(continued)

I find it amusing that the presidential turkeys got to occupy first class all by themselves.
And everybody—everybody—on the plane got a little leaflet that said, "I flew on the plane with a presidentially pardoned Disney turkey." [Laughter.]

So that was the impetus to write November. Had you always wanted to work with Nathan Lane?
Nathan is one of the world's great comics. In fact, I called him up years ago. I was doing this play called Boston Marriage, which was about a gay couple. Two lesbian women in about 1900. High comedy, I think it's pretty funny. I asked him, would he consider playing a part in drag? He said he always fantasized [pauses] ... he was very gracious, a little bit courtly ... that I'd call him up and offer him a part, but he rather hoped it would be a part of a man. [Laughter.] So I offered him this part and he reminded me about that earlier conversation.

Well, I love that in one day Nathan Lane's character is dealing with being broke, not having a presidential library, gay marriage, campaign contributions, and pardoning turkeys. Do you think the Oval Office could be that crazy?
I think it's crazier than that. Of course it is that crazy.

Are you loving the primaries?
Everybody is, don't you think? It's exciting.

It certainly seems to have reinvigorated politics for lots of people.
It's marvelous. The whole thing kind of started in 2000 and it kept growing in '04 and the midterms. It's marvelous.

The race between Hillary and Obama is unreal. She had an amazing comeback.
Everybody's had an amazing comeback. Hillary's comeback is amazing. Obama's comeback was amazing. McCain's comeback was amazing!!! He going off by himself, flying coach, without the press because they'd given up on him.

It's a kind of cinematic election: a tough-guy woman candidate running against an Ivy League–educated black man and a 70-something Vietnam War hero.
If one wanted to pitch it as a reality series, it would be interesting. I met this young guy who said, "I think I want to marry a woman that I don't know." And the waitress leaned over and said, "You will." I think that's what you get with a president. They have to be all things to all people in a primary. Then you have to be different all things to different all people in the general election.

But once they get into office they have to face the reality of running the country.
At the end of The Candidate, the character played by Robert Redford wins the political race and asks, "What do we do now?"

So I'm sure people are always asking who you're voting for?