Celebrities stump for Obama at MU
Celebrities Aisha Tyler, Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs make an appearance Saturday in front of Ellis Library on Lowry Mall. The trio of stars stumped for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and stressed the importance of voter registration.
Taye Diggs, Idina Menzel, and Aisha Tyler were at Lowry Mall on Saturday afternoon to discuss both the importance of voting in the upcoming election and what they like about Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
The actors are the latest in a line of high profile figures to stump for Obama at MU. “Hotel Rwanda” star Don Cheadle appeared at Speaker’s Circle last week, and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., have also appeared on campus and in Columbia in the last few weeks.
Diggs played in the award-winning 2005 film “Chicago”, a role that won him two awards of his own.
“Obama is different,” Diggs said. “Obama is something brand new. And based on where we are right now, that’s what we need. America hasn’t needed change this badly in a really really long time. We all have the opportunity in this election to truly alter the course of this country, and most likely the world. This is our chance to make history. This could be our civil rights movement. This could be our Women’s Liberation movement. This could be our movement.”
Tyler has appeared in several television shows of note, including “24”, “Friends” and also played the role of Shaquille O’Neal’s girlfriend in an episode of the HBO program “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” She spoke to the crowd about the importance of the youth vote.
“What’s exciting about this campaign is that you really can do something,” Tyler said. “You individually can make a difference in this election. You can be heard and your voice and your needs can be met. But, it’s not what someone is going to do for you. It’s something that we all have to do together. We all have to take the initiative and we all have to contribute to make a difference.”
Menzel, who, like Diggs, appeared in “Rent”, threw her support behind the Illinois senator.
“It’s someone like (Obama) and us that are going to make the world safer by going out and reaching out and promoting compassion and tolerance in the world that’s going to make us safer,” Menzel said. “Not us going in there and bombing a bunch of people and taking over governments and telling them how they’re supposed to live their lives.”