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| Movie Review: Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story Alternate Title: Kingmaker
Story: Lee Atwater
was a Kingmaker. The originator of wedge issue dirty tricks
he helped elect Ronald Reagan and with his take no prisoners
attitude towards political campaigns steered the successful election
of George HW Bush in 1988.
Director and writer Stefan Forbes
delivers a must see documentary for all political junkies. He traces
the career of the political operative from his earliest steps as a young
Republican, interning for Strom Thurmond, to his eventual appointment
as Chairman of the Republican National Committee (his prize after getting
Bush elected).
Interviews with talking heads include old friends
and news people (including Sam Donaldson, Eric Alterman, Bob
Novak and Newsweek's Howard Fineman. The most
interesting interviews were from Michael Dukakis and
Ed Rollins, Atwater's mentor who holds nothing back.
This film will make you very angry if you have
not been voting Republican all of these years. Atwater's legacy of deeds
are well known and his protege includes the Kingmaker, Karl
Rove.
Atwater died at age 40 and supposedly had a deathbed
awakening about his evil ways. He wrote letters of apology to many of
the people who had been in the wake of his style and been crushed. I
am still waiting for my letter of apology. Have you received yours?
Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY3XnLv4YpA
Here is the infamous Willie Horton ad from that
country altering1988 campaign that Atwater insisted was not racist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC9j6Wfdq3o Trivia: After successfully getting Bush elected, Atwater
attempted to lure blacks into the Republican Party. He became a trustee
at Howard University. The students protested, letting Atwater know that
the past had not been forgotten. More than 200 students seized the administration
building insisting that Atwater resign as Trustee. After four days of
sit-ins, he did resign. On March 5, 1990, Lee Atwater collapsed during
a fundraising breakfast on behalf of Senator (nation of whiners) Phil
Gramm. Predilection: I am a political junkie. See my website
http://www.judylobo.wordpress.com/
Critters: A sweet cat who is bathing during the entire
interview with Eric Alterman.
Food: Democrats are chewed up and spit out.
Opening Titles: A montage introducing us to Atwater
at the height of his career.
Theater Audience: It is in a small theater but it
was packed.
Sappy Factor: Nothing sappy about this topic.
Squirm Scale: Reliving all of those losing elections
was very squirmy.
Drift Factor: I was riveted throughout.
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: If you can find it on the big
screen go support your Indies, please. If not - rental would be fine.
Length: 90 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 8
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