Oliver Stone starts to think about an Obama biopic?

Could it be that Oliver Stone is even now planning a biopic of Barack Obama? And if so who would he cast in the film?

Well there are plenty of senior elder black american actors.

The top two are probably Sidney Poitier and Morgan Freeman.

Sidney Poitier was born in 1927 . He was the first black actor to win an Oscar for best actor and was also eminent during the race issues of the 1960's.Nowadays he is the Bahamian ambassador to Japan and was awarded the KBE by the English Queen.

Morgan Freeman was born in 1937 and went on to win an Oscar for best supporting actor in Million Dollar baby.He has a very distinctive voice which enables him to do voice overs, for instance in War of the Worlds and March of the Penguins.Freeman has endorsed the Obama campaign.

Younger black actors?

Well there is Cuba Gooding Jnr, who was born in 1968 which makes him 7 years younger than Obama.Like Freeman he has an Oscar for best supporting actor ( Jerry McGuire).

Denzel Washington was born in 1954 and he won an Oscar for best actor in 2001 for his role in Training Day.

 

So this covers possible actors for Obama, but what about McCain?

If he was still alive Charlton Heston springs to mind. Born in 1923 he would be 13 years older than McCain but brings impeccable credentials and a history of playing heroic roles. Originally a democrat he lost faith in that party and became a republican in th 1980's.

From the top actors around now who do we have?

Kevin Costner, born 1955, might be a little young to play McCain and he is an Obama supporter. However he has a history of supporting worthy causes and could probably carry the role well.

Tom Cruise, was born in 1962. He has had huge success in the movie world but his allegiances to Scientology would probably rule him out.

Sean Penn, born 1960, also has a history of supporting radical issues and has been an opponent critic of George W Bush.

 

Kevin Spacey, born 1959, might be able to pull of the role. He has acted in a variety of roles and to la large extent has not be stereotyped by any one role. Unfortunately he is a dedicated democrat so this might well be a challenge for him.

 

So where does that leave Oliver Stone and his plans? Perhaps we can say that it is too early and maybe if and when Obama finishes his second term he will have aged and weathered enough to allow some of our older actors to take on his role?

And when the captains and the kings have departed what will endure from the presidential race? Hope and faith in the future and maybe, just maybe , this president will not get embroiled in a Hollywoodesque term of office.

Written: November 5th on the 1st day of the future for Obama.

Northumberland, United Kingdom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Increase Voter Turnout for More Inclusive Elections

No matter which candidate you support, it’s easy to see that for elections to be truly fair and inclusive, the more eligible voters who cast their ballots the better. Finding ways to increase voter turnout isn’t just a job for politicians and government officials, though. There’s a lot the average person can do to help encourage their fellow citizens to vote.

Empowering voters through education
Many people opt not to vote simply because they feel their vote doesn’t really count or matter much. After all, they think, what difference does one vote really make? Others skip voting because they feel confused by all the political spin and are afraid they may vote for the “wrong” candidate. Feelings like these happen particularly among socially disenfranchised groups such as the low income or under-educated. To combat this, nonpartisan citizens’ education groups host free talks on subjects like voter demographics and where to find non-biased information about the candidates.

Dealing with hopelessness and complacency
While they’re on opposite ends of the emotional scale, these two feelings are related in that both can lead a person to inaction. In barely democratic countries rife with corruption, citizens may not bother voting because they feel none of the candidates will really do anything to improve the situation.

Interestingly, contentment in a healthy democracy and economy can have the same end result on voter turnout. Someone satisfied with all candidates or who believes their country is fine the way it is may not bother to vote simply because they feel it doesn’t make much of a difference who wins.

In both cases, one common way citizens' groups can motivate people to be more politically active is by staging public protests to draw attention to problems and show just how many people want those problems solved.  

“Get the vote out” Calls
This strategy, popular in the U.S., is highly partisan, but effective when most parties participate. Local political campaign groups nearly always have a list of the phone numbers of nearby supporters of their party or candidate. To make sure their supporters don’t forget to vote, they simply call everyone up and remind them of when and where to cast their ballot. Unfortunately, this technique has some logistical challenges for small campaigns because all calls must be made within a day or two of elections, which requires a large number of people working the phones.

Compulsory voting
While some believe compulsory voting is akin to “forcing people to be free,” others see it as the only realistic way to make sure the opinion of every registered voter is heard. Compulsory voting laws are in place in both stable democracies like Australia, Belgium, and Liechtenstein, and in newer democracies like the Philippines and Peru. In most instances, voters who don’t approve of any of the candidates can vote for “none of the above” or simply cast a blank ballot. 

A high voter turnout is essential for a healthy, truly representative democracy, yet all too often citizens in established democracies take the right to vote for granted and don’t bother to use it. Through free educational presentations and simple reminders, though, everyday citizens are able to get at least a few more people out and voting on election day. Every little bit counts!