The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘The Undefeated’ Will Be Attacked With The Usual Non-Falsifiable Proposition

Posted on | July 20, 2011 | 44 Comments

by Smitty

LEIPZIG, GERMANY Howard Towt identifies a direction that the country needs to move in: a dispassionate viewer of the discourse. As you read his review, he’s underwhelmed by The Undefeated.
Towt notes that TU is mostly built upon Going Rogue, which sold an awful lot of copies. If GR were fiction, there would be the question of the artistic tradeoffs of moving it to a screen. As we are talking about a political documentary, the proposition moves toward something like:

“They didn’t explain the background of the events sufficiently.”

We’ll see. Towt’s general criticism, as paraphrased above, seems non-falsifiable. That is, there was always more exposition that the film maker could have done. Except that you have to swing the editorial axe somewhere. The audience is near bursting with the run time as it is. Look for extended versions on sale, as Victory Films cashes in, with more fixes for the serious junkies out there.
More interesting to me is the second-hand smoke from the Democrat wife:

The film is inspirational, but my wife was completely put off by the whole experience. She sees Governor Palin as opportunistic and calculating, and thinks the governor is using politics as a “get rich quick” scheme. She believes Mrs. Palin is an inadequate mother to her children, and is a person who plays to a base of religious fundamentalists. Her take is that Sarah Palin as an affront to sensible women everywhere.
My wife is a testament to the power of our American culture. In a few short months, our culture has fashioned an extreme caricature of a female political figure, and has made it believable. Just three years ago, very few people outside of Alaska knew who Sarah Palin was. Now, a large number of Americans have been taught to despise her.

Fair enough, Mrs. Towt, but the last non-opportunistic and non-calculating U.S. political figure was. . .George Washington, maybe?
Can we get past Pavlovian training on both the Left and Right? If we’re worried about whether a candidate is black, or attractive, or equestrian, or pedigreed, or loquacious, we risk being lost in the superficialities that are at the root of the present crisis.
Now, I don’t want to badmouth Mrs. Towt, but I do know a couple of Leftys. I’m confident that they are, for all their purported liberality, incapable of any fair appraisal of Governor Sarah Palin. I had to move away from one of these Lefty chicks melting down at a breakfast table at the mention of her name a couple of months back, at Bagram. Admittedly, I’ve seen similar visceral (albeit non-racist) reactions to the sitting POTUS. I do think that the policies espoused of one of these figures are mostly daft, but I can’t understand directing emotion at the person, except as an admission that Alinsky was correct. Personalizing everything makes radicalism possible.
But really, let’s remember that this is not just a documentary; it’s not just a chance to line Sarah Palin’s wallet; it’s a running plebiscite on the screw-us quo of American politics. The Ruling Class Overlords on the Right and Left have been pissing down your back and telling you it’s raining for a century now. The GOP Ruling Class Overlords have been playing a nominally more Federalist hand over the last century; Governor Palin is cheerfully breaking that off where they sit.
It’s hyperbole to say that, if the people blow off this movie, and she sits out the 2012 campaign, that we’re doomed. We can’t have a meaningful Constitution if the salvation of the country boils down to any one person, family, clique, or union.
But the list of other hopefuls with significant charisma is painfully short.

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Comments

  • Anonymous

    “But really, let’s remember that this is not just a documentary; it’s not just a chance to line Sarah Palin’s wallet;”

    Uh Smitty, how is the documentary going to line Palin’s wallet?  Other than being the central figure, she has nothing to do with it. 

  • Anamika

    You disappoint me! Fill your pockets with lead bars and jump in the Helmand.

  • http://getalonghome.com/ GAHCindy

    She won’t be directly paid for it, no, but I’m guessing a lot of wallets will be opened for political contributions after seeing it.

  • Anamika

    Outside spending/free publicity/more market value for the Palins too! 

  • Anonymous

    You first.

  • Anonymous

    She voted for Obama right, who ‘present’ in every majot decision, who had his house purchase, facilitated by a Syrian slumlord, funded by a Baathist bagman, whose lead legal effort, created the efforts behind his current crisis.

  • JeffS

    Yes, please.  You first.

  • JeffS

    You actually do have a glimmer of understanding about capitalism, don’t you?

  • http://2011.ak4mc.us/ McGehee

    Where’s my sammich!?

  • Anamika

    Now ladies and gentlemen this is just Anamika deep to her ears into negative thinking … i went to that bottom and i found the doors to Hades and they expelled me for inappropriate behavior.

