Hollywood Memo to McCain: "Don't Start Shooting Without a Script."

Over the years since directing Wag The Dog I have been asked whether Hollywood producers are directly involved in political campaigns. I hear rumors from time to time that they might be pulling the strings but no hard evidence. But my suspicion is, no Hollywood producer is involved in the McCain presidential run. I say this for a simple reason, it's badly orchestrated, lacks a narrative, and when they come across a good story idea they bungle it. An example: When McCain left the campaign trail to return to Washington to help solve the financial crisis it blew up in his face. It made him seem erratic, ineffectual, and worse of all, not true to his words. There's an old Hollywood axiom that says, "Don't put the leading man in a scene that makes him look bad."

The shooting script of McCain's failed political move would have been played out differently.

EXT. CAMPAIGN RALLY - DAY

(A light rain falls.)

(DON ANDERSON, a young correspondent, talks to the camera)

DON
We are getting reports that John McCain is leaving the campaign trail within the hour.

ANCHORMAN
(Now on a split screen)

What reason are they giving, Don?

DON
What we are hearing and this is unconfirmed, but Senator McCain is going to Washington. The speculation is, it has to do with the economic crisis the country is now facing.

ANCHORMAN
This would be unprecedented, actually stop campaigning?

DON
That's right. But I have no other information at this time. We can only confirm that he in fact is going to Washington

ANCHORMAN
This is a big story and we're going to stay on top of it.

(4 hours later)

(Don, our correspondent, now in front of the capital.)

DON
We have been hearing rumors that John McCain has been meeting with members of both parties in private talks about the economic crisis. I have heard this from a number of Congressmen, but no one in the McCain camp will confirm this.

ANCHORMAN
And Senator McCain has not spoken to any reporters at all?

DON
No. But an aide has said to me privately that John McCain is trying to stay under the radar--he doesn't want to make this about him. He is trying to work with various members of Congress without the glare of the cameras.

ANCHORMAN
What about the debate on Friday?

DON
Hold on one second, I am getting some new information here.....A close aide to John McCain had this to say, "John would prefer to cancel the debate on Friday due to this unprecedented financial crisis, but if his opponent, Mr. Obama, wants to debate, John McCain will make himself available." So the ball is in Obama's court now.

ANCHORMAN
Will McCain make a public appearance on this situation?

DON
What I am hearing is "no" ......His camp has made it clear, he doesn't want to make this a political football.....there is too much at stake. But I re-iterate, John McCain has not made any statement on what might be called a historic decision. In my memory, I have never heard of a candidate leaving the campaign trail. But it is consistent with his maverick style.

***********

This is a rough draft of a scene, but the point being nothing is better than letting others build the drama, others talking about your integrity, others calling you a maverick.

In the old westerns, the fastest gun in the west never said he was the fastest, others said it. And if the gunslinger said he was the fastest? That was comic relief.

Comments

[bail me out]

I wish this kind of analysis comes out AFTER the elections, after Obama's win,

Barry. Brilliant analysis. BUT, you people sometimes coach and teach Team McCain how to strike next

remember, we still have another debate, and 20 more days to run.

If anything, we need to coach Team McCain the wrong stuff so he will look more erratic, rainman like....

[intelleges]

wow barry, excuse me, but you miss the point.

mccain's problem is not that he is missing a good producer, director or writer: it's that, like most horrible actors, he thinks this movie is about him.

he is a hero; he is a prisoner of war; he took on the special interests; he killed the boeing program; he reached across the aisle; he, he, he, he, he...

the problem with this egocentric approach as an actor is that we, we, we soon get bored. think charleston heston.... yikes...

obama on the other hand allows us to project our hopes and dreams on/through him. he is not the other, he is the us.

[WriterGuy]

Nice analysis. In fact, that was the one staggering difference between Hillary and Obama during the battle for the nomination. Virtually everything Hillary said began with "I" or contained the pronoun "me." Virtually everything Obama said started with "We" or contained the pronoun "us."

Once you started to look for the difference, you couldn't help but realize how different their stump speeches were.

[CaptainVideo]

John McCain is sure one hell of a braggart.

I know how to do this!

I know the answer to that!

I have the experience to make the right decisions about this!

I am the greatest thing since sliced bread!

[SweetPotatoPie2009]

Yeah, he also knows where Bin-Laden is and he knows how to find and capture him. Yeah right. He's not even going to tell his best pal George Booshie where Ben is?

