"Game Change" (Sat., 9 p.m. EST on HBO) offered a dramatized and unflattering look at Sarah Palin's role in the 2008 presidential campaign. The story followed her from the moment she was picked from obscurity to try and jolt the campaign through to her emergence as a true superstar on the political stage.
In the intervening time, though, were many instances where advisors to the McCain campaign were stunned at her lack of knowledge regarding foreign policy, and even domestic concerns. The film alleges that Palin was fed scripts to memorize during debates, where response time is more limited, thus explaining her stronger performances there than in media interviews, like her infamous sit-down with Katie Couric.
After success in the vice presidential debate put the public firmly behind her, the film shows Palin emerging from her cocoon of depression into a strong presence on the campaign trail. Ultimately, though, it looked as if the power went to her head in the film. She started trying to blatantly lie about things in her past she wanted buried, and even took to treating it as if this was her campaign, and McCain was riding on her coattails.
This continued to the bitter end, where Palin was shown fighting to give a vice presidential concession speech on the night of the election, after Barack Obama was declared the winner, even though it had never been done before.
It certainly wasn't a flattering portrayal of the former Alaskan governor. McCain has come out in defense of Palin, denouncing both the book the movie was based on, and the movie. Neither he nor Palin have any intention of seeing the film.
"Game Change" was broadcast Saturday at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.
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