  • Anamika

    If you want to be a tiny frog, why don’t you move to Puerto Rico and be a coqui. ( The Puerto Rican coquí is a very small — tiny — tree frog about one inch long. Some coquíes look green, some brown and some yellowish — actually they are translucent. Coquíes have a high pitched sound and can be heard from far away.)

  • Anamika

    The point I was making above is not an important one. So, I don’t mind if you are forced to agree rather than having to disagree with anything Anamika says . True, people who understand that consequences keep changing from bad to good, can use that insight as an excuse to do bad. But people do bad things out selfishness even when they don’t think their bad actions will be OK in the long run. Take the example of the selfish actions of American capitalism in the last 20 years.

    They have outsourced to other countries most of the industrial jobs in this country. They have practically destroyed the American middle class, but such selfish behavior had a very beneficial effect for very poor people in third world countries. Those poor people have more money to eat and spend now ( very good), but their demand for more food, goods, and energy leads to deforestation, more pollution, and overpopulation ( very bad). The pendulum of good and bad will keep on swinging. 

    PS. I’m effortlessly writing here with no knowledge of the moment, and no notion as to how these words could help, or hurt. I just write because words come to mind, and it’s fun. There are days when I read and no words come. That’s OK too.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, wallets will be opened to support her run, but that’s not money going into her wallet.  I will concede that it could increase the demand for paid speaking appearances.

  • Pingback: Americans have been taught to despise her. - The NeoSexist

  • Anamika

    McGehee and JeffS, like Stacy, is a sexist who imagines that he’s just the opposite because his own ideas about a free woman are more important to him than what an actual woman might think or want for herself. If a woman fits his mold, then she is right; if a woman doesn’t fit or has other ideas about what she might want for herself, she is wrong. The man retains his need to be in control of the outcome of a woman’s image and ideals.

    Conditional Love,
    Controlling  Anamika

  • Anamika

    Are you addresing me? Retard.

  • http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/ ThePaganTemple

    She’s gradually picked up bits and pieces of it since she left Europe.

  • http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/ ThePaganTemple

    So hell doesn’t want you either?

  • http://twitter.com/isleofyouth PhilipJames

    The ignorance and idiocy is alive and well.
    First of all, Sarah Palin is not getting a dime from this documentary – Bannon spent around $1million and should make a good profit on it.
    Secondly, this article highlites a real problem with the right wing brain…   it asks for perfection where it is not possible to get perfection. Nitpicking about things in the documentary? didn’t like how images are done in some cases, who people are, more explanation? WTF?
    The thing is almost 2 hours as it is. Picky Picky Picky.

    Here we have a woman, Sarah Palin, who is as close to perfection as the embodiment of a true Conservative politician as you can get and still the Right whines and bitches and complains that she is not absolutely perfect. WTF? again WTF?
    Who else is even close to true Conservatism with the same popularity and charisma and impact?  Name one…  there isn’t one.
    Yet, we hear Establishment bitches. We hear Conservative bitches.  We hear bitching about the documentary even though she had nothing to do with it and instead of saying – Thank God we have something like this … it is …. waaah… I don’t like the lighting….. waaah….. I think there should be more this or that.

    Screw off. Sometimes I think it is not worth her efforts to even try to save America.  Sometimes I think she should say F**K all of you and she could go back to Alaska where she would live a great life and enjoy her kids and go fishing and hiking and enjoying the beauty of Alaska….   instead of having to deal with as*holes in the Republican Party and the a*sholes on the Right who are pretty useless and have helped screw the country up and continue to screw the country up.

    Perry? Bachmann? Pawlenty? Mittens?  are you f**king kidding? Do you really think these people will do anything meaningful to fix up the mess the United States is in? It will be business as usual after about 6 months. Guaranteed.

  • Anamika

    The Sarah Pac-o-Sphere has taken the position that it’s a big hit, and
    so a bit hit it will be. So that she can go on raking in donations to
    her
    pac, which will funnel the money into her pockets, one way or another. I
    never could understand why people can’t see the truth behind that
    woman.

    I can never tell when you Americans are serious, or taking the piss. Next
    thing you’ll be saying Michelle Bachman is running for President (as
    if). 

    More seriously, you know, a lot of people bash Sarah for the stuff she’s done… the
    silly things she has said… and others who defend her tooth and nail.
    You’ve got the two people on either side of the fence yelling and
    screaming, and those wishy-washy folks balanced precariously on the
    fence saying, “Well, she’s not a bad person, but I guess I’d rather not
    have her in the White House… or at least I’d rather see if there isn’t
    someone better.”

