Electile Dysfunction: Inside the Business of American Campaigns

This documentary examines the dysfunctional world of American politics during the 2006 Senate race between Democrat Bob Casey Jr. and Republican Rick Santorum...

We start out strong, hearing that campaigns are "all about the money" and "if you are not on television, you are not a player". One voter laments that millions of dollars are spent on television ads while people are starving. This really is the crux of politics today, or at least the campaigning part -- who can raise the most money and use it wisely?

In 2006, Santorum was presented as a social candidate (protecting marriage, standing against abortion) while Casey was pro-life and pro-gun, which made him a moderate Democrat. He also opposed amnesty. So it was not a left versus right decision so much as a right versus more right decision... and yet was the most heavily covered election in America!

There is a discussion on spin -- the fact that once your opponent does it, you have to do it. Nobody claims to like it, everyone sees it as necessary.

Oh, and I love the Arlen Specter ad from ages ago...