Will Angelina Jolie vote for John McCain, Barack Obama. You may be surprised

Hollywood heavyweights such as Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson and Oprah Winfrey are siding with Sen. Barack Obama.

Sen. John McCain has his fair share of aged male celebrities, such as Jon Voight, Rip Torn, Dick Van Patten and Sly Stallone.

But the political world nervously waits while Angelina Jolie decides who'll get her vote.

Both McCain and Obama's campaigns have reached out to her. But her political advisor Trevor Neilson has told Variety (read the story here) that the registered Independent is waiting to make up her mind.

"I am waiting to see the commitments they will make on issues like international justice, refugees and how to address the needs of children in crisis around the world," Jolie wrote in the statement.

Unlike celeb endorsements from, say Paris Hilton or Heidi Montag, (sorry, girls) Jolie's work as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees makes her particularly valuable.

But who will she pick?

In her op-ed in the Washington Post (read the story here) earlier this year titled  "Staying to Help in Iraq," Jolie argued that the U.S. should step up financial and material assistance to Iraq, not withdraw from the region.

"My visit left me even more deeply convinced that we not only have a moral obligation to help displaced Iraqi families, but also a serious, long-term, national security interest in ending this crisis.

"Today's humanitarian crisis in Iraq -- and the potential consequences for our national security -- are great. Can the United States afford to gamble that 4 million or more poor and displaced people, in the heart of Middle East, won't explode in violent desperation, sending the whole region into further disorder?"

So the first candidate with what she calls a "comprehensive refugee plan with a specific timeline and budget as part of their Iraq strategy," will be the one to earn Jolie's vote.

What do you think? Will Jolie vote Obama or McCain?

Photos: Angelina Jolie after speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations' Iraq, Education and Children of Conflict" Forum
WireImage

Comments

[tomk]

Angelina Jolie... staying the course? Of course!

Well, I certainly can't make up my mind until we hear from Ms. Jolie.

Repeat after me: Food, water, job training, and guns!

[Liz]

I really don't think either candidate is going to provide anything that will satisfy her. Still, it's nice to see a celebrity basing an opinion on some actual experience.

[nunya]

who cares what she thinks? she's not al gore or michael bloomberg.

[BrieCS]

Who cares what Al Gore or Michael Bloomberg think? At least we know Angelina Jolie thinks about things and actually does things to help other people, instead of causing more damage to her cause than benefit.

[nunya]

she's just a celebrity. she has no experience. that's the point.

[nunya]

i don't even think she went to college.

[Joseph]

I read that Jolie keeps a gun in the home. Obama is extremely anti-gun. Go with McCain.

[NATP]

It's easy and fun to slam celebs who are out of their depth. But AJ is probably the wrong one to pick on.

How many other celeb's are actually involved in _doing_ something at anything like the level of commitment she has shown as UNHCR's Goodwill ambassador since August of 2001? Google around a bit and you'll find she's been much more than a pretty face for them. Or see her op-ed piece for the Washington Post "Staying to help in Iraq" (2/28/08).

Indeed, she's one of the few celeb's who's advice probably _is_ worth taking seriously.... because of the experience she's gained in her "other job."

[TobyK]

What she thinks does matter! Do you know how huge her fanbase and her following is? She is massive, no one will take what Halle or Scarlett or Paris thinks seriously, if you like her thats it. But Angie has the power to influence, look at how she got Hollywood and America care about refugee and children of Third World Nation

[Gaias Child]

Ms. Jolie is wise to take her time and let her concerns be known and not endorse anyone at all because she's hugely admired as a woman of rare beauty, talent and commitment, despite her pattern of involvements with men who weren't uninvolved when she happened to them. If the campaigns are ' reaching out' to her for support, it is her time to say what she wants. And what she wants can make the world a better place to be.

