Anytime I sit down to watch a political film, I let out a deep sigh before pushing play, wondering what sort of far leftist nonsense I am going to get myself into. When I caught "...So goes the nation" on the IFC channel, I prepared myself to be told that the Bush victory was the result of bullying at polls, lies, and deception (as most political movies these days argue). However, I was treated to a very open and intriguing look into the 2004 Presidential race that gave a very fair look at both candidates and their campaigns.
So Goes the Nation is unlike many political films out there currently because rather than have some Hollywood narrator hold our hands like we are children, the movie brings out political heavyweights from both sides of the aisle. James Carville and Paul Begala most notably did an excellent job of explaining the pros and cons of the Kerry campaign while Matthew Dowd did a great job of showing the inner-workings of the Bush strategy.
The story of the film explains how Bush, who non-supporters despise with every fiber of their being, went on to easily win a 2nd term in office. To tell that story, the filmakers choose to study the state of Ohio in-depth. The audience follows political commentators and everyday volunteers. Both sides plainly admit to their strengths and their weaknesses and give credit to the opposing sides. When the filmaker puts forth anything controversial you get both sides of the story which is incredibly refreshing in this day and age.
As a political junkie I found this to be a remarkably great film. The in-depth analysis of how Bush targeted his message down to the individual voter and motivated so many people who had not cast a ballot in years was amazing. You learn what worked, what didn't work, what both sides laughed at each other about, and what both sides saw as their defining moments.
If you enjoy politics, movies, and are tired of Michael Moore as much as I am--this is a great movie to pick up!