Category Archives: Liberal

A liberal activist in Ohio was sentenced to 180 days in jail last week after pleading guilty to 13 counts of voter fraud.

Rebecca Hammond, 34, of East Liverpool, Ohio, worked as a paid canvasser in 2015 for the liberal activist group Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Hammond was initially charged with 35 counts of falsely registering people to vote and forging signatures on voter registration forms in Columbiana County, Ohio, in September and October 2015. She was indicted on those charges in May 2016, WCPO-TV reported.

Hammonds indictment came after Columbiana County Board of Elections Director Adam Booth discovered discrepancies while trying to verify some of the information on voter registration applications. At least five of the voter registration applications in question included the names of dead people, according to the Salem News.

The handwriting wasnt the same. The signature wasnt the same, Booth told WKBN-TV. Maybe the birth date was off by a year or so. Things were flagging off as irregular than what we had in our system. The names matched up to the birthdays, which matched up, for the most part, to the drivers license and then she was just forging their signatures. Its not something anybody off the street couldnt just try to do.

Afterthe discovery, Booth alerted the Columbiana County Sheriffs Office, which launched an investigation into the matter. The case was later turned over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is part of the Ohio attorney generals office.

The investigation found that [Hammonds] falsely registered a number of Columbiana County residents, including some who were deceased, which is inexcusable, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said, according to WCPO-TV. Allegations of voter fraud referred to my office will always be thoroughly investigated.

Each of the 35 counts carried a maximum sentence of one year in prison. However, Hammond pleaded guilty in January to just 13 counts as part of plea deal. Hammonds public defender, Jennifer Gorby, said the activists actions were due to a a lack of judgment on her part.

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative did not compensate its canvassers based on the number of voters they registered, but Hammond told the Salem News that she felt I needed to keep the numbers up to help ensure the organization didnt lose its funding.

Ohio Associate Assistant Attorney General Brian Deckert added that Hammonds actions may have come down to human laziness.

Hammonds was asked if leaders at the Ohio Organizing Collaborative were aware of what she was doing. Shereplied, Not that Im aware of.

Columbiana County Judge C. Ashley Pike laid into Hammond at her March 6 sentencing, saying that she made a mockery of the democratic system.

I just cant overlook this. You attempted to violate the integrity of our election process in the county, Pike said.

You made a mockery of our system. If 180 days [in the county jail] doesnt teach you a lesson, nothing will, Pike added.

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Liberal activist sentenced to jail for voter registration fraud in swing state - TheBlaze.com

The Independent

Mark Rutte: Modest but steely Dutch liberal BBC News Dutch liberal leader Mark Rutte is poised for a third term as prime minister after neutralising the threat from anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders. The victory of Mr Rutte, 50, has brought relief for fellow centrist politicians in the EU, who feared that ... The EU is facing a liberal insurgence now is not the time for Britain to leaveThe Independent Liberal democracy wins, populism on the riseSky News Australia Dutch Liberals Defeat Wilders's Party in Blow to Populist SurgeBloomberg Daily Caller all 1,834 news articles »

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Mark Rutte: Modest but steely Dutch liberal - BBC News

Brian Gallant and Karine Lavoie aren't the only ones getting engaged.

The New Brunswick Liberal party is using the news of the premier's impending marriage to "engage" with voters by gathering their email addresses.

But it's not to invite them to the wedding. It's to send them pro-Liberal messages.

The party is asking people to use a form on the Liberal website to "join us in congratulating" the premier on getting engaged to Lavoie.

The form doesn't work unless the well-wishers submit their email address, and Liberal party president Joel Reed acknowledged Thursday it's so the party can send them Liberal promotional material in the future.

"It's probably evident that if you submit your email address voluntarily to a political party, we're going to assume that you're interested in our activities and try to stay in touch with you," Reed said.

Reed said "all parties" place a lot of importance on gathering email addresses.

He noted that Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau have both used "these sorts of outreach tools quite effectively and extensively. Gathering information is now vital to everyone's campaign strategy."

Reed also said most visitors to the Liberal website "are most likely supporters, or at least interested in the party. A very significant proportion would be existing members, and this allows us a quick and convenient way to update their contact information."

