To email or not to email? That is the question, as Barack Obama discovered when he was forced to back away from Scarlett Johansson's assertion that they were online buddies.  

The actress has supported the Democratic presidential contender for years, long before she showed up at the Iowa caucuses back in January. She hosts fundraisers, makes personal phone calls to support his candidacy and even appeared in the star-studded "Yes We Can" video (see below).

"You'd imagine that someone like the senator who is constantly traveling and constantly 'on,' how can he return these personal emails?" she recently told politico.com. "But he does...I feel like I'm supporting someone, having a personal dialogue with them, and it's amazing."

Hey, what wannabe in any profession wouldn't want a sexy, stunning silver-screen star in his corner? But how close is too close, when the world is watching every minuscule move?

"I am engaged to Barack Obama," Johansson joked with reporters. "My heart belongs to Barack."

And now, before the backlash can begin, Obama is oh-no-ing. "She sent one email to [personal assistant] Reggie, who forwarded it to me," Obama said while campaigning. "I write saying, 'Thank you, Scarlett, for doing what you do,' and suddenly we have this email relationship."

Geez, famous or not, she's just a girl trying to tell a boy how she feels...is there no love in return?

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