On the Soapbox: Time for Obama

Harvey Weinstein, the co-chairman of the Weinstein Company and co-founder of Miramax Films, is involved in movies, television, and every other facet of the entertainment business. Today, though, he's a blogger, and you can only read him on Portfolio.com.

I remember when I was going to college in Buffalo, NY, and how the only way Mayor Frank Sedita could get people to listen to him was to throw a bomb in the middle of the town square and wait for people to come out and see what the racket was about. Once everyone was outside, he would flip over a trash-can and use it as his soapbox for a speech to the town.

Those are the type of politicians I grew up with.

This year's primary was so exciting for me to watch, because I felt that both Senators Clinton and Obama pushed the boundaries, and because of them the American political landscape will never be the same--in a good way.

And I'm happy to say that with the Clintons and now with the Obamas, I'm starting to see a change in our political landscape that excites me. I first met Senator Obama about a year and a half ago, when he came out to support a film we made about the life of Robert Kennedy.

And just a few weeks ago, I met Michelle Obama at a dinner in New York. They both have a great sense of humor and an even greater sense of the change that our country needs. At the dinner Michelle kidded me for being such a staunch Hillary supporter, and about how I supported her until the end. At some point during the dinner, Michelle was being asked who potential Vice Presidential running mates may be. Someone joked that they should consider me, Michelle jokingly replied, "Somehow, I don't think that Harvey would quite pass the vetting process." Needless to say, I was incredibly impressed.

I may be most identified with the Democratic Party because of my outspokenness and support of Senator Clinton, the fundraising I've done to help a variety of candidates, and the concerts and events I've hosted, but I've also actively supported Republicans--such as Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg. I'm always for the best candidate, regardless of party lines, and believe me, I've taken plenty of heat from the Democrats for it.

I've met Senator McCain a number of times and always thought him to be a great idealist for our country. Lately I have to say that I've been shocked to see some of the positions that he's taking, and how he's becoming more and more similar to our current President.

In recent weeks, there's been a lot of speculation about Hillary's supporters being unwilling to help Barack Obama. It seems to me that this is just overblown story-telling by people who want to create an unnecessary sub-plot, one that plays into the Republicans' plotline of choice as they try to divide us. And as a devoted Clinton supporter, I will dispel that rumor right here and now and I must tell you how solidly I will be rallying my friends and working hard to raise money for Obama.

I think it's time for all of us to take action and be pro-active about the future of our country--this time we can't take any chances. I can tell you first hand, as a constant traveler to our various film sets around the globe, that the world would welcome new leadership for our country--and Barack and Michelle Obama are those leaders who can make our country better for us and better for our friends around the globe.

And judging from his recent trip to the Middle East, he's distinguished himself as a strong, powerful and forward-thinking leader, just the type that can solve the big problems ahead of us.