In an interview with Meet the Press moderator David Gregory for the Sunday show's web-based feature Press Pass, USA's Political Animals star Sigourney Weaver explained her support for President Obama: "...the
Democrats are always going to be about what the people need. And the
Republicans are much more serving big business, and I don't think we can
afford to serve big business for another four years with Mr. Romney." [Listen to the audio [1]]
Weaver prefaced her slanted observation by admitting: "I'm not a
professional politician, so forgive me if it's very simplistic." Gregory
encouraged Weaver to discuss her liberal leanings, as he wondered:
"What about President Obama? You've been supportive of him, you say
you'd be supportive again. And I know that you told Politico [2] that once a president gets a second term, the gloves come off and that a lot of us have sort of been waiting for that."
Weaver reiterated: "I do think that if he gets four more years – you
know, it's been so frustrating for him and for a lot of his supporters –
that I think he'll just go for it. That's my hope." She later added
that once Obama gets re-elected, "everyone's going to go, 'Alright we're
stuck, let's get some things done that we need to, you know, get
done.'"
Early in the interview, Gregory asked about the obvious comparison of
Weaver's character on the new USA series to Hillary Clinton: "I mean,
this is very much the Clinton family story." Weaver replied: "I must say
that I love the idea that it is inspired by, not only the Clintons, but
by a lot of the families who have been in the White House....I wouldn't
dream of trying to imitate or impersonate Hillary Clinton, whom I
admire very, very much and I think she's done an awesome job in every
job she's had."
Gregory followed up: "Would you like to see Secretary Clinton run for
the presidency again?" Weaver gushed: "I think that would be amazing. In
four years, maybe we'll be ready for her. She's certainly ready for
us."
On the July 10 Today show, Weaver admitted [3]
to co-host Savannah Guthrie: "...we are inspired by Mrs. Clinton, who's
such a remarkable woman and a great secretary of state. She was a great
senator for New York State."
Here are portion of Weaver's July 15 exchange with Gregory:
DAVID GREGORY: Well, so let's talk a little bit about the character and
some similarities with a certain somebody. Let's see, former first
lady, who had to deal with the public acknowledgment that her husband
had cheated on her. Runs for president, concedes, becomes secretary of
state, even a former president is involved on the campaign trail.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER: That does sound familiar.
GREGORY: Yeah. I mean, this is very much the Clinton family story, it
appears. There's – we even looked, and the campaign poster in the show
is exactly Hillary's campaign placard. We have time on our hands, so we
check into these things.
WEAVER: Yes, well you know much more about it than I do. I must say
that I love the idea that it is inspired by, not only the Clintons, but
by a lot of the families who have been in the White House. That seems to
leave an imprint on these families, for better or worse. And the
families often try it get back in the White House and that's sort of
what our story is about. Who will make it, of all of us, who knows?
But I think that I love the fact that, that our creator, Greg Berlanti
couldn't resist some of the salient facts of the Clintons. But I always
felt, from the moment I started reading it, that Elaine was her own
person. I wouldn't dream of trying to imitate or impersonate Hillary
Clinton, whom I admire very, very much and I think she's done an awesome
job in every job she's had. But I wouldn't – you know, I would need
months to prepare for that. But this, I just sort of turned the page and
I was in the world of the Hammonds and in the world of Washington, D.C.
Which is so fascinating. And I just sort of jumped off the cliff.
(...)
GREGORY: Would you like to see Secretary Clinton run for the presidency again?
WEAVER: I think that would be amazing. In four years, maybe we'll be ready for her. She's certainly ready for us.
GREGORY: What about President Obama? You've been supportive of him, you say you'd be supportive again. And I know that you told Politico that once a president gets a second term, the gloves come off and that a lot of us have sort of been waiting for that.
WEAVER: Yes, it's interesting, because we were talking today about the
importance of being a political animal, as a politician, and how much of
a political animal Obama is. You know, because a lot of that is
relishing the, the game of politics. And it's been a very, a very
difficult game the last four years. And I don't know how much one could
relish it. But I do think that we need, I do think that if he gets four
more years – you know, it's been so frustrating for him and for a lot of
his supporters – that I think he'll just go for it. That's my hope.
GREGORY: What is it, what would you like to see him go for in the second term?
WEAVER: Well, I certainly think that he has ideas about education that
he can – you know, there are a lot of things. To me, the Democrats – and
I'm not a professional politician, so forgive me if it's very
simplistic – but to me, the Democrats are always going to be about what
the people need. And the Republicans are much more serving big business,
and I don't think we can afford to serve big business for another four
years with Mr. Romney.
So I mean, I think that there are many things on his agenda that he
would probably like to do, that we haven't even begun to see yet,
because his hands have been tied. Not that that's an excuse. I think he –
you know, but I think that he has to win four more years, everyone's
going to go, "Alright we're stuck, let's get some things done that we
need to, you know, get done."
(...)