The New Republic: Hanif Willis: Abdurraqif- America’s Most Electable Fictional Presidents

Source: The New Republic-

Source:The Daily Review

Hey, what do you know. The New Republic with an article not only worth sharing, but commenting on and blogging about all in one. Maybe they’re partially only dead and when they’re finally sold and hopefully bought by people who know what they’re doing this time and who aren’t to the left of Bernie Sanders they may come back to life. And return as a great Center-Left liberal magazine that they use to be. And stop doing their impersonation of Salon. And leave socialism and political correctness for Socialists and political correctness warriors. Not people who call themselves Liberals.

I’m going to cover a few of the Hollywood president’s that I’m actually familiar with. I know, why not instead speak about Hollywood characters you know almost nothing about and pretend to be intelligent about them like every other asshole blogger out there who knows so much about nothing. I guess I just have this weakness called character and a conscience that prevents me from talking about people and things I’m simply not familiar with, because I lack interest in them. Anyone born before 1980 might think I’m talking about people from the 19th Century, or something. So you might want to leave this page and get back to your favorite reality TV programs. There’s the asshole in me.

This might sound corny, but I guess my favorite Hollywood president is Andrew Shepard. Who sounds like a Founding Father or something from New England, or some place. But even if Carl Reiner only spent all of two-minutes coming up with the name for Michael Douglas in The American President, this character is a great character. Douglas, plays a president with big progressive goals, but knows how to work with people even in his own party in order to move the ball forward and get a progressive accomplishment. Which is the definition of a pragmatic Progressive, something that I believe Franklin Roosevelt would be proud of. While at the same time he’s also a man and a widower and has needs and falls in love. And hopefully you’re familiar with the rest of the story.

Jack Evans from The Contender from 2000 played by Jeff Bridges. Someone whose determined to nominate and get confirmed a female Vice President after his first Vice President has the nerve to die before his term is up. There’s an unfortunate political correctness slant to this as well. That a President would go out-of-their-way to pick a woman as his VP simply because there’s never been a female VP before. But the story is great and the Republican opposition especially in the House of Representatives wants to make Senator Lane Evans personal life especially her sexual history the focal point there. Instead whether she’s qualified for the actual job of both Vice President and President of the United States. Where they never question her credentials. And President Evans and Senator Hanson, never play ball with the House Republicans on her past and nomination.

I would be lax in my duty here if I didn’t mention a character who I spent too much of my life during their seven-year run watching, if I didn’t mention Jeb Bartlett. Who of course is played by the great Martin Sheen in The West Wing. I can’t think of a Hollywood character who was better suited for the job of President of the United States than Jeb Bartlett. Who always knew what was going on what needed to be done and what he needed to do to get it done. That he had his own politics and policies, but who never let the perfect be the enemy of the good. ( To use a cliché ) But who had a Republican Congress his entire time as President. And had to deal with all sorts of horrible issues and a lot tough decisions that yielded him no political benefit. But made them, because they had to be made.

I think if you’re going to do a show or movie about an American president, you should be realistic. Either cover someone who has already had the job, but give your character a different name. But with the same character, personality, intelligence, demeanor, judgement and everything else. And cover similar stories that the real president dealt with. Or come up with your own president that perhaps represents America at it's best, or worst and deal with stories that haven’t been dealt with, but are realistic. I think the problem with a lot of Hollywood political movies especially about the President, is that they look like they come from Hollywood. And they look almost completely make-believe. Like Dave from 1993. The Hollywood president’s that I mentioned are realistic, because the characters are believable and so are the issues that they dealt with.
Source:Hollywood

Barry Levinson: Wag The Dog (1997) Starring Robert DeNiro & Dustin Hoffman

Source:IMDB- From Barry Levinson.

"After being caught in a scandalous situation days before the election, the president does not seem to have much of a chance of being re-elected. One of his advisers contacts a top Hollywood producer in order to manufacture a war in Albania that the president can heroically end, all through mass media. Written by Christy."

