The new film
Man of the Year staring Robin Williams brings the funny back into politics.
While many of us find it hysterical that the GOP eats their own, fumbles scandal, and serves as the most hypocritical shmucks in politics - Truth be told - the Voter's Bill of Rights is no laughing matter and Williams' new film brings to light a very serious subject in a way that the normal every day local yokel can understand.
Yep, that's right - the inability to count votes accurately is now such a reality that it has made it into a mainstream film that parodies this all too disappointing truth of voting in America.
What would happen if one of the nation's funniest men became it's leading one? Oscar® winner Robin Williams reunites with the director of Good Morning, Vietnam to answer just that question in the comic tale of an entertainer's accidental rise to power, Man of the Year.
Acerbic performer Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) has made his career out of skewering politicians and speaking the mind of the exasperated nation on his talk show. He cracked scathing jokes at a fractured system night after night ... until he came up with a really funny idea: why not run for president himself?
After a flip comment, Dobbs ignites a grassroots movement that puts him on the ballot. Hot on the campaign trail, he debates elected drones and says exactly what frustrated voters have often thought. Nov 2nd later, the muckraker wins - only to learn that a computer voting error gave him the victory. With time ticking on the inaugural clock, Dobbs has a big decision to make: should he go back behind the mike or stay in the Oval Office?" Man of the Year
What this film does is tap into what we have known for quite some time:
America is tired of being afraid.
America is sick of the white shirt, striped tie, politicians who want to roll out five point plans for success instead of talking to actual Americans about real progress.
America craves leadership they can trust. America craves someone who can approach them on their own level. And moreover people are hungry for someone who understands the daily lives of ordinary Americans.
That underlying theme is exactly what is happening in the 2006 election. With recent USA/Gallup polling showing that 33% of people oppose reelecting their current incumbent Representatives, it has become obvious that the image of the political servant we all imagined our elected officials to be, has been left warped and broken - and the electorate is looking for new saviors in non-traditional places.
But more - what the finale of the funny brings is a very real question involving a concern that California voters know all to well.
"Computer voting error"
And a non-traditional redeemer is readily available as an alternative to those who seek comfort and confidence in this new world of electronic voting.
While Robin Williams' character grapples with the ethical dilemma of whether to accept his win (handed to him by malfunctioning voting equipment) or return to the stand-up circuit, California voters too face some serious choices: Someone who will guarantee that each vote will be accurately recorded as it was intended to be
or someone who says that everything is fine and dandy.
Debra Bowen has always served from our level. As an active member of her neighborhood watch, Debra first ran for office because she didn't like her choices. And her hope and determination hasn't stopped since.
Debra has never received votes because she convinces people that the sky is falling.
Debra wins because she encourages people powered policy. How rare for us to see today! A representative who actually begs the questions "What can I do for you?"
Bowen has always approached her service from the people's prospective. Asking questions like "how can we make this easier and more dependable for people?" Such simple solutions are lacking in contemporary politics as Representatives and political hopefuls rarely seem to seek solutions to every day problems.
Debra has done this with legislation that is aimed at making it easier to prevent identity theft, legislation that made it easier for people to contact their representatives at the Capitol to not only ask questions but also hold them accountable.
Debra even passed legislation that made campaign finance reports readily available to the average California internet user so voters could see for themselves who is paying for a campaign. That way if a politician says, for example, that he wants to make sure our votes are safe but his campaign is being paid by Diebold Execs - the voter, our news media, and his opponent can clearly view who's behind the curtain.
And now Debra Bowen is running for Secretary of State for California. Why? Because the facts have gone way beyond common sense - now they're a reality in our election's. So much so that they've made it into a mainstream movie by an every day movie company. This is no longer a tinfoil hat conspiracy with documentaries on public access television.
The illegitimacy of accuracy in electronic voting is a widely accepted fact of every election in America.
And Debra isn't saying that the sky is falling - because the fact is - the sky has already fallen. In Florida. In Ohio. In Maryland...
Bowen's campaign simply plays the Dr. Phil of the political world, asking:
And how's that working out for you?
It is what we are finding all across America. Year after year politicians have convinced their constituents that if elected they will solve all their problems and save us from any threats we face.
One only has to turn on the evening news to find it couldn't be further from the truth.
-North Korea is launching nukes for real now
- Iraqi insurgents have grown in strength and number to be a force more powerful than they were before the start of the war
-Afghanistan is continuing to grow more unstable
-People are still in debt - and now so is America
-And now that we have finally decided that STAY THE COURSE - "its turned out fine" on these issues isn't working.......But we now realize that voting them out isn't an option - because they've already stuffed the ballot box!
Thank GOD Debra Bowen has spent the last few years working hard to ensure that there are laws in place to provide some protections against widespread fraud. The rest of America should be so lucky.
So, why bother electing her if she's already swooped in to save us? Because if she is not in the SOS office, she won't be there to continue the fight. Because a few protections are hardly solutions to evolving technologies.
Because "Stay the Course" and "its turned out fine" is a delusional fantasy game that doesn't even work in a fictional movie world.
The answer is not - Stay the Course - the answer is to take what we've got and ask the age old Debra Bowen question "how can we make this easier and more dependable."
And the only way to do that is to guarantee that she serves as the next Secretary of State for California:
Go here to see how you can help Debra Bowen make voting easier and more dependable for every person - not just the election winners.
And go here to contact Universal Studios for compliments or suggestions regarding the film.
Or - if you'd like to contact Robin Williams with compliments on the film or to encourage him to support Debra Bowen a fan site lists this as an address to send fanmail and ask for photos:
1100 Wall Road
Napa, CA 94558