Jen here...
In an unsuccessful attempt to escape economic worries and the Clinton/Obama madness this Memorial Day, I took two hours to watch HBO's Recount, a docudrama about the theft of the 2000 election.
The film fell surprisingly flat for me for a number of reasons, not the least of which was its failure to recognize the role that mainstream media played in sealing the deal for the Bush crew. (Someone on DU theorized that HBO decided to avoid criticizing the networks in order to get permission to use as much actual footage of their 2000 coverage as is included in the movie.)
I was also disappointed in Recount's marginalization of Al Gore, who is shown only briefly from behind and in profile, and is ultimately present as a mere voice over a telephone, in moments which suggest he is primarily holding back his staff's efforts. (I keep waiting for the outraged Gore supporters to excoriate Recount's creators for this portrayal, but I have yet to encounter any rants.)
Still, I did find myself remarkably moved by at least one thing Recount does well, perhaps because of its dull, urgentless tone: the skill with which it evokes the overall mood of the year 2000. I was an hour in before I realized it—everything seems so damn normal. The Republican forces are conniving, but it would be hard to call them evil. The Democrats appear frustrated, but not agonized (or terrified). There is no talk of the approaching social chaos, depression, war. It is a snapshot of a country joyously oblivious to its own impending obliteration.
So it's probably worth your time, if you think you can endure the flashbacks.
3 comments:
jen,
My husband and I have a lot in common but there is one major issue we hold very different views on. He spends a lot of time ignoring/avoiding pain, and I think that pain is sometimes a good thing. He refused to watch the movie and I watched it twice and it was painful. I had many reasons for watching the movie, the most important was to see if my recollection of events were close to the truth. As Hillary's recollections of Bosnia and Obama's recollection of his uncle/grandfather's role in WWII are being dissected everywhere, I think people forget that recollections are just that.
I wonder how we all would feel watching a movie about the MSM "coverage" of the 2008 presidential race 8 years from now. MSM has long been a tool used by "people in power" (not politicians) to guide the public perception and thought. It was decided in 2000 that Bush should emerge as the winner and MSM did what it has been created to do.
You do have a point in bringing up the lack of awareness and outrage by people and Gore himself. I wonder if people could have forced the powers to concede to their choice if they had reacted differently, but they didn't.
As I read Joe's rants about Obama, I wonder if Joseph really believes that the political races are about the best men/women emerging as winners. I happen to like Bill Clinton, but his flaw was well known to everyone and yet he emerged as the winner. Obama may well be flawed as well (although Joe has yet to convince me that he is much more flawed that the rest)and yet he may end up the winner and MSM will help elect him.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about MSM corruption and the 2000 appointment of the war criminal in our White House.
http://www.dualj.org/bookstore/item_details.aspx?ItemID=0974960977
More pain ehh?
I have read too many books about what ails our so called "Democratic System" and the "voter Disenfranchisement" of 2000 and 2004 and the ongoing corruption of our voting apparatus and the craziness of the "caucuses" and the insanity of the "Electoral College".
I don't need to be made aware!
I need to know how to fix it!
I feel no sympathy nor any animosity toward any one candidate, I do however hate "bias' of any kind. Josh "The King of Bloggers' and Joseph Cannon share more than they wish to admit. Bias is bias however way you slice it. May the "anointed One" win as it has been decided.
Unless, of coarse, we the people demand that our voices be heard, in which case, may the man/woman with the most votes emerge triumphant.
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