He was the political genius behind the Republican Party"s resurgence in the 1980s and "90s, helping to usher in a new era of dominance for the Grand Old Party. Along the way Lee Atwater took under his wing such up-and-comers as Karl Rove and George W. Bush. Always controversial, Atwater"s strategies in the political arena didn"t slink away from using rumors, innuendos, and outright lies to win--most famously in the Willie Horton commercials that doomed Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential campaign. This documentary examines Atwater, his eccentric personality, and profound influence on America.