From IMDB

"Shortly before an election, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to fabricate a war in order to cover up a Presidential sex scandal."

Source:IMDB- Robert DeNiro in Wag The Dog. Good job, Bob!

From IMDB

Source:Warner Brothers- Dustin Hoffman & Robert DeNiro.

"Wag the Dog - Original Theatrical Trailer"

From Warner Brothers

The late 1990s was a crazy and fascinating time for many reasons politically and other things and also one of the best periods for Hollywood as far as making movies. Some of my favorite movies of all-time come from 1997-99. Wag the Dog 1997 being one of them, Jackie Brown 1997 being another as far as I'm concern the best Quentin Tarratino movie of all-time. Out of Sight 1998 being another one, Primary Colors 1998 another one of my favorite movies. Cop Land 1997, The Big Lebowski 1998 maybe my favorite comedy of all-time with a great comedy duo in Jeff Bridges and John Goodman. Very Bad Things 1998 another very funny movie, Wild Things 1998 very funny.

But one movie in particular because it fit in perfectly with the times especially politically: the Monica Lewinsky scandal breaks in January 1998 the same month that the Pope visits Cuba which I doubt made the United States Government very happy especially with their embargo policy on Cuba. And also when President Clinton was probably at his most popular. Wag the Dog came out about a year earlier, in the Summer of 1997, two American embassies in East Africa were bombed and then America attacks both Sudan and Afghanistan. Because the Clinton Administration believed that the Sudanese Government had a role in the African bombings. 

Again we attack Afghanistan as well that same month August 1998, but here's the thing and why Wag the Dog is so relevant. That movie is about people working for the White House creating the appearance of a war in order to get the media and people's attention off the latest sex scandal of the President.

After America attacked Sudan and Afghanistan by sending in missile strikes, Republicans in Congress, Senator Dan Coates of Indiana who is generally a pretty rational and responsible person, right away questions whether the missile strikes had something to do with the Lewinsky scandal. And was done as a distraction just like in the movie Wag the Dog and even said something to that affect: "I wonder or I hope this is not a Wag the Dog moment for President Clinton". 

The movie came out just a few months before the Lewinski scandal broke. Wag the Dog is a movie about the President being in trouble with another sex scandal. He's a popular President up until the scandal and looks like he's flying to reelection.

But the scandal breaks and of course his opponent in the race a U.S. Senator played ( by Craig Nelson ) try's to make the most out of it. Senator Nelson ( let's say ) is way down in the polls and is looking for anything he can to break through. Someone in the White House calls in a veteran big shot political strategist to deal with the scandal ( played by Robert DeNiro ) and he gets the idea that what the President needs is a distraction. To get the country's attention off of the sex scandal and comes up with the idea of a fake war and hire a Hollywood producer played by Dustin Hoffman to put this show together. 

Wag the Dog is a great movie for several reasons: one because of how relevant it is, perhaps not realistic though especially in the information age. And this movie did come out in 1997 as far as them being able to cover up a fake war without the Defense Department, CIA or someone knowing about it. 

But it's still a very funny movie, well-written and a great cast Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Bill Macy, Ann Heche, Craig Nelson, Dennis Leary and others. And how desperate that these politicos were to save a Presidency and would even create a fake war to do that. 

You can also see this post at The New Democrat, on WordPress.

Mike Nichols: Primary Colors (1998) John Travolta as Bill Clinton

Source:Movie Clips Classic Trailers- Adrian Lester as Henry Burton.

"Primary Colors Trailer - Directed by Mike Nichols and starring John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Adrian Lester. Jack Stanton is the charismatic governor of a southern state who decides to run for President. The film follows Stanton's bumbling, philandering and plotting as he rises to the top of American politics."

From Movie Clips Trailer Vault

"A man joins the political campaign of a smooth-operator candidate for President of the U.S."

Source:IMDB- Adrian Lester and John Travolta.

From IMDB

"Jack Stanton is running for president. The election is seen through the eyes of young Henry Burton. Along the way Stanton must deal with a sex scandal. Written by Anonymous"

Source:IMDB- John Travolta, Emma Thompson, and Adrian Lester.

