ldyjocelyn Posted October 19, 2017 Report Share Posted October 19, 2017 newsmax.com 10 Reasons Clay Aiken Could Be President Someday Quote 10 Reasons Clay Aiken Could Be President Someday Recording artist Clay Aiken attends 2015 Hollywood Christmas Parade on November 29, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Hollywood Christmas Parade) By Jerry ShawThursday, 19 Oct 2017 1:30 PM President Donald Trump opened the door for celebrities and business moguls to make it in politics, and now there's some chatter about which ones could actually make a successful run at the presidency in 2024 or beyond. As a famous singer, songwriter, author, and politician, Clay Aiken has all the components for a successful run at the presidency someday. He first shot to fame as the "American Idol" runner-up in 2003 and went on to enjoy success as a recording artist. He was the Democratic nominee in 2014 for North Carolina’s second Congressional district. He was defeated in the general election, but has been at the forefront of politics and activism ever since. Here are 10 reasons Clay Aiken could be president someday: 1. He’s willing to voice unpopular views — Aiken endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primary and was going to back her again in 2016, but changed his mind early on in the campaign, referring to her as a “leaky boat” and endorsing Joe Biden, vice-president at the time, according to CNN. 2. President Trump is a friend — “I’m a friend of his. I like him as a person,” Aiken has said. Trump was always kind to him, except when The Donald fired the singer-turned-politician on “The Apprentice” in 2012, Aiken joked. Regardless, respect for a predecessor is helpful for the orderly transition of power should Aiken make a run at the presidency in a future 2024 election. 3. He’s really concerned — When Aiken ran as a Congressional candidate, he didn’t do it “to be a politician,” he said. “I ran because I saw a need.” 4. Education is a top priority for him — It was a main issue during his campaign and as an observer. He admired North Carolina Gov. Terry Sanford, partly because of his support for education. 5. He still considers a run for political office — Although he has said he’s not planning a run anytime soon, he has noted that, “eventually, I’ll run again.” 6. He’s a moderate Democrat — “I’m a lot more moderate than a lot of Democrats in this country would like me to be,” he told Time. That could play to Aiken's advantage in a future election that attracts frustrated Democrats and Republicans. 7. Being a gay candidate is less of an issue — Aiken did quite well in the red state of North Carolina during his run for Congress. Besides, he was more of a “celebrity candidate,” so his sexual orientation wasn’t a big concern, he said. 8. His background in entertainment helps — Publicly dealing with two defeats — he came in second place during his stint on “American Idol” and he lost on “The Apprentice” — helped him develop a tough skin and boosted his confidence in the end, HuffPost pointed out. 9. He is critical of both the left and the right — Aiken says it like it is, regardless of party lines. He has criticized the Democrats, saying they hurt themselves by constantly talking about how horrible Trump and the Republicans are, he told The Hill. 10. He’s not typical — It's one of the reasons Trump was elected president, Aiken has said. Like the president, Aiken himself is not your typical politician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldyjocelyn Posted October 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 thewrap.com Clay Aiken Shoots Down Report He ‘Could Be President Someday’ (Exclusive) Clay Aiken Shoots Down Report He ‘Could Be President Someday’ (Exclusive) “American Idol” alum scoffs at right-leaning news site for writing he “has all the components for a successful run” for the White House Jon Levine | October 19, 2017 @ 2:24 PM Sorry America, Clay Aiken has no plans to run for president. The former “American Idol” and “Celebrity Apprentice” star on Thursday shut down some left-field speculation by Christopher Ruddy’s conservative website Newsmax suggesting the out gay singer “could be president someday” and “has all the components of a successful run.” “I will not be available to run for President, as I have decided to retire to a small experimental colony on Venus where I am dedicating my life to growing prize winning space turnips,” Aiken told TheWrap exclusively in his typical tongue-in-cheek fashion. When asked if that could be taken as an official denial, Aiken responded via email with the “neutral emoji face.” Not exactly a Shermanesque denial. If Aiken does change his mind, it wouldn’t be his first stab at elective office. In 2014, he was the Democratic nominee for Congress in North Carolina’s second district and took more than 40 percent of the vote against incumbent Renee Ellmers. Aiken has also remained plugged into current events, appearing on CNN as as Bernie Sanders surrogate during the 2016 campaign