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More celeb backing for Obama
05/05/2008 22:11 - (SA)
New York - Tom Hanks is supporting presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
Hanks has taken to his MySpace.com page to pledge his support for Obama, who is competing to be the first black president. Obama, who faces rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination, has also been endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Springsteen and Scarlett Johansson.
"As an official celebrity, I know my endorsement has just made your mind up for you," the 51-year-old actor says in a short video titled, Beware: Celebrity Endorsement.
"History with a capital 'H' is going to be made this November, no matter who the president-elect is. I want Barack Obama to be president of this country, a country that once said people with his skin colour were only three-fifths of a human being."
He was referring to the three-fifths compromise of 1787, in which Southern and Northern states agree that three-fifths of the slave population would count for representation in the House of Representatives.
Hanks, who won Oscars for his roles in Forrest Gump and Philadelphia, explains his decision: "It's because of his character and vision, and the high road he has taken during this campaign. He has the integrity and the inspiration to unify us, as did FDR and Harry Truman and John F Kennedy and even Ronald Reagan when they ran for the job."
The actor says Obama and Clinton have each "pretended to eat cheese-steak sandwiches and go bowling", "committed gaffes" and distanced themselves from supporters who could damage their campaigns.
But Hanks thinks an Obama presidency could bring about a "seismic shift", and "live up to the great promise once shaped by our founding fathers".
Signing off, the star says: "I'm Tom Hanks, I wrote and approved this message, and I'm now going to turn off the camera."
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