In a Sunday review of the HBO film "Recount," Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales raves over the film, and over how much greater America would have been with President Gore:
If the mess in Florida had been resolved with as much skill and savvy as went into the making of the movie, the world might be a different place today -- presumably a better one, although no one can say for sure.
Little or nothing is ever accomplished by games of what-if, but it's hard to resist speculating how history, and not just political history, might have been different since the year 2000 with regard to such monumental events as the reaction to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11; response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina; and the war in Iraq, including whether there would have been one and whether a single American life would have been lost.
Unlike Kurtz, Shales has no problem with inventions in the "docudrama" script, dismissing the subject late in his review with the notion that while "the authenticity of the film may not be beyond reproach...its version of events certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt," considering the "impeccability" of script consultants like CNN's Jeffrey Toobin. For Shales, this movie teaches a vitally important lesson about Republican malfeasance:
Placed under a figurative high-def microscope and examined studiously but at a riveting pace, "Recount" recounts in brisk and crisp docudrama style how Gore was pushed aside even after winning the national popular vote -- a defeat marked by bungling, bumbling and seemingly malicious mischief in the state of Florida. The film is a clarifying cautionary tale that concedes both that full clarification is probably impossible and that cautionary warnings could well go unheeded as early as November.
There are so many lessons to be learned, but there is so little precedent for the proverbial powers that be actually learning them.
Then comes the Shales whopper about the 9/11-free Gore presidency, followed by Shales entertaining the notion that this film could have been more helpful if it were made earlier:
Writer Danny Strong tells the story with enviable skill and artful urgency. He makes such a good case for the seriousness of the situation -- even though it is laced with self-satirizing farce -- that some viewers might want to ask him, "Where were you eight years ago?" The film would have had a perhaps more practical, tangible effect if done closer to the time of the imbroglio depicted.
I’m guessing that Shales means if it had come out before the Bush re-election effort in 2004, perhaps Kerry could have been elected to undo the alleged injustice committed by Bush villains in Florida. But like a TV critic, he then notes it’s not up to filmmakers to right wrongs and reform elections:
The filmmakers put the story up there on the screen, with its alternately hideous and hilarious details skillfully articulated, and they certainly cast megawatts of illuminating light, but it's up to the audience what to do with it.
Shales ends his review by suggesting it's "history with a vengeance," painful to watch, especially considering the "dreadful, bloody crashes" that Bush committed, and Gore presumably would have adroitly avoided:
Although "Recount" is a smashing success on almost every level, it's also a brutally disheartening experience for the story it tells. It's history with a vengeance, tumbling out at you in a way that demands attention, no matter how badly you may want to withhold it -- a trip down a Memory Lane full of potholes, roadblocks, fender benders and dreadful, bloody crashes.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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I'll wait for the film
May 25, 2008 - 07:57 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsI'll wait for the film showing Gore stealing the 2000 election, only to put us under Sharia law before the 2004 election, with Hollywood beheadings nightly.
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
Religion in pieces
May 25, 2008 - 08:14 ET by AgentAmericanBeheading with the Stars-join Joy Behar as they yank a white male from the audience and strap him to the portable guillotine. The audience chants Allah Akbar!
Dirty Rock-Tina Fey dons a burka and ties up some girl in the office that's hotter than her, buries her up to her shoulders and orders her friends to stone her to death to laugh tracks. Ha ha ha!
Next...Imam Keith Al-Olberhassan personally beheads Bill O'Reilly with a rusty machette then gives a sermon on the Great Satan and great thanksed Tina Fey-Sharia
Drill ANWAR
Shales is talking like a
May 25, 2008 - 07:58 ET by motherbeltShales is talking like a kid with one parent who has died. When he's furious at the parent who's present, he yells "If Dad (or Mom) was here, he'd (she'd) let me do!!!
Easy to say when there's absolutely no chance of having to prove it.
Tom Shales = Textbook Leftist Hack
May 25, 2008 - 08:06 ET by AgentAmericanJust looking at Tom Shales in high def gives a brisk and crisp image of a repugnant human being can actually be. Side effects include nausea, light headness followed by a gnashing migrane and the uncontrollable urge to tear through your plasma HD and rip this rodental M*therf***er a new a**hole...or would that be a second mouth?