From IMDB

I saw the movie Primary Colors in the spring of 1998. Doesn’t seem that long ago, but that’s a different story, with a long time friend of mine from high school who’ll go nameless. And we saw it for free because my friend worked at a movie theater, one of the few perks of being friends with him.

And I looked forward to seeing this movie, because it reminded me of a real life Southern politician another New Democrat, (the real Liberal Democrats) who is a political hero of mine, who had the ability and vision to do great things. But lacked personal discipline, made too many mistakes for someone with his intelligence, who also had a strong take charge attractive wife played by Emma Thomas. Who’ve could’ve been very successful on her own.

The question being, could Hillary Clinton’s husband be successful on his own? Same question in this movie Primary Colors was full of scenes that looked like the real person I’m talking about and if you’ve seen the movie and follow American politics, you probably already know who I’m talking about.

And the movie was also based on this real life person, liberal governor from the South who culturally fit in very well with his state and the broader region. Who didn’t have any Federal Government experience, not even serving in the military. Who despite being a Southerner, fit in very well with people outside of that region especially Northeastern and Hollywood Democrats who have a lot of power in the Democratic Party, if not run the party.

The main politician in Primary Colors the character played by John Travolta, great actor and a very funny man Governor Jack Stanton running for President, had the strong wife that I was talking about. Started running for President in New Hampshire with a very small budget and staff, just like the real life person.

Jack Stanton has a sex scandal that involved a long time friend of the Governor, had really smart political strategist also from the South played by Billy Bob Thornton. Again, long time friend of the Governor just like the real life person, veteran politicos as well a young people on his staff. Just like the real life person and there was a question of whether Governor Stanton evaded the Vietnam War Draft, just like the real life character.

There was a primary debate where Governor Stanton had a big moment to win the debate just like the real movie.

There was a campaign event, where Governor Stanton was able to connect with the audience his I feel your pain moment just like the real movie. When Governor Stanton basically told the audience that:

“I know times are tough, but I can’t promise you the jobs you lost are coming back. That it’s time that a lot of American workers go back to school and learn other trades”. Which also happened with the real life character.

And of course the comeback kid moment in New Hampshire where Governor Stanton does well enough in New Hampshire to keep his campaign going.

Of course the real life person I”m talking about is Bill Clinton who back in 1991-92, when he was running for President was Governor of Arkansas and was a Liberal Democrat ,but in the true sense. Progressive sure, but also understood the limits of government and the New Deal and Great Society. And that government has to be more responsible with tax revenue and of course all those situations that I just laid in the movie, actually happened with Bill Clinton or were very similar.

Very intelligent, but not very discipline, strong intelligent wife with Hillary Clinton.

Small budget and campaign in New Hampshire, memorable debate where he takes on Jerry Brown.

The campaign event where he feels the senior citizens pain and walks up to her and hugs her.

The sex scandal with Jennifer Flowers.

The story of whether Bill Clinton dodged the Vietnam War.

Great political strategist Jim Carville all of these things being true.

Primary Colors was based on Bill Clinton and his 1992 campaign for president where of course he was elected president. And also based on a book by author Joel Klein that was fictional with different names for the characters. But still based on a true story and they both did a very good job and this was a very entertaining movie.

You can also see this post at FRS FreeState, on Blogger. 

You can also see this post at FRS FreeState, on WordPress.

Dream Works: The Contender (2000) Joan Allen: 'My Church is This Very Chapel of Democracy'

Source:Dream Works- Joan Allen as U.S. Senator Lane Hanson.

Source:The New Democrat 

Except for the part about taking every gun out of private hands and private homes, which might be a far-left Hollywood fantasy and clearly against the Second Amendment and the Right to Self-Defense, this was a very good speech by Vice Presidential nominee Senator Lane Evans in The Contender. She was talking about the women's Right to Choose, of course referring to abortion. The constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote. Freeing the African slaves in the civil war and using military force to fight for human rights.

