Reel clear politics

AS THE McCain-Obama race winds up, even political junkies need a break. So stop refreshing those polling-aggregation websites, and pick up some DVDs. Here are our favorite films about campaigning:

Based on Boston's own James Michael Curley, "The Last Hurrah" (1958) features Spencer Tracy as a mayor seeking yet another term. In "All the King's Men" (1949), Broderick Crawford plays a rising Southern politician. It's all here: ego, ambition, the codependency of politicians and the press.

Another Southern populist, Bill Clinton, inspired two fine films: "The War Room" (1993), a documentary; and "Primary Colors" (1998), which stars John Travolta and Emma Thompson in a thinly disguised portrait of the ultimate power couple.

In "Bulworth" (1998), Warren Beatty is a US senator who breaks free from his equivocating, his handlers, even his own id. His political Tourette's syndrome is sometimes tasteless, but entertaining throughout.

Politics and music meet in Robert Altman's "Nashville" (1975), which unfolds amid a third-party presidential candidacy. And in "Bob Roberts" (1992), Tim Robbins plays a right-wing, folk-singing politician. As always, wealth redistribution is an issue: "Some people will have," he croons. "Some simply will not."

Despite recent GOP claptrap about "socialism," the Cold War was scarier the first time around. In "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962), an American POW is brainwashed to be a communist assassin. Only Frank Sinatra can save the day.

It's just a race for class president, but "Election" (1999) has much to say about those who run for office - and those who manipulate votes behind the scenes.

And in "The Candidate" (1972), Robert Redford wins a Senate race and poses the question we'll all be asking Wednesday: "What do we do now?"