Oh, Shales? The proctologist called, and he said that you need surgery to remove your brain from your...
God, these people are disgusting!
Drill ANWAR
Geez, so the levee failures
May 25, 2008 - 08:18 ET by Dave DGeez, so the levee failures didn't kill anyone? I mean they were built wrong in the 60's and last I checked not even Clinton or Gore noticed when they had 8 years to fix them. (Of course Reagan didn't notice either but libs don't think he's some sort of super genius either.) So somehow I'm expected to believe that as soon as Al took over he'd noticed and fix that in the nick of time? (And I'm not even counting other deaths that happen in pretty much every hurricane. Also it would have taken years to fix them so he'd pretty much have to start at the begining of his presidency.) I mean there's wishful thinking and then there's being down right delusional.
Because....
May 25, 2008 - 08:22 ET by AgentAmericanSt. Albert would have filled the streets with balloons and ice cream and happy people everywhere. Tom Shales hops around in his cherub costume and shoots arrows at.....
You have to admit, it is hilarious watching the left going loony!
Drill ANWAR
It's almost as if Shales is
May 25, 2008 - 09:08 ET by sublight68It's almost as if Shales is suggesting that if Gore was president there wouldn't have been a Hurricane Katrina.
Not that the response would have been different, but that the hurricane itself, upon recognizing Al's heroic and determined leadership, would have turned and quietly slunk back out into the gulf before making landfall.
The key reason the Katrina
May 25, 2008 - 10:48 ET by BDThe key reason the Katrina operations was such a fiasco was because the residents of New Orleans did not self evacuate themselves when the opportunities existed.
They seem to have the notion that "Someone" should show up and carry them off to safety, ice cream and parties.
I believe this is because the urban dwellers of New Orelans and especially the lower wards are so conditioned to believe that they are the responsibility of the federal government.
Over a decade ago my hometown was devastated by a flood when the levees failed, then the downtown area burned to the ground. Everyone self evacuated in an orderly maner. No one shot at rescue helicopters like they did in New Orlenas. No gangs taking on the cops. No looting. Old people in the rest home near the levee were pulled out by the workers there who gahtered their freinds and carried them out.
THis happened because North Dakotans are self reliant and do not depend on someone else in the form of the federal governement to come carry them out.
Self reliance is not a liberal, or apparently New Orleans word.
The key reason Katrina
May 26, 2008 - 00:05 ET by merlin61The Governor of La and the Mayor of New
Orleans didn't do their jobs, the hurricane was
a devestating one, and the levees failed. All
the school buses were still not used to evacuate,
and you are right BD if evacuations were ordered
by the Mayor or Governor, there might have
been less loss of life. They couldn't get help
in there till the hurricane left the area, its
impossible to send in supplies where the storm
is still full blast. Saying that help wasn't fast
enough was another big lie.
Yeah, I think the key is
May 26, 2008 - 11:27 ET by BDYeah, I think the key is the quality of the people. Welfare and socialism addicted people who think the government should do all inherently lose self motivation
In the days following the flooding in New Orleans, it became apparent that their were routes out of the city for people to self evacuate. But they did not.
Nor were any efforts made by the leaders of that city to evacuate their people (Why didn't they borrow buses from Lafayette to move the population?)
THen Nagin claimed he would not move people until they had someplace to go. Well hell, that is the PEOPLES responsibility.
It just becomes apparent. Welfare KILLS.
»→ Rebuilding New Orleans
May 26, 2008 - 11:37 ET by Cool ArrowOf course the Vietnamese community rebuilt within two years.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
I did not know that, but it
May 26, 2008 - 11:43 ET by BDI did not know that, but it makes sense.
