HBO's "537 Votes" uses the Florida recount to explain American politics' descent into bloodsport

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HBO's "537 Votes" uses the Florida recount to explain American politics' descent into bloodsport
It's impossible to watch the new documentary without thinking of the upcoming election. Consider it a prequel

ASHLIE D. STEVENS
OCTOBER 21, 2020 11:00PM


(Salon) It's basically impossible to watch HBO's "537 Votes" without thinking about Nov. 3. The thrust of the documentary, which traces the complexities of the 2000 Florida recount, is found in the chaos and the uncertainty surrounding the election results. This year feels ripe for a repeat as questions about early and mail-in voting abound amid postal service lags, and as President Trump has yet to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election.

As such, it makes sense to view the Billy Corben-directed documentary as both a prelude to this year's election and as a greater warning about political strategy in unprecedented times. As Rick Sanchez, a Cuban-American Miami TV anchor puts it in the film, "While Democrats are sitting around trying to figure out how to do the right thing, Republicans are figuring out how to win."

"537 Votes" opens nearly a year prior to the fateful election, when 5-year-old Elian González was found clinging to an inner tube about three miles off the Florida coast. His mother, Elizabeth Brotons Rodríguez, had drowned while attempting to leave Cuba with Elian and her boyfriend. Rodríguez had family in Miami's Little Havana, while Elian's biological father was still in Cuba.

As the families began to tussle over the boy's custody and future, the nation — but especially Florida — was swept up in the dispute as well. As the documentary lays out, the popularity of Alex Penelas, the Cuban-American executive mayor of Miami-Dade County, surged in the meantime. .............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2020/10/21/537-votes-review-hbo-florida-recount/