Once neutral, filmmaker Ken Burns picks Obama

Ken Burns is creepy, but kool. Glad to have him on board!!!

Ken Burns' "The War" is a beautiful documentary. He is so talented. For a man of his talent and integrity to stand up for Obama really says something. This is great for Obama.

Thank you Mr Burns for standing up! Thank you for seeing through the many attempts by the Clintons to smear Senator Obama's character. "I think he feels it. He feels it just like Bobby did," Ethel Kennedy said, comparing her late husband's quest for social justice to Obama's. "He has the passion in his heart. He's not selling you. It's just him." Ethel Kennedy invited Obama to deliver the keynote address at a ceremony commemorating the 80th birthday of Robert F. Kennedy. She said she had carefully followed the career of the Illinois senator, whom she referred to as "our next president."

Thank you so much, Mr. Burns.

Thanks for standing up and saying "No" to the nastiness coming from the Clinton campaign.

Thanks for the great endorsement, Mr. Burns. As someone who has (maybe too frequently) used the "Ken Burns effect in iMovie, I appreciate the intelligence and wisdom you have shown in endorsing Senator Obama.

A short film I made "Things Changed Forever" (again - sincerest apologies for over-use of the afore-mentioned effect) can be seen on YouTube at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87kYkALckbw

It recounts what happened to me on 9/11. I also selected Senator Obama based on hi courageous early opposition to the war in Iraq.

Excellent! glad to have you on board.

Ken Burns gave an accurate portrayal of the "necessary war". Not the newsreel propaganda that the likes of Jerry White prefer. That's why our resident "patriot" and other chickenhawks on this board rail against Burns and PBS, they like their war news "sanitized" and draped in the flag.

Where was he when Hillary was getting slammed almost daily by Edwards, Obama and the Republicans?

Another person taking a stand against politics as usual. The politics of personal attacks and using surrogates to do those attacks. We can not be afraid of what the Republicans will say about us as Democrats but stand up and speak the truth. We also need to laugh some of this off like the kindergarten essay about being President. Barack has done a great job of responding right away with truth, candor, and a sense of humor. We have learned from 2004.

Bush's old man says "Forget it, Bubba. I'm not going anywhere with you."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

Thank you, Mr. Burns. I'm hoping more people of integrity will stand up against the appalling smears being leveled against Senator Obama.

And thank you, 'PatriotforObama', for including that quote from Ethel Kennedy.

It is certainly interesting to see how politics reveals the character within people. I'm always so proud to be among Obama supporters.

I have always voted Republican, but if "my Republican" candidate is not nominated and Obama is, the first time I will consider voting for a Democrat. He is natural and genuine.

Stupid statement of the year: "Burns, who lives in Walpole, said he had originally planned to stay neutral because there were things he liked about all the Democratic candidates for president."
Yes. He was neutral,from the beginning with statements like "I think this is a human being (Obama) who knew in advance how unnecessary and foolish this war was," Burns said.
Neutral from the beginning!?!?
THINK PEOPLE!

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Yes. He was neutral,from the beginning with statements like "I think this is a human being (Obama) who knew in advance how unnecessary and foolish this war was," Burns said.
Neutral from the beginning!?!?
THINK PEOPLE!

Posted by: Anonymous | December 18, 2007 5:29 PM

Hopefully The Swamp editors will see this fools comment and delete it, as is their policy.

I have a great respect for Burns. He is a truth seeking and tasteful intellectual. I think Mr. Burn's endorsement of Obama is based on genuine appreciation of Obama's ability, character and his potential in American history. We need to break away from the past Clinton presents and embrace the future Obama can lead us to. It is time for new leadership.

To Gene
>>the first time I will consider voting for a Democrat.

Ken Burns' reference to Iraq as a "fraudulent" war is too kind.

Bush and Chaney are war profiteers plain and simple, and U.S.Treasury money has been squandered on a private war which was never intended to benefit the American people even in a remote way.