BUt we still have the welfare class sitting in trailers and complaining that they are not nice enough.
if rabbits crapped handgrenades t easter bunny'd be a terrorist
May 25, 2008 - 08:31 ET by lunaticcringeradiojust the rantings of a bitter liberal who didn't get their way, and can only live in a fa fanciful dreamland of what ifs instead of what is.
what a extremist sour grapes sore loser childish arguement to make. of course things would be different if al gore had been elected, thank god he didn't(note the facts here). maybe if al had been elected we would all be busy tearing down every building higher than 5 stories to appease mulsim pilots that were flooding into our country for flight training. maybe we would all be issued our government bail of hemp fiber to weave our hat shoes and shirts from when we're at home so we'll have clothes to wear the next day of work out in the crop fields. see i can make wild crazy unsubstantiated claims too jackass.
i have to agree, things would be different if al gore would have been elected, but to predict that events that did happen would have been better is just the rantings of a childs mind who is bitter because he didn't get his way and lashes out to make ridiculous emotional claims which in no way can be proven to support his point.
yes i believe things would be different if al gore were elected, much much worse.
lunaticcringeradio
If rabbits crapped handgrenades...
May 25, 2008 - 09:08 ET by on-the-rocksthat would hurt!
And in true liberal fashion, it would be someone else's fault. "My butt hurts and you are gonna pay!"
As for New Orleans, it was up to the locals to keep an eye on those 300 (+/-) miles of levees and periodically ask - "Are you sure those things are high enough?" "Are those pilings deep enough?" And if they didn't like the answers by the Corps of Engineers, ask someone else.
does tom shales blame being fat on al gores loss
May 25, 2008 - 09:13 ET by lunaticcringeradiomaybe he can blame george bush for being such a fat tub of crap too, because if al gore had been elected he'd claim he wouldn't eat so much. oooh how long will it be before fat liberals blame being fat on george bush. i could have lost the weight if al gore had been elected.
lunaticcringeradio
I think Shales is the MSM
May 25, 2008 - 10:15 ET by ArminiusI think Shales is the MSM personafied--bloated, out of touch, smug, lazy, and unaware of his own growing lack of influence.
I agree.
May 25, 2008 - 11:34 ET by celatorI agree.
If Bobby Jindal had won the
May 25, 2008 - 08:42 ET by nythatesusaIf Bobby Jindal had won the previous election and not Kathleen BABINEAUX Blanco, things would have gone a lot more smoothly. Blanco could not successfully plan a Wal-Mart Christmas party.
When historical facts get
May 25, 2008 - 08:50 ET by sublight68When historical facts get in the way, just make a "docu-drama" and set the record straight.
How Rediculaous is this?
May 25, 2008 - 08:54 ET by ChasvsIt was a Democrat Mayor, in a Democrat State that let their people die! A Democrat led Federal response would have been worse, not better! Troop cuts ( remember the Carter and Clinton years) would have devistated our National Guard and Reserve forces!
These stupid idiots really are the most evil people we've ever seen.
We are So Screwed!
The Federal Govt
May 25, 2008 - 19:28 ET by ahussercannot give federal aid until the state requests it. The Government will not trump the sovereignty of any state unless there is an emergent overriding national security issue where the Feds have jurisdiction. Sounds like the left blaming Bush instead of Nagin and whoever the democratic dimwit is/was governor. I argue this point constantly with those who believe FEMA et al can just come in and start giving aid. That is why Pro Forma the governor of a state will request that the incident be declared a Federal disaster so that the aid can start. Realistically the first responders would have to be those under state control such as the state police, local spare fire and rescue personnel, the National Guard all under the control of the state government and the governor as commander in chief of the state forces. Other local private or quasi governmental agencies such as the Red Cross would also be first responders. Add another democratic myth to the pile, that the Bush Administration was responsible.
