The good news for Democrats is that they won't have to totally rely on George to win the race. For more than 30 years, Clooney has been a fixture in the local and at times national media. He was the star of a hokey television variety and talk show on Cincinnati television in the 1970s, anchored the top-rated local newscast in the early 1980s, has hosted national cable television and Cincinnati area radio shows, published a book of his top movie picks and for 15 years has written a general-interest column for the Cincinnati Post, though he recently went on leave to run for office. He has appeared in dozens of commercials and has hosted benefits, political debates, dances, community events and more throughout the region.

"My face has been hanging out on the television screen for so long," he says, "whether they like me or not, they know who I am."

Though his political views have yet to be flushed out, Nick Clooney has already taken grief for saying he is in favor of "some" gun control. (Pissing off Moses could bring a plague of trouble, whether he has Alzheimer's or not.) Candidate Clooney is against abortion except in the cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother's life, and while that's a conservative view in many places, here it is unacceptable to many in both major parties.

"It's a tough time to be a Democrat in Kentucky," said state Sen. Damon Thayer, vice chairman of the Kentucky Republican Party. "Nick Clooney is just too liberal for the voters of the 4th Congressional District."

Both Geoff Davis, a self-employed business consultant, and lawyer Kevin Murphy, the other GOP candidate, claim not to be spooked by Clooney or his name. "The contrast on the issues that matter to the people is going to be serious," Davis said. Going up against a Hollywood star "definitely changes the playing field," he added, "but it does not change what we are going to do one bit."

"Any star power will wear off when the issues come to the forefront," said Murphy, a dapper and fast-talking New York native. "The 4th District is conservative and Republican. Nick Clooney is neither."

Indeed, Nick Clooney has quickly learned one political move very quickly, the popular backpedal. In his newspaper column, he has at times criticized Bush -- but, he's quick to point out, he criticized Bill Clinton, too. After initially asserting there was no way he could run from what he's written or said in the past, Clooney now appears to be trying to step away from some of his own words. Many columns, he claims, were written merely to provoke debate and "engender discussion."

Clooney does have some views that will sell well with Kentucky voters -- support for the mission in Afghanistan and for the troops in Iraq, a stronger military, benefits for veterans, opposition to the deficit-swelling spending we've seen by Bush and the Republican Congress. "I'm a common-sense Democrat; I am looking for common-sense Republicans," he says. "I know this district. I've lived in it for 30 years. But I want to get out and listen. I want to see what is bugging people."

Yet that might not be enough on its own, and some political analysts say that not even George will be able to make up the difference. While the candidate's hunky son might get some ink and raise some dough, the analysts say, he will be taken mostly as a pretty face in a fancy suit.

"Nick Clooney will bring some star power to the race," says University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato, who follows Kentucky politics. "And there's no doubt his son will campaign extensively for him. But I've found while celebrities can bring money and attention to a candidate, they can not elect them. And the 4th District of Kentucky is so heavily Republican and so conservative, I don't care how famous George Clooney is or how many times he campaigns for him, this race is going to be extremely difficult for a Democrat to win."

That leaves the candidate and his handlers to develop a subtle campaign plan, one that exploits George's celebrity while keeping the campaign firmly on a moderate course and avoiding the risks that arise when George talks about politics. "He would be here every day if I asked him," Clooney said of his son. "He has his own life, but surely we'll try to set aside a moment when George can come back and do a [campaign] walk-through or fundraiser."

Taken together, the Clooneys are "a Republican nightmare," gushes Smith, the Kenton County Democratic chairman. "The older voters love Nick and the women love George. They don't care if he is a right-winger, a left-winger or a damn Russian. They just know he is the hottest single man in Hollywood, he's from Kentucky and his dad is running for Congress. As a party chairman, I'll take that any day."

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