The Choice 2004
The PBS show 'Frontline' has produced a dual biography of George W. Bush and John Kerry, which aired last night in Seattle. There's also a radio version that various public radio stations have or will be playing. For those who don't have the opportunity to catch a broadcast in their area, I recommend going to the PBS online site, where either the video or radio versions can be streamed to your computer, and you can find a wealth of additional material.
The power of this show comes from the way it follows the lives of each man in parallel, so that you can see what each of them was doing during a given period, and watch their individual development to where they are today. It's hard for someone as biased as myself to tell, but it seemed to me that the producers were careful to be even-handed, and just let the facts speak for themselves. To me, not surprisingly, the facts are screaming that Kerry is, and has been for decades, more the man I would want in the Presidency.
One example of the power of the juxtaposition of their stories: During the time that John Kerry was working on the POW/MIA issue, by developing a partnership with Republican John McCain and trying to ease the rampant rumors and turmoil lingering after the war, George Bush was running a "tough" campaign in Texas, that featured mysterious flyers about homosexuals working for his opponent distributed at evangelical churches. I thought, who is the uniter, and who the divider?
Also powerful is actual historical footage showing George Bush standing on the dais, watching as a veteran stands before his rally to falsely accuse John McCain of abandoning veterans, followed by George's appearance on TV denying that this man "spoke for him." The similarity to this year's Swift Boat Vets was eerie, though this year Bush managed to avoid standing right next to them as they made their bogus claims.
Another pair of interesting clips is from Kerry. The first is from the lead-up to the first Gulf War, the second is from the most recent vote on the "war" resolution. What is astonishing is how closely his words at each of these times matches what he is saying today. It's almost exactly the same! Far from flip-flopping, Kerry has been making the same points for years: before you send troops you should exhaust diplomacy, and before you send troops you need a plan for what happens after the victory. I think there are some who will find this proves Kerry too timid about the use of force, though the situation in Iraq provides a lesson about the danger in the opposite course.
I'll leave it to you to judge the contrast between the shots of Swift Boats under fire in the Mekong versus George in a cockpit, or a bar, in Texas. The interviews with friends and associates of each man tell the story.
Make the time to see this show. You owe it to yourself and your country.
PBS deserves applause for taking its public trust seriously, unlike Sinclair Broadcasting.
The power of this show comes from the way it follows the lives of each man in parallel, so that you can see what each of them was doing during a given period, and watch their individual development to where they are today. It's hard for someone as biased as myself to tell, but it seemed to me that the producers were careful to be even-handed, and just let the facts speak for themselves. To me, not surprisingly, the facts are screaming that Kerry is, and has been for decades, more the man I would want in the Presidency.
One example of the power of the juxtaposition of their stories: During the time that John Kerry was working on the POW/MIA issue, by developing a partnership with Republican John McCain and trying to ease the rampant rumors and turmoil lingering after the war, George Bush was running a "tough" campaign in Texas, that featured mysterious flyers about homosexuals working for his opponent distributed at evangelical churches. I thought, who is the uniter, and who the divider?
Also powerful is actual historical footage showing George Bush standing on the dais, watching as a veteran stands before his rally to falsely accuse John McCain of abandoning veterans, followed by George's appearance on TV denying that this man "spoke for him." The similarity to this year's Swift Boat Vets was eerie, though this year Bush managed to avoid standing right next to them as they made their bogus claims.
Another pair of interesting clips is from Kerry. The first is from the lead-up to the first Gulf War, the second is from the most recent vote on the "war" resolution. What is astonishing is how closely his words at each of these times matches what he is saying today. It's almost exactly the same! Far from flip-flopping, Kerry has been making the same points for years: before you send troops you should exhaust diplomacy, and before you send troops you need a plan for what happens after the victory. I think there are some who will find this proves Kerry too timid about the use of force, though the situation in Iraq provides a lesson about the danger in the opposite course.
I'll leave it to you to judge the contrast between the shots of Swift Boats under fire in the Mekong versus George in a cockpit, or a bar, in Texas. The interviews with friends and associates of each man tell the story.
Make the time to see this show. You owe it to yourself and your country.
PBS deserves applause for taking its public trust seriously, unlike Sinclair Broadcasting.
posted by Paul at 9:57 AM |
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