Cavorting with Hollywood’s finest does, however, come with risks. Hollywood donors ignore Romney

If there’s any question that Hollywood loves President Barack Obama, a few names for you: Billy Crystal, Meryl Streep, Sharon Stone, Scarlett Johansson and Salma Hayek.

Oh, and Robert Downey Jr., Diane Keaton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Reese Witherspoon, Christie Brinkley and two Fondas, Peter and Bridget.


These silver screen superstars rank among actors or actresses who together in May made 330 reportable contributions to Obama’s reelection campaign for a total of $130,000, new federal campaign finance records indicate.

How many does Mitt Romney count among his donors last month?

Four.

As in a number too small to field a basketball team. Fewer, too, than the number of his campaign donations attributable to accountants (88) and actuaries (11).

Nick Searcy, perhaps the most notable of Romney’s cast of May actor-donors, contributed $250 to Romney on May 21. His credits include bit roles as Sheriff Rawlins in “The Fugitive” and Frank Bennett in “Fried Green Tomatoes.” More recently, he’s starred in the FX cable series “Justified.”

Searcy’s management agency declined to elaborate on the donation. “We are respectfully passing on this opportunity, as we are not interested in participating at this time,” wrote the office of Joe Rice at Abrams Artists Agency.

Character actors William Shockley, Nina Onuora and Richard Huisman also contributed to Romney last month.

If Romney still longs for Hollywood’s attention, he may take heart in that “Charles in Charge” sitcom lead Scott Baio and veteran actor Jon Voight recently attended one of his California fundraisers and whose donations will likely appear in his next financial report, due out next month.

In addition to raising money from the red carpet set — even George Takei, “Sulu” in “Star Trek”, beamed $5,000 Obama’s way — Obama has recently employed numerous A-listers, such George Clooney and Sarah Jessica Parker, in a bid to raise cash not only from other actors but the general public.

One popular Obama fundraising technique this cycle is offering average Americans a chance to win dinner with the president and a Hollywood star — in exchange for a small-dollar donation.

While these contests are rigged, and donations aren’t technically required to enter, Obama has nonetheless succeeded in scoring significant cash — and valuable personal information — from legions of workaday supporters.

Cavorting with Hollywood’s finest does, however, come with risks, namely turning off independents and energizing conservatives.

The Republican National Committee, for one, has created advertisements chiding Obama for his coziness with Vogue Editor Anna Wintour and conducting a fashion show-themed fundraiser featuring a bevy of bold-faced names.

Four years ago, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) outrightly declared Obama the “biggest celebrity in the world” in a campaign ad meant to question his positions on energy and taxes.