, the political drama, set to premiere this Sunday on HBO tells the story of the botched Florida election that put George Bush in the White House and introduced the world to the butterfly ballot and the hanging chad causing the month-long scandal that made Florida, and the US, an international laughing-stock.

Adding insult to injury, even Saddam Hussein, long criticised by successive American presidents for failing to hold a free and fair vote in Iraq, reportedly offered to send election observers to sort out the mess. ….at least he had a sense of humor!

I happen to live in South Florida and vividly remember the events as they unfolded and the powerlessness I experienced as I watch one travesty of justice after another rapidly diminish the respect that I and the world held for our democracy and the processes that protected it.

I even met and had lunch with Katherine Harris, the Florida secretary of state, played by Laura Dern, who was vilified by Democrats as the "dragon lady" for her role in certifying Bush’s victory in her state.

The Florida Supreme Court overturned Harris’ decision, but the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly ruled in Bush’s favor, giving him the presidency. Harris was later elected to Congress but lost her bid for a U.S. Senate seat.

The movie is a must see as it is a cautionary tale that will hopefully ensure that it can never happen again although I am aware it is extremely naive, especially in light of the fact that something similar did occur in 2004.

The film was directed by Sidney Pollack and looks at events in the Sunshine State during the weeks after the controversial 2000 presidential election, in which 175,000 Floridians saw their votes rejected and Bush was declared the winner over Al Gore by a 537-vote margin.

In addition to Laura Dern, Pollack directs some of the best talent in Hollywood including two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey who portrays a top aide to former Vice President Al Gore.  

Dennis Leary is cast as Democratic pollster Michael Whouley, and Begley as David Boies, the lawyer who argued for the Democrats in court. Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson plays former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, who was enlisted to oversee the Republican effort to affirm Bush’s victory

The whole occurance seemed so surreal and even now would be difficult to beleive if I had not lived through it myself. The weeks of recounts and legal challenges after the original polling on November 7 before the US Supreme Court stepped in on December 9 to declare the process unconstitutional and award Bush the presidency is a story that begged to be told. 

Florida’s election procedures were widely mocked in the interim, with controversy over old-fashioned double-sided paper ballot slips and the validity of hanging, swinging and dimpled chads where voters had failed to fully punch through a hole to mark their choice. The wasn’t a talk show that did not parody the event for months after it happened.

“Recount….see it!

HERE IS A TRAILER FOR THE FILM “RECOUNT”