Funding for Iraq should have been cut off several years ago. If Bush and Chaney needed to wage that war so badly they should have offered to pay for it out of their own pockets. Instead they've raped the U.S. Treasury, and with it American children who are unborn and unnamed so that they could pay Blackwater murderers $500/day to terrorize the innocent people of Iraq.

Has everyone forgotten that Bill Clinton was impeached for sexual misconduct? Did anyone notice how everyone who was without sin was casting the stones? Has everyone forgotten that Bush's primary campaign contributor was Enron? There's a rogue nation for you!

Why aren't Bush and Chaney sitting in prison cells right at this moment? There is no "Iraq war," only murder to give the illusion of character to a spineless political party which has been dead since Ronald Reagan killed it.

Pull our troops out of Iraq immediately and let the Carlyle Group shelter, clothe, and fund the college educations of every citizen of that country for the next generation. That will cost us less than Bush would have us spend in the next few months on more meaningless aggression.

What mindless idiots could have imagined that Bush was suited for any public office after he executed prisoners in Texas without giving them the benefit of DNA testing?

Give peace a chance!

Thank you Ken Burns for speaking your truth.

Good job Ken Burns! It's time people see the clear choice and get on board with Obama. Edwards, unfortunately, "discovered" poverty and corporate power too late; his one term as Senator resulted in his co-sponsoring (not just voting for!) the Iraq War. Hillary, well, that's another corporate-serving Democrat. She gets the most donations from military contractors, and Obama gets the most donations from those who serve and who have served. Thanks to PatriotforObama and check out their website PatriotsforObama!

Another self-righteous celebrity endorses Obama...Gee, I'm sold.

Ken Burns is a decent documentarian. Politically, though, he seems pretty clueless. What new in Hollywood?

Nice of Ken to weigh in, but didn't he have a clue about Hillary (and Bill) before now? It's not like they haven't been lying, cheating, and destroying enemies for years - decades even. Their personal attacks and scorched earth tactics are appauling, as reflected in Hillary's high "negative" ratings. Let's hope the Dems do nominate someone with better character.

If he is supporting Obama then just say nice things about Obama. If he is specifically slamming the Hilary campaign for taking a negative tone in this election and then saying negative things about her, then he is completely contradicting himself. Don't say you only want to vote for someone who runs a positive campaign when Obama has been slamming Hilary for months. I'm sorry, I don't understand his vote if he being negative as well.

I agree ken is a little creepy/cool but very, very welcome in the Obama tent. I didn't even know I'd lost my "ironic posture" until now. It's weird how most really really smart and talented people are going with Obama. Edwards to the left, Hillary to the right, and Obama from above.

It looks to me like Obama is likely to win the first 3 states unless the climate changes somehow. Ding dong HRC. Even Obama's detractors would have to admit he's a helluva talent at the very least.

For all I know he's completely full of shit and I doubt he's the messiah or anything but I think I'm ready for a president who has raw intelligence AND the ability to inspire people and rally them around a just cause. Goleman would call it emotional intelligence. Obama seems to have a chance to be a tranformative figure, which is what we need now. We also need a damn good "Ambassador to the World" and Obama would likely be loved and revered by millions of foreigners. I think other world leaders would respect him too and that he would be a very effective negotiater. He'd probably surpass Bill Clinton in popularity worldwide, which is saying something.

Media coverage for Obama has been overwhelmingly positivly manufactured by reporters, but fails to inspire, suggested divisiveness in Washington stems from struggle of 1960s. that’s naïve. national crisis when Americans come together, politics has always been a divisive affair. Obama Has Not Won a Tough Contest, his ability to win in a difficult contest is reason for concern. Republicans will eat him alive ask John Kerry, Al Gore, or Michael Dukakis. Obama can't hope for change; you must fight for it. His first opponent, Jim Ryan, pulled out of the contest following the release of details from divorce. Obama has only faced ONE difficult battle for Congress against Rep. Bobby Rush. receiving only 30% and lost. Obama's inexperience hurt him.