But had there been a
May 25, 2008 - 09:03 ET by MidAmericaBut had there been a President gore we would not have global warming. He would have been too busy to invent it.
we don't have global warming
May 25, 2008 - 09:14 ET by lunaticcringeradiolunaticcringeradio
thats right it's
May 25, 2008 - 09:28 ET by red_dragon311thats right it's global climate change
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
-Gerald Ford
Oh we have global
May 25, 2008 - 09:56 ET by MidAmericaOh we have global warming all right. Check with the actions of Congress and many businesses. The polar bear has been recommended for 'threatened' status because of global warming. Global warming is very real. Gore has created an imaginary friend and we will all have to pretend we see it.
the idea of global warming is a lie
May 25, 2008 - 13:47 ET by lunaticcringeradiofor the past few days it's been in the 50s here in phoenix, in late may, in fact we had some record snowfall in northern arizona. global warming as the lie is pushed by the socialists anti-capitalists does not exist. i don't care if you want to call it climate change or daddy it's warm outside, global warming is not a threat to the planet.
lunaticcringeradio
If gore got in
May 25, 2008 - 15:01 ET by TjexciteIf Gore got elected we would not have the myth of global warming. He had to do something with is time by creating it.
Only the human superiority complex can think it can control something as big as the weather. It was changing before we came and will change after we are all gone.
We just had snow down here
May 25, 2008 - 18:24 ET by BDWe just had snow down here in Cochise County at the 7000 foot level on Thursday. 22 May, that is like 40 days beyond what we normally can expect to see snow.
Global warming?
We need to change the name Global Warming
May 25, 2008 - 19:29 ET by ahusserto "Harvey"
Tommy Scales
May 25, 2008 - 09:30 ET by SickofLibsPizza The Hut declares 'Recount smashing success'...
Tom Shales can't count
May 25, 2008 - 09:41 ET by wdhorningTom Shales' bias must be caused by the hurricane he drank before he was interviewed:
1) weather people who predict hurricanes these days are intentionally vague, so that would not have helped Al Gore stop a hurricane since no one was sure it about until it was too late (if he had been president)
2) when one puts their house in harms way it is their fault, not the government's, but like most liberals, Gore would have made other people pay for the mistakes of others, by raising taxes; this results in fostering an attitude of total lack of being responsibility for one's self and an attitude that hurts everyone around them -- it fosters selfishness, which is a very common Democrat trait these days
3) Katrina cleanup was relatively quick when you consider the degree of damage and how fast cleanups have been relative to other post-hurricane cleanups; as for reconstruction, there are ample low interest loans from the government
4) as for insurance claims, many who owned their homes outright failed to buy it, too bad, or it is made too expensive by laws passed by Democrats causing insurance companies to jump through bureaucratic nightmares, thus pushing rates up
5) Gore did not win in Florida, and even in a post-election counting of dimples and chads using 9 methods, in only one was Gore ahead by about 15 votes -- and guess what, he was still behind by another 1000, because of the 3000 military absentee votes that were court order to be counted (but were not due recounts being stopped) which would have gone 2:1 in Bush's favor.
Democrats are just sore losers, which points out why they should not run the country: they are arrogant and thus dishonest and thus unable to make correct judgements about the real issues that need addressing.
The Gore Presidency: Day
May 25, 2008 - 10:21 ET by JerryThe Gore Presidency:
Day 0: Gore disqualifies enough military ballots to steal the election.
Week 1: Gore renames the internet as AlGoreNet, further cementing his claim as inventor.
Week 2: Gore initiates policy to rid our country of it's greatest threat, the internal combustion engine.
Week 3: Gore raises taxes on the "rich" increasing the tax rate to 80%. Country surprised to discover that 75% of it's citizens are "rich".
Week 4: Reacting to Gore initiatives, the economy and stock market collapse, bringing about equality through poverty.
Week 5: Hoping to economize, with the tax base now gone, Gore initates policy to re-re-invent government, reducing the military to a 1,000 man "drafted" militia.
9/11/2001: Realizing that America was now a laughing stock, Al Queida abandons plans to attack the "great satan", and now just lampoons them in their weekly comedy skit, "Al Queida Live", which is carried by all U.S. networks.
01/15/2002: Congress initiates impeachment proceedings, based on the total incompetence of President Gore.
01/16/2002: Gore declares war on Sadaam Hussein.
01/17/2002: Congress delays impeachment vote in time of war.
02/01/2002: March on Baghdad severly impacted because battery powered tanks must be recharged every 100 feet. Unable to achieve air superiority because solar powered planes keep crashing due to cloud cover.