The web page includes a photo of Gallant lifting Lavoie off the ground in an apple orchard, the same photo he tweeted on March 13 when he revealed the couple was engaged. There's no date yet for the wedding.

The request doesn't break any rules, and it doesn't use any government funding.

Liberal party president Joel Reed said all political parties place a lot of importance on gathering email addresses. (LinkedIn)

The page also has a link to the party's privacy policy, which clearly says an email address can be used "to communicate with you about the New Brunswick Liberal Party and its activities, as well as to provide you with news and information."

Reed said people who submit engagement congratulations can also unsubscribe from the Liberal emails once they start getting them.

He said the premier's office wasn't involved in the decision to solicit the congratulations and emails but said Gallant was probably asked for permission.

A few hours after the New Brunswick Liberal party tweeted a link to the congratulations page, Gallant used his own Twitter account to thank people who had sent their best wishes. He didn't link to the Liberal web page.

Author Susan Delacourt says Gallant is "following in the path of many other political leaders who do this."

In 2014, the president of the federal Liberal party went online to ask for congratulatory messages for Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie on the birth of their third child messages that required the senders' email addresses.

And then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper invited visitors to the Conservative party website to wish his wife Laureen a happy mother's day in 2013, while submitting their email addresses and postal codes.

"It's all about the same thing. It's about collecting email addresses, which are way more valuable to political parties than membership fees," said Delacourt, the author of Shopping for Votes, a book about how political parties have adopted retail marketing technique.

"Once you've got an email address, you've got a foot in the door to their lives," she said.

Journalist Susan Delacourt believes Canadians' relationship with their politicians has changed since the consumer boom of the 1950s. Consumers have wants, she says. Citizens have needs - a theme she explores in her book Shopping For Votes. (Adam Scotti)

Delacourt said parties are especially interested in engaging with voters with only a passing interest in politics, because they're easier to sway with direct, targeted messages.

"Often email and Facebook and all those places are where politicians are finding people," she said.

Reed said he didn't have any numbers on how many people have used the web page.

Delacourt said people who wish Gallant and Lavoie a lifetime of happiness are likely to receive a lifetime of emails from the Liberals, including requests for donations, notices of what Gallant is doing as premier, and information on his election platform next year.

"Data is now the way people win elections, and email addresses are the way they collect that data," she said.

And despite Reed's assertion that recipients will be able to unsubscribe to the emails, Delacourt said "it takes a lot to get off" party email lists once you're on them.

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Premier's engagement used by Liberals to woo email addresses - CBC.ca

NewsBusters (blog)

ABC Touts Liberal Judge Shooting Down Trump's Revised Travel Ban NewsBusters (blog) Late Wednesday evening, a federal judge in Hawaii put a temporary hold on the implementation of the White House's revised travel ban. The development was celebrated by the left and championed by the liberal media. There's new fallout this evening ... Liberal Judges Declare War On TrumpWestern Journalism all 2,321 news articles »

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ABC Touts Liberal Judge Shooting Down Trump's Revised Travel Ban - NewsBusters (blog)

The Victorian Liberal Party faces a financial crisis ahead of next year's state election, with leaked documents revealing a string of budget blowouts, rising debtsand lost fundraising revenue from majordonors.

Figures seen by The Age confirm the party is struggling to balance its books, adding to tensions in the already bruising battle for state presidency between Liberal stalwarts Michael Kroger and Peter Reith.

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27-year-old Marcus Bastiaan and his outspoken partner Stephanie Ross have torn like a tornado through the Liberals' Victorian branch, aligning with figures such as Michael Kroger along the way.

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A 22-year-old woman was allegedly raped repeatedly outside the St Vincent's Hospital after the stranger followed her off the tram on Thursday morning. Vision courtesy: Seven News Melbourne.

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63-year-old Channel Seven commentator Bruce McAvaney has revealed he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) over two years ago. Vision courtesy: Seven News Melbourne.

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Nicholas Davison was sentenced to 11 years' in prison on Friday for killing Sydney woman Tanami Nayler, 24, in a hit-run crash in West Melbourne on July 30 last year. Vision courtesy ABC News 24.

