Why should anyone running for office watch “ The Candidate?” How does the candidate evolve? Bill Mckay played by Robert Redford plays an idealistic, liberal young lawyer standing for election to the Senate. He evolved through his charisma and honesty that led him to get noticed by the Democratic Party and he is persuaded to run for the Senate against an apparently unbeatable incumbent. In my opinion that is why anyone running for office should watch “the Candidate”. He is a man of principles and of the people. This is how Bill Mckay evolved. He took steps forward in reaching the public’s attention, such as the everyday working Samaritans whom face issues in their societal lives. He attracted the attention of, union workers, teens, minority groups, etc.What makes this movie good for anyone thinking about running for office is it clearly shows how a candidate might start out sincere, hoping that the power of the job would allow him to do the things he wants to do to make things better in society, yet the candidate thinks he must compromise and play the political game in order to get elected. This intelligent film shows that it magnifies what the seduction of power can do to someone, even an idealist like the Redford’s character. In "The Candidate," the Redford character has no one to blame but himself for his decisions. He was the one who sold himself out. It would be too easy to blame it on the system, which this film correctly doesn't do. This Hollywood film has passed the test of time and is still a good watch, especially, during an election year. And, even though the times have changed from the 1970s, the political process still looks the same, if that is possible to believe....
