Patrick Gavin at Politico reported that Ashley Judd spoke out glowingly for Obama to NBC’s David Gregory on the "Press Pass" segment on Meet the Press, and that she she’s willing do whatever she can as a surrogate for the Obama-Biden ticket. She added, “As long as the Republicans keep doing really dumb things about women’s reproductive health, that should help energize girls and women in this country,” she said.
She said Obama moved her to tears: “I think that he is a powerful leader. I think he’s a brilliant man. I think that he has an incredible devotion to our constitution. And that he is now able to flower more as the president I knew he could be.”
And: “I was extremely proud of his statement about gay marriage, for example, because he didn’t need to do that. He was just displaying his values and his belief in equality. And that moved me to tears.” When asked about Romney, she could only say, "To be perfectly honest, I haven’t paid that much attention to him, because I’m so into my guy."
NBC’s Brian Williams bowed before Judd in April when she complained about the gossips making "nasty and misogynistic" about her appearance being a bit puffy, so that might explain the NBC nod. It went somehow from "hey, Ashley's looking a little puffy" to a patriarchal offense, as Judd claimed, "Patriarchy is not men. Patriarchy is a system in which both women and men participate. It privileges, inter alia, the interests of boys and men over the bodily integrity, autonomy, and dignity of girls and women. It is subtle, insidious, and never more dangerous than when women passionately deny that they themselves are engaging in it."
Judd is especially fervent on abortion rights, and opposed to any denial of government subsidies to Planned Parenthood abortion centers:
When you try to close down Planned Parenthood, it’s an access issue. And it’s particularly an access issue for poor women. And poor women who need flexible times during which they can go to the clinic, because they already have small children, because they have difficulty getting time off of work, or they’re trying to improve their education by going to a technical or vocational school.
I mean, those are primarily the women that Planned Parenthood serves, in addition to offering a full spectrum of health care — it’s not just family planning that Planned Parenthood does, and it is certainly not just abortion. Which is this, you know, crazily exaggerated and amplified conversation that the Republicans try to make Planned Parenthood about.
She added: “And so I am committed to President Obama and Vice President Biden, they’re my candidates, and I’ll be a surrogate and campaign and do whatever I can, particularly with younger girls.” Let's hope she knows "younger girls" can't vote, unless she's sort of demeaning college women.
Jenny Rogers at The Washington Examiner reported Judd may be speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in some capacity, perhaps for the National Democratic Institute:
Judd said she’s been discussing the matter with one of her mentors, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright. “We’re talking about how I can help her with the NDI,” Judd said. “Apparently someone has put me forward as a potential speaker.”
...Judd will be attending the convention as a delegate from Williamson County in Tennessee. Though she attended the 2008 convention along with a smattering of other celebrities, Judd is the first starlet tagged for delegate duty this time around. She said she was surprised to be asked but thrilled to represent the county.
“My experience in 2008 was pretty life-changing,” she said. “It was glorious in Denver. I’m looking forward to an equally provocative and meaningful experience in Charlotte.”
