I have the opportunity to interview Steve Bannon, director of the Palin doc, The Undefeated, and I’d like your input. If there are specific questions you’d like to ask Bannon re: his film, or his impressions of the Palin (recall, the Palins were not involved in the making of the film), please note them in the comments.
I’m going to start typing up the questions later today and hope to have them sent off this evening.
please to ask him what he learned with respect to how much if any consideration Sarah gave to running for senate from Alaska
I’d like to know if Bannon’s perception of the Palins changed at all while making the film. If so, in what way?
Jeff,
You may not be ascending in the media world, but this is a very cool interview to work on.
Congratulations.
happy and blake both raise good questions. I especially like Blake’s. I would like to know if his perception about Sarah Palin changed.
And if he can explain Andrew Sullivan’s pathology, that might be useful for the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
1. What about Sarah Palin (and her family) has triggered such primal/visceral reactions from her opponents?
2. What is the most misunderstood thing about Sarah Palin?
Some things that should be gotten out of the way, I’m trying to
thinkfeel like Little Boy George.What is his motivation in making this film?
Does he support Palin for President?
Who financed the film?
Is Palin secretly behind the film?
How will the profits be funneled into the Palin campaign?
How long as he been a Republican operative
, and what is Karl Rove really like?Isn’t Todd really running the show?
and
Who is really Trig’s mom?
Bannon I’m sure knows these accusation-questions are coming, just a little prep.
I’d be curious to know if there are any instances where she genuinely swayed opinion about her policy objectives by the force of her arguments. Not included in this would be fighting the power structure with appeals to the very obvious self-interest of Alaskans.
Ask him if his perceptions of how the media operates have changed, and if so, has this perception changed the way he approaches his own projects.
Serious question.
How much direction did they have to give their children about dealing with the media?
Abe,
I don’t know if Palin is swaying by force of argument. Rather, it appears Palin is framing things in a way that gets noticed and starts the conversation/questions.
Politicians tend to get uncomfortable when the great unwashed masses start asking for explanations.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read some pretty good stuff by Mrs. Palin. I think the true value of Palin is how she manages to put politicians on the defensive.
How can we help get the film distributed, and how do we get it seen by the mushy middle that to date has accepted the MBM narrative on Palin?
Since the Palin’s weren’t involved in making the film, I’m just curious how he decided from which “angle” to approach telling her story, and how did he decide how far back to reach in doing her bio.
Did he enjoy the cooperation of any of her extended family or friends?
Did he set out to make a favorable documentary of her; and was his intent to counterweight the MBM meta-narrative(set the record straight), or simply to tell her story and let the audience make up their own minds?
What was his intention for his film project (was it a film project?) at the moment of conception of his project — the very earliest moment, if it’s possible for him to recall — and how did this intention change over time if indeed it did change? To say that another way, what was his aim, did his aim change and if so, how?
What was his a prori motivation for making the film?
Before that, what is the level of distribution and what, if any, obstacles to distribution are you dealing with?
How many screens will it open on is what I’m saying.
Thanks. I just watch daily as my Alexa ranking falls and falls. Not being on anyone’s outside link list is death on a website, but so it goes.
I’d be curious whether he’s getting/has gotten any help from the talkers regarding his film. Is Rush willing to promote? Is he getting invites to talking heads shows on the cable networks? Or is this yet one more area in which a story that refutes the popular narrative gets marginalized or buried completely?
If the latter, then perhaps he could do a Tom Ball documentary next.
you are on Mr. Breitbart’s blogroll I saw it the other day
Squid —
Both Tammy Bruce and Mark Levin — along with Andrew Breitbart — are featured in the film.
But the question about talking head shows on cable networks is a good one. I seem to recall his saying he’d done some appearances, but I’ll ask for more details.
I’ve been a lurker for 4 years now, sorry I hardly comment..I also miss a lot of the bloggy wars. Why are you missing links? Has this been a recent thing?
I read Ace too sometimes but this blog is the only one that makes me laugh out loud. :) So there’s that.
Pablo —
Bannon spoke to that after the screening I saw. They’ve gotten a really good distribution deal, and to hear Bannon tell it, the theaters are interested only in making money. So they believe the film will sell tickets. He says he’s encountered no obstacles trying to get distribution or screen time.
Does Palin self-identify as a member of a specific political ideology? Does doing so — say, as a classical liberal — in her mind make her less acceptable in the current political climate?
JeffG, suggest to him that he call Bill-O’s producers. There’s a whole lot of eyeballs glued on his show regularly, if the ratings posts on “Drudge” are to be believed.
I believe Bill-O likes Palin as well, and might be happy to do her a solid.
And anyone with some sway might see of Beck could do her a little somethin’, since she was willing to help in his ascendance by granting some interviews along the way.
Write as if just for yourself. Never compromise. Do what you do best.
