Boogie Man

Hey Charles,

I just finished watching the new fascinating documentary on the late Lee Atwater, the master of dirty politics and forerunner of Karl Rove, who destroyed Mike Dukakis' run for the White House and whose impact continued to be felt even during this year's campaign. Atwater's story was a complicated one, and whether you believe it authentic or not, it's hard not to be moved in some way by the transformation he went through near the end of his life. It's also not to be hopeful that Barack Obama's victory last week signaled an end to the type of nasty campaigning/swift boat-style politics that we've witnessed for far too long.

Anyway, here's an excerpt of the documentary, which begins with Atwater's starring role in the infamous "Willie Horton" campaign of 1988. I suspect you'll find this documentary as interesting/troubling/enlightening as I did.

Ryan