In this dramatization of the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore concedes the presidency to George W. Bush, but recants when he learns of irregularities in the Florida vote count. Democratic strategists Ron Klain (Kevin Spacey) and Michael Whouley (Denis Leary) race to Florida to uncover the truth, as do Republicans under James Baker (Tom Wilkinson). Between faulty voting equipment and the vagaries of Florida's Secretary of State Katherine Harris (Laura Dern), a 36-day stalemate ensues.