He's Not Joking: Jack's Stumping for Hillary

WE ARE USED TO SEEING HIS EXAGGERATED SMIRK AS THE JOKER, familiar with his contemptous sneer in A Few Good Men, have recoiled at the flat mask of a man in About Schmidt. We know him best as the Jack seated in the front row at the Academy Awards, dark glasses intact, wearing the air of a randy king holding court.

But the public is now seeing actor Jack Nicholson in a new role, that of political ambassador. The legendary Jack Nickolson has released his most surprising performance in a "virtual video" endorsing Hillary Clinton as our next president. The video is a montage of quips from Jack's past movies interspersed with questions, an endorsement, and finally with a wiry-haired Nicholson saying, "I approve this message."

But Jack moves beyond the gimmicky campaign ad in an interview with MTV that proves an even stronger endorsement of Clinton, and portrays him as a serious and intelligent student of politics.

Among the more pointed comments he gives:

"It's only now that people are seeing that [the media has] been harsh to her. It's disturbing to me how gleeful they are at her imagined demise or any setbacks she has.''

"I'm not looking for so-called followers. I'm not that crazy about being interviewed. I don't like the sound of my own voice after 20 minutes. On the other hand, I am Irish. I like being involved in the community. As they say, if you don't educate yourself about the political system you're doomed to be led by inferior people. That's one of my fears."

Of Obama, he says, "Believe me, the Republicans are not going to let him slide. MTV doesn't want to hear this, but he seems youthful. His small mistakes do not get amplified. I love the inspiration of Senator Obama, but we have a representative republic for this very reason...These superdelegates are there to make democracy more thoughtful."

And, finally, "The only thing I can say is, it's obvious one person is more experienced."

Tough, honest commentary from a man who makes his living pretending on the screen.