If I wrote that speech, I would've taken out the part about the guns, left everything else in there. And also talked about Freedom of Speech for everyone, the Right to Privacy for everyone to do everything as long as innocent people aren't hurt as a result. The right to a quality education for all, which I believe we should have for freedom to really be available to everyone. Instead of writing a speech that makes liberalism look like some form of statism, I would've talked about the freedom that liberalism is actually about and not statism. But this for the most part was an excellent speech.
Source:Dream Works

Striker 1909: Jeff Bridges- The Final Speech From The Contender

Source:Striker 1909- Jeff Bridges as the President of the United States.

Source:The New Democrat 

Great speech from The Contender by Jeff Bridges who played the President in this movie. Not a very realistic scene as far as how they put the U.S. House chamber together for this joint session of Congress when the House and Senate come together to hear the President speak. With the Speaker of the House and the President or Pro Tempore sitting in big chairs just above the President as the President is speaking.

But still a good speech from the President saying that he won't let a very partisan faction from the opposition in the House of Representatives derail his Vice Presidential nominee, Senator Lane Evans who just happens to be one of their Congressional colleagues, be defeated because of what may or may not happened in Senator Evans private life before coming to Congress. That the President wasn't going to put up with this obstruction and he was going to fight for his nominee.

This was a very important scene and movie for this if only reason. Because it was about the Right to Privacy and that even public officials and even members of Congress and even members of Congress who appointed to the second highest office in the country, the Vice Presidency and it raised  two very important questions. Do public officials and even members of Congress and even members of Congress who are appointed to high office have a Right to Privacy. And should our public officials be judged based on how they live their private lives or not.
Source:Striker 1909

Paramount Movies: The Contender (2000) Starring Jeff Bridges & Joan Allen

Source:Paramount Movies- Gary Oldman, as U.S. Representative Sheldon Runyan. 

"Sexy secrets from a woman's past come to light as she runs for Vice President."

From Paramount Movies

Source:IMDB- The Contender; with Gary Goldman, Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges, and Christian Slater.

The Contender movie from 2000 came about almost three years after the Monica Lewinski scandal broke and two years after President Clinton was impeached in the House on a party-line vote. President Clinton was actually mentioned in this movie, and about two years after the Clinton impeachment trial in the Senate I believe The Contender at least to some degree was influenced by the Lewinski scandal and the point that President Clinton was making.

President Clinton's point being that his private life is just that and that even public officials elected officials president's even have a Right to Privacy even as it relates to their sex life. And that if adultery is involved which it is in both cases that it's between the adulterer, their family and the person the affair was with. Not 265-300M Americans as was the case back then and especially an opposition party thats looking to embarrass the President or Vice President. Or even bring the top leaders down, which was the case with the Lewinski scandal as well as in this movie. 

And it has Jeff Bridges who's personally one of my favorite actors, especially for his great sense of humor. But he can also act, playing a President who is wrapping up his presidency and looking to build his legacy. His Vice President just died in office and he has to fill that vacancy and basically has a choice between a popular Democratic Governor of Virginia Governor Jack Hathaway ( played by a great character actor Bill Peterson, famous for his role in CBS CSI ) and a junior Senator from Ohio played by a very good actress Joan Allen. And these are the top two contenders for the Vice Presidency.

The President has to nominate a new Vice President and appoint them to both chambers of Congress because the House has an Advise and Consent role in nominating a new Vice President. And then you throw in the cast in the movie Jeff Bridges as the President, Sam Elliot as WH Chief of Staff, Saul Rubinek as WH Press Secretary, Joan Allen as Senator Lane Evans nominee for Vice President. Gary Oldman as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Bill Peterson as Governor Jack Hathaway who wants to run for president and become vice president to help him with that.

Christian Slater who plays a freshmen Representative from Delaware who doesn't like Senator Evans because she used to be a Republican. And wants Governor Hathaway to be Vice President. And actually works with the Chairman who presides over the Vice Presidential confirmation hearings for the House. To make sure that Senator Evans does not get confirmed because the House Republicans of course see Senator Evans as too liberal. So you have all these little side stories and motivations and everyone involved has stake in the game so to speak.

