I assumed Keeping the Peace would be a one-sided, Republican-slamming, anti-Bush film. But that really isn't the case at all. We first see Michael Berg, who's son was beheaded by terrorists in Iraq, standing on the side of a highway holding up a Honk for Peace sign. Mr. Berg doesn't look like a candidate running for public office (he has long hair and dresses in jeans and t-shirts with anti-war slogans), but when he speaks of politics, he is as intelligent and heart-felt as the best of those in Washington, DC. Mr. Berg, endorsed by the Green Party, is running for congress for the sole purpose to put an end to the war.
There are four candidates running for the lone congressional seat in Delaware in 2006 (the incumbent Republican, the Democrat, a female independent, and Berg). We get to hear from all the candidates and learn their visions and opinions on the war, Bush, and each other. Unlike other political documentaries, this doesn't have the nail-biting finish. It's pretty clear who the winner and losers are long before the final act of the film. But that isn't the point of the documentary. The point is to walk in Michael Berg's shoes during his 6 month grassroots campaign. Whether he is arguing with CNN's Larry King or getting escorted out by the police at a local debate, he is a "candidate" who clearly speaks his mind and lets you know where he stands, even when his entire campaign goes crumbling down around him.
