HBO is one of the most liberal entertainment outlets ever conceived, but at the very least you had to respect them for not trying to hide that agenda. So why go all spineless now? Part of HBO’s absurd, intelligence-insulting denial is simply disingenuous. The network’s “agenda” took a pretty big hit when Governor Palin chose not to run in 2012, but the timing of this docu-drama, which is based on a political book written my John Heilamann and Mark Halperin, was always obvious: Drop this bomb in the heat of the GOP primary.

AP:

In a politically polarized country, the people behind HBO’s upcoming movie on Sarah Palin’s vice presidential campaign are being careful not to take one side or the other.

“There is no agenda here,” Danny Strong, writer of the film “Game Change,” said at a news conference Friday. Filmmakers said they sought historical accuracy.

The movie debuts March 10. It is based on John Heilemann and Mark Halperin’s book about the 2008 presidential campaign, but focuses specifically on Palin. Director Jay Roach said he wrote a long letter to the former Alaska governor seeking an interview with her to help the film, “but I got a very quick email back from her attorney saying, `I checked, she declined.’”

Roach and Strong were the team behind HBO’s Emmy-winning “Recount” about the disputed 2000 presidential election.

“I don’t think this movie is going to change people’s minds one way or another,” Strong said. “People are very polarized. It’s not designed to change people’s minds.”

Of course, what HBO won’t tell you is that the source material chosen to tell this story is in and of itself agenda-driven. So egregious was “Game Change” in its lack of sourcing that even liberal news outlets were critical:

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DHD:

“Julianne Moore is set to star in HBO Films’ Game Change. Directed by Jay Roach, the movie is based on Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s 2010 book about the 2008 Presidential elections and follows John McCain’s presidential campaign, from his selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate to their ultimate defeat in the general election.”

We’ll see how closely the film sticks to the book, but Governor Palin disputed how “Game Change” portrayed her and being as that it was one of the very few books I had time to read last year, it was easy to see why. Written by Mark Halperin of Time Magazine and MSNBC, and John Heilemann of the New Yorker, the lack of sourcing, the use of so many “anecdotes” based on tales told by ”deep background” types, allowed the authors to craft their reporting in a way that was obviously meant to reaffirm the mainstream media’s biased narrative of the 2008 campaign — especially when it came to destroying Palin and enshrining President Obama. I don’t think Palin’s a perfect person by any stretch of the imagination but I don’t think Barack Obama is perfect either, but after reading “Game Change” — other than an out-sized opinion of himself — you most certainly come to the conclusion that the calm, cool, smart, thoughtful, steady, ready-for-history Barack walks on water.

“Game Change” savages Palin with innuendo, gossip, and unnamed sources in order to portray her as some sort of supreme head case and diva who you would never believe was capable of amassing a resume that made her much more prepared to be president than the floundering failure ruining our economy right now. And I’m not the only one saying so. No less than the New York Times, the Atlantic and The Poynter Institute expressed concerns over the book’s gossipy lack of sourcing.

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Q. How many young Iranian voters does it take to oust Ahmadinejad?

A. More than they have, apparently!

Remember student council elections in high school? You took it so seriously… As if you just elected the right person you’d get rock music over the PA in the morning and no final exams. When I look at things like the beauty contest election in Iran for President, an office with about the same amount of power as class president, I wonder how afraid the puppeteers on the council of twelve high muckity-mucks must be that they won’t allow someone who they had to approve to run for office actually win.

In a statement the Guardian Council said they might be willing to have a limited recount of some ballot boxes. Remind you of anything? That is exactly what the Al Goristas wanted to do in Florida a few years back. Fortunately for us (you too, Progressives), we let the lawyers handle it while we had a cookout and a few beers and when it was over we traded snide comments rather than bullets in the streets. (more…)