Goodbye Barack, hello Hillary

With Steven Spielberg backing Clinton, Hollywood8217;s fling with Obama may have been just that

It8217;s starting to look like Hollywood8217;s infatuation with Senator Barack Obama was just a flirtation before it settles down with its longtime girlfriend, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

So here8217;s the buzz these days: Clinton8217;s presidential bid has begun to regain momentum over Obama8217;s in the entertainment industry. In fact, it8217;s become so strong that Steven Spielberg, once considered a solid supporter of Illinois Democrat Obama, is leaning in favour of Clinton.

Last week, Clinton cruised through town raising 1.1 million in one day. At a celebrity-studded reception at News Corp. President Peter Chernin8217;s house8212;an event co-hosted by Spielberg and TV financier Haim Saban8212;Clinton brought in 850,000. Chernin8217;s boss, Rupert Murdoch, currently bidding to take over The Wall Street Journal, is a political conservative who sometimes gives to Democratic candidates. Even super-agent Ari Emanuel, who is one of Obama8217;s top industry supporters, wrote a check to Clinton.

The former first lady wowed crowds last week, said longtime Hollywood political consultant Donna Bojarsky. 8220;There was a good turnout of Hollywood folks at Chernin8217;s8212;Jodie Foster, Tobey Maguire, Brian Grazer8212;and they all seemed pleased and receptive,8221; said Bojarsky, who has not yet announced whom she is supporting.

Like Democrats across the country, Hollywood activists are wondering whether Obama has the experience to tackle the country8217;s problems. 8220;Clinton continues to impress people, and the more times people see her and listen to her, the more they view her as presidential material, which she absolutely is,8221; said consultant Noah Mamet, who represents Clinton loyalist Casey Wasserman.

Mamet thinks the industry8217;s flirtation with Obama was a passing fancy, a bit of what-if casting, as in, what if we could get Brad Pitt to play Albert Schweitzer? 8220;He was like a big opening weekend for a film, which has a drop-off the next week.8221;

So will Hollywood8217;s hot, hip and influential fall in line behind Clinton? Right now, the smart money says yes, but then the smart guys always go to the Oscars confident that the best advertising campaign will win.

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Everybody loves a good story and a longshot, and Obama is both. He wouldn8217;t be the first feature attraction to become the latest thing8212;again.
Tina Daunt LAT-WP