Hollywood to Biden: roll the credits

Presented by American Clean Power California: Inside the Golden State political arena

Jul 11, 2024 View in browser   By Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner Presented by  George Clooney is latest star to speak out against Joe Biden, just after a major LA fundraiser for the president. | Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for BFI THE BUZZ: FREEZE FRAME — Just a month ago, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars were gathered in downtown Los Angeles, shelling out more than $30 million for President Joe Biden as they munched on popcorn and listened to Julia Roberts, Jimmy Kimmel and George Clooney croon his praises. Fast forward to this week, and Tinseltown is singing a much different tune. Clooney’s New York Times op-ed on Wednesday was the starkest example yet of the rapid about-face within the film industry as bold-faced names join the chorus of calls for Biden to step aside after the first presidential debate, including filmmaker Rob Reiner, animation heir Abigail Disney and Netflix head Reed Hastings. “The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020,” Clooney wrote. “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.” That’s far more blunt than any of the cautious statements coming from Democrats in Washington, still dancing around the subject of the president’s political viability. And while Biden loyalists may be tempted to tell actors to stay in their lane, it’s hard to ignore an industry that the Democratic Party has become so reliant on for money and publicity. Liberal Hollywood’s growing discontent also threatens a drop-off in top-dollar donations to key, down-ballot races. Keeping Donald Trump out of office has long been the top priority for much of Los Angeles’ politically-engaged entertainment world, but now they’re seeing a future where Biden could drag down other critical Democratic candidates, putting Republicans in control of the White House, House and Senate. “Even if Trump does win, you still need the backstop of having the House or the Senate,” said Michael Trujillo, an LA-based Democratic consultant who previously worked with Reiner and attended the Clooney fundraiser last month. “And if Biden is killing all three institutions, I get why these donors want to remove Biden.” It’s particularly notable to see an industry that’s built on artifice and storytelling calling foul on the narrative that the Biden campaign is trying to sell. Some have turned their ire toward movie mogul and campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg, who has long defended Biden’s age as an asset. The Biden campaign on Wednesday sought to downplay Clooney’s op-ed, and argued to CNN that the president stayed at the fundraiser three hours longer than the actor, demonstrating that the 81-year-old Biden has more stamina than the 63-year-old “Ocean’s Eleven” star. But the celebrity sway for voters can’t be discounted: Clooney is an iconic figure, and his op-ed may have a better chance of influencing the average American than voices on Capitol Hill. “It will get into the pop culture. TMZ will talk about it. TikTok influencers will talk about it,” said Brian Goldsmith, an LA-based Democratic consultant who has worked extensively in the media industry. “It’ll cut through to the voters in ways that other inside-DC machinations don’t.” GOOD MORNING. Happy Thursday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at ‪916-562-0685‬‪ — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? In the Bay Area talking about public safety. A message from American Clean Power California: It’s time for California to go big on offshore wind to meet our climate goals. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) must advance California’s clean energy leadership and set a clear course for procuring 10 GW of offshore wind by 2035. Now is the time to secure California’s offshore wind future to meet our climate goals. Click here to learn more about why the CPUC must plan for 10 GW by 2035.   LOS ANGELES Hollywood executives are joining forces to use the power of the silver screen to influence how voters feel about hot topic issues. | Reed Saxon/AP Photo While we’re on the subject of Tinseltown … FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: BOX OFFICE ADVOCACY — A team of political operatives and Hollywood executives are joining forces to use the power of the silver screen to influence how voters feel about issues like climate change and tech regulation — and they’re using an unconventional funding method to do it. Today, they’re announcing the launch of Phenomena Global, an entertainment and media consulting firm that will work with nonprofit advocacy groups to make feature films. The firm is officially nonpartisan, though it’s led by a former Biden campaign staffer and progressive-leaning players. Adrian Eng-Gastelum, who worked on Biden’s 2020 campaign and was a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, said the firm is unique in the sense that it will work primarily with 501(c)3 issue-advocacy organizations to fund movies and build advertising campaigns around them with the stated goal of shaping public opinion, and thereby, policy. That means the nonprofits bankrolling films would be tax-exempt. “It’s a movement through, and