Joan Allen plays the first female nominee for Vice President in American history who has a wild history from college. And seen as someone who slept around and even had an affair with one of her friend's husband played by Robin Thomas. Who she later marries and starts a family with. Senator Evans is also the daughter of of the former Governor of Ohio who is a Republican, but supports his daughter's nomination for Vice President. And the House Republicans and their special interest allies try to make the most of Senator Evans private life to bring her down. So she doesn't become Vice President of the United States one step away from the Presidency, great movie.

Jaimelyn Gray: Andrew Shepard's Speech From The American President

Source:Jaimelyn Gray- President Andrew Shepard, played by Michael Douglas.

Source:The New Democrat

Just to be serious for a minute and perhaps only a minute. I was with President Shepard the whole time during this speech, except for the part about the guns. When he said that he was going to get the guns, not just assault weapons, but handguns in general. The Federal Government can't constitutionally outlaw handguns by statue. The U.S. Supreme Court has made that clear. So to do that, you would either have to amend the Second Amendment or repeal the Second Amendment.

But the rest of the speech about defending free speech and not just speech you agree with and not just people you like and respect, but that the opposition and other groups of Americans have just as much of a right to speech as anyone else in America, was a classical constitutional liberal argument. That all Americans have the right to speech and that there are few exceptions to that. When it comes to libel, inciting violence, or yelling fire in public spaces and causing panics.

This whole scene came about because of the fact that President Andrew Shepard played by Michael Douglas is a widower and single father of a young teenage girl. And meets a Democratic lobbyist who lobbies for environmentalists and pursues her even as President. And they start an affair and fall in love. And that Senate Minority Bob Rumson played by Richard Dreyfuss, who is running for President as a Republican, makes a big deal about this. And tries to make the case that the President who even though he is a widower by the way, having an affair in the White House is an example of the moral decay of America.

All this is going on as President Shepard is trying to finish the rest of his first-term agenda before running for reelection. Which is a crime bill and an energy bill and the affair that he is having with his girlfriend, Sidney Ellen Wade played by Annette Bening, even though neither one is married at the time, costs the President popularity and support in the House of Representatives. And he has to settle for a compromise energy bill, which is how he loses his girlfriend. The speech in the movie was about the President fighting back and saying that "the compromise is not good enough and that we need to go further to address crime and energy". As well the President defending liberal values.
Source:Jaimelyn Gray

Rob Reiner: The American President (1995) Starring Michael Douglas & Annette Bening

Source:IMDB- The American President: starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening.

"Andrew Shepherd is approaching the end of his first term as President of the United States. He's a widower with a young daughter and has proved to be popular with the public. His election seems assured. That is until he meets Sydney Ellen Wade, a paid political activist working for an environmental lobby group. He's immediately smitten with her and after several amusing attempts, they finally manage to go on a date (which happens to be a State dinner for the visiting President of France). His relationship with Wade opens the door for his prime political opponent, Senator Bob Rumson, to launch an attack on the President's character, something he could not do in the previous election as Shepherd's wife had only recently died. Written by garykmcd."

Source:IMDB- Michael Douglas and Annette Bening.

From IMDB

"A widowed U.S. President running for reelection and an environmental lobbyist fall in love. It's all above-board, but "politics is perception," and sparks fly anyway."

From IMDB

"The American President - Theatrical Trailer"

Source:Movie Cars JDE- The trailer for The American President (1995)

From Movie Cars JDE

If you're someone whose a political junky such as myself and you love watching political movies and political documentaries, then The American President is a very good movie. Because it's about a President who at the beginning of the movie is pretty popular and is going into to his reelection campaign having not finished his whole agenda that he ran on, trying to finish that agenda with a crime bill and an energy bill. 

