Original subtitles

[crowd cheers]

Thank you very much.

In every period of our nation's history,

there's been a cry from the people,

and there's been a movement from God to raise up

amongst the people someone who would be a voice, conscience,

a heart, and we welcome the conscience of America

to the city of Atlanta for the Democratic National Convention.

We welcome the--

Mr. Starbuck.

TJ.

It's a long bus ride.

I hope you remembered your Dramamine.

I remember you in '84 and the little situation in a taxi.

Hey, ssh.

All right.

I got a message.

What's up?

OK.

Jesse's changed his mind.

He's ready to fight on the floor.

What's the matter?

Didn't Mr. Dukakis make nice enough?

There's no meaningful role for Jesse now.

That's real clear.

So we're ready to come in on your delegate challenge,

that is, if you can pull it off.

Now, we're not into empty gestures so,

uh, if we get half way through the roll call,

and you haven't pulled any swing votes,

then we've never heard of you.

Ah, come on.

What are you telling me?

You mean that we twist all the arms, and if we fail,

Jack takes the fall?

[inaudible], we're not into empty gestures either.

Jesse's got a future with Dukakis.

Jack doesn't.

Jesse Jackson.

[crowd chants]

JESSE JACKSON: I do not seek a job, a title, nor a position.

I seek partnership.

CROWD: Yeah.

I seek equity.

CROWD: Yeah.

I seek shared responsibility.

[cheers]

[whispering]

JESSE JACKSON: Make America better.

We kept America strong.

We've expanded the Democratic Party.

I registered more Democrats than any Democrat who ever lived.

[cheers]

Look at it this way-- if you don't do it,

then you've got nothing.

If you do, then we've got an open convention,

and you're guy stands as good a chance

to take the nomination as ours.

Look, nobody likes a superdelegate situation.

So I'll run it by him.

It stinks, but I'll run it by him.

Ladies and gentlemen--

[gavel down]

--the 40th quadrennial National Convention

of the Democratic Party of the United

States will come to order.

[cheers]

On the subject of superdelegates,

you want the challenge.

Yes, we're challenging the superdelegates on principle.

You know, millions of Americans voted in these primaries,

and they're not really being properly

represented at this campaign.

We feel that this superdelegation

puts much too much--

Look, Cronkite wouldn't give us a time.

He's holding us anyway.

But I got [inaudible] lined up.

We should do that.

[inaudible] right now.

Don't you think that at this late date

a superdelegate challenge would be considered sour grapes?

Lynn--

[inaudible]

[inaudible]

I ran into her at a cocktail party last night.

He was hitting on her and realized who she was,

so he tried hitting on [inaudible].

Look, I admit it isn't going to be mine.

If all you could achieve were what you wanted as far

as the superdelegate selection is concerned,

would you leave here happy?

Uh, moderately happy.

[traffic noise]

TJ.

TJ, is the Rules Committee going to let it