It's common courtesy not to speak ill of the dead. Happily, a return to Gore Vidal's sturdy old political drama The Best Man stirs no nasty impulse.

The Best Man depicts a time when presidential conventions were brokered through backroom deals as delegates were swapped for political favors. Today, conventions have become highly scripted coronation ceremonies, just short of political infomercials.

Sadly as Americans sort out the values of the real candidates, The Best Man is a reminder that the worst man will have a chance to triumph, and the best may only be a shadow of our highest ideals.

This was a time when politicians were smart, oozed tons of charm and weren't shy about drinking bourbon & branch water. The words politics and entertainment are seldom found in the same sentence, but The Best Man is loaded with both.