Running With Jesse Jackson: A Video For Americans Who Vote

Although Jesse Jackson has hung up his running shoes for the time being, there's no question that he will continue to loom large on the political landscape in the coming years. This documentary, produced and directed by Leanna Wolfe, chronicles the building of Jackson's Rainbow Coalition during the '84 campaign. Jackson's wide ranging canvassing of the issues as opposed to character defamation (which certainly was the modus operandi of our most recent election) makes him a much more interesting politician to listen to than most. Yet, as is the case with most politicians, Jackson's champions sound much more literate and educated than he does. Listening to Barry Commoner, for instance, who is able to encapsulate much of the candidate's platform, is much more palatable than listening to the Reverend Jackson's use of rhetorical repetition (lifted, of course, from Martin Luther King). What is ultimately fascinating about this film, however, is the incredible melting pot of grassroots support that Jackson was able to amass in order to challenge the traditional political structure. Key campaign members from all walks of life explain throughout why Jackson's candidacy appeals to their interest group. Although why an anti-nuclear platform appeals mainly to "special interest" groups, and not to the country at large, is a disturbing thought. This is certainly one of the better videos about politics, a field which, thus far, has very little in the way of video programming. Recommended. (Available from: Alternative Video, 604 Davis St., Evanston, IL 60201;1-800-777-2223.)