Bill Maher gives pro-Obama super PAC $1 million. Is that a good career move?
Bill Maher on Thursday night while performing on a comedy special streamed on Yahoo apparently pledged $1 million to the super PAC supporting President Obama. We say 鈥渁pparently鈥� just because he鈥檚 Bill Maher, and it鈥檚 possible that this is a joke of some kind, but it doesn鈥檛 seem like it.
on Yahoo's CrazyStupidPolitics special: 鈥淚 would like tonight to announce a donation to the Obama super PAC, which has the very unfortunate tongue-twister name Priority USA Action. I know, it was named by Borat. But tonight I would like to give that PAC ... one million dollars.鈥�
Yes, the crowd at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts was surprised.
His longtime publicist Sarah Fuller told Deadline Hollywood and that Maher has told her 鈥渢his is the wisest investment I think I could make.鈥�
Wow. Talk about a performer breaking the fourth wall. It鈥檚 like people thought they were watching a comedy special and suddenly a Labor Day telethon for Democrats broke out.
Here鈥檚 our question: Is this a good career move for Maher? We ask this knowing full well that he鈥檚 already well-known as a Democrat. This was the guy who cajoled Christine O鈥橠onnell into talking on-air about her teenage dalliance with witchcraft, after all, and look how that turned out.
No, our question is more pragmatic. The political jokes in his routine are all aimed at the GOP candidates. If they lose, what鈥檚 he got to work with? He鈥檇 have to completely renovate his routine. As a professional he is much better off with high-ranking Republicans to kick around. Unlike, say, his fellow funny-guy Dennis Miller, who鈥檚 GOP these days.
After all, Maher on Craig Ferguson鈥檚 show Tuesday night called Newt Gingrich a Batman villain.
鈥淚 mean like from the old Adam West 鈥楤atman鈥� ... I鈥檓 talking about a fat, over-the-hill character actor with two henchmen in dog suits in a warehouse,鈥� Maher told Mr. Ferguson.
On his Yahoo show he called Michele Bachmann the candidate for 鈥減eople who find Sarah Palin too intellectual.鈥� Rick Perry is the 鈥淏ush brotha鈥� from anotha鈥� motha鈥�,鈥� according to Maher. Mitt Romney? He鈥檚 been led in the polls by everyone from Donald Trump to 鈥渢he underwear bomber, Michael Jackson鈥檚 doctor, and bed bugs.鈥�
See what we mean? It would be very hard for Maher to try and work up material about amendments to the implementation of Obama health initiatives after that. He admitted as much in a piece he wrote this week on the Huffington Post.
鈥淭his Republican field over the last year has been such ,鈥� he wrote.
However, there is one point to be made the other way. Maybe he wants a position in the Obama administration. Big fundraisers, especially those who can cajole their wealthy friends to pony up as well, often get top posts right?
We can see it now: 鈥淎mbassador to the Bahamas Bill Maher.鈥� That position looks like it鈥檚 going to be open, too. The current occupant, an Obama donor named Nicole Avant, was recently blasted by a State Department inspector general report for 鈥渁n extended period of dysfunctional leadership and mismanagement, throughout the embassy,鈥� according to a report in Foreign Policy magazine.
After a report like that, the professional diplomats at the post could probably use a good laugh.
