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Robert De Niro joins the Alec Baldwin school of unhinged political expression

Robert De Niro joins the Alec Baldwin school of unhinged political expression

Some actors – even great actors – tend to believe that their professional skills and their celebrity make them intelligent in all things – especially politics.  Some do have a broad range of experience and knowledge from which they can draw in engaging in political dialogue and activities.  Think Ronald Reagan on the right or Jane Fonda on the left. But most are simply actors, and their political activities are nothing more than performance art.  Think Alex Baldwin.

Those without the intellectual ability to engage in the political world still try – and are too often used by campaigns for their celebrity more than their cerebrum – and more often than not they make fools of themselves. 

I am not talking about all actors who have and express personal opinions about politics.   That is everyone’s right.  I am referring to those few who are … to be frank … all mouth and no brains.

Alec Baldwin irrationally rants against conservative Republican policies and candidates on a regular basis – at least when he is not attacking photographers or heaping verbal abuse on his daughter. He just flies off the handle at whatever makes him angry at the moment.

Weeell … welcome Robert De Niro to the irrational unhinged hot-headed celebrity club. His performance outside Trump’s so-called hush money trial was classic.

According to media reports, De Niro – along with two former police officers (one Capitol Hill cop and one Washington district cop) –were sent by the Biden administration to grab some of the media attention that has been focusing on Trump and the trial.  Appearing on MSNBC and CNN, Biden’s campaign communications chief, Michael Tyler, admitted that they had to somehow break into the media spotlight. 

The White House assured the American people that sending De Niro and others was not an effort to influence the jury.  It was merely to take advantage of the reporters’ presence to get out their campaign message – which in this case was the standard “Trump is an existential threat to … everything.”

Team Biden could not have picked a better person to represent the campaign’s insanely hyperbolic message than De Niro – who was insanely hyperbolic.  De Niro had already been on the road spewing Biden’s Draconian doomsday narrative.

It was great casting; De Niro has the appearance and demeanor of a Mafia mobster – which he has so well played on the big screen.  He had the part down to the sunglasses.  He was traveling wearing a mask in public.  Does he have a legitimate health issue or was that just left-wing symbolism?

De Niro slipped out of the glasses and the mask for his featured on-camera scene.  And he was most impassioned and emphatic.  His angry rant reached its dramatic crescendo when De Niro claimed that Trump was not only out to destroy the city (New York, I assume), but wants to destroy America.  And then he hit his high note, claiming Trump wants to destroy … THE WORLD.  For added measure, De Niro proclaimed that if elected, Trump would never leave office.  Wonderful scripting for a Hollywood production.  But … who is the real madman in this movie?

The overheated De Niro was not just shooting his mouth off like a street thug in front of cameras, He stayed in character when angrily engaging with Trump supporters on the scene.  He was so unhinged that he pulled down his mask so his threatening face could get into their faces.  Watching De Niro’s behavior, you can readily see why he gets cast as a mobster in so many movies.  They call it typecasting.

Apart from critiquing his performance, there is the question as to the political impact.  Did he live up to Team Biden’s hopes and expectations?

Methinks not.  Part of my opinion is derived from so many negative comments from the media pundits on both sides.  Even Biden sycophants questioned the wisdom of pushing the campaign into the trail.  Whether intended or not, it gave the appearance of the campaign meddling in the judicial process – giving a modicum of credence that Biden and Democrats are all playing a role in the unprecedented prosecutions.

For many Democrat pundits, the performance was overacted. De Niro did NOT come across as an intelligent critic of Trump.  He came across as a hysterical ranter who could not have been more obvious if he had exchanged his sunglasses for a tin hat.  Perhaps someone should … analyze this or that.

Of course, De Niro had an appeal to the very hardcore obsessive Trump haters.  They would believe that Trump was behind the kidnapping of the Charles Lindberg baby if De Niro had said so.

Now I must confess that I have long been a big fan of De Niro.   He has starred in many of my favorite movies.   I still think of him as a great actor.  In fact, seeing him unscripted, I am more impressed with his acting ability – although many of his roles required the same irrational over-the-top tough talk he displayed in New York.

If De Niro had any impact on the course of the campaigns, I would say he hurt Biden more than he helped.  Most Americans are able to see and deal with such nonsensical extremist language – mostly by rejecting it.

And as an afterthought:  Isn’t this the kind of language that Democrats keep saying will provoke violence — trigger some nutcase who believes taking out Trump will save the world?  If De Niro was actually speaking as a defendant in a trial, the judge would most certainly have gagged him.  Fortunately, we do not do that to private citizens in the United States – although those on the left keep trying.