His speech opposing Iraq war "I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars. War protesters have not been able to count on him, during his ballyhooed speech at the 04 Dem convention; he failed to decry the war, followed form and strongly supported John Kerry. When asked how he would have voted on Iraq resolution, don’t know said Obama. Since arriving in the Senate, Obama and Clinton have had identical votes on Iraq. His health plan, lacks a universal mandate, echoing his conservative peers, insists Social Security is crisis that needs immediate attention, not true, Social Security Trust Fund would run out 2046.

Obama Takes Black Voters for Granted, when a controversy erupted over the Jena Six. Obama chose not to take up the mantle of past civil rights leaders by not joining the Jena Six protest, Jesse Jackson (Obama supporter) said he's acting like he's white. Was a unique moment for Obama to show support for the black community, but didnt. Now he must explain to Democratic voters why he doesn't want to continue the fights of the 1960s -- included battles over civil rights, the antiwar movement, expansion of Social Security and expanding health care (Medicare). This is not the time for obama

Another self-righteous celebrity endorses Obama...Gee, I'm sold.
-___________________________

Versus say, Fred Thompson endorsing himself?

How can you write a story about Ken Burns and mention all his work EXCEPT his most important - the Civil War?!? That documentary set a new standard in the genre, and dozens - nay hundreds - of TV documentaries are but pale imitations of it.

I am a Viet Nam vet and was a republican till the atrocity of "shock and awe". Leading presidential candidates supported this illegal invasion and can not be trusted to lead America. Obama is the exception.

Each time we hear a talk radio Nazi say "She can't win," it means they're afraid of her.
Talk radio whores are saying great things about Obama, which should make you wonder.
Why would a facsist bastard say nice things about Obama?

I have nothing bad to say about Obama.
If Obama wins - whoever wins the Democratic nomination, I'm behind him/her all the way.

But seriously, between the Black guy with two years experience
and the only team to win back-to-back presidential campaigns since FDR,
(the team that beat war hero Bush and war hero Dole),

...who do you think the super-racist GOP wants to run against?

(Some call that "Hillary worship."
Looks like common sense to me.)

notapccreep:

He's self-righteous because he's righteous. There's no contradiction there.

If anybody votes based on what a "celebrity" says then they should not be allowed to vote.

Burns is an over-rated documentary film maker. His films are video-versions of coffee-table books. Mostly, rather dull and ponderous.

Nevertheless, it's heartening to see some "mainline" support for Obama, the only candidate who brings something fresh and invigorating to the campaign.

Who cares!

Mr. Burns is hardly neutral when in comes to his politics, as a glance at his Federal campaign contribution records show. He's been all-Democrat, all the time, including a $25,000 contribution to the DNC and $2,000 to 2004 loser John Kerry. Burns even contributed to the campaign of Jeanne Shaheen, whose husband Bill was the Clinton official who made the comments Burns says he was outraged by.

Ken Burns supports Obama...

And???

Give me a break! Smear tactics were not invented by the Clinton campaign and unless you live under a rock, you would know this. I believe that people are looking for any reason to discredit Hillary because they know that she is the better choice. She has experience, and knowledge. Obama, although smart and well spoken is not ready for this job. A stupid comment made by someone working on the Clinton campaign is just that, a comment.

Our tax dollars are funding $400 million a year on PBSTV and PBS Radio what a waste with all the channels and everyone now has cable, dish network or Direct TV.
This PBS has outlived it's usefulness except to the likes of Democrat Hack Bill Moyers and it gives Ken Burns a place and money to do documentaries.
This could be cut right now to lower income taxes for all. Jerry White, Springfield, IL

Taken as a whole, I would much rather stand with the pro-Obama commentators here than the pro-Hillary/anti-Obama commenters. I could of course fiercely respond to their allegations, point by point. But for some reason, I am inspired to take the high road these days.

Ken Burns is soft in the head. He is against the Clinton's because of their negativity against Barrack Hussein Obama. So then he proceeds to put down Clinton with negativity. Seems like the Democrats have lost their minds. Somewhere, sometime Obama will self destruct. I hope he doesn't have the chance to take the USA with him.

