Richard Gere endorses Hillary Clinton's candidacy

(AGI) Rome, June 9 - Hollywood star Richard Gere, while in Rome to screen his film "Time Out of Mind" to the homeless in the St. Egidio Community, said he would vote for Barack Obama if a third term were possible, but supports Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy. "I really wish I could change the U.S. Constitution and allow a third term for Barack Obama," the actor affirmed during a short press conference dedicated to the movie, which will be distributed in Italy by Lucky Red and hit theatres on June 15.

While Mr Gere painted a Donald Trump presidency as a nightmare scenario ("If he won I'd fear for all the free thinkers, Muslims, homeless, women, journalists, Mexicans; basically, everyone he's attacked during this electoral campaign"), he described Hillary Clinton as America's only hope. "I like her a lot and I think she's a really solid person," Mr Gere said while sipping a cappuccino at the Antica Pesa restaurant. "She's not very good at showcasing herself because she's not a showbiz woman, but she's well-prepared, committed, and responsible. She's studied and done a lot of work in politics over the years. She's made mistakes, but she's someone who's very prepared," he stated. Hillary Clinton could become the first female U.S. president, just as Virginia Raggi could soon become Rome's first female mayor. Mr Gere met the Five Star Movement candidate and her adversary in the ballots, Roberto Giachetti, at the U.S. Ambassador's residence of Villa Taverna. The actor declined to comment on Rome's politics, but responded to questions regarding the strong trend in recent politics in which women are often emerging as dominant candidates. "In my opinion that's a highly positive thing," Mr Gere said with a smile. He went on to say that in the view of men that "women have always had a bad reputation and been judged as emotional, irrational. That's not true, women are stable and realists, they're used to solving problems and constantly make practical decisions: children, the home, school. I think women possess the qualities that every person in power should have: patience and wisdom." Mr Gere added that a feminine side with certain qualities makes good leaders such as President Obama, "who like women never decides based on instinct and has a great ability to listen." Those who don't possess these qualities are politicians such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, "whose machismo and desire to win come before everything else". (AGI). .