Remembering the campaign: Geffen on Obama

Now that we are betwixt the election and the Inaugural, this seems like a good time to look back on the historic campaign we have witnessed. One of the earliest defining moments was way back in February of 2007, when Maureen Dowd wrote a column in which she quoted David Geffen making disparaging comments about Hillary Clinton. Geffen had been close to the Clintons, but he was seriously disenchanted, and believed strongly in Obama. Of course, you don't get to be one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry unless you have a world-class ability to spot talent before anyone else. It's even more helpful if you can actually commit to helping that talent reach their goals.

It was a key moment in part because Geffen was not subject to pressure from the Clintons; he's in his own league. As powerful as Bill and Hillary are, there's not much you can do to affect a billionaire with decades of building allegiances. Geffen was one of the few people who could have challenged Hillary's frontrunner status with impunity, which is what he did. Patrick Goldstein reminisces with the man himself in today's LA Times.