While Donald Trump collects support from washed-up musicians and the children of convicted criminals, Kamala Harris is pulling major, high-profile backing from the likes of the Hulk, Lieutenant Sulu, and Samwise Gamgee himself.
He goes by other names too — on actor Sean Astin‘s X profile, he also claims to answer to “Mikey, Rudy, Sam, and Bob” — but the energy the beloved star is currently channeling comes straight from Middle Earth. He announced his intent to hit the campaign trail in support of the Harris-Walz campaign via a charming black and white video, in which he revealed that “I fashion myself some sort of leader.”
As such, Astin sees it as his duty to stir up support for the Harris campaign, and he’s seizing that duty with the singleminded commitment of, say, a stalwart Hobbit hailing from a little northwestern region of Eriador. Channeling the beloved, ceaselessly loyal character he brought to life across three award-winning releases, Astin is putting his own desires — reconnecting with his family after a trip overseas — on the back burner, and making the necessary sacrifices to serve his country.
In Astin’s case, that service comes in the form of dedicated canvassing across his “old stomping ground” — aka Indiana, then onto Michigan — where he intends to rile up voters and remind them of how important this election will be. Astin is leading by example, much like so many of the timeless characters he’s played on our screens, and he hopes his small effort will see major returns.
One man’s voice — no matter how beloved — isn’t going to win the election, but the down-home likability of Astin, paired with his clearly well-meaning approach, could definitely swing voters to Harris’ side. Astin is once again reinforcing the massive gap between these two campaigns — on one side we have heartless egomaniacs lying and insulting their way to the top, and on the other we have kindhearted, hardworking family men charming their way into our hearts.
Tell me, which one would you choose?