"I don't see myself as conservative," Eastwood has stated, while noting in the same breath that he is not an "ultra-leftist," either.
[367] At times, he has supported
Democrats in California, including Senator
Dianne Feinstein in 1994,
[368][369][370] liberal
United States House of Representatives member
Sam Farr in 2002,
[371] and Governor
Gray Davis, whom he voted for in 1998 and 2002 and hosted pricey fundraisers for in 2002 and 2003.
[372]
A self-professed "liberal on civil rights,"
[360] Eastwood has stated that he is pro-choice on abortion.
[366] He has endorsed
same-sex marriage[367][373][374] and contributed to groups supporting the
Equal Rights Amendment for women, which failed to receive ratification in 1982.
[375]
In 1992, Eastwood acknowledged to writer David Breskin that his political views represented a fusion of
Milton Friedman and
Noam Chomsky and suggested that they would make for a worthwhile presidential ticket.
[376] In 1999, Eastwood stated, "I guess I was a
social liberal and
fiscal conservative before it became fashionable."
[377] Ten years later, in 2009, Eastwood said that he was now a registered
Libertarian.
[378]
Despite being heavily associated with firearms in his Westerns and police movies,
Eastwood has publicly endorsed gun control since at least 1973. In the April 24, 1973, edition of
The Washington Post, the star said, "I'm for gun legislation myself. I don't hunt."
[379] Two years later, in 1975, Eastwood told
People magazine that he favors "gun control to some degree."
[380] About a year later, Eastwood remarked that "All guns should be registered. I don't think legitimate gun owners would mind that kind of legislation. Right now the furor against a gun law is by gun owners who are overreacting. They're worried that all guns are going to be recalled. It's impossible to take guns out of circulation, and that's why firearms should be registered and mail-order delivery of guns halted."
[381] In 1993, he noted that he "...was always a backer" of the
Brady Bill, with its federally mandated waiting period.
[382] In 1995, Eastwood questioned the purpose of assault weapons.
Larry King, the television host and newspaper columnist, wrote in the May 22, 1995, edition of
USA Today that "my interview with Eastwood will air on 'Larry King Weekend' ... I asked him his thoughts on the NRA and gun control and he said that while people think of him as pro-gun, he has always been in favor of controls. 'Why would anyone need or want an assault weapon?' he said."
[383]