02/02/2002: 1000 man military quickly decimated by Sadaam's republican guard, because 900 of the drafted soldiers never showed up, fleeing to Canada.
02/03/2002: The United Nations steps in to stop the slaughter.
02/04/2002: President Gore surrenders to President Hussein. Gore further humiliated when Sadaam requires him to place all military weapons in a "lock box".
08/29/2005: Hurricane Katrina devastates the 3rd world nation of America. Bangledesh and Somalia offer aid to the troubled country, stating: "We cannot just sit idly by as such a poverty stricken and backwards nation suffers such a tragedy."
See, he's right. 9/11 averted. Financial equality. No one complaining about the government's response to Katrina.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Jerry,
May 25, 2008 - 18:09 ET by Indiana JoeLMAO!
But all too likely, and SCARY!
Scary thought that this
May 25, 2008 - 10:44 ET by badger.Scary thought that this space cadet and others like him, actually believe this dribble their spouting. Replace Mr. Bush the C student with Mr. Gore the D (natural sciences) student. And we all know that hurricane force winds like that of Katrina couldn't possibly pick people up and slam them to the ground or carry them out into the gulf. Superman Gore would have rolled up his sleeves and came to rescue of everyone that was in need. If Gore has influence with the weather, maybe he can do something about the global warming he is always going on and on about, instead of flying around the world in jets, giving speeches. Of course Superman Gore could have negotiated with the worlds terrorist, just like the old salty pros Carter and Clinton.
If Gore had in fact won, N.Y
May 25, 2008 - 10:55 ET by tazzIf Gore had in fact won, N.Y would be what Charlton Heston found at the end of Planet of the Apes.
"We finally really did
May 25, 2008 - 11:59 ET by nythatesusa"We finally really did it"[Elected Al Gore]........YOU MANIACS!
Soylent Green is People!
May 25, 2008 - 12:09 ET by Free StinkerAnd in the years leading up to what Chuck saw in Planet of the Apes, Algore would have given us Soylent Green chips to save us from the starvation begun by all the idiot attempts at stopping "global warming."
"Don't forget to vote this fall. Not for McCain, not ever, but there might be a Conservative Rep or Senator that Needs Your Vote" --Free Stinker
If I gain way too much weight and become a Dufus...
May 25, 2008 - 11:53 ET by JayTeeWill the MSM put me on TV ?
Get this Fat guy Hollow wood stooge outta my face. I know 6 yr. olds that can out think this Idiot.
If this Idiot had any Brains, instead of making a Film 8 yrs. after anyone gives a flip, he should wait 8 months and use the Democratic Convention "Voter chaos" and "Dis-infrachised" Democratic party Mich./Fla. voters as a basis for his Movie.
Tub-O-Lard Shales on MSNBC
May 25, 2008 - 12:06 ET by CTThe Keith Olbermann Network so who is surprised?
Reviewing movies
May 25, 2008 - 12:25 ET by jefflebowskiis no job for a man!
One more time, Mr. Shales
May 25, 2008 - 13:29 ET by UnsaneTom, the reason that is so is because if 11 September 2001 occurred on Gore's watch, his immediate response would be to whine and cry, and to make America as whiny and pathetic as possible.
As for Katrina, it really isn't my fault that you simply refuse to recognize that disaster relief does not - or at least shouldn't - fall under the purview of the federal government.
You seem to know movies and TV rather well. Stick to it.
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
Landing Planes into sides of buildings, just a cuteCollege prank
May 25, 2008 - 13:57 ET by upcountrywaterSaddam Hussein delivers A-bombs to harbors via some of these.
algore would get his wish, 70% reduction in oil use..
Mad Max is soo green & carbon friendly.
Katrina : Just natures way, to sluff off the human parasite.
The only fence algore builds is to keep humans out of Katrinas destruction zone.
National park like: No entry, "Science Research Reserve"
Liberals62%
IranianUranium
9/11 did occur, in part, because...
May 25, 2008 - 16:02 ET by Thalpy9/11 did occur, in part, because of the watch failures and misjudgements of the Clinton-Gore administrations.
