Tony Lee: Documentary seeks to reset conventional wisdom on Palin

"Palin’s retail skills are phenomenal, and the movie hammers this point home."
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The positive reviews keep coming in for "The Undefeated," director Stephen K. Bannon's full-length Sarah Palin documentary. Human Events columnist Tony Lee's impression of the film is that of "a conventionally unconventional stump speech, and an opening act of what may be a presidential campaign." Lee said he took away five distinct points from the movie:

First, this movie will reaffirm what Palin supporters like about her while presenting a solid case to those who may be on the fence about Palin that she cannot only be a strong executive but that she can and has had a history of winning over independents in the political and policy fronts.

Second, should Palin enter the presidential contest, her path to the nomination may eerily resemble her path to Alaska’s governorship. In Alaska, Palin resigned from the Oil and Gas commission, defeated an incumbent establishment governor of her party for the nomination, and then went on to win the general election. Should she enter the 2012 contest it would be after she resigned from Alaska’s governorship, and she would have to defeat the GOP establishment -- hellbent on throwing tacks and obstacles in her path at all costs -- to get the nomination.

Third, Palin’s anti-establishment nature resembles Reagan. Two of the most powerful moments of the film come when conservative Andrew Breitbart basically implies that the Washington GOP establishment machine is full of soulless cookie cutter types. Even more powerful is when influential conservative author and talk radio host Mark Levin compared Palin to Reagan, and how the same types of people who dismissed and hated Reagan are the ones that are cutting Palin down right now.

Fourth, should Palin run, the movie offers a blueprint of what her opening argument will most likely be to voters. She will highlight her biography.

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Fifth, the movie is heavy on themes of American exceptionalism. The implication is that Palin and Obama see two different versions of America, and Palin’s view of America, culturally and policy-wise, is the one that is worth restoring, reviving, and renewing to get America back on sound economic footing while also not losing sight of the enduring and exceptional characteristics that have and will make America, as Lincoln said, man’s last, best hope.

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Follow "The Undefeated" on Twitter here and on Facebook here. A website will also be unveiled soon.

- JP