Martin Sheen is not running for President. Or for United States Senate. Or for governor. And it’s not because he wants to spend more time with his family.
In many ways, Sheen is a natural choice for public office. Every few months a new boomlet emerges for a pop culture celebrity to run for political office. Ben Affleck is talked about for United States Senate from Massachusetts. Comedian Al Franken is said to be exploring a Senate bid from Minnesota. Jerry Springer has been mentioned as a candidate in Ohio. Arnold Schwarzenegger…oh, wait, that one actually happened.
The reality is, we’re living in an era when the American public is obsessed with celebrity. Political parties want to win (which is nothing new) so they at times seek to recruit candidates on the basis of celebrity itself. Martin Sheen is a thoughtful man; he might be more a Ronald Reagan of the left than a Sonny Bono.
But he’s running for nothing.
Today’s New York Times features an article about the presidential election depicted on NBC television’s “The West Wing.” Before its ratings began to flag, the “President” on the program, played by Martin Sheen, was often idealized by those of a more liberal political ideology who were unhappy with the politics of the Bush Administration. President Bartlett, on the program, was tough, idealistic, and visionary. In other words, he was, in perception, quite different from most real live politicians in both parties.
The Times reports that actor Martin Sheen was recruited by Democratic Party officials to run for United States Senate in his native state of Ohio. What is newsworthy is not just that Sheen turned them down, but why he did so. Sheen is obviously knowledgeable about public policy, and has deep convictions. He is a longtime advocate of pacifism abroad and for activism domestically, on issues such as homelessness and public education. Nonetheless, Sheen turned down the opportunity to put his name on a ballot because…he’s not qualified.
“I’m just not qualified,” Sheen says he told Party leaders. “You’re mistaking celebrity for credibility.”
In other words, “I’m not a President. I only play one on TV.” I may disagree with much of Sheen’s political thought, but we could learn something from his wisdom at this point. Such perceptiveness at this point could go along way in a political arena that has long confused celebrities with statesmen, and vice-versa.