The Shepard White House goes to work with Congress to get the votes to pass that agenda and how they set up the staff to do that. And how they work with special interest groups to get the support for their energy bill. 

If you're someone who like romantic comedy's that aren't predictable and cheesy and are clever, then The American President is a good movie, because it's about a President whose a widower and the single parent of a daughter whose somewhat lonely. 

President Andrew Shepard meets an environmental lobbyist by accident, walks in on a meeting she's having with his Chief of Staff. And he asks her to be his date at the next state dinner and even the process he goes through to make that happen is interesting because he calls her up at home. And she thinks the President is one of her friends impersonating the President. And makes fun of him, but the President doesn't give up and calls her back to convince her he's the President. The American President has hardball politics, romance and political scandal in about 105 minutes. A little something for everybody.

President Andrew Shepard, with a name like that he must be from New England, but he's the former Governor of Wisconsin played by Michael Douglas. And this is one of his best roles because you see his ability to act and I'm not a big fan of most of his movies, but I believe he's a great actor and you see his funny side in the movie and he can be very funny as well. 

Douglas is no Danny DeVito (but most comedians aren't) but he can more than hold his own in comedy. Again plays the President who's somewhat popular going in heading into an election year with still a big agenda to pass, and meets this environmental lobbyist played by Annette Bening who doesn't like President Shepard's Energy bill and they talk about it.

And the President and the lobbyist (sounds like the title of a movie) make a deal that if she can land half of the votes in the House for the bill she wants, he'll get the other half. And at the end of the meeting he asks her on a date. 

She doesn't take him seriously, threatens the President that he has to come through, or the President will lose the support of her group. The President gets his date and they hit it off and start an affair that causes the President trouble politically as well as with his agenda. 

Again, The American President is a movie that has hardball politics, romance, and political scandal. With the romance and with Senate Minority Leader Bob Rumson whose also running for President making everything he can out of this affair even calling Sydney Ellen Wade a whore on national TV. And running as the Religious Right candidate for President, the Champion of Traditional Values. Running against a Liberal Democrat and a card caring member of the ACLU. 

And the scene towards the end of the movie, the press conference makes the whole thing worth watching where he sums up the whole movie in about five minutes.  

You can also see this post at FRS FreeState, on WordPress.

United Artists: The Best Man (1964) Starring Henry Fonda & Cliff Robertson

Source:Baron Boyscout- Henry Fonda and Kevin McCarthy, in The Best Man. (1964)

"Henry Fonda Political Movie Clip. Two very different candidates seeking their party's nomination."

From Baron Boyscout

"Intellectual William Russell and down-to-earth Joe Cantwell are front runners for a party nomination that will almost certainly mean the Presidency. Cantwell is prepared to use anything to achieve his goal while Russell sees himself as a man of principle - though his philandering means he is relieved his wife is prepared to appear alongside him. Both men crucially need the support of the ailing President, and as the stakes become higher each team has to decide how dirty they are prepared to get. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26}"

Source:IMDB- Starring Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson.

From IMDB

I saw The Best Man the 1964 version for the first time in late 2008, during that presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain on Turner Classic Movies which was doing a special where they showed political movies all night one night a week in October. The Best Man is about essentially a divided party and they aren't sure who they should nominate for President. 

One candidate from the liberal or progressive wing of the party Henry Fonda and the other candidate played by Cliff Robertson coming from the more conservative wing of the party. It reminds me of political battles that the Democratic Party had back in the 1960s, 50s and 40s where a more progressive candidates like Adali Stevenson, John Kennedy or Hubert Humphrey going up against someone like Strom Thurmond when he was unfortunately a Democrat or George Wallace someone like that and of course the Progressive would always win at least going back to Woodrow Wilson.

And the progressive would always win because the Democratic Party going back to the 1920s or so has always been the liberal or progressive party in America, even though for a long time they've had a right-wing faction from the South and this movie was very realistic because it was an example of how presidential nomination battles were in the past up until the 1970s or so, where you didn't know for the most part who the party would nominate. And these things would be decided at the convention because the convention delegates could then vote for whoever they wanted.