It's amazing how Tom Shales
May 25, 2008 - 14:30 ET by fitzfongIt's amazing how Tom Shales (Roger Ebert in a fat suit) whose job amounts to little more than what Beavis and Butt-head did, thinks he can speak with any authority on a subject so clearly beyond his grasp. Uh, heh, heh, heh, heh...Al Gore...heh, heh, heh, heh, President...that'd be cool.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
Because Gore would have
May 25, 2008 - 15:16 ET by msh1973Because Gore would have stopped global warming there wouldn't have been a Katrina, Charley or Wilma (tongue in cheek). What a complete moron!
President Gore
May 25, 2008 - 15:52 ET by nandrelliThe response to Katrina was such a mess because
1. The Democratic mayor Ray Nagin, who was responsible for the evacuation, screwed it up completely.
2. The Democratic Governor, Blanco, spent 2 days bitching that President Bush hadn't sent the National Guard until someone finally told her that SHE had to call HIM and REQUEST that he send the Guard.
3. The Democratic Governor, Blanco, ordered the State Police to not allow the Red Cross to bring in water supplies to the Super Dome, because she did not want everyone to flock to the Dome as a "relief station".
By the time things got down to FEMA (which is NOT a First Responder organization) everthing was such a mess that there wasn't much ANYONE could do short of kicking state and local officials out of their own jurisdictions and declaring martial law, which is close to what Gen. Honore ended up doing.
Of course, whenever you hear a story about Katrina from the MSM, it usually starts out "There was plenty of blame to go around..." but then launches directly and solely into a criticism of Brownie and FEMA. You would be tempted to think that Nagin and Blanco saved the day, when in actuality they were responsible for the whole mess (they and the levees, which no one anticipated collapsing; the worst they were afraid of was that they would be "topped", which would have been minor compared to what actually happened).
And why would anyone think al-Qaeda would not have attacked us as they did? After all, Gore was part of the administration that had ignored two binLaden war declarations; they would probably have mounted a LARGER attack than they did if Gore had been President.
Shales says it history with
May 25, 2008 - 16:40 ET by bigtimerShales says it history with a vengeance...
No, it's revisionist history with a vengeance...
Simple and pathetic as that.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
Is this moron
May 25, 2008 - 18:53 ET by Slickstermichael moore's more hygenically astute brother? They both sound like they have an IQ under under 60.
It is quite possible that Tom Shales...
May 25, 2008 - 19:30 ET by R D Helm...is actually more stupid than Al Gore.
We are being smothered by government in this country. - Neal Boortz
Al Gore's not stupid. Hell,
May 25, 2008 - 21:11 ET by FoolicanAl Gore's not stupid. I would have to be pretty damn smart to scam millions of naive U.S. citizens out of their hard-earned cash to buy "carbon credits" and to pay for corn fuel subsidies and get away with it.
This is the typical Democrat voter
May 25, 2008 - 22:02 ET by pbthinkerThis guy is a TV critic? No wonder I seldom agree with those people. He should have added that Cristopher Reeves would h ave walked and we would all be driving electric cars.
This guy was on Hardball? Hey Chris, who's your next interviewee going to be, the janitor of the building?
Democrats: Stuck on Stupid since 2000.
Make it easier for people to recognize liberal spin.
May 26, 2008 - 12:46 ET by Jonah JohansenSince it is unlikely we will ever rid the airwaves of liberal spouting nonsense, I propose a form of truth in advertising.
I think inorder to help the public better evaluate the validity and credibility of what they are seeing and hearing on TV News; liberals should be required to wear clown outfits whenever they appear on any news or information show.
Most of us know the names and the reputations of these serial liars, or we can scope them out in a minute or two; but the public at large doesn't always have that background or ability; so making liberals wear clown suits is kind of truth in advertising thing that will allow even the most casual news viewer understand the actual credibility of a particular talking head.
Tom Shales
May 26, 2008 - 17:58 ET by Fred GregoryWhat a douche. Shales is a corpulent puss filled hog suffering terminal BDS.