During the Republican run of the 2008 Presidential election, candidate John McCain picks a relative unknown, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, to be his running mate. As the campaign kicks into high gear, her lack of experience, in both political and media savvy, becomes a drain upon McCain and his strategists.
Julianne Moore
Sarah Palin
Woody Harrelson
Steve Schmidt
Ed Harris
John McCain
Peter MacNicol
Rick Davis
Jamey Sheridan
Mark Salter
Sarah Paulson
Nicolle Wallace
Ron Livingston
Mark Wallace
David Barry Gray
Todd Palin
Larry Sullivan
Chris Edwards
Mikal Evans
Bexie Nobles
Colby French
Tucker Eskew
Bruce Altman
Fred Davis
Spencer Garrett
Steve Biegun
Brian Howe
Randy Scheunemann
John Rothman
A.B. Culvahouse
Austin Pendleton
Senator Joe Lieberman
Alex Hyde-White
Lindsey Graham
Ron Perkins
Bill McInturff
Melissa Farman
Bristol Palin
Taya Miller
Piper Palin
Brittany Underwood
Willow Palin
Arlo James
Trig Palin
Beth Dixon
Alaskan Constituent
Brian d'Arcy James
Ted Frank
Sandy Bainum
Cindy McCain
Douglas Nelson
Matthew Scully
Tiffany Thornton
Meghan McCain
Jenna Stern
Lisa Kline
Julie Mun
Attacking Reporter
Rhonda Overby
Attacking Reporter
Richard Pilcher
Attacking Reporter
Michael John Casey
Attacking Reporter
John Heilemann
St. Paul Reporter
Mark Halperin
St. Paul Reporter
Shirley Rumierk
Maria Comella
Kevin Bigley
Track Palin
Justin Gaston
Levi Johnston
Brenna McDonough
Phone Volunteer
Thomas Roy
Phone Volunteer
Stephanie Waters
Phone Volunteer
Christie Beran
Jeannie Etchart
Laurel Schroeder
Reader (uncredited)
Gary Ugarek
Cameraman (uncredited)
Susan Collins
Self (archive footage)
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Self (archive footage)
Jeffrey Mowery
Campaign Staffer (uncredited)
Director
Jay Roach
Book
Mark Halperin
Book
John Heilemann
Writer
Danny Strong
January 12, 2023
7
You couldn't make this today could you? I mean, the Repubicans aren't all depicted as idiotic, mouth breathing, Nazi monsters from Mars... so it wouldn't be PC enough and people would call it offensive. Because, how dare you not stereotype.
Anyway, Palin was a mistake, but the movie puts all the blame on her. That wasn't really the case was it? We were just coming off the W presidency, if Obama won the primary, the Democrats would have won the election. If Hillary won the primary, the Democrats would have won the election. If a reanimated corpse won the primary, the Democrats would have won the election.
People were so fed up with 8 years of W, that the DNC could have run a serial killer that cooked and ate a Jewish baby on live television and they still would have beaten McCain.
McCain's problem wasn't Palin. McCain's problem was W, and he was in the same party as W and Americans just wanted a change after that mess.
So it's kind of unfairly blaming Palin... but Palin was a mistake. She was not ready for the big game. She was poor choice.
But, it was a fair depiction of why she was a poor choice. It was a well acted and fair depiction of why she was a bad choice. It was a well acted and well directed and fair depiction of why she was a bad choice.
But in the end, it wasn't her fault. W guaranteed that there was going to be no beating Obama.
But as far as political movies go, it's fair and well done... despite the miscast blame.