Jon Voight: Hollywood Conservatives 'Thoughtful...Have Some Guts'

Movie star Jon Voight described to "The View’s" Elisabeth Hasselbeck his thoughts on fellow Hollywood conservatives. On the September 8 "View," Hasselbeck offered a behind the scenes look at the Republican Convention. Whe show’s sole Republican asked one of the few outspoken Hollywood conservatives why many actors who "lean toward the right" remain in the closet, Voight replied that Hollywood conservatives are "thoughtful" because "they have to make a decision to be conservative in Hollywood" and "they have some guts."

The previous Friday, Elisabeth Hasselbeck also made pre-recorded appearance on "Hannity and Colmes." Sean Hannity inquired as to "where the other girls stand." After acknowledging Joy Behar is "on the hard left" (talk about stating the obvious) "The View" co-host opined that Whoopi, Sherri and Joy just might come around because "there’s potential for them to now see something on this side of the ticket that maybe they were not seeing before."

Perhaps Elisabeth did not want to tag the "hard left" label on all of her panelists, but there remains little to no chance that at least one other co-host, Whoopi Goldberg, will vote for a McCain/Palin ticket. Whoopi, in a recent blog post, threw the tired old line of comparing Sarah Palin to a Nazi.

Relevant portions of the transcript are below.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: A lot of people in your situation, especially in Hollywood, are not as open with their politics especially when they would, say, lean toward the right. Why do you think that is?

JON VOIGHT: I know so many conservatives in, in Hollywood, and they’re great people, they’re thoughtful people because they have to make a decision to be a conservative in Hollywood. So they, they’re knowledgable, and they, you know, they have some guts.

[...]

SEAN HANNITY: Alright so now we have the dynamic on "The View." Are you going to be the only one supporting the ticket? Do you know where the other girls stand? Where’s Barbara, where’s Whoopi, where’s, you know, everyone-

HASSELBECK: Well, I think, I think we know where Joy stands.

HANNITY: Joy, yeah, she’s on the hard left.

HASSELBECK: She’s, she’s hard left. And that’s why sometimes I think seem so hard right. You know, it’s when you’re paired up against someone who’s incredibly liberal.

HANNITY: Like Alan.

HASSELBECK: Exactly. In terms of Whoopi and Barbara and Sherri, I actually think there’s potential there for them to now see something on this side of the ticket that maybe they weren’t seeing before.

HANNITY: Right.

HASSELBECK: In a new way.

HANNITY: How is the audience reacting so far?

HASSELBECK: You know, I’ve seen a great shift in our audience actually.

HANNITY: Wow.

HASSELBECK: Before, when I would say something in favor of the Republican ticket or for Senator John McCain, you know, there would be a little bit, a little bit of noise, and after someone would quietly come up to me and say "hey, you know, I just want you to know, I just want you to know, I agree with you."

HANNITY: Oh, they say it quietly.

HASSELBECK: Who’s going to come out and hurt you if you say it out loud? Now, I have seen a great shift, and it’s been gradual, which I think is better, it’s been a gradual shift where people more and more are getting loud about their support for, for the Republican ticket. And I am, I think it indicates a big change going on. But it’s a steady change, which I prefer. It’s not something that’s dramatic. And I think it’s going to be a lasting one. So it’s getting loud there at "The View." It’s getting loud for McCain. I like it.