Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game
On the Lincoln Project
In 2019 we started working with Stuart Stevens on a documentary about the history of the GOP through his work within it. Mumbles of the Lincoln Project grew, until we were living next to them in Park City where they decided to stage their “war room” headquarters.
We spent significant time with the group (and their Showtime crew) leading up to the 2020 election. The first episode of Showtime’s new five-episode series, The Lincoln Project, airs tonight. It tells the story of a small cadre of Republican strategists who went rogue in order to defeat Trump.
You've likely already heard that story (here, here, here, here, here, or here), and certainly you know how it ends. There will be press, there will be op-eds, and there will be tweets. Viewers will be inspired to donate, or they won't. And the Lincoln Project – the PAC not the film – will win.
Our upcoming film does not spend much time analyzing the Lincoln Project. To us, the compelling part of this story has never been their success, nor Stuart’s, but rather the rules of the game that allow for their tactics. The commercial imperatives of our news and media system create their success, and participants on all sides of the equation share that understanding. In their world, congratulations and criticism both translate to capital.
In the end, we only spend a few minutes with the Lincoln Project in our doc — now feels like a good time to share a preview. Here you go!
Very excited for this and proud of you x