George Clooney Rules Out Running for US Presidency

George Clooney has ruled himself out of running for the U.S. presidency. Answering to a series of questions regarding his probable interest in running for public office, a subject that has cropped up in the past as well, Clooney replied that he has no interest.

The venue was the packed Venice press conference for his new film, The Ides of March. The movie, which is based on the play Farragut North written by Beau Willimon, is directed by him. He is also playing the role of Governor Morris, a presidential candidate, in the movie.

As for running for President, look – there is a guy in office right now who is smarter than almost anybody you know, who has more compassion than almost anybody you know and he is having an almost impossible time governing, he said downplaying his own political ambitions.

The Academy Award-winning actor has for some time been hinting at making the change from Hollywood to politics because of his fascination for numerous activities involving world peace. This includes the call he made for ceasefire in Sudan. The combination of charming good looks and interest in international affairs has prompted political analysts to consider him to be a possible presidential candidate.

In the movie, Ryan Gosling plays a character that is willing to do anything to help Governor Morris win the Ohio primary and clinch the Democratic nomination. Clooney has deftly directed the rest of the cast as well which includes the experienced Philip Seymour Hoffman playing Morris’s paunchy campaign manager; Paul Giamatti who plays his menacing opposite number; Marisa Tomei playing an aggressive political reporter and Evan Rachel Wood delivering as a blond intern.

Clooney described the film as a morality tale that could apply to any setting.

Clooney and his fellow cast members acknowledged that the crossroads of politics and entertainment are becoming increasingly tangled. Giamatti added that the line between Hollywood and Washington has become extremely blurred. At the same time Hoffman pointed out that unlike the public policy measures made by politicians, the decisions Hollywood makes don’t impact the daily lives.