Response #2

TVTV’s Four More Years came off as completely fresh to me. I’m not familiar with recent American history and I have never seen sort of documentary on the Nixon era. I think the video provides a complete different point of view on the public participation at the time than the general media. I could imagine at that time, all the coverage of political events were politically correct. Documentaries like this one can always lead to an alternate thought process of the United States. The slogans of the buttons to promote the campaign that were used as subjects of discussion in the video were so simple, direct, to the point. And the young voters were so enthusiastic and devoted to Nixon. They have a kind of faith in Nixon that we just don’t have in politicians anymore, especially for young people. How many of us have actually done something to support a cause, or even just watched the news? The assurance in their voice almost made me forget how complicated the whole political world was. The interview of reporters at the Republican convention was a stroke of genius on the part of TVTV. Their opinions were neutral yet so opinionated.

Towards the end of the video, I got bored. Being extremely unfamiliar with the background of the Vietnam War history, I had a hard time understanding the issues being presented in the video. The controversies were there. I could almost grasp it, but I couldn’t. What is it that makes the issue so important in the election was never really stated. Through the video, I wanted to feel some of the rage of the crowd, but I couldn’t.

As I’m writing this response, I can’t help to feel incompetent. I always can’t seem to effectively analyze or even have a reasonable opinion when it comes to politics, because in politics, there’s no right and wrong, only this huge gray area. I could say it’s meaningful in this way or another, but I just don’t really feel anything about it.