The Best Man was a movie about looking in to what presidential politics looked like at least into the primary process of what presidential candidates go through and have to do in getting nominated for president even the dirty politics of it where both candidates know that the convention is split. 

And that they both need an extra edge to put them on top and they both find potential scandals in the others past. With the Henry Fonda character, his scandal was about him seeing shrinks or being on medication for depression.

With Cliff Robertson who was the right-winger a big believer in traditional values. His potential scandal was pretty ironic because apparently he had a homosexual affair when he was in the military and both candidates knew that if their scandal got out that their chance of winning the presidential nomination were over right there. 

So it became a question of who would leak the story about the other first or not leak the story and they spend a lot of the movie, trying to scare the other one and get them to drop out of the race, the Cliff Robertson character even offers the vice presidential nomination to the Henry Fonda character if he drops out. 

To me the The Best Man represents presidential nomination contests the way they used to be and should be when conventions actually meant something and they were worth watching. Especially if you're a political junky like myself, because you didn't know who the convention was going to nominate for president until they held vote and I wish we got back to that type of convention for both parties. 

Today political conventions are more of a formality and realty TV more than anything else, the presidential nominee already has wrapped up the nomination now by March or April.

Warner Movies: Otto Preminger- Advise and Consent (1962)

Source:Warner Movies- The trailer for Advise and Consent.

"A controversial political appointee triggers DC gamesmanship and scandal. Henry Fonda, Walter Pidgeon and Charles Laughton in Otto Preminger's film of Allen Drury's best seller. Year: 1962 Director: Otto Preminger Starring: Henry Fonda, Don Murray, Charles Laughton MPAA Rating: NOTRATED  (c) 1962 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved." 

From Warner Movies 

Source:IMDB- Walter Pidegon, Lew Awres, and Franchot Tone in Advise and Consent. (1962)

"Robert Leffingwell is the president's nominee for Secretary of State. Prior to his approval, he must go through a Senate investigation to determine if he's qualified. Leading the Senate committee is idealistic Senator Brig Anderson, who soon finds himself unprepared for the opposition and political dirt that's revealed, including Leffingwell's past affiliations with a Communist organization. When Leffingwell testifies about his political leanings, he proves his innocence. Later, however, Anderson learns that he lied under oath and asks the president to withdraw Leffingwell from consideration, especially after the young senator and his wife begins receiving blackmail threats about a skeleton in his own closet. Written by Daniel Bubbeo <dbubbeo@cmp.com>" 

Source:IMDB- Movie poster for Advise and Consent (1962)

From IMDB

Advise and Consent was a movie about the presidential nomination process in the U.S. Senate and what presidential appointments are put through by senators both in the opposition, but also from senators who are at least inclined to vote for the nominee. Whether the nominee comes from their party or not. 

In this movie the party in power also has a majority of the Senate. But if you are familiar with American politics back in the 1960s, the parties back then weren't always united ideologically. Which is one of the reasons why Henry Fonda who played the nominee for Secretary of State faced such a tough time. 

This movie came out in 1962 and was based on current times and back then the Democratic Party controlled Congress as well as the White House, but had what was called a Southern Caucus made up of right-wing senators who didn't vote with their Leadership on everything ( to put it mildly ) and would even vote with Senate Republicans to block legislation as well as presidential nominations from their own Leadership and this movie portrays that with Charles Laughton playing this Southern senator who was a right-winger and against his own President's nomination for Secretary of State. 

Charles Laughton playing a character that reminds me of former Senator. Dick Russell of Georgia who was the Leader of the Southern Caucus in the 1960s.

Back in the early 1960s of course there wasn't any cable TV or C-SPAN and Congress didn't allow for broadcast media to broadcast what was going on in the House or Senate so a lot of Americans weren't aware of even what the House and Senate looked like inside so this movie sort of opened that up for a lot of Americans. 