As I may have mentioned when I called the other day, you have a remarkably, even spectacularly unique talent, Jeff, and if you can keep the energy up that created all the magnificent commentary that built this blog, you’ll always have an audience. I suspect as prescient as so much of your stuff has turned out to be, that it’ll do nothing but increase as nationally the scales continue to fall away.
The stars of all the true revolutionaries these days are rising. Bullshit is being publicly outed in proportion to how many Americans realize they’ve been cheated and how fast they realize it. We’re still the majority and we have the benefit of divided powers, elections, and especially federalism, as you reminded me.
I don’t know how a guy maintains the true uniqueness, the creative energy, and the sheer volume of output that you have for so long, but keep it up for as long as you can.
/craven pandering for classic pw content. ;o)
Ask him if he’s planning to promote his film to the larger 2nd Amendment – NRA blogs? Because there’s no other candidate who can touch her popularity in that bloc.
Oh, and I recommend that you instigate a blogroll of your own, to promote cross-pollination of linky love, because some of these new bloggers might wrongly view you as aloof.
I’d be curious to know if he learned anything regarding Palin’s need to follow the McCain policy platform last election because she was in the Veep slot.
Did she argue with him at all? Get her own way on some issue or another? Were there some policy disagreements that might explain McCain’s staff sniping at her later on?
Could he now imagine her calling McCain out when he’s on one of his mavericky streaks?
Has Bannon ever had any contact with John Ziegler and what does he think of Zieglers descent into lunacy regarding his bet about palin winning a national election?
Bh —
He spoke to that at the screening: she was constrained by McCain’s platform.
Garym,
Yeah, those three Daily Caller pieces didn’t exactly help Ziegler. Tripled down on stupid. Most people stop after doubling down.
Will there be any releases in forms other than theatrical and dvd? Such as streaming video from say netflix or a showing on a pay per view cable or cable like HBO/Showtime?
Yeah, I’d assume as much. Top of the ticket makes the calls.
I suppose I personally want to see her take a whack at McCain at some point and I’m trying to phrase that as a question.
I’m curious about the MBM attack strategy on the film – are early indications they are going for an all-out slime attack, or are they pursuing the NY Times – what Van Jones controversy approach?
And if he can explain Andrew Sullivan’s pathology, that might be useful for the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
That’s easy.
Does Bannon have any embarrassing secrets that he’d like to reveal ahead of the attacks? ‘Cuz rest assured, if Daddy
WhorebucksSoros decides the movie is a threat, Bannon’s going to be called to account for every overdue library book and unpaid parking ticket he ever had (and probably for several dead hookers and substance abuse problems he hasn’t).Ask him plain or peanut. Paper or plastic. Team Jacob or Team Edward.
Sorry, I got nuthin.
dicenta, you know the important question you want to ask: “Boxers, briefs or commando.”
Ask Bannon if he’d be interested in doing a documentary on the GAY PORN COCK OF LIES!
Could you ask him if he has any pictures of her naked?
I already know that Trig is not going to like this question.
Don’t get me wrong. Please.
I LOVE this woman, even so far as sometimes wishing that she was MY mom. She does have the biggest balls in the room.
Feels good to get that straight.
39 and 40 taken together are all kinds of frightening.
How does Bannon decide what footage to include and how to edit that footage? What is more important as a filmmaker, the story or the presentation, and how does he determine the balance between them? Is there any inherent conflict or contradiction between telling a good story and making a good film?
How did you take that post down so fastly?
I’d like to know if and if so how much of a disconnect she has been able to perceive between the GOP establishment and the politically active conservative voter. What about non-politically active voters who identify more strongly with traditionally Republican concerns? Does she see voters moving away from identifying themselves primarily by Party and more toward a candidate specific identity?
If she does, what could the GOP do to fix the problem or get more in step with the average voter?
If not,
what the hell is wrong with herwhy not?dicentra, you know the important question you want to ask:
Not ladylike to ask a gentleman about his underdrawers.
::buuuurp::
“Where were you on the night of September 23, 1937?”
I’d like to know all the basic details about the project–why he decided to make the film, how he went about it (did he write the script? find a screenwriter? how many people were involved creatively? when was the initial contact with the Palins, how did that go, did they have concerns or input or veto power of any kind? how did he go about the process of getting in touch with the other people featured in the film, what were their views and reactions, did anyone he wanted to be in the film not agree to do the film and if so why? what surprises good and bad did he encounter along the way?)
Also who is he, where did he come from, what are his political views, does he identify as Tea Party, what else has he done, what is he going to do next? Will he be involved in the campaign if there is one, what insights does he have about the message strategy, etc.
(Yeah, all the stuff you already thought of!)
Is she a flake?
end(chris_wallace)
In short, Sarah Rolph #47, you want to know when his next project, Sarah Palin and the Making of Stephen Bannon’s “The Undefeated” is coming out.
I could get behind that.
Either that, or the E! True Hollywood Story version, if you really want eyeballs.