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Just about everyone interviewed for Stefan Forbes fascinating documentary about Lee Atwater whether Democrat or Republican pols, African-American bluesmen or hardened reporters ends anecdotes about the Republican strategists dirty tricks with a titter thats either nervous or ambivalently appreciative. Politically speaking, it may be enough to know that Atwater, who shamelessly drove race into the 1988 presidential campaign to destroy Michael Dukakis and win the election for George Bush Sr., was a disciple of Strom Thurmond, got along like a house on fire with Bush Jr., and taught Karl Rove most of what he knows about exploiting media. But Forbes adroitly fills out his picture of this marsupial little man with the eyes of a killer through the testimony of those who admired and/or loathed Atwater. Less persuasive is Forbes perfunctory, psychologically thin rummage through Atwaters childhood for a traumatic event that would explain his utter ruthlessness. He finds one, but its much less interesting than the question of whether the blues-playing Southerner was a racist or merely a cynic, or the films revelations about the ambiguities of Atwaters highly publicized remorse, with hand on Bible, as he lay dying (and largely ignored by the dynasty he had served so assiduously) of brain cancer.
Oct. 17-23, 2008