[cactusgal]

"Washington is a Hollywood for ugly people. Hollywood is a Washington for the simpleminded" - John McCain.

The McCain/Palin ticket is clearly a bi-coastal production.

[MrCommonSense]

I would suspect Barry that Obama is getting help from Hollywood as his campaign does look like a Hollywood produced movie and I admit that he is one very good actor. Much better than McCain. Maybe that is what we need in Washington-A great actor rather than a normal, regular type person.

[bluekatz]

Metaphor!

[MurrayAbraham]

Thanks for that :-) While I was reading this script I envisioned Dustin Hoffman brainstorming in his eccentric villa.

[pkafin]

Hey Barry, Shut up.

McCain's constant fumbling is working out for the better of the country.

It actually is convincing me of how brilliantly and professionally Bush's two campaigns were run.

Bush was on the wrong side of most issues (according to the polls that covered the American public's attitudes on the issues) and was the clear loser of every debate he participated in. However, his message was unwavering and flawlessly pursued (without regard for reality or events in flux). As early as March of 2000 and 2004, Bush had picked "the four issues that this election is about" and, again without regard for reality, never veered of course or failed to turn other issues and opportunities back towards one of those four.

Don't give McCain any ideas, Barry. At least not before Nov. 4th.

[twisted-european]

The problem is, both (McC and SP) want to be straight shooters who make decisions 'without blinking'. This doesn't favor deep thought, cooperation and careful execution. So I'd be really surprised if they had any script.

You know who had a script after 9/11? Dubya (or, rather, his henchmen)! The script was for the invasion of Iraq, ready to be carried out ...

I don't want to see what the movie will look like, should the Reps win the presidency. Would kind of movie would it be? Horror movie? Disaster film? War movie? All of the above? Take your pick!

[tigs]

News today Christopher Buckly of a top republican ,family is voting for obama , he says John Mc cain is not the person his family knew. good news ,now we need Colin Powel to announce his support for Obama. Havnt heard much from the Clintons lately ,where are they ?,maybe they could go to Ohio and speak to the rabble rousing rent- a- crowd.

[LMKay66]

The Clintons are in Scranton, PA today with Joe Biden. They're still supporting Obama.

[debb17055]

I realize that this is not a casting call, or even a job interview, but if I was a recruiter for a company and I had two candidates to choose from, Senator Obama would win hands down.
Take race and age completely out of the picture, and make it a phone interview. Who would you choose?
I am so uncomfortable with Senator McCain's arrogance and sense of entitlement to earn the position of President of The United States. He is just way to bitter and desperate.
Then throw in the Sarah Palin pick on the day after the Democratic Convention to steal the thunder of the very successfull turnout.
I have lost every ounce of respect I ever had for Senator McCain. He has, in the last week allowed so many vitriolic comments to be expressed at his campaign appearances. He has ignored most all requests for the media to ask any serious questions. The Katie Couric interviews were not gotcha journalism, but they did show just how little she knows. Fox news doesn't even qualify for a serious interview, they don't even have the integrity to throw softballs, they are throwing "cotton candy " and their audience eats it up as serious journalism.
Hey, I think they finally reached that bridge to nowhere!!!
Please just get me back on solid ground.

[hilpalny]

thank god no one in Hollywood is working with them!
Wag the Dog is my absolute fav movie of all times!!!!

[eden4barack08]

McCain's MO is " Ready, Shoot, Aim! "

[2dark]

Very funny.

[kcligon]

Brilliant, Barry: everybody in America should read this. And I hope you book Letterman soon. I think that would be some conversation.

KC

[Jacksonian]

Best line in WAG THE DOG: "A good plan today is better than a great plan tomorrow." (Robert DeNiro character) McCain needs that kind of advisor. :o) One of my all-time favorite movies!

[RumiSouth]

McCain lives in a bubble that magically removes all reflective and refractive light. He can't see the way he looks to the rest of us.

[JonathanDS2U]

A: Let's talk about toys.

B: You make no sense. Please continue.

A: What Obama and Ayres did together was to work on a Peace Toys campaign.

B: And this is what McCain and Palin are upset about?

A: Well, they're actually reluctant to include that in their discussion.

B: Someone should throw their GI Joe doll at them.

A: I'm sure Obama wouldn't approve.