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October 15, 2004
Actress campaigns to put Kerry in West Wing
Actress campaigns to put Kerry in West Wing
By NIKOLAUS OLSEN
Fort Collins Coloradoan
Moving beyond her role as a staffer in Martin Sheen's White House administration on the NBC show "The West Wing," Janel Moloney sought to influence the real presidential election.
Moloney, who plays Donna Moss on the show, made her way to Fort Collins and Northern Colorado on Thursday to stump for Sen. John Kerry and the Democratic Party.
She contacted the campaign earlier this week asking how she could get involved.
"I'm really shocked that people care what I think," said the Emmy-nominated actress during a stop at New Belgium Brewery, 500 Linden St. She later stopped at a rally at Colorado State University.
Using celebrities in real-life places is a tactic called "retail politics" to reach voters -- especially undecided voters -- outside traditional organized events like campaign rallies, said Steve Haro, Kerry's Colorado campaign manager.
"Finding those undecided voters is like finding a needle in a stack of needles," Haro said.
Moloney chatted with about 50 brewery visitors and employees as she drank a glass of beer and posed for photographs.
"Most people ask me about my character on the show, whether she lives or dies and if she gets together with Josh (Lyman, played by Bradley Whitford)," Moloney said.
In the season finale of "The West Wing," Moloney's character was rushed into emergency surgery. She was in a German hospital recovering from an attack while in the Gaza Strip. The characters played by Whitford and Moloney have a loose romantic connection.
Brian Rubick, 27, was on a tour at the brewery when Moloney stopped by. He had his picture taken with the actress, but wasn't sold on the idea of supporting a candidate based on the Hollywood stars who support them
"Just because you like them in a movie or television show doesn't mean they support the Democratic Party for the right reasons," said Rubick, who is a registered Republican leaning toward Kerry.
Others said meeting the Democratic-supporting actress affirmed their support for Kerry and his party.
"It's just nice to talk to people with different lifestyles than mine that are involved," New Belgium employee Brendan Beers, 27, said. "I think it speaks to the general public."
Originally published Friday, October 15, 2004
Posted by Jo at October 15, 2004 02:37 PM