and co-hosting a political talk show on YouTube called BoldTV. And after President Donald Trump’s widely criticized response to the Charlottesville neo-Nazi protests, Aiken repudiated his prior statements about the former “Celebrity Apprentice” host. “Remember all those times I defended @realDonaldTrump and believed he was not actually racist? Well… I am a f*****g dumba-. #imsorry,” Aiken tweeted, adding, “I’ve always thought he would be a dumpster fire as a president, and I was right about that. I just didn’t think he was racist.” Still, the high praise in Newsmax for a gay Democrat ex-reality star also suggests Aiken could have bipartisan appeal. “As a famous singer, songwriter, author, and politician, Clay Aiken has all the components for a successful run at the presidency someday,” wrote Newsmax writer Jerry Shaw, who then cited Aiken’s concern for education and personal friendship with Donald Trump as potential selling points. Indeed, Aiken worked closely with Trump during his run on “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2011. As he did in “Idol,” where he was runner-up to Ruben Studdard, Aiken lasted all the way to the end of the show before ultimately losing to Arsenio Hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldyjocelyn Posted October 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 billboard.com Clay Aiken Slams Kevin Spacey for Response to Sexual Assault Accusation Quote Clay Aiken Slams Kevin Spacey for Response to Sexual Assault Accusation 10/30/2017 by Bryan Rolli Clay Aiken joined the chorus of celebrities slamming Kevin Spacey for his response to the sexual assault accusation Anthony Rapp made against him in a recent Buzzfeed News story. Rapp accused Spacey of making a sexual advance on him at a party in 1986, when he was 14 and Spacey was 26. Spacey apologized to Rapp in a tweet posted at midnight on Monday (Oct. 30), saying he owed him “the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” Spacey then segued into a paragraph about his own sexuality, saying he “choose now to live as a gay man” and wants to “deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.” Many Twitter users have criticized Spacey for trying to deflect the accusation by focusing on his own sexuality; others were outraged at the actor’s implication that the two were somehow related. Aiken, who came out as gay in a September 2008 interview with People, shared this sentiment, tweeting, “Hey @Kevinspacey you can choose to act like a pervert; you can’t ‘choose’ to be gay.” GLAAD criticized Spacey in its own statement on Monday, writing: "This is not a coming-out story about Kevin Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp and all those who bravely speak out against unwanted sexual advances. The media and public should not gloss over that." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldyjocelyn Posted December 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 nydailynews.com Supermodel Tyra Banks and Crooner Clay Aiken are Broadway Buddies Quote Supermodel Tyra Banks and crooner Clay Aiken are Broadway buddies Tweet email Pals Tyra Banks and Clay Aiken took in the Broadway show “Come From Away.” (ROB LOUD/GETTY IMAGES) Top model Tyra Banks and her mom, Carolyn London, joined crooner Clay Aiken for a night on Broadway. The unlikely trio took in a Wednesday night performance of “Come From Away” at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, which was probably Aiken’s idea. Aiken, who has seen the show three times, walked Banks and London backstage after it was over and introduced them to the entire cast. A theater insider says that Banks was so moved by a number in the show in which cast members kiss a fish that she asked if she could “kiss the cod.” The show is set in Newfoundland, where that particular fish is significant to the culture. “Stage management brought out the prop fish, which has been kissed by celebrities from Hillary Clinton to Tina Fey, and Tyra kissed it before triumphantly raising it over her head,” we’re told. View image on Twitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top model Tyra Banks and her mom, Carolyn London, joined crooner Clay Aiken for a night on Broadway. The unlikely trio took in a Wednesday night performance of “Come From Away” at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, which was probably Aiken’s idea. Aiken, who has seen the show three times, walked Banks and London backstage after it was over and introduced them to the entire cast. A theater insider says that Banks was so moved by a number in the show in which cast members kiss a fish that she asked if she could “kiss the cod.” The show is set in Newfoundland, where that particular fish is significant to the culture. “Stage management brought out the prop fish, which has been kissed by celebrities from Hillary Clinton to Tina Fey, and Tyra kissed it before triumphantly raising it over her head,” we’re told. View image on Twitter
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