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CEO David Herman talks about his plans for Lort Smith, the only animal hospital in Australia, and how he has brought his experience from the private sector to a charity he is passionate about.

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One person has died in a multi-vehicle smash on the Calder as two separate car fires across Melbourne bring peak-hour traffic to a standstill. Courtesy Seven Melbourne.

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Unit Controller John Soles will probably be forced to retire after 18 years working at Australia's dirtiest coal-fired power plant, which officially closes at the end of March.

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A court viewed a YouTube video made by Brendan Davies who was found guilty of five counts of arson, after long and drawn-out trial.

27-year-old Marcus Bastiaan and his outspoken partner Stephanie Ross have torn like a tornado through the Liberals' Victorian branch, aligning with figures such as Michael Kroger along the way.

Internal documents reveal the Victorian branch is expected to clock up about$1.73 million in losses by the end of this financial year, with an expected $1.52 million revenue hit from a major donor, the Cormack Foundation, and a further $233,000 in losses from an Enterprise Victoria fundraisernot being locked in as originally budgeted.

A deficit of $1.16 million was posted in the eight months to February 28, and the Liberals havealso taken on $1.72 million in debt to helpstay afloat with the possibility of more to come.

"We are borrowing to keep the lights on," said one furious Liberal source.

The figures are likely to raise questions about the party's financial management at a time when it should be building an election war chest for Opposition Leader Matthew Guy to fight the Andrews government.

In a sign of the underlying tensions,Mr Guy's parliamentary team have nowsetup their own fundraising account, separate from the administrative wingof the party, which contains almost $250,000 in donated funds to go towards their efforts at next year's poll.

Some insiders have blamed the party's financial woes onMr Kroger, who took on the presidency two years ago promising to shake-up the party's culture, decentralise power from head office to local branches, and significantly improvecampaigning and fundraising.

Since then, his critics argue, the result has been mixed: branches have been plagued by allegations of branch stacking centred on ally Marcus Bastiaan;the Liberals have flirted with the idea of a preference deal with One Nation; and the president has beenlocked in a dispute with the Cormack Foundation over internal governance issues, which has led to the withholding of funds.

State director Simon Frost insisted the party's financial status would not hinder the Liberals' election campaign against Daniel Andrews, saying: "The secretariat is closely monitoring our short-term financial situation. We have in place the systems and personnel to build a substantial war-chest to help make Matthew Guy the premier at the 2018 state election."

While MrKroger declined to comment, his supporters point to the role he played in uncovering the $1.5 million fraud by former Liberal state director Damien Mantach, and the positive federal election result the Liberals had in Victoria last year, where the Turnbull government snatched the seat of Chisholm from Labor.

Insiders say that the party might be able to break even if it can resolve the dispute with the Cormack Foundation andlock in another major fundraiser with the Prime Minister before the end of the financial year.

But the revelations of the Liberals' financial woes are set to intensify the battle for control of the Victorian branch, which will come to a head in April when Mr Kroger defends his presidency from a challenge by Mr Reith, a former industrial relations minister in the Howard government.

The contest has divided the party with federal ministers such as Josh Frydenberg, Michael Sukkar and Alan Tudge backing Mr Kroger to stay in the role, while others, such as Mr Guy, federal Liberals Scott Ryan and Kelly O'Dwyer, and most of the state parliamentary team, endorsing Mr Reith.

Declaring his support for Mr Reith earlier this month, Mr Guy said: "It's a 50-50 ball game in Victoria. We've got to be focused, ready and determined. We need to not, coming into an election, be focused on internal matters."

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Victorian Liberals face financial crisis ahead of state election - The Age

Critics often complain that Saturday Night Live, especially this season, has a decided liberal bend. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has called the show mean, and President Trump himself has often referred to SNL as totally biased and not funny.

SNL largely stuck to the same script last night, featuring one sketch with Alec Baldwin mocking President Trump's leadership skills and another blasting his daughter, Ivanka. Butthe show also tore into liberals in a skit about scientists that have figured out a way to communicate to a lovable bulldog named Max.

"I like Trump. He's my man," Max tells the shocked scientists, including his owner Helen (portrayed by host Scarlett Johansson), who thinks there must be a glitch.

