#OscarsSoWhite
Donald Trump, take note: If you want to build a wall to keep Latinos out, check out how Hollywood has done it.
The lack of diversity in the 2016 Oscar nods comes as no surprise to Latinos. While we flock to the box office and serve as the core base of Hollywood’s business, rarely are Latinos cast in lead roles both in front of and behind the camera.
— Felix Sanchez
CNN
I have read numerous accounts of how 6,200 mostly old white males produced the lily white nominations of 20 actors this year. In fact these nominees were selected by the 1,138 members of the actors branch, which has a larger percentage of African Americans than other branches.
… A good film touches the souls of people all over the world regardless of their race, gender, politics or sexual orientation. Filmmakers’ only concern should be to strive for that level of achievement; academy members’ only concern should be to recognize that level of achievement.
— William Goldstein
Los Angeles Times
As the founder and president of the largest organization representing African-American film critics, I have to admit I wasn’t surprised by the nominations because they are indicative of an industrywide attitude that has persisted throughout the history of cinema.
… That said, however, I do not believe organizing a boycott of the Academy Awards is the best strategy. For one, the show is an internationally televised event, seen by millions of people all over the world. Why not use that platform to express your message to gain support for your crusade?
— Gil Robertson
USA Today
Best actress nominee Charlotte Rampling was not entirely wrong when she complained that the #OscarsSoWhite protest sounded “racist to whites.”
… Bold discrimination against whites would further damage the Oscars’ already embattled brand and prestige as much as allegations of discrimination against nonwhites have done.
I, for one, don’t want to see people of color given awards simply because of their race or ethnic group. But I don’t want to see them excluded because of their race or ethnic group either.
— Clarence Page
Chicago Tribune
Vote Bloomberg
… The presidential lineup today is unusually tempting for Mr. Bloomberg, the sensible centrist. As he looks at the candidates, he sees a threat to the country in the ignorance of Donald J. Trump, the rigidity of Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, the extremism of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. He is watching Hillary Clinton, too, in case her campaign craters.
Is there an unorthodox path for him to the White House?
— Joyce Purnick
The New York Times
Bloomberg…would be preferable as president to Clinton, who has forfeited the nation’s trust. And to Sanders, who has never run anything larger than the Burlington, Vt., mayor’s office. And to Trump, whose comprehensive ignorance and boundless confidence demonstrate that he does not know what it is to know things.
— George F. Will
The Washington Post
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg must know that this is his last rodeo. If he does not run for President in 2016, the year in which he turns 74, there will be no opportunity for him in four years. News reports suggest that he is giving serious thought to a third-party candidacy.
… In his deliberations, there are three fundamental questions he must consider: Is there an opening for a third-party candidate? What is his rationale for running? And, can he win?
— Charles J. Reid, Jr.
The Huffington Post
If Republicans nominate Sen. Ted Cruz or Donald Trump, or if Democrats are on the verge of choosing Sen. Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton, Bloomberg enters the race. If not — if Hillary Clinton or an “establishment” Republican win their respective primaries — he stays out.
— Jamelle Bouie
Sun Sentinel
I like Bloomberg. He’s a manager. He made a fortune running a business with his name. He did a fine job as mayor of New York City. He would probably be a good president.
… But in a race with Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee, Bloomberg might just pull enough Democratic votes to swing the race to Trump or another Republican.
— Barbara Shelly
The Kansas City Star
No matter how much current polls may suggest the country longs for a reasonable centrist alternative, and no matter how much money he is willing to commit to his campaign, a Bloomberg candidacy is doomed to defeat.
— Ronald B. Rapoport, Walter J. Stone
New York Daily News