around, the movie,” he told Playbook. “Truth right now is in question. One of the things, ironically, that breaks through that is entertainment.” Eng-Gastelum said while there have been some smaller, right-wing documentaries funded by 501(c)3 money, the model hasn’t been attempted at this scale before, and not on major blockbuster films. He said Phenomena has consulted with numerous lawyers, who advised it’s legal to use nonprofit advocacy funds for movies that are vehicles for policy messages. Other co-founders of the firm include Mike Tankel, a longtime Los Angeles marketing and brand consultant, who’s worked on campaigns for the James Bond and Twilight franchises; and Marcela Miranda-Caballero, a veteran political strategist and director of the Ranked Choice Voting Coalition. Tankel said the firm will bridge the “worlds of Hollywood and D.C.” in a new way that’s focused on making it easier to produce and promote films intended to fuel change. But, in case any creative types are wary of that marriage, Eng-Gastelum said the firm isn’t looking to wrest away artistic license. He said it aims to work with creators who already want to make films with social-justice messages, but need support to reach a wider audience. “We could fine-tune stories and make them clear around the messaging in a way that’s very organic and authentic to the creative process,” he added.   Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more.     BAY AREA CRIME DRAMA — Gov. Gavin Newsom is rescinding an offer to dispatch attorneys to help prosecute drug crimes in Oakland, accusing Alameda County’s embattled progressive District Attorney Pamela Price of effectively refusing the state’s help, our colleague Jeremy B. White reports. “Despite our outreach, your office has yet to make use of these resources,” Newsom's Cabinet Secretary Ann Patterson wrote in a letter to Price’s office, obtained exclusively by POLITICO, informing her they would redeploy the attorneys to the California Department of Justice. Price's representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Newsom’s reversal deals a high-profile blow to Price as she fights a recall election fueled by concerns about crime. The aggressive intervention also opens an unusually public rift between a publicly elected prosecutor and the state’s most powerful politician, underscoring how crime has become a volatile and divisive issue for California Democrats.   A message from American Clean Power California:   ON THE AGENDA — Lawmakers return Aug. 5 for the final month of their session. How are you spending these next few weeks of summer recess? Drop us a line via email, text or tweet. We just might feature a few shout-outs in Playbook. CLIMATE AND ENERGY FIRE YEAR — Twenty times more acres have burned so far this year than last year, but Newsom isn’t sweating it; he’s excited to show off all the money he’s spent on firefighting prep. Read more about Cal Fire’s new toys — and why it will need them — in yesterday’s California Climate. Top Talkers — Not-so-blue New York: Local Democrats are warning Biden the Empire State could be up for grabs in 2024. (POLITICO) — Democrats’ fight to retake the House is taking on renewed importance as Biden slips. Swing seats in California are part of the math. (The New York Times) — California is once again late on its financial health report, which helps maintain the state’s credit rating. (CalMatters) AROUND THE STATE — Lackluster demand threatens to turn a major portion of California’s already-vulnerable vineyards into grape graveyards. (San Francisco Chronicle) — Palm Springs passed a sweeping new ordinance that allows police to arrest homeless people who build encampments or sleep in public areas. (The Desert Sun) — Infants and toddlers are becoming unsuspecting victims in California’s fentanyl crisis. (Los Angeles Times) — The Sacramento City Attorney’s Office is warning a Target location it could face fines for “nuisance” calls reporting retail theft. (Sacramento Bee) A message from American Clean Power California: It’s time for California to go big on offshore wind and set a clear path for procuring 10 GW by 2035 to meet our climate and clean energy goals. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is facing a critical decision on offshore wind planning that will either enable the industry to scale or jeopardize the state’s reliability and 100% clean energy goals. The CPUC must advance California’s clean energy leadership and set a clear path for procuring 10 GW of offshore wind by 2035. Planning for offshore wind at scale will drive port and transmission upgrades, supply chain readiness, and project development to yield the benefits of thousands of jobs, energy reliability, and long-term affordability. Click here to learn more about why the CPUC must plan for 10 GW by 2035.   PLAYBOOKERS BIRTHDAYS — Assemblymember Alex Lee … WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO’s California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form. CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Rebecca Haase to find out how: rhaase@politico.com.   Follow us on Twitter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner Lara Korte @lara_korte   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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