Kevin Costner, Hollywood Veteran, Actor, Director, and Now Political Pundit
Costner, a veteran of Hollywood and star of upcoming Netflix film “The Highwaymen”, has weighed in on the divisive political landscape in Washington, D.C. The Oscar-winner laments that politicians seem to be serving themselves ahead of the American public:
“The political landscape is unrecognizable to me, and shame on us for being in that spot. That could change overnight, not because of a vote, but because people say, ‘I want to try to be more than about myself.’ That’s the definition of public service.”
Democrat, Pessimist, Shamed By What He Sees
Costner is not optimistic about change coming to American politics any time soon. A Democrat who campaigned for Barack Obama in 2008, his interview suggested he would like to see a more innovative and progressive USA.
He laments, almost inadvertently, about the same problems now-President Trump criticized in his election campaign – the country’s inability to create jobs and be a world leader that results in globally recognized prestige. His language mirrors that in the “Make America Great Again” campaign that led to Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton (albeit absent the racial undertones).
“This is the greatest experiment in humankind: America. This great idea about America still exists, it’s still here. People still want to come here, but we’re not first in hardly anything that matters and we have an inflated idea about how we are. We exaggerate about what we are. We are everything that’s great and we are everything that’s human. And our humanness and our level of selfishness is overtaking our chance to be great.”
The outspoken actor/director clearly echoes Trump’s MAGA cause, decrying the lack of direction of a country no longer “first in hardly anything” and no longer “great”.
Costner Sees Michelle Obama As a Way to MAGA
Costner seems to have appealed for Michelle Obama to consider running for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential elections. The former first lady continues to be a popular public figure, though her policies would more likely align with Costner’s, and Barack Obama’s, view of what would make America great again.
“Michelle’s incredibly bright and articulate and has possessed good judgement and experience as a result. Why couldn’t she be [president]? She’d have a level of interest from me.”
The Trump administration’s continuous claims of strengthening the American economy have been slammed by a former IMF economist as “dead f**king wrong”. The administration’s MAGA strategy has included trade wars that have adversely affected American manufacturers, as a report on the plight of Tesla has demonstrated.
Kevin Costner may well want to make America great again. But his version of “great” is certainly not the same as the accidental president’s.