Theres no glitch. Donald Trump is our president, Max says. He carried the Electoral College fair and square.

As her team of horrified scientists try to fix the problem, Johannson scolds Max, telling him hes just a dumb dog that doesnt know anything.

Excuse me, Helen, but yes I do, Max shoots back. Its that condescending attitude that made people want to vote for Trump in the first place.

You just assume that because Im a Trump supporter that Im a xenophobic racist, Max says, pointing out that Johannson hasnt invited a single black person into their apartment.

Johansson mentions that Maxs best friend is a Chihuahua, and reminds the dog that Trump wants to deport Mexicans.

If Aquino was born here, he has nothing to worry about, Max says. This is a nation of laws.

Upset and angered by Maxs opinion of Trump, cast member Cecily Strong, who played an executive in charge of the project, bluntly tells Johanssons scientist, Youre dog is a monster.

Watch:

"SNL" has done a number of sketches this season that have hit the left. In one, the host of Black Jeopardy is surprised thata white Trump support has a lot in common with the other black contestants. In another,we see liberals in denial over Trumps electionwanting to move into a bubbleprotecting their progressive ideas from other forms of thinking.

There was also a sketch during an episode hosted by David Chappelle, wherewe seewhite New York liberals melt down during election nightas it becomes clear Trump is going to win.

Baldwin returns as Trump, Johansson savages Ivanka on 'SNL' 1:25 PM

'SNL' breaks its normal format to mock Kellyanne Conway's couch photo Mar 5 - 7:14 AM

Homegrown puppeteers behind 'SNL' battering-ram lectern and a man-eating plant Feb 23 - 11:13 AM

'SNL' Kellyanne Conway sketch went too far for some Feb 13 - 1:25 PM

Published: March 12, 2017 12:35 PM EDT | Updated: March 12, 2017 8:12 PM EDT

Over the past year, the Inquirer, the Daily News and Philly.com have uncovered corruption in local and state public offices, shed light on hidden and dangerous environmental risks, and deeply examined the regions growing heroin epidemic. This is indispensable journalism, brought to you by the largest, most experienced newsroom in the region. Fact-based journalism of this caliber isnt cheap. We need your support to keep our talented reporters, editors and photographers holding government accountable, looking out for the public interest, and separating fact from fiction. If you already subscribe, thank you. If not, please consider doing so by clicking on the button below. Subscriptions can be home delivered in print, or digitally read on nearly any mobile device or computer, and start as low as 25 per day. We're thankful for your support in every way.

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'Saturday Night Live' goes after liberal snowflakes with Trump-loving dog - Philly.com (blog)

Mashable

Trump-loving dog hilariously rips into liberal snowflakes on 'SNL' Mashable Every dog owner on the planet has imagined this scenario: if my dog could talk, what would it say? "I like Trump. He's my man," apparently. In an adorable guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, Max the dog put on a sci-fi helmet and spoke like people.

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Trump-loving dog hilariously rips into liberal snowflakes on 'SNL' - Mashable

By Afshin Molavi By Afshin Molavi March 12 at 8:08 AM

Afshin Molavi is co-director of the emerge85 Laband a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Instituteof the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

AMSTERDAM Tucked away in a side street across from a hip clothing store, a Surinamese restaurant and a marijuana shop selling bongs and cannabis-infused tea, a monument to our global, interconnected economy and our modern way of life is largely ignored by passing tourists, students and locals. Its no exaggeration to say that modern market capitalism was born on this spot on this month, exactly415 years ago, when a trading company known as the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie the United East India Company was born.

Walk into the silent, empty courtyard of the Dutch East India Company, as it is better-known in English, and you will be taking steps inside the genesis of our modern world. The VOC, as its brand notes on the door, was arguably the worlds first modern multinational company, pioneering the kind of global trade networks that we take for granted today. If we barely bat an eyelash that we have apples from New Zealandat our local grocery store, or spices from India one click away, its partly because of the Dutch East India Companys trading prowess.

The Dutch East India Company drove what has become common to our modern way of life: consumerism. In the process, it also created whole groups of people and regions dependent on exporting goods abroad. In a sense, it lit the fire of modern globalization.The Dutch East India company also anchored Hollands 17th-century golden age, when Amsterdam had become the richest city in the world and European intellectuals from Rene Descartes to John Locke flocked to the city.