Who cares?

The Republicans THINK they will eat Obama alive. He will be ready for them. He's no Dukakis.

All this talk of "experience vs. change" is riduculous and misses the point. And Hillary needs to make up her mind (does she ever DO that or just respond to what focus groups say 51% of people believe?) if she's going to run on her experience or try to be the "change" candidate. We all know she represents nothing new, but instead is a return to the deal-making, centrist, "not really Democratic values" ways of her husband.

And I'm curious why serving as first lady has suddenly become a qualification for being president. Anyone think Nancy Reagan would be a good leader of the free world? No? How about Barbara Bush? No? Ok, then SURELY Laura Bush makes the grade right? A former teacher/librarian who can't even get her own husband to pronounce "nuclear" correctly. She can defintely work across party lines to make change happen right?

Hillary had no elective experience before she swooped into NYC and used Bill's connections to buy a seat in the senate. I have no problem with that. She's been a decent senator and one more "D" in a closely split senate is good with me. But to try to claim that being first lady is a legit qualifier to lead the country, while nothing Obama did prior to being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 seems to count? (editor of Harvard Law Review, community organizer on the south side of chicago, a decade+ in state politics in what is arguably the most difficult state general assembly in which to succeed in passing ANYTHING). But she - and her husband, tell us we're "rolling the dice" in voting for Obama. Well, he's right on one count - voting for Hillary is not a roll of the dice - it's a guaranteed return to same do nothing politics of the last 20 years of either a Bush or a Clinton in the White House.

Mr. Burns had remained PUBLICLY neutral about his choice of DEMOCRAT. Of course he's a Democrat; he's well-informed.

Let's hope Obama doesn't follow Ken Burns example and leave Hispanics out in the cold, as the latter did in his latest documentary (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/14/navarrette/index.html)in which he completely erased the ethnic group's participation in the nation's wars. Burns magnamimously offered to include some interviews with Hispanic veterans during commercial 'breaks.'

Negative campaigns are a fact of American political
life. Barack Obama is the
product of Chicago ward politics with little real
experience,a poor attendance record in the U.S. Senate.One would think
the Ken Burns would have taken all of this into account instead of just Obama's past drug use and the war in Iraq-he didn't
and that is a big mistake.
The forces of evil in the
world are hoping we elect
am inexperienced populist
and we cannot afford to take that chance no matter
what Burns or Oprah think.

Hillary is driven by political expediency and only in the cause of her ambitions. Contrast her continuous reinventing of her self/tweaking her media images with Obama's unwavering and authentic core message. Her vaunted experience led her to vote for the war in Iraq; her health plan experience resulted in total failure. Her track record, with her straying husband, with controlling/pretending to lose control over her campaign speakers all show a patern of failure. She will be a drastically failed Preseident.

Too bad no one here in New Hampshire really cares what Ken Burns thinks.

I watched Ken Burns latest PBS offering and found it exactly as I remembered that time and place. But, when a "celebrity" comes out for a candidate that may not agree with my politics, I no longer view the person as apolitical, and stop watching or reading anything they do. I want actors, directors, filmmakers and especially historian to keep their innermost thoughts to themselves. Not a good idea to voice your opinion. But, this is America, and you have that right. I have the right not to watch anything you produce. That too, is the American way.

And we should care why? Just like that buffoon Oparah. I can make up my own mind thank you.

i think it's great he's standing up for obama. but about the negativity, B. Obama enganged in a slimy attack on the clinton's marriage before this whole tit for tat thing started. Lest people forget that. He took a right wing smear about her marriage being a sham, and brought it into his campaign speeches. it was low and ugly of him.
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/11/obama_on_the_clinton_secret_pa.html

If Obama is for change why -

Did he not vote for SCHIP?
Did he miss a vote againts funding the war?
Surround himself with Bill Clinton's advisors?
Did he endorse Todd Stroger?

