Taking a Look Back With the Help of a Movie ....

       For a while now, and in this past decade in particular, the relationship between Washington DC and Hollywood has been a huge topic.  While the rich and powerful in both places have no more direct power on Election Day - it is still on person, one vote - the discussion has been on Hollywood using it's influence to direct an outcome in DC...



    Director Robert Levinson's 2009 documentary, 'Poliwood', focuses on the 2008 Presidential race - particularly the RNC and DNC national conventions, and how many stars in Tinseltown worked to educate themselves - and others - and take part in the process...


     No, it's not a perfect picture by any means.. It tries to be impartial, but with the obvious liberal tilt in LA, it's impossible to be so.  There is plenty to argue over, which is funny, because it futile when no one listening to each other.  It's 2008, and at that point, budget deficits weren't the overlying concern.  In 2010, the argument for adding to school spending for things like music and arts is moot....


    That's where the real value and reward in watching 'Poliwood' is: as a reference piece of how stupid things were just two years ago... The idealistic left, who now realize that there isn't enough money for everything. And the extreme right, who my have finally learned that bipartisanship is important.  In all of the speeches from the Hollywood elite and Middle America saying "It's not us, it's them", Levinson found one voice of reason - from all places, it was country musician, Charlie Daniels...


    Daniels talked about the polarization of the political climate.  Democrat and Republican became more important than being an American.... Instead of doing what is best for America, people put party ahead of country. it's thinking like that - where people lose their jobs for supporting a Democrat or Republican - that puts us in a bad spot.  Sometimes they put up better candidate than we do. Not usually, but sometimes.. The thought that one philosphy is always 100% correct, and the other is 100% wrong is ridiculous...



     Sometimes it takes an old redneck like Charlie Daniels and opinionated loudmouths like me to set things straight.  We might not have millions, a beautiful face or nice breasts, like Spike Lee or Anne Hathaway.  But for all their influence and power, Hollywood really doesn't know any more than you do - and they sure as hell don't live the same life you do.  Make is hard to truly understand what matters to you, doesn't it?

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