The Best Man, (not the best man....)

[etaoin22]

I have always loved American political plays and movies, and one of the best was Gore Vidal's The Best Man.

My thoughts have been brought back to the movie, in which a bitterly fought presidential nomination battle between the candidates played by Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson (Russell and Cantwell) reaches Convention with a deadlock in place. The trouble is that both are fatally flawed, Russell as an Eastern Establishment wimp, and Cantwell as a hated amoral moralist, who also may, or may not, have sought active homosexual activity as a soldier in WW II from a man under his command.

They can choose to fight to the end and see who survives, (especially after the homosexual charge is made public)

Russell reaches new self-knowledge, though, and concludes that he would not want the nomination, if that is what it would take. And realizes he has anothe option: since there is a third, minor candidate still on the ballot, Governor Merwin, he throws his support to Merwin; the floodgates open, and all the delegates supporting Cantwell out of fear stampede to join the switch, and, almost immediately, Merwin is nominated. The implication is that, with this switch, "the best man" -- of the three -- has won, seemingly, even though cynically this means simply that a zero beats two negatives.

I am reminded of this scenario every day, as Hillary and Barack beat on each other, and while I realize that the rules of the current day make it almost impossible that the convention games of the previous era would happen, I have in my imagination the thought of both campaigns tanking, and Hillary choosing to quit, carrying most of the superdelegates along, to support.... John Edwards.

[earendel]

I have always loved American political plays and movies, and one of the best was Gore Vidal's The Best Man.

My thoughts have been brought back to the movie, in which a bitterly fought presidential nomination battle between the candidates played by Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson (Russell and Cantwell) reaches Convention with a deadlock in place. The trouble is that both are fatally flawed, Russell as an Eastern Establishment wimp, and Cantwell as a hated amoral moralist, who also may, or may not, have sought active homosexual activity as a soldier in WW II from a man under his command.

They can choose to fight to the end and see who survives, (especially after the homosexual charge is made public)

Russell reaches new self-knowledge, though, and concludes that he would not want the nomination, if that is what it would take. And realizes he has anothe option: since there is a third, minor candidate still on the ballot, Governor Merwin, he throws his support to Merwin; the floodgates open, and all the delegates supporting Cantwell out of fear stampede to join the switch, and, almost immediately, Merwin is nominated. The implication is that, with this switch, "the best man" -- of the three -- has won, seemingly, even though cynically this means simply that a zero beats two negatives.

I am reminded of this scenario every day, as Hillary and Barack beat on each other, and while I realize that the rules of the current day make it almost impossible that the convention games of the previous era would happen, I have in my imagination the thought of both campaigns tanking, and Hillary choosing to quit, carrying most of the superdelegates along, to support.... John Edwards.

Nice thought but the Clinton ego is too large to make that decision. The Dems are going to the convention divided, the superdelegates will make the final decision and the supporters of the loser will leave disgruntled and are not likely to support the nominee.

[mrkelley23]

It's a lovely thought. It has about as much chance of happening in real American political life as Al Gore's roommate falling in love with some chick who gets cancer, and....

Nevermind.

[trevor_macfee]

Sounds like a movie I need to add to my Netflix queue.

On a related note, I just read an article this morning that outlines a "theory" of a Gore/Obama ticket.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/artic ... 78,00.html

Not very likely, of course, but interesting nonetheless.

[Jeemie]

I have in my imagination the thought of both campaigns tanking, and Hillary choosing to quit, carrying most of the superdelegates along, to support.... John Edwards.

So that would be an outcome just like the movie- a zero beating two negatives.

[Appa23]

Sounds like a movie I need to add to my Netflix queue.

On a related note, I just read an article this morning that outlines a "theory" of a Gore/Obama ticket.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/artic ... 78,00.html

Not very likely, of course, but interesting nonetheless.

This reminds me of a Chris Rock routine that I saw on Comedy Central within the last month.

"Ain't no white person ever gonna select a black man for Vice-President, unless he wants to die. 'Cause you know that every brother will want to shoot him just so we can have a Black President.

Hell, I'd shoot him! What you gonna do? Put me in jail? Man, I'd be the King in prison, with all of the brothers."