Is Ben Affleck going to run for Senate? (Massachusetts)

[Tx4obama]

Is Ben Affleck going to run for Senate?
The actor remains silent as rumors of a potential political career begin to spread
By Prachi Gupta

Rumors are spreading around Capitol Hill and elsewhere that actor-director Ben Affleck might be considering a Senate run for Massachusetts. Politico notes that Affleck, who was in D.C. today to speak for more U.S. involvement in Eastern Congo, was also scheduled to meet with other lawmakers, including Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.),”who is widely believed to be replacing Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.”

Affleck, however, would not confirm or deny the rumor. “That’s not what I’m here to talk about,” he told Politico. “I’m here to talk about what role we can place in making the Eastern Congo a better place.”

But Boston reporter Jon Keller argues that if Kerry’s seat does, in fact, open up, Affleck could have a fair chance. Affleck has been active in the Democratic Party for more than a decade, and campaigned for Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who beat Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in Nov. Any U.S. citizen over 30 years of age who can obtain 10,000 certified signatures can enter this race, Keller noted.

http://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/is_ben_affleck_going_to_run_for_senate/

[Little Star]

1. Now there's someone I could get behind. I live in MA & I hope it's true.....

He would have a great chance in beating Brown. MA peeps love him and Matt Damon.

[karynnj]

3. Not to mention he is FAR better looking than Scott Brown

and comes across as far nicer. That may trump Brown's only ace!

I suspect that he prefers his current position though.

[bigdarryl]

2. Why would he want to go to Washington in that HELL HOLE

[Tx4obama]

4. Here's a LINK to a short article at Mediaite

Here: http://www.mediaite.com/online/ben-affleck-being-touted-as-possible-replacement-for-john-kerry-in-senate/

[graywarrior]

5. Hmmmm, as a Masshole, I'd support that idea!

[craigmatic]

6. I'd like to see him run and win but some how I don't think he'll take the plunge and run.

[sarcasmo]

7. He has talked about it in the past.

[Aristus]

8. I love the fact that liberal actors are starting to get directly involved in the political process.

And after decades of Ronald Reagan, Gopher, Sonny Bono, and Ahnult, etc, the Repukes have no business complaining about Hollywood actors running for office...

[Tx4obama]

9. Gopher? n/t

[dsc]

12. Fred Grandy

Gopher on the Love Boat he was a Congressman from Iowa for a time.

[Tx4obama]

13. Ah, okay - thanks for the info :)

I looked him up on Wiki.

Bio here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Grandy

[Norrin Radd]

16. Also,

Ben L. Jones, aka "Cooter" on the Dukes of Hazzard was a Democratic Rep for Georgia.

[Tx4obama]

17. I just now found a big list on Wikipedia

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_actor%E2%80%93politicians#USA

List of actor–politicians

Alan Autry (Republican) (Mayor of Fresno, California)
Raj Bhakta (Republican) (unsuccessful candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, Pennsylvania)
Sonny Bono (Republican) (U.S. Representative, 44th District of California)
Shirley Temple Black (Republican) (U.S. diplomat; Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, Chief of Protocol of the United States)
Clint Eastwood (Republican, but describes himself as libertarian) (Mayor of Carmel, California)
Al Franken (Democrat) (U.S. Senator, Minnesota; incumbent)
Helen Gahagan (Democrat) (U.S. Representative, 14th District of California)
John Gavin (Republican) (U.S. diplomat; Ambassador to Mexico)
Fred Grandy (Republican) (U.S. Representative, Iowa)
Ben Jones (Democrat) (U.S. Congressman, 4th District of Georgia)
Jack Kelly, mayor of Huntington Beach, Calif.
Sheila Kuehl (Democrat) (California State Senator)
Nancy Kulp (Democrat) (unsuccessful nominee for U.S. House of Representatives, Pennsylvania)
Robert Montgomery (Republican)
George Murphy (Republican) (U.S. Senator, California)
Stephen Peace (Democrat) (California State Senator)
Ronald Reagan (Republican) (Governor of California, President of the United States)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican) (Governor of California)
Jerry Springer (Democrat) (Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio)
Ben Stein (Republican) (Speechwriter for Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford
Fred Thompson (Republican) (U.S. Senator, Tennessee and unsuccessful presidential candidate)
Jesse Ventura (formerly Reform; currently Independence Party of Minnesota) (Governor of Minnesota)
Ralph Waite (Democrat) (unsuccessful nominee for U.S. House of Representatives)
Frank Britton Wenzel (Mayor of Malverne, New York)
John Davis Lodge (Republican) (Governor of Connecticut)

[dsc]

20. I wouldn't count Springer

since he was a politician then an actor.

[Tutonic]

10. Is he going to run? NO. Keep your eye on Teddie Kenedy.

That is your man.

[Mass]

19. No. He does not even live in MA, opposes Cape Wind, and will be the surest way to get Brown back.

He ran in 2010 on "The People's Seat, not the Kennedy Seat". What would you think he would do with Ted Kennedy Jr?

[kwolf68]

11. Saw him on Maher

Was impressed. The guy is sharp.

[BootinUp]

14. We could do much worse nt

[nobodyspecial]

15. He would definitely win

and is up to the job. I've heard him speak on international issues and he is very smart and sharp.

[Fearless]

18. And he would have my vote and support.

[tabbycat31]

21. Not a fan of him as an actor (or person) but I'll take him over Scott Brown any day

My dislike for him comes back to something he said on a TV appearance about a decade ago. His acting debut was an educational video series that my mom was involved him and I don't like how he trashed it.

I met him when I was about 6-7.