‘Primary Colors’ aims to be an antidote to the 24-hour news machine, where subtlety does not exist and complex issues are addressed through stereotypes. Remove the campaign signs or t-shirts and it becomes difficult to tell by looking at someone where they stand on the political spectrum. It’s too easy to dismiss someone with a different viewpoint as ‘the other’ or even ‘the enemy’ before they are given a chance to explain why she or he sees the world differently. Americans live in a polarized nation—coastal elites vs. flyover states, immigrant vs. citizen, conservative vs. liberal—and every time we fail to honor the other side’s complexity and nuance, we drive each other farther apart. If our country is to survive, it is vital that we look ‘the other’ in the eye and come to understand their point of view.
