most of that yourself; when you do a show every day, you can't write it yourself, in the same way you can't write all the news yourself. I'm sure there are some stories you do, but, you know, people contribute and that's how it works.
...
RATHER: Jay, a survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press recently showed 47 percent of those between 18 and 29 get information about presidential campaigns from late-night comedy shows, and there is, I think, a new bit of research out today by MTV, and Nickelodeon, and CBS News, pretty much the same thing and echoing that.


RATHER: ... or do you sort of keep score, you kind of say, well, we have had too many Gore jokes lately, we need to go on Bush?

LENO: We try to have a sense of balance. I mean, there was a time about two weeks ago before the debates when I realized, you know, we got more Bush jokes here than we have Gore jokes, and then luckily, you know, all those stories about the exaggerations, and the crowded classroom, and all those kind of things, so that luckily opened up another area. But we do try to have a sense of balance. I don't think anyone can truly figure out my politics from watching the show. If they can, then you fail.

[Annces]

37. Well I have heard him

compare himself to Johnny Carson and how Carson tried to just keep things on a comedy level, but I still think Leno just does not care much about politics. Like someone else said, he is into cars.

[lonestarnot]

60. No, he does care. He said something like

Some win, some loose, but he enjoys the game.

[lonestarnot]

27. Without looking yet, I'm going to say he's a dem.

[Musty]

7. Why does...

it freakin' matter? He mocks everyone! And I love how he does it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. His wife is a politically active Dem

[Gabi Hayes]

9. he's a smarmy creep, who used to be funny. that said, he was very supportive of Michael Moore

when he was on several weeks ago; gave him three segments

I find his show pretty much unwatchable, with the very occasional exception of guests like Moore (his treatment of whom I was very surprised...now that I think of it, he's usually pretty non confrontational with his guests, including the worst of the worst, like OReilly and Coulter)

[Bitwit1234]

10. He has to be a republican

He refrained from bush jokes until after the last election when everyone was turning on bush. He did not republican jokes either, but his show wouldn't have been complete if he hadn't and still does tear every democrat apart every night that I watch. Usually Monday to see headlines, otherwise I give him a pass. I got so sock of his jokes about Clinton and his knocking of democrats I used to email him. But they took his email address down.

[lonestarnot]

35. I thought so myself, but I'm not so sure now. Will find out though.

[LSK]

11. Jay who? I watch Colbert during that time slot

:hi:

[porphyrian]

12. He's a gearhead.

He's got a kabillion cars.

[seasat]

13. His leanings depends on which way his chin blows. N/T

[lonestarnot]

57. His work you mean?

Because he's a dem. Had me fooled too.

[Greeby]

14. jackass who thinks Clinton oral sex jokes are still funny?

:shrug:

[tilsammans]

42. Like Joy Behar . . .

. . . she's been beating those Lewinsky jokes into the ground for . . . uh, how many years now?

(Not that they were ever funny in the first place.)

:shrug:

[high density]

15. Member of the Stupid Dumbass Party NM

[orleans]

16. within the past year i heard he was a democrat and i thought: "really?"

it kind of surprised me.

i might have heard him say it.

Jay Leno says, “I’m not conservative. I’ve never voted that way in my life.” He “really worries” what a Dubya victory in November will do to the makeup of the Supreme Court. He believes “the wool was pulled over our eyes” with the Iraq war. He thinks the White House began using terrorism “as a crutch” after 9/11. He feels that during the campaign Kerry should “make Bush look as stupid as possible.” He believes “the media is in the pocket of the government, and they don’t do their job” so “you have people like Michael Moore who do it for them.” He has on his joke-writing staff a number of former professional speechwriters for Democratic candidates. “No Republicans.” When it comes to Bush, he doesn’t think his politics are much different from Letterman’s. “Does he show his dislike maybe a little more than I do? Probably.”

Leno used to read Mother Jones magazine.

Could it be? Is it possible? Is Leno, “the right comic,” really a closet lefty?


snip

People always say that you can’t stand it if people don’t like you.

