The Best Man

 

"The Best Man" a political drama about two presidential candidates looking for their chance to gain the lead over the other. The only thing they have in common is that they stem from the same political party, other than that their tactics couldn't be more different. 

                                                                                 William Russell has a high moral code and is the traditional "by the books" candidate. At the chance to dirty his rival's reputation and all but claim victory he chooses to withhold. Even though the fuel ended up being false, Cantwell wouldn't have been able to sway the public in time but Russell refused, believing politics has become "all the business of gossip instead 

                                                                                     of issues, personalities 

                                                                                     instead of policies."

Joe Cantwell is just the opposite. He'll pick up anything to fuel the fire, embodying the very thing Russell looks to take out of government. He's cut throat, believing wholeheartedly that the ends justify the means. Or as Russell would put it "use a cannon to kill a bug."

In the end, both fall short of their shared goals, one by accepting his weaknesses and withdrawing and the other crumbing from his self inflated strengths.

Released in 1964, politically, it could have come out yesterday, being very representative of our current political climate even to the point that Russell stepped down to endorse Governor Merwin (Biden and Harris) and Cantwell claiming Russell of mental illness (Trump and Harris). The main distinction being that Russell's morals are nowhere to be seen, while Cantwell's personality and "mud slinging" seem to be rampant and the new norm. 

These "mud slinging" tactics, just like in the movie about Cantwell's homosexuality claims, tend to be false. 

Lately, in the very real world, Trump, at the 2024 presidential debate, made claims on "illegal Haitian immigrants eating domestic pets in Ohio" to endorse his policies on stronger borders. These claims have since not been proven and are likely the result of "pro-Trump social media accounts." It goes both ways. 

While not in the main presidential running too long, Harris isn't above this either. During the same debate, and in another interview she makes comments on how Trump left us with "the worst unemployment since the Great Depression" which just isn't true. 

Unemployment was high a the beginning of COVID, but it never even got into the 20%s meanwhile it hit 24.9% in 1933.

I wouldn't be too surprised if this part is taken out of the debates entirely.

In the end, politics are taking a very scary turn, where whoever is more impulsive and "gets the jump on the other guy first" gets the people's attention and therefore their votes. That or we're forced to pick the lesser or two evils. The more I put too much thought into it the more eager I am to believe George Carlin, and deduce we were just screwed from the beginning. 

He's dead, but I'd love to hear what he's got to say today