This will reopen the national disgrace of Palin’s glaring unfitness for office, and thus, irresponsible and negligent behavior by McCain and his staff for not properly vetting her before choosing her as VP on the ticket. Kudos for HBO – which has a long track record for producing fact-based dramas and relevant programming which have won more Emmys than any other network – for reminding us during this election year of our responsibility to beware of candidates so inept and woefully unprepared to run for national command office.

“Game Change,” based on the 2010 book of the same name by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, has been vouched for accuracy by McCain’s very own strategist, Schmidt himself, and by chief ’08 Palin aide Nicole Wallace. Also, Chris Edwards, one of Palin’s ‘08 campaign staffers, served as a technical advisor to the HBO filmmakers.

But ardent Palin supporters (why in the world are there any?) will choose once again to ignore obvious truths about Palin who has already dismissed this film with her usual paranoid response to media bashing: “Here they go again!” May they never stop “going again” if it exposes Palin’s continued ineptness for public office or even as a national spokesperson to satisfy her power ego. Parroting conservative dogma, never offering a single original thought, and simply tearing down the opposition for its own sake does not make a credible candidate for any office or job including parking cars or cleaning kennels.

John McCain’s “Country First” campaign motto was a shameful, utter lie. McCain knew he could never win the presidency with yawn-boring old suits like Romney or Huckabee for his VP, and wanted American voters to think he was making a bold, new-generational move to thwart the Obama Express by picking much younger, female, unknown Palin. The fact he hardly vetted her clearly shows how shallow and manipulative his decision was, and how desperate his staff was to find an atypical running mate and shake things up. Schmidt has admitted, “My judgment was influenced by ambition to win the race.”

If McCain had known that silly Sarah was so intellectually challenged she would inanely claim that the proximity of Alaska to the Russian border gave her foreign policy expertise, or that the Queen of England was the head of the British government, would he still have picked her if she guaranteed him a win? Absolutely! You bet he would have, because all John McCain wanted was to become president at absolutely any cost, including the unacceptable cost to our nation’s well-being. Given McCain’s age of 72 (in 2008) and his history of heart trouble, Palin as president was a very possible disaster nightmare for our country and the world. Even if McCain cringed at thoughts of her possible succession (as surely he must have now that we know the real story), his megalomania for power at any cost ruled the day. “Country First” my butt! That was blatant “Country Last—JOHN FIRST!”

Besides Palin’s frighteningly huge gaps of basic intellect awareness, proven repeatedly in national interviews, the book and film reveal that senior campaign aides were alarmed by her behind-the-scenes emotional outbursts, and were horrified to discover she was at times “catatonic” and possibly mentally unstable. Schmidt said of this film, “That is the story of what happened; it tells the truth of the campaign.” The consensus among McCain ’08 aides is that picking Palin was a terrible mistake. Schmidt agrees, “The result was the VP nomination of someone who was fundamentally not qualified. I have great regret over that.” So does America, Steve.

Proving once again his own ineptness of judgment and repudiation of the obvious truth, cowardly McCain recently declared: “It will be a cold day in Gila Bend, Arizona, before I watch that movie.” Yes, John, continue your shame of denial for not vetting Palin…as a supposed patriot. For the rest of America, and Gila Bend…don’t miss this important HBO film!

(Some of this text is excerpted from my memoir KISS ME QUICK BEFORE I SHOOT. Quotes and film facts are from the Los Angeles Times story on “Game Change” written by James Rainey on 2/18/12. Photo by Philip Caruso, HBO)

After thousands of years of oppression, ruled by brutal forces throughout centuries of unspeakable violence, terror and injustice rained on its people as common occurrences, the Arab world is jittery with the idea of embracing a seemingly never-before-possible breath of freedom—an unlikely inhale of civilized self-dignity—an instinctual yearning for the previously unattainable, foreign concept of democracy: rule of the people, by the people, for the people.

I was last in Cairo in ’78 to film for Universal Studios at the pyramids for the Battlestar Galactica TV series. I was born in Egypt and lived there till I was nine. I have a familiarity and appreciation of Arab culture, and I sympathize with this movement that has surprised the world. Though I cheer for their freedom and breakout from their medieval customs and beliefs, I believe this “Arab Spring” is doomed to fail this time around, at least for the immediate future. Maybe in ten or twenty years it will be their time, but not now. Why not now?

Whether through dictators, monarchies, or warlords, the ferocity of absolute rule throughout the Arab world has achieved endless poverty and numbing illiteracy. This suppression of the people has kept the powerful and wealthy in charge for generations, and unleashed their armed forces to spread fear and terror among a helpless populace. Though you’d think sending privileged children to the west for an elite education would bring back a kinder and learned generation, the heirs to sadistic rulers seem more apt to follow in their fathers’ footsteps once they’ve tasted the throne of power, and no progress is ever made. Arabs have long stopped to dream of a better world.

Although the most pious of believers, their medieval-based religion has not allowed room for progress or adaptation within a modern world. The ruthless oppression of women alone has made half of the Arab populace silent and compliant to absolute rule by cruel men. This is not a mindset for freedom of anything. Even in Tahrir Square, at the exhilarating moment of an awakening thirst for freedom, a few savage Arabs raped and almost killed an American journalist who was serving their cause while reporting their promising hope and revolutionary zeal to the world.

Democracy is not something western nations can bring to the Arabs as George Bush so mistakenly believed. Ten years later, Iraq is a mess and generations away from true democracy. Afghanistan is a nightmarish hellhole of depravity. Arabs are too mistrustful and culturally victimized with conspiracy paranoia; more than half of the world’s Arabs still think 9/11 was U.S. created propaganda. Though they may yearn for freedom and wish to join the modern world, a transformation of spirit and literacy from centuries-old acceptance of status quo must come from within their own visionary souls and emerge from their deepest gut-check courage.

They may rise and bravely fight to overthrow their ruthless leaders as they have in Tunisia, Egypt, and Lybia…but then what? Even after their most sensational victory, Egyptians are disillusioned about what to do now. Last week, their finance minister resigned over the army’s brutal treatment of dissidents. It’s easy to predict what’s next: the army will clamp down and a strongman general will take over, declare Marshall law for the good of the country, and rule with an iron-fist for years to come, or an ultra-religious group will take over and turn it into a similar oppressive theocracy as Iran. Either way, no real freedom or democracy in the near future.

Arabs will need to find their own Jeffersons, Franklins, and Washingtons to lead them out of their dark ages. They will need their own intelligentsia of ideas and brave leadership to inspire their own unwavering commitment to their own declaration of independence and their own bill of rights to break the shackles of tyranny, and finally bring democracy and modern life to the archaic Arab world. Centuries-old tribal rivalries and a hopelessly antiquated and subservient way of life cannot be changed in a spring or a year or even a generation.

Though the flame of liberty has been ignited, it’s going to take a lot more than a Facebook call for freedom…but they’re getting there..

This blog will also be about diverse topics: my take on the film industry and entertainment news to my observations about politics and relevant fun stories in the zeitgeist of our world.

I welcome your feedback and participation, and wish you all well in your endeavors, good health, and easy laughter.
Enjoy the read.

Dare to dream. Peace!