I don’t mind that people don’t like me. I don’t like them not to like me for the wrong reason. If someone says, “I don’t like Jay Leno because he’s a conservative,” I call him and I go, “I’m not conservative. I’ve never voted that way in my life. Where do you get that from?” I explain my position, and there’s not much more I can do. When my wife got involved in helping the women in Afghanistan, I took a lot of flack for that for my obvious left-wing leanings. “Leno and his left-wing buddies helping Afghanistan rather than the children here.” I got beat up for weeks for that. Just like the Arnold thing. But enough time goes by and people forget that. Arnold was the last thing to happen, so people are still on that.
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/19909/?page=2

[lonestarnot]

24. zactly, that's why I have the need to know. I just couldn't believe he is a dem.

[julialnyc]

17. you can try and look at fundrace.org

I've looked at fundrace.org before and think I remember him being one of the highlighted donors one week (to a dem)

[lonestarnot]

49. Thanks juianlync. I'm going there just to look around.

He is a dem. Funny how well he hides his political persuasion. Guess that is how he lasts on the TV.

[Jack Bone]

18. Isn't he Canadian?

is he a US Citizen?? I dunno...

[iverglas]

38. good lord

That is one thing you can't thank us for, I'm afraid.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Leno

"Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York. His mother, Catherine (Muir), a homemaker, was born in Scotland and came to the United States as an eleven year-old. His father, Angelo Leno, who worked in insurance business, was born in New York to immigrants from Flumeri, Italy.<1> Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, and received his Bachelor's degree in Speech therapy from Emerson College in 1973."


http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/19909/

For info only, and with no comment from moi, who knows nothing about it.

[DemGa]

19. I've heard him say on his show

that he's fiscally conservative, socially liberal (or to that effect).

Neither of those sounds like a Repug to me.

[julialnyc]

20. I'm surprised how much Lorne Michaels gave to McCain

looking at fundrace.org

[Siyahamba]

53. Probably because McCain is good for his business

Providing comedic fodder :rofl:

[tammywammy]

21. Why does it matter? n/t

[lonestarnot]

30. because...

RATHER: Dan Rather in New York, Jay Leon in Los Angeles, sitting in for Larry King.

Jay, let's talk about your own political opinions...

LENO: Uh-oh.

RATHER: Do you mind -- do you mind sharing with us what your political preferences are?

LENO: Yes, I do, because I never give my political preferences. I don't think you could -- you know, that's the biggest mistake you can make.

You know, we had a young comedian on the show once about six years ago, and he walked out and his opening line was "You know, I'm a liberal Democrat," and then he proceeded to do a bunch of jokes about Bob Dole. And they kind of worked. I said to him afterwards, I said: "You know, we'll figure out your politics, but your job is not to inform, your job is to make jokes. If people get some information out of your material later, well, that's very nice, but that's not what you're here to do. You're not a news man. You're a comedian." And that's -- that's what my job is.

I mean, if there's a candidate I like but they've done something silly and there's a good joke there, I have to go for the joke.

RATHER: But you know, as informed citizen, you're bound to have political opinions. So if you're not going to tell us what the opinions are, let me ask the question -- a question this away.

LENO: Go ahead.

RATHER: Do your political opinions, your feelings on issues, for example, do they affect your humor?

LENO: I think they affect your humor in terms of how you look at -- you know, you can look at sort of moral law and God's law and then you can look at human law. You know what I mean? I mean, God's law, "Thou shalt not kill," committing adultery -- blah, blah, blah -- those don't have any political affiliation. So how you choose to do your jokes about that, that's fine.

When you get into, well, my tax plan will give seniors, you know, that's all just manmade gobbledygook to me that you can make fun of either side on that.

But I think most people tend to follow sort of, like speeding -- that's a manmade law. But like I said, killing or whatever, that's a God law, that's a moral law. And you can go either way on that: Those don't have any political affiliation.

Did I dodge that -- did I dodge that well?

RATHER: Very well.

