Running the spin
By Paige Reinsel
Oct. 22, 2008 9:21 p.m.
The election buzz is everywhere. But while news regarding the presidential race is certainly easy to come by, determining its validity is not always possible due to the questionable tactics of modern political campaigning.
Filmmaker Stefan Forbes’ “Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story” exposes such tactics, taking us back in time to when a large part of this corruption and dishonesty began. The documentary, which will screen tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the James Bridges Theater, chronicles the career of Republican operative Lee Atwater and his single-handed transformation of American political campaigning.
Born, raised and educated in the South, Atwater rose quickly in the political ranks to become a respected consultant and analyst to the Republican political party. Eventually serving as an advisor to presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Atwater’s tactics were unprecedented in aggressiveness and questionable in terms of ethics.
“Atwater is the godfather of modern negative politics; he’s the one who taught the Republican party how to play dirty,” Forbes said. “I was fascinated by how he had such a huge impact on American politics, and I wanted to find out more about him and how he did it.”
What Forbes did find out was that Atwater would go to any lengths to portray the opposition in a negative light. In the 1988 presidential election, for example, while serving as campaign manager for George H. W. Bush, Atwater employed television advertisements and other media to spread numerous negative rumors about Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis.
Though the claims were unfounded and almost all untrue, Bush was able to overcome Dukakis’ 17 percent lead in the public opinion polls and ultimately win the election. Through this and other similar cases, “Boogie Man” explores the way in which negative electoral politics prove so effective, especially concerning media involvement.
“I just found example after example. It was fascinating for me to see how the media missed the (real) story on a lot of these things,” Forbes said.
While the negative opinions of Atwater may seem overwhelming, he was not solely considered a villain. As can be seen in “Boogie Man,” Atwater was also greatly admired and respected by many for his unapologetic attitude and undeniable success in the polls.
“I didn’t want to make it a liberal documentary that only talks to a bunch of liberals,” Forbes said. “I wanted to talk to the people who loved Lee and the people who hated Lee. I wanted them to fight it out on screen and really get to the heart of these issues.”
And while “Boogie Man” does offer an impressive array of interviewees, from Michael Dukakis to Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, it is not your average political documentary. A main factor that sets it apart is a focus on music, appropriate considering Atwater was an extremely accomplished musician who could be seen playing R&B guitar alongside B.B. King even at the height of his political career.
“Boogie Man” therefore takes on an energetic quality, as it features music by the southern rock/jam band Gov’t Mule and other upbeat groups.
“I really wanted to have music help tell the story, not make this another boring PBS film,” Forbes said. “I’ve directed a lot of music videos too, (so) my style as a filmmaker is a lot more in your face.”
Music may be one incentive for viewers to come watch “Boogie Man,” but the film’s real draw is its relevance to the upcoming presidential election. And despite the probable expectations of an anti-Republican agenda, “Boogie Man” strives less to support one candidate or the other and more to expose in general the questionable devices of modern electoral politics.
“Whatever party you’re on, this film talks about (how) we really need to look closely, study the media and to understand … the facts and truths before we vote,” Forbes said. “I really think people of both parties should see this film before the election.”