    Of course, every now and then, something comes along that grabs that
    fence and gives it a good solid shimmy, knocking some of those
    middle-of-the-roaders to one side or another. Something like that can
    only come in the form of something that simply cannot be refuted; the
    evidence is overwhelming. A movie like this, causing so vast a flop, is just one of those things.
     

  • Anamika

    I read a review (I think it was at the NYT) which said something like this: If Leni Riefenstahl had seen this film she would have said: “you really need to tone down the propaganda”. That was my favorite, although
    the guy who went to review it at it’s
    opening in Orange County, CA (heart of wingnut country) and was the only
    one in the theater was also pretty good.

    I was reading the rotten tomatoes reviews yesterday (Hint: 0%) as well as the comments to those reviews. And I found out an amazing thing. There’s a conspiracy! A Conspiracy of liberal movie critics to pan the film in order to Keep Sarah Down! It’s impossible for it to just be an awful film, therefore, conspiracy.
    Why, those critics didn’t even actually see it! And there’s proof! One
    reviewer said he saw it in an empty house, but investigation by an
    impartial source discovered that there were actually SIX tickets sold at
    that showing! Pure Lies by the reviewer!
    So, conspiracy. QED.

    Also, I learned that the reason the film covers the 2008 presidential campaign in two minutes and then simply stops there is because everybody
    already knows about that, so why put it in a biopic about Sarah?
    That would be just silly.
    So everyone owes it to themselves to find one of these packed theaters spread out in solidly Republican cities and go see it. But keep in mind that it will certainly be sold out. Cuz it’s a hit. Academy Awards,
    here we come.
    Expect Conspiracy.

  • JeffS

    What, now it’s sexist to suggest that you go jump in a lake?

    So…..go jump in a lake!

  • JeffS

    zzzzzzzzzz……

  • JeffS

    YAWN. 

    Huh?  Oh, it’s Anamika.  Never mind.

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…….

  • Anamika

    Wrong again, JeffSissy!

    I was refering to what you demanded a few hours earlier:
    http://theothermccain.com/2011/07/19/41047/#comment-258135147

    Now get back in the kitchen, make me a sandwich, and bring me a beer!

  • Anamika

    Poor YOU. Boo HOO.
    Things NOT working out for you,
    yet AGAIN? Need a TARGET?
    Look in the MIRROR.
    YAWN . . .

  • Anonymous

    Dungbat.

  • Anonymous

    Mouthing words isn’t understanding, after attaining a certain level of Moonbattery concepts like capitalism, free markets and patriotism simply exceed their comprehension skills. A Parrot can say the words.

  • Anonymous

    We disappoint you. Wow I’m sure we are all crushed.

  • Anonymous

    I thought women have to be human rather than humus.
    I suspect controlling anamika is simply a matter of applying the right pesticide.

  • Anonymous

    Hater.

  • http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/ ThePaganTemple

    Yeah, we should all listen to the New York Times when they have anything to say about Sarah Palin, just like we should listen to that insufferable faggot Andrew Sullivan.

  • Anonymous

    Who has the key to the pesticde locker?

  • JeffS

    Yup. 

    So, where’s my sammich?

  • JeffS

    zzzzzzz……

  • http://2011.ak4mc.us/ McGehee

    McGehee … is a sexist who imagines that he’s just the opposite

    I imagine no such thing. Back to the kitchen, wench.

  • JeffS

    And my beer!

  • JeffS

    Before you spray, let Anamika fetch me my sammich and beer.

  • Anonymous

    Seriously, if it prepared and brought you sammich, you’d eat it?

  • JeffS

    Probably not.  But I’d never have the chance for her to wait on me if you spray for pests.

  • http://twitter.com/alwaysfiredup alwaysfiredup

    tl;dr

  • http://twitter.com/alwaysfiredup alwaysfiredup

    2tl;dr

  • http://twitter.com/alwaysfiredup alwaysfiredup

    I’ve seen it a ridiculous quantity of times in the past week and have seen all manner of reactions.  One thing is clear: McCain had the worst campaign staff known to man and no candidate employing any of those bozos should get a dime of anyone’s cash.

  • Anonymous

    Sarah Palin did not spend one penny on this movie.
    A patriot made it in order to tell the truth about her.
    -
    Obama may raise a billion dollars for a campaign,
    but that does not compare with having the truth on her side.
    -
    Millions of people will probably see the movie relatively cheaply.
    And they will learn the truth.
    And Sarah Palin will be a great president, and best hope for the free world.

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