But Advise and Consent wasn't just about the Senate nominating process as far as the Senate debating nominations there was a lot of inside Washington aspects of this movie of course, with the President played by Franchot Tote calling the Leader of the Senate played by Walter Pidgeon and then the Leader calling the Senate Minority Leader, to get and idea of how many Senate Republicans would vote for the nomination.

But there was also a look at what happened in Washington on the party scene, where members of Congress in both parties would get together, there was a playboy senator in the movie played by Peter Lawford who reminds me of Senator Jack Kennedy. 

There was a somewhat bored and lonely Vice President with not enough work to do, so he would spend his time actually presiding over the Senate. ( Played by Lew Ayers ) Back then Vice President's weren't very powerful or important, of course that changed a long time ago where today they are basically the Chief Counsel of the Administration. 

Advise and Consent was one of the first looks that Americans got to see in how the U.S. Senate operates and how they deal with the White House and how each caucus deals with each other and how the majority party deals with its own members and how the Senate Leader finds ways to get enough votes for the President's nominations, as well as how Washington works. 

Advise and Consent is a very good movie, especially if you're a political junky like myself, but an entertaining movie especially if you like dramas with great writing, cast and clever humor, like myself as well.

William Shanley: The Made-For-TV Election- Starring Martin Sheen

Source:William Shanley- An 1980 ABC documentary about American political elections.

Source:The New Democrat 

"A William Brandon Shanley film available at Amazon.com.

"Pertinent, powerful, persuasive. Handsomely produced... Brilliant." -- Los Angeles Times. 

"Profoundly enlightening. A devastating look at television's impact on the presidency." -- Helen Thomas, "Dean" of the White House Press Corps.

"This film should be seen by every American in every city and town." -- Norman Lear, TV Creator.

Hollywood star and activist Martin Sheen shows how broadcast TV networks create winners and losers in US presidential elections by typecasting the candidates in a drama of their own making in this long-suppressed and sabotaged documentary about the 1980 Presidential Election Campaign when former Governor Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter. 

Watch how network news shows use polls, gaffes, flip-flops, stereotypes, and show business values to pump the ratings and misdirect you from what you need to know to be an informed citizen and understand what's really happening in America. The program dissects network coverage and reveals TV's "hidden hand" in changing the outcome of the most important election since 1968, exposing the myth of the Reagan Revolution and the made-for-TV "conservative tide" that so tragically changed America's course. 
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Host Martin Sheen. Jimmy Carter (president) Ronald Reagan (Republican challenger) Ted Kennedy (Democratic challenger) John Anderson (Independent challenger) Walter Cronkite (CBS News "The Most Trusted Man in America").  Other media stars and guests include Frank Reynolds, Sam Donaldson, Helen Thomas, Ed Bradley, John Chancellor, Dan Rather, Leslie Stahl, Gerald Rafshoon, Jody Powell, Ted Turner. 
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A William Brandon Shanley film. Gerald J. Keane, co-producer and writer. Alvin H. Goldstein, executive producer. Joe Rothstein, studio director. Harry Miles Muheim, consultant. Running time: 102 minutes. A Production of News Analysis Associates in association with Capitol Video Communications. Copyright William B. Shanley & Gerald J. Keane - 1986-2014 - All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Evolution Solutions, Inc., a Connecticut not-for-profit corporation. Write to Will Shanley for more information: wbs2012@zoho.com." 

From William Shanley

Comparing the presidential election of 1980 to the presidential election of 2012 is like comparing today's culture and lifestyles of that of the 1950s. Or NFL football from the 1970s to the NFL of today, two completely different eras. And even though TV and especially TV news is no longer as dominant medium as it was back in the late 1970s and 1980, it is still crucial today and politicians still need to do well on it to be successful. Especially if they hope to be President of the United States.

TV and videos we can see off the internet either off of YouTube or even videos we upload ourselves from our own laptops are the closest thing that we have to seeing someone in person. You can see what someone looks like and how they are feeling and doing simply by how they present themselves on TV. And even though the internet and even social networks are a huge factor in how we get our news, TV is still critical in how we are presented as people.