Amsterdam spawned the 17th-century Dutch enlightenment, which, as author Russell Shorto persuasively argues in his book Amsterdam: A History of the Worlds Most Liberal City,was a precursor to the enlightenment wave that swept through Europe in the 18th century. That enlightenment, in turn, spawned revolutions against the old order and led ultimately to the creation of a unique experiment in governance: the United States of America. In that sense, the Western world of democracies owes a debt to the Dutch of the 17th century.

Amsterdam had a secret sauce that made it, well, great: state-sanctioned religious tolerance (in an age when that was scarce), innovative and risk-taking entrepreneurs, an incipient individualism, government that invested in trade, and the most sophisticated capital markets known to mankind. (Amsterdams stock market also gave us what Warren Buffet called financial weapons of mass destruction, derivatives.)

All of this matters 415 years laternot purely for academic purposes but because we are, if we believe conservative French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen, at a defining moment in history, when we are experiencing the end of one world and the birth of a new one. For Le Pen and others hoping for the end of one world, all eyes are on Geert Wilders, the Dutch firebrand anti-Islam populist slated for a strong showing in the parliamentary elections this week.

Wilders has a Trumpian way of dominating the headlines. With provocative tweets and a distinctive mane of bleached blond hair, the leader of the Party for Freedom, or PVV, is riding a wave of anxiety in the Netherlands aimed at political elites, globalization, migrants and what Wilders derisively calls the Islamization of the country. He has also referred to Moroccan scum, and, as the New York Times reports, has been the recipient of financing from U.S. organizations.

Agonized editorials in Europe wonder if famously liberal Netherlands has lost its way or, as this BBC report noted, What happened to liberal Netherlands?

Wilders is channeling an anti-immigrant sentiment and suspicion of Islam shared by at least a third of the country, according to Pew Research albeit maybe not as extreme. In his bombastic and hateful rhetoric, he is, in some senses, an extreme overreaction to famously liberal Netherlands, giving voice to a hinterland (or heartland, depending on your perspective) that sees elites in the capital, the Hague, or cosmopolitan Amsterdam, as out of touch. It has become a familiar story of our era, one that fueled Brexit in Britain and the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

For some two decades, Netherlands, under the guise of multiculturalism, hardly made much of an effort to integrate Muslim and other migrants. Indeed, the phenomenon of black schools composed mostly of children of migrants and white schools of Dutch natives reflects multiculturalism gone wrong. Dutch political leaders today are more strictly enforcing the integration of migrant families, especially those seeking citizenship.

Like most rabble-rousing populists, Wilders offers simple (and frightening) answers to complex matters. To say that the Islamic faith is worse than the Nazi Party is not only outrageous, but also a great insult to the 78 percent of Jews of Holland who died under Nazi rule the highest death rate of European Jewry. Pledging to ban all mosques will incense devout Muslims for sure, but, even more, will alienate the hundreds of thousands of Dutch Muslims who are neither extreme nor particularly devout or mosque-going and are getting along just fine in Dutch society. Identity will once again become a weapon of politics.

In a political season of rising populism, suspicion toward globalization and Muslims, and repudiations of the status quo, the elections in the Netherlands will send a signal to the world about where we are headed next.

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The Netherlands was once a liberal force for globalization. Has the country lost its way? - Washington Post

As an Academy Award-winning producer and a political conservative, Gerald Molen has worked in the entertainment business long enough to remember when being openly Republican in Hollywood was no big deal.

In the 90s, it was never really an issue that I had to hide. I was always forthright, recalled the producer, whose credits include Schindlers List and two Jurassic Park movies. It used to be we could have a conversation with two opposing points of view and it would be amiable. At the end, we still walked away and had lunch together.

Those days are largely gone, he said. The acrimony its there. Its front and center.

For the vast majority of conservatives who work in entertainment, going to set or the office each day has become a game of avoidance and secrecy. The political closet is now a necessity for many in an industry that is among the most liberal in the country.

Since the presidential election, some conservatives feel that their political beliefs are more of a career liability than ever even for those traditional Republicans disenchanted by President Trump.