[incredulous]

Does no-one find it strange that she is announcing her indepepdence?
Really_who asked?or who reported she was asked?
Did no-one find it strange that she was sent to Iraq- while pregnant with twins -and not sent by the UN-only to return and write a perfectly timed Open-ed in the Washington post -quoted from above-in the same week Petreaus was reporting to Congress on the 'success' of the surge.
Linking the 'success' with improved humanitarian efforts-how nice to have a reason to stay,even longer.
How many more times will the humanitarian need to stay be quoted as a reason for the US not to leave?
Surely her connection with Gene Sperling whom she co-chairs on the CFR for the education partnership for children of conflict - and who will ultimately benefit from such a 'committment' of resources, both financial and otherwise-should be mentioned.
Gene Sperling was Bill Clinton's Chief Economic Advisor and Hilary Clinton's economic advisor for her recent campaign-so a bit of a deocrat then?
He has quite interesting links to CNN -intriguingly enough.

Don't get me wrong- I admire what Miss Jolie does-it's just how she does it and who she does it with that I find utterly suspect.

[jennifer lee]

ahe breaks up marriages like her dad.. It makes me sick that everyone thinks she and Brad are so grand. I'm just waitng on her to find a new relationship with another co-star. Jennisfer Aniston is better off, Brad looks OLD!

[Big Sam]

Jolie has more brains and is better informed about international affairs (and certainly some domestic issues) than the vast majority Hollywood's bubble headed dingbats. I would rather listen to her opinion than one of the fall in line lemmings that plague Hollywood.

I feel assured that she reads actual newspapers rather than Variety or the trades.

[Honey Rogers]

Her decision has nothing at all to do with my choice. She should as all American focus and study the issues that are important to you. See which candidate matches your ideas.

[blah]

who cares?

[nunya]

just b/c you ppl are jolie-philes doesn't mean facts are irrelevant. do you think she has the knowledge/ acumen which is equivalent to people who actually make a living writing for The Economist or those who actually earn their posts as UN ambassadors? if she wasn't famous her opinion wouldn't matter b/c it's not based on her intellect/ judgment, and that's the point.

[GRACE]

I LOVE ANGELINA JOLIE SHE IS THE BEST I THINK SHE WILL VOTE FOR MCCAIN BUT I WILL NOT FOLLOW HER CHOICE IF SHE VOTE FOR MCCAIN I AM OBAMA ALL THE WAY

[Charleen]

Jolie is intelligent, experienced with world matters and her political oprion will greatly influence Americans. She should be the VP and a running mate with Obama.

[Matt]

I was trying like crazy to register independent and get out of the Republican party..until the Saddleback Forum. McCain has real answers and a real sense of history. Even if I was a liberal, I would vote for McCain over Obama. Obama has no idea what he is doing and no experience. He wont work with Republicans, whereas we know McCain already will work with Democrats. He is a good man and up to it.

[moozungu]

That's it.. I use to have respect for her, but if she honestly thinks that supporting McCain, or even pretending like she is supporting McCain, is some how good for America, she is completely and utterly done for me. She gets place in the waste bin with Paris, Jessica, and all other dumb dumbs. Rosanne is right. How, as a woman, can Anjelina support McCain who is against reproductive rights for Women, whose idea of energy independence is Drilling for more oil in America, who treated his first wife as her own mother was treated by her father Jon Voight... Please, I am surprised the Brad puts up with that s&*t. I personally be utterly and irreversibly turned off....

[izzygirl1]

Moozungu, Please help me here. I am not quite committed yet. I see what McCain is about because he has been around for so long. Obama....not so much. What about him is so good in your opinion. All I here so far is that he is "about" change. Does this mean higher taxes? I work my ass off all day. Should I be happy to give my money to someone else unwilling to do so? I am serious. I was a single mom in my twenties, when we couldn't make ends meet, I got a second job. Please explain to me why I should vote for someone who wants more social programs that I will have to help support. I came from a very poor background. My father came here from Africa, raised 8 children all without welfare....he went to work. So did we. Help me understand how Barak Obama is going to "help" me. And why do we vote for some one based on what they can do for us? Our governments only job is to protect us from other invading nations so we can work our asses off and make our own way. Please explain. Thank you.

[theduck]

i do believe just because someone is a celebrity and didn't go to college don't mean anything. They atleast know what they want just like everyone else. You take the average person and they will vote just like they should and believe 150% that jolie will do just that. she atleast keeps up with the news and all of the debate's, when most people that vote can't say that.