The Leonard Lopate Show

What about the Best Man from 1964 with Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson. It's based on a Gore Vidal play. I wasn't born when the movie came out but saw it on Turner classic movies a few weeks ago. It was a really good movie.

But where do you draw the line between "tokens of love" to a candidate whom you admire, and a documentary--which its viewers suppose portrays true to life overviews of its subjects?

So really what all of these were --were docu-dramas. How disappointing.

What about The Candidate (1973)? In terms of its portrayal of the making of a candidate and the behind the scenes machinations parallels at least my own beliefs regarding how a campaign is both run and won even today. In addition, Peter Boyle is brilliant the campaign manager Marvin Lucas.

The Lopate Show responds: We'll be discussing "The Candidate" later on in the series.

What does "change" mean? Didn't George W. Bush promise "change"? Can't "change" cover a multitude of evils? Why are we, including your commentators, so seemingly frightened of saying anything more specific?

The intellectual distance placed between Us and Them. Leads to mediated images to stand in for the authentic experience. This "advert" politics glides along the surface, leaves out the real of the everyday, and occludes real conversation on equity.

In the end the USA is in constitutional crisis. States must sue the Feds to protect the environment. People can not be certain that they can exercise their right to vote, nor can the legitimacy of the election. In addition, much like Canada, we in the west are only an afterthought, in the end this region holds the natural resources, the port to China and the rest, yet NYC/WDC and Ottowa, think we will just make do with whomever the Easterners choose. There will come a time when western states and provinces will no longer follow.

Are there any documentary filmakers that are not liberal or interested in the GOP or conservative candidates?

I am probably going to vote for a moderate or a liberal, but I always find it strange that in movies like Dave, it is implied that the evil people are Republicans and the good guys are democrats even though the parties are not named.

And any movies about hope always feature liberal ideals. In the American President it was clear that the Michael Douglas character was suppose to be a Democrat.

I missed Jan 8th. when is next "projections" and which films?? pls let me know so I can get started on them

The Lopate Show responds: The next installment of our Political Projections series will be on Tuesday, February 5. We will be discussing comedies -- "Duck Soup," "Dr. Strangelove," and "Dave."

I don't like Sarah Silverman, either--but Lopate's aside's about her was TOTALLY uncalled for. How nasty can he get?