I feel absolutely it has harmed me professionally, said Andrew Klavan, the L.A.-based screenwriter and novelist, and a reluctant Trump supporter. His credits include the 1990 Michael Caine dark comedy A Shock to the System and the novel True Crime, which was made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

Klavan said that producers have called my agent asking, Why would you represent this guy? Anything that lowers your odds is going to hurt.

While no official tally exists, conservatives in the local entertainment industry estimate their numbers could be as high as a few thousand. Thats a small fraction of the nearly 240,000 entertainment-related jobs in the county estimated in the most recent Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the L.A. Region.

Friends of Abe the industrys largest conservative organization alone counts about 2,500 people on its roster, having started a decade ago with just a handful of individuals led by actor Gary Sinise.

The organization, which keeps the identities of its members secret, holds monthly social events as well as lunches for new members. A new member can only join through a recommendation by an existing member. The group doesnt endorse candidates, but does hold speaking events with past guests including Trump, Ted Cruz and Glenn Beck.

Hollywood conservatives are themselves a divided group when it comes to Trump, whose brash style and controversial policies on trade and immigration have alienated many Republicans.

Leaders of Friends of Abe said its members have sharply divergent views on the current president.

There are very conservative people in FOA who are troubled by his rhetoric, said executive director Jeremy Boreing, a filmmaker and self-described Trump skeptic. There are others who are very gung-ho and supportive of him. There are people who are cautiously optimistic and others who are just cautious.

He said it was too early to tell how Trump will affect the organization, but if Hollywood continues to overreact to Trump and toxify peoples professional lives, FOA will grow. We got started under [George W.] Bush, not under Obama. Hollywood was a more pleasant place for conservatives during Obamas tenure because Hollywood was in a good mood.

In casting his vote for Trump, screenwriter Roger L. Simon said it was because he believes Trump can enact change in the country. But the Oscar nominee said he isnt a social conservative. (He said he voted for Moonlight for best picture.)

I think most of the people on the right in Hollywood are on the right for reasons of foreign policy and the economy, said Simon.

Leaders of Friends of Abe said it has a large contingent of below the line talent technicians, artisans, musicians and other crew members who toil far from the limelight.

They fly under the radar, said Stephen Limbaugh, a film composer and a second cousin of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Most dont advertise their political views and lead unpretentious lives. Its mostly beers after work.

But another concentration of conservatives can be found at the opposite end of the Hollywood spectrum: the corner offices of major entertainment companies.

Corporate Hollywood tends to be much more conservative and Republican, said Steve Ross, a professor of history at USC and author of the book Hollywood Left and Right.

That dates back to Louis B. Mayer, the MGM boss who was active in Californias Republican establishment and who would often mix business and politics.

Prominent Republican supporters today include NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke, former Univision head Jerry Perenchio and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Steven Mnuchin, who was national finance chairman of Trump's campaign and is now Treasury Secretary, was a Wall Street executive and film financier whose executive producer credits include American Sniper, Mad Max: Fury Road and Sully.

Talent agency William Morris Endeavor has close ties to Trump. Co-CEO Ari Emanuel, a Democrat, is a friend of the president, having previously worked as his agent, while chief financial officer Chris Liddell recently left the company to become Trumps director of strategic initiatives.

But corporate Hollywood is far from being politically uniform. Rival agency UTA recently protested Trump by canceling its annual Oscars party and holding a pro-immigration street rally. During the recent presidential campaign, a slew of entertainment bosses lined up to give money to Hillary Clinton, including Barry Diller, Haim Saban and ICM Partners Chris Silbermann.

Some believe that deep down, corporate Hollywood is politically agnostic and that profits supersede partisanship.

Where is this liberal Hollywood agenda? The agenda seems to be whatever will entertain mass audiences, said screenwriter Craig Mazin, who has voted Democrat and Republican and now describes himself as a moderate. How could an industry have been successful this long if it was alienating half the country?

Industry insiders say this is especially true in the exhibition industry, which includes the countrys major cinema chains as well as small-town theater owners.

Film buyers are greedy. They want a good performing film, said Ron Rodgers, the retired co-founder of Rocky Mountain Pictures, an independent distributor of conservative and Christian-themed movies.

