Andy Griffith Endorses Obama. Opie, Richie Cunningham, and Fonzie also Endorse Obama (See Ron Howard Video)
Actor/director Ron Howard has released a video with former TV co-stars Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler endorsing Barack Obama for President of the United States. The video features Howard in his present role as Hollywood director, Howard as Opie from the Andy Griffith Show in black-and-white with Griffith himself, and Howard as Richie Cunningham from Happy Days with Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli, Jr., aka Fonzie. All are explicitly endorsing Obama through their performances in the video, as Howard explains at its conclusion.
While endorsements from such youngish Hollywood regulars as Ron Howard and Henry Winkler may come as no surprise and therefore no great shakes, Andy Griffith's appearance in the video endorsing Obama comes as a call for change from that very "real America" the McCain/Palin campaign has attempted to claim for itself. After all, if Andy Griffith isn't a "real American," then who is?
McCain and Palin may hold Wasilla, but Barack Obama and Joe Biden have won by a landslide in Mayberry.
Mark C. Eades
http://www.mceades.com
Finally an end to the "Mayberry Machiavelli" snark! Woo hoo!
October 24, 2008 9:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wonderful spot!
For fans of "Network" -- the source of the, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" line, a superior film is:
"A Face in the Crowd,"
Andy Griffith's first film appearance.
October 24, 2008 10:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Clearly Mayberry is not part of the real America. And Happy Days made a mockery of all that was good and true about the 1950s.
October 24, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wish I could think of something clever to say.
October 24, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Andy Griffith, the real guy, has been an "October Surprise" for North Carolina Democrats over the past several election cycles. I don't how much he's historically done for the national ticket, but he's recorded several commercials endorsing statewide Democrats and he's well known throughout the state as a diehard Democrat.
IOW: If you're surprised by his endorsement, you haven't been paying attention.
October 24, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Heck, I thought I'd revisit this thread with a link to a short article detailing how the current Republican candidate for NC Governor had tried to limit any effect from an Andy endorsement of his Democratic opponent by invoking his name at a debate, where he claimed that Andy Griffith is a well-known Democrat, but "Andy Taylor" was most likely a Republican.
October 24, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not a problem. Republicans liked Andy Taylor, and will be happy to know he's Republican also. So they'll adopt his endorsement of Obama.
October 24, 2008 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I always knew Opie was an elitist . . .
October 24, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep. He can afford two wigs.
October 24, 2008 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Andy and Opie are known associates of Floyd The Barber, an anti-american intellectual from Mayberry, who often hosted free-flowing discussions on whats wrong with America in his barbershop. And don't even get me started about Otis.....
October 24, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gomer is still a Republican tho, right?
October 24, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Log Cabin, maybe.
October 24, 2008 1:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shazam!
October 24, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Barney is certainly a Republican. Heck, he's a "Libertarian" gun-nut.
But he's the one who maintains order where even Andy is too lazy to actively enforce the law.
October 24, 2008 10:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Could have done without the nose hair clipping!
Ben
October 24, 2008 2:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, that's approximately as elitist as flossing.
October 24, 2008 10:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pretty soon the Darlin' Family is going to kick in their votes for Obama - now there's some "hard working voters...white voters" that Hillary told us all about.
Andy was practically a civic relgion in our house. Got to forward this to dear old Dad.
And if you can rent it, "A Face in the Crowd" is a powerful movie - they had Rush Limbaugh nailed - you'd never think Griffith had that kind of 'Brando' like method actor in him.
Interesting fact:
Elvis Presley used to OPEN for Andy Griffith on the old Louisiana Hayride TV show.
I guess that as Elvis' sole representative at TPM, I can formally endorse Obama in the name of the King of Rock and Roll.
Thank you, thankyouverymuch.
October 24, 2008 2:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
We don't have monarchy in the US -- not kings, queens, dukes, duchesses and lords and the like.
Rock and roll is democratic.
If Elvis opened for Andy Griffith, it was because Griffith was telling his funny stories, some of which are available as recordings.
Other than that, "A Face in the Crowd" is far superior to "Network".
October 24, 2008 10:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gosh, this just creeped me out when I watched it...
October 24, 2008 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought that it was great. I like Ron Howard, and I think he's a stand-up guy. Though, why he'd ever vote for a Republican is beyond me.
October 24, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I dunno about Wasilla. If the moose get suffrage then I'm pretty sure Palin is failin.
October 24, 2008 8:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the moose had the vote she'd be booted from office. If the wolf had the vote too, she'd be homeless.
October 24, 2008 10:33 PM | Reply | Permalink