Amidst a backdrop of Nixon-era America, marked by riots, protests, and the war in Vietnam, young journalist
Hunter S. Thompson visits the
1968 Democratic National Convention and experiences firsthand the brutality of the Chicago Police Department against protestors, "radicalizing" his political outlook against authoritative uses of force. Thompson realizes the best way to change the system is from the inside out, and begins to organize his campaign for sheriff where his residence is located in Aspen, Colorado. As Hunter's campaign gains momentum, the incumbent sheriff's supporters begin to use underhanded tactics to malign Hunter and undermine the campaign's credibility. Journalists and news stations from across the US descend on Aspen adding to the tension and antipathy in town in the days leading up to the election. When Hunter starts getting death threats that even the
Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agrees are credible, the fear and paranoia in the campaign spikes, and Hunter and some of his supporters become convinced that someone may try to assassinate him. Hunter's campaign team sets up a nightly armed patrol at his house and vacate their headquarters, which Hunter believes have been bugged. On election night, Hunter loses by several hundred votes. Though he seems disheartened by his defeat and never runs for public office again, the tide is turning in Aspen. By 1976, one of Hunter's likeminded friends becomes sheriff and Aspen's elected officials begin to reflect the population of one of the most liberal counties in Colorado, enacting many of the policies that Hunter had fought for. ==Production==