Presidential Polls 2012: Romney Still Out Raising Obama, Especially in Hollywood

Impact

There are few names more powerful in Hollywood than Jerry Bruckheimer, who lent his support to Mitt Romney's campaign at a $6 million fundraiser Saturday at the Beverly Hilton. Combined with the cheers that erupted when Jimmy Kimmel asked the Emmy audience who was voting for Mitt Romney, it looks like Hollywood support isn't universally on the Obama side.

According to the Washington Post, the Beverly Hilton event "drew just about every Republican in Hollywood." More than 1,500 people attended the event, which was coordinated by Tom Tellefsen, the top California Republican fundraiser. Comedian Dennis Miller and music producer David Foster provided entertainment.

At the fundraiser, Romney acknowledged the challenges faced by Republicans and conservatives in Hollywood. He referenced a recent lunch with a "very famous actor, very liberal," whose name was withheld, because "if I told you his name, he'd shoot me." This rules out Clint Eastwood. It also likely rules out Robert Duvall, who hosted an $800,000 fundraiser at his Virginia farm featuring Ann Romney.

The actor told Romney that nobody knew how he really voted, saying, "In this town, you really can’t get work unless you’re known as a liberal."

A weird PR war appears to have been waged all year about whether or not Obama has lost support in Hollywood, and whether or not Mitt Romney has any Hollywood support at all. LA-based society reporting has been positive toward the Romneys and not-so-much toward Obama since early in the year. It feels as though the considerable conservative Hollywood underground, which includes a few more members than Jerry Bruckheimer, Gary Sinise, and Dennis Miller, would like to stop having to lie, pretend, or retweet Chris Rock just to get along.

My best guess as to Mitt's closet conservative lunch date? Brad Pitt.