He said hes had no problems selling his films in blue states, so long as exhibitors think a movie will play well. They will change religions for it.

The same can be said of some studios. Lionsgate, the Santa Monica-based mini-major, has distributed films by left-wing documentarian Michael Moore, including Fahrenheit 9/11. But the company is also behind the most recent documentary by conservative rabble-rouser Dinesh DSouza.

Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party was savaged by critics and even earned a Razzie Award for the worst movie of 2016. But it was also the years top-grossing documentary, bringing in more than $13 million theatrically. Lionsgate, which declined to comment, distributed the DVD in the U.S.

DSouza said that since the election, Trump derangement syndrome has set in and that a lot of creative Hollywood is up in arms. That probably doesnt bode well for any conservatives in the industry, especially the ones who are outspoken about Trump.

Numerous actors including Meryl Streep, Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Chastain have publicly denounced Trumps policies. Alec Baldwin has lampooned Trump several times on Saturday Night Live, while Jimmy Kimmel took swipes at the president while hosting the Oscars.

In such a charged climate, many conservatives in Hollywood keep a low political profile.

Theres a McCarthyism coming from the left, said one prominent TV and movie actor who requested his name not be used for fear of professional repercussions. The actor, who is conservative but not a Trump supporter, said political shouting matches have erupted on the set of one of his shows and that a conservative producer he works with has been shunned by colleagues.

In 30 years of show business, Ive never seen it like this, said the actor. If you are even lukewarm to Republicans, you are excommunicated from the church of tolerance.

(Unless youre a star like Eastwood and Jon Voight, Oscar winners who have openly supported Republican candidates. Voight even spoke during Trumps inauguration festivities: God answered all our prayers... Let us rejoice in knowing that from this time on, we will see a renewed America.)

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Once you reach a certain level of success, its fine, said Michael Medved, the conservative film critic and radio host. It doesnt matter.

For Hollywood conservatives, a Republican in the White House doesnt necessarily herald a golden age of acceptance. In fact, its usually the opposite, said Lionel Chetwynd, the screenwriter and co-founder of Friends of Abe. He said industry liberals doubled down on their resentment toward conservatives during the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush years.

Today, their anger toward Trump is even more intense. And many hold enough industry power where they can be vicious, said Molen, the Schindlers List producer.

Even so, Molen said he thinks conservatives should stand up for their beliefs.

But I wouldnt flaunt it.

david.ng@latimes.com

@DavidNgLAT

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In liberal Hollywood, a conservative minority faces backlash in the ... - Los Angeles Times

Colin Barnett said he would move to the backbench if he didn't win a third term as WA premier. (AAP)

Western Australia's Liberal MPs are considering a new leader to replace Colin Barnett after the weekend's crushing election defeat.

Mr Barnett's deputy Liza Harvey is still viewed as the likely successor, but former corrective services minister Joe Francis also wants the job.

However, Mr Francis' electorate of Jandakot is one of the seats still in doubt.

Former corrective services minister Joe Francis could win the top job. (AAP)

The Liberals will have around 13 MPs in the new parliament, and face a tough task making a dent on new Labor government of Mark McGowan over the next four years.

Insiders believe Mr Francis, a tattooed former submariner, can be the "attack dog" to take on new premier Mark McGowan, while Ms Harvey is not seen as feisty enough.

However, she's been widely perceived as Mr Barnett's heir apparent, and is expected to stand.

The West Australian says former mines and small business minister Sean L'Estrange has also been floated as a candidate.

Ex-bank executive and transport minister Dean Nalder has dropped his leadership ambitions, at least for now.

Mr Barnett has said he'll sit on the opposition back bench, but there's speculation the former premier will retire from politics.

One of the confirmed Liberal MPs, Peter Katsambanis, said on Monday he would not be putting his hand up for the job.

He also denied he'd been drunk when he left a 3am voice message on the mobile of Rob Johnson, who quit the party after a falling out with Mr Barnett.

"The motivation was that Rob Johnson didn't have the good grace to call and concede," he told 6PR on Monday.

AAP 2017

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WA Liberal MPs must choose new leader - 9news.com.au