LENO: Yes.


http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0010/19/lkl.00.html

[lonestarnot]

32. and because

47 percent of those between 18 and 29 get information about presidential campaigns from late-night comedy shows, and there is, I think, a new bit of research out today by MTV, and Nickelodeon, and CBS News, pretty much the same thing and echoing that.
http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0010/19/lkl.00.html

[lonestarnot]

36. and

"Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, believes that Leno -- along with other late-night talk show hosts -- crossed the line from entertainment into political journalism a long time ago, and needs to play by the rules of journalism."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A412-2003Oct8?language=printer

"If you have a big show like Jay Leno and reach a lot of people, you have the power to influence hearts and minds. You have a responsibility to the public," Rosenstiel said. "If you want to play Peter Jennings, then you have to play by some of the same rules as Peter Jennings, even if 99 percent of your show is pure entertainment. You cross a line when you start to get into this other game. If his responsibility is to entertain people, and it ends there, maybe he should refrain from having political people on the air."

and last paragraph same article.

Gitlin said this mixing of entertainment and politics will have consequences, and while they may not be entirely foreseeable, he doubts any of them will be positive. "These shows are in effect our version of political parties. They're venues where politics happens. This is inordinate power for people who find it unexceptional that a Schwarzenegger should presume to want to be governor. This is a very slippery slope, and we're way down it."

[madokie]

22. I read that he's a dem

I don't watch his show because I'm not up at that time but I do like his articles in popular mechanics and he comes across as a good person who cares about his surroundings so that to a certain extent tells me he is more dem than pug. I sure hope so anyway

[lonestarnot]

26. I guess I will have to figure it out and come back with an answer.

Thanks Madokie. :hug:

[daninthemoon]

23. I don't think a single night has passed in the last 7 years without a

Clinton/Lewinski joke of one sort or another.I rarely watch him anymore because of it. I'd almost be willing to put money down that he will make some such joke tonight. Any takers?

[lonestarnot]

25. I would but I don't watch him either.

[MasterDarkNinja]

29. He's a social liberal & fiscal conservative according to wikipedia

[lonestarnot]

31. He is a public person and it is public record.

Or is it?

[fishwax]

33. I know his wife has donated to Barbara Boxer and

made other dem contributions as well, but I don't know anything for sure about Jay ...

[lonestarnot]

34. Thanks fishwax. And for sure good on Jay's wife.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

39. Democrat (+ LINK:)

http://www.laweekly.com/general/deadline-hollywood/does-mr-middle-of-the-road-lean-left/9012/

[lonestarnot]

44. Yes!

Just what I was looking for as an answer, but I have another motivation. Thank you soooooo soooooo much Starbucks Anarchist! :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

45. You're welcome!

:hi:

[lonestarnot]

52. I am going to PM you.

Ugh oh. :hi: :rofl:

[HughMoran]

55. Interesting

I always thought he was a Republican from conservative Andover...

[lonestarnot]

56. Nope.

[HughMoran]

58. I guess I've been starting false rumors about him

Glad they weren't true! :D

[lonestarnot]

59. LOL.

Yikes glad I didn't and got called on my mistake before it got far. I did curse him at the TV. LOL He's very good at his job I guess.

[antigop]

40. I don't know about Jay, but he mentioned his wife is a liberal Democrat n/t

[UTUSN]

41. His wife is an AMAZING Lib woman, but he's an a-hole n/t

[lonestarnot]

46. I respect your conclusion and have drawn the same one, but I find that I owe the man

an apology for coming to the wrong conclusion regarding his politics.

[UTUSN]

51. Huh? So how do you and I agree? n/t

[lonestarnot]

54. "have drawn" past tense. He's a dem. Fact.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

43. I Would Preseume He's A Dem

Lots of Hollywood Dems are infatuated with Arnold...Class and profession are thicker than water...

[lonestarnot]

47. He apparently is a dem. Arnold is apparently a personal friend.

Yuck go figure.

[book_worm]

48. I've read he's a Dem, but he would probably consider it a compliment that people have to wonder

which party he belongs to.

[lonestarnot]

50. Actually, he said that.

[Madspirit]

61. He's a Democrat

He doesn't like Clinton because HE said he has a daughter Monica's age. No, I don't have proof. I read it in an interview a few years back and I didn't think at the time: "Hmm...better keep this just in case I some day join a group called 'Democratic Underground' and have to PROVE I saw this." Sorry but you can probably find it out there if you want.
Lee

[Skittles]

62. he sucks either way

I can't stand him