Sadly, I will not be able to enjoy a future De Niro movie without seeing him as the street thug political activist.

So, there ‘tis.

Robert De Niro joins the Alec Baldwin school of unhinged political expression

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

13 Comments

  1. frank stetson

    Baldwin and De Niro compared as equals. That’s rich.

    Many in NYC, especially the older, still wear masks in crowds. Covid still kills at a much higher rate than flu, is not seasonal, and is on the uptick in the NE. While a dramatic surge is not anticipated, there will be an uptick. Some of us just don’t see this as a big cross to bear and, so far, only an asshole would pick at it.

    • Brian Adams

      Performance art by the lunatic left fringe. Liberals should be embarrassed but probably aren’t because they cannot recognize insanity anymore. They are the absolute definition of insanity themselves. Keep throwing rocks from your glass houses, continue going after your political opponents by any means possible, but all you’re doing is motivating the majority of right thinking individuals in this country. A red wave is coming in November and the libs don’t see it coming. All the better.

      • frank stetson

        Performance art? Have you not seen Trump’s pressers? His Bronx zoo appearance? The red ties. The blue coats. An evangelist supporting porn sex maniac? We don’t actually own the performance art on this one, we just responded.

        Where’s Melania? Where’s Ivanka? Now that performance speaks volumes.

  2. Americafirst

    Big difference between a covid mask and a full body facial mask that De Niro was wearing – just like Arthur Roberts, the actor who wears a Joe Biden mask. Personally, I do not see a difference in the nasty attitude of De Niro and Stetson. They could almost be one and the same. At least now he can see how most of us view him!

    • frank stetson

      Yeah AF, one exists in the real world, the other just in you tin-foiled hat covered noggin.

      • Americafirst

        Oh, but WE see YOUR tinfoil hat. You are rude, crude and you hate everyone and everything. May our Source have mercy on your soul . . . that is, if you even have one., which you are proving you don’t more and more every day. I AM in the real world; you are a cartoon!

        • Frank stetson

          AF, let me know if you desire to intelligently discuss the issues; the personal emotional stuff you delight in is trite and boring.

          Unless you can prove De Niro has a full body face mask. Or that Joe Biden is really an actor Arthur Roberts which has been fact checked a dozen times as a fake internet post with only those wearing tin foils hats, ie conspiracy nuts, believing.

          Have you seen the saucers? There goes the neighborhood.

          Does the first amendment advocate crazy? Hello patriot!

          • Americafirst

            There is no intelligent conversation with a non-intelligent canned speech artist like you. Arthur Roberts definitely is playing Joe Biden, and I will stake my own life on that. You can research it for yourself, but you are too damned lazy. All you are good for is terrifying the people that do try to have intelligent conversations on this site. Who gave you permission to be so rotten and hateful? Huh? Don’t look in the mirror. You may fall through it and find there is something called truth! Maybe you are one of those idiot clones out there. You definitely are not a human from Earth! More like a reptilian snake from down in those tunnels. So, I am waiting your answer, Mr. Satan!

  3. Michael

    In my humble Opinion – there are a lot better Actors then De Niro however, on a total Moron scale he deserves a “11”.

  4. Frank stetson

    AF you can’t talk issues, just olpersonal for you.

    I did fact check your conspiracy and like I said, fact checked as stupid a half dozen times. The only place it is true is with conspiracy advocates like yourself.

    As to the rest, cry, cry me a river.

    • Archie

      Frank it’s the beginning of pride month with coonteenth coming up. That means you will have a busy month hanging out with your friends

  5. Americafirst

    I am responding intelligently; it is you who are deranged. You belong in an insane asylum. But thank you for raising my celebrity status. I grew up very near the Baldwins. I know how they were and still are, at least the ones still alive. FYI: I don’t totally believe in DJT, but I will take him as my POTUS any day from that wasted actor playing the criminal Biden.

  6. frank stetson

    “AF, let me know if you desire to intelligently discuss the issues; the personal emotional stuff you delight in is trite and boring.”

    “But thank you for raising my celebrity status.” FYI: Horist says this is impossible, but you seem to disprove him. And getting my attention has been much of the driver for your vitriol I am guessing based on that statement. But again, issues please. I know what you think of me. Every one knows what you think of me. And we are all familiar with what comes out from beneath that tin foil hat re: actors and clones filling in for officials. But issues, please. Let’s discuss the topics of the day.

    Wait, let’s get personal: are you saying you are from Long Island? Well, that explains why you are as nutty as Baldwin. It’s in the water. Or Vermont, ditto on the explanation although it’s a better place to sport the hat.