Choosing roads, not paving them

By Edward Copeland

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Robert Altman and Garry Trudeau's great HBO series Tanner '88. Revisiting it, I was amazed at how much of it relates to the current 2008 Democratic presidential contest. An excerpt:

A question asked in one focus group ("If ideas are his currency, let's see the color of his money") seems to be asked often today. At the same time, thoughts, usually voiced by the campaign's pollster Emile (Jim Fyfe), could be being said about the amazing rise of the candidacy of Barack Obama today. "More than ever," Emile says, "People want a leader they can believe in. A leader who can lift them up, who can cast a spell." Tanner '88 makes the case that the singer is more important than the song. "Leadership isn't about management," Emile says at another point. "It's about values." ... Perhaps the most striking story strand in relationship to issues going on right now is when they get to the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta and Tanner decides to challenge the apportionment of superdelegates on "principle."

To read the full post, click here