Game Changed

Yesterday afternoon, I finally watched HBO's Game Change starring Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, and Woody Harrelson. The book was a bestseller about the 2008 Presidential election. The dramatization concentrated solely on Sarah Palin and how she changed the political landscape.  Whether you are a democrat or republican, one thing must seem clear watching this movie, the fear and anger alighted by a black man running for President was and is disturbing.  If all the leaders of the Republican party would have stood up like Senator John McCain did to a supporter by correcting her misinformation about Obama, maybe the country could have been less divided.  I watched that scene replayed, verbatim, in the movie. McCain taking the mike back from the woman and correcting her on Obama...it was deeply moving in real time when he did the right thing and again when re-enacted by Ed Harris.

I think that's why I am so disturbed by the Republican leadership.  Any Republican that has a voice and doesn't correct the crazy rhetoric or misinformation has helped fuel the anger, fear, and racism that has boiled over since 2008.  There are many bumper stickers filled with Racism for the 2012 election.  A FB friend posted a photo of a car that said "Don't Re-Nig in 2012."  Really?  Is that where we are?  (There's a link to many other stickers along those racist lines).  It feels inorganic not to stand up and say: stop it, no, you're wrong, we don't support those words. The hatred and racism re-shown in the movie called for more than Senator McCain to stand tall.  He was the only one. Believe me, I am not building McCain up too much, but he publicly called an ignorant woman out. Haven't seen it since.  Maybe it's happened but not on such a public stage.  

Now, the constant attack this election cycle is on women.  Everyday there is some other onslaught against women on the National stage and the State stage.  What is the point?  Yesterday Congress is arguing a bill about violence against women.  Republicans don't want to vote for it, Dems do.  Even if the narrative is getting captured by the Democrats on this one, the Republicans can't be the party against women.  They will lose.  Today, the Arizona legislating body wants to pass a bill that no company's insurance policy has to cover contraception.  Really?  Are you f***ing kidding me?  In Ohio, a legislator is trying to attack men's insurance coverage of Viagra as a defensive move.  Is that where we are?  Is that what's important?  The religiosity is killing our Government.  It is killing the Republican party.  It is killing our nation.  It is incredibly apparent  watching it play out in Game Change.  I am sure that most self proclaimed Republicans won't be watching the movie and if they do, they'll be offended, but if only the take away could be remembering what's right. It could be valuable viewing.

Sidebars:  Not sure I will be correct about the new Will Farrell movie. Opening up the same weekend as 21 Jump Street....Sad for so many reasons about Luck being cancelled. Not sure how much longer I can stick with Awake.  Not watching Missing, don't need it. Seeing Newsies on Broadway this weekend. And most importantly, I will be gone for two weeks and hopefully, disconnecting from the news.  We all could use that sometimes.  Be well and keep breathing.

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