I do think he has a lot to offer our nation, but I dont think change is one of them.

I agree with Ken Burns about Hilarity and Obama. However, it is not clear why this insightful man dismisses all Republican candidates out of hand. Are none of them worthy of his consideration? Romney seems closer to Jefferson.

Ken Burns has nothing but my respect. His documentary on the Civil War was brilliant. Combine this, a few oother developments and a Gallup poll as to who will fare better against the republicans
http://www.gallup.com/poll/103366/Whom-Would-Americans-Vote-Next-November.aspx
and we are shping up for victory !

As a former Republican (a recent one at that), with a family who bleeds "red" so to speak, I will say that if the Democrats want to lose in 2008, they just need to nominate Hillary. The GOP isn't afraid of Hilary. They are SALIVATING over the notion of running against her. No one will unite the Republican party like she will...the religious right, the anti-tax contingent, the anti-big government, and yes, the ones who just hate her because she's associated with Bill. They won't vote for the GOP, they'll vote AGAINST her, and they'll do it in droves.

Obama represents a real chance for toning down the diviciveness. He responds to attacks by...not responding to attacks. He politely makes the other side seem foolish and/or wrong, and he does it with a smile on his face.

Because of Iraq, and Bush, the 2008 election is the Democrats to lose. Obama can win this for them. Hilary cannot.

If Senator Clinton was able to uncover and expose Senator Obama's papers from when he was attending Kindergarten, why has she not released any of her White House records.

Why has she not been asked to explain why her brothers were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, by criminals seeking to obtain pardons from Bill Clinton.

That sure appears to be far more important than what Senator Obama said when he was in Kindergarten.

All these accusations about Clintons and their "scorched earth" policies.

What do you naive people think it really takes to run a campaign and win . . . offering the "politics of hope?"

Im sure the Repubs will be willing and ready to offer an olive branch to President Obama when he's elected . . . .that is, if he survives their operatives' regurgitated "drug use" claims--the same ones meanie Hillary is accused of making about him.

Who is Ken Burns and why should we care what he thinks? Just because he is a film maker makes him wise and all knowing? Give us more credit than that.

This is the most entertaining public thing Burns has ever done, bar none of his tax-payer supported dull, droll films. Anything Burns says and does is a predictable "given." And who is he to have public political say--he makes POV films that nobody in their right mind would disagree with, that's it. Let him blog like the rest of us. Cut to the chase and look at the every candidate's experience. You'll come up totally empty with the one he's endorsing.

Perhaps Mr. Burns should read the Howard Kurtz's article in today's Washington Post and written about on this blog regarding media bias against Hillary before he so sanctimoniously dismisses her the negative one.

Clearly, Obama is the AGENT of negativity at the urging of the very media that excoriates Hillary if she responds in kind in defense. I'd be interested to hear Mr. Burns take on the Obama campaign's attempt to get the media to look into Bill Clinton's post-presidency sex life is the positive "politics of hope", for instance.

And by the way, why hasn't the "neutral" Swamp not written about that "positive" suggestion from the Obama folks?

NO more Clinton dynasty and corrupted Health Industry.

!!! VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA!!!

Ken Burns support for Barack Obama at the most critical time in this country's history, shows a man who truly cares about America in its current crisis, as well as for her glorious past. Hilary Clinton has been PROVEN to be in the deep pockets of the Oil, Pharmaceutical, and Health Plan Insurance industries. And with her current scheme of negativism, she is shown to be what we all knew from the beginning, a selfish, ambitious politician out for her own agenda even if it meant going to bed with the Republican order. Ken Burns and others have made the right choice. By standing up they are putting an end to the same old politics as required by the same old broken corrupt system, which keeps the machination of the status quo alive.

In the ever constant struggle against the corporatization of America, debate continues whether Hillary or Obama is the true corporate schill.

The reality of the matter is that if Hillary is the corporate schill, Obama is the corporate butler.

Corporate America doesn't care except that its citizens can later say with tongue in cheek that "the butler did it," when we wonder where our country went.