Clooney Loves Obama

ByABC News
December 22, 2006, 1:54 PM

Dec. 22, 2006 — -- George Clooney can't stop gushing about Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. And while the Academy Award winning actor seems to resist making a formal endorsement, he's offered nothing but praise for the first-term political wunderkind.

In an interview with "Good Morning America Weekend" co-anchor Kate Snow, Clooney explained, "I think [Obama would] be a good president in 2010, 2012 and 2014. I think he's the most charismatic person I've been in a room with in a long time."

Settling in for an hour-long chat with PBS' Charlie Rose, the megastar elaborated. "I think he's the best candidate I've ever seen, I really do," later adding, "I hope he runs. I've only been around a couple of rock star politicians in my life … where … you go, this guy's a president. Clinton is like that. Reagan was like that."

Perhaps the holiday season found Clooney in a particularly giving mood toward Obama, but this isn't the first time the 45-year-old senator and potential presidential contender has found himself the darling of Hollywood.

In October, Oprah Winfrey invited Obama to discuss his best-selling book "The Audacity of Hope" on her show. Obama was the first politician to chat on Oprah's couch since then-Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore made pre-election appearances in 2000.

When asked by the talk-show superstar whether he might run in 2008, Obama deflected by saying his focus was on the 2006 midterm elections. Nevertheless, Oprah has made no qualms about her support, telling CNN's Larry King in September that the senator is her "favorite guy" and encouraging those pushing her to run for president to "take [their] energy and put it in Barack Obama."

Oprah's Web site treats her comments to King an "endorsement" and quotes her from her Obama show saying, "I don't consider myself political and I seldom interview politicians. So when I decided to talk with [Barack], people around me were like, 'What's happened to you?' I said, 'I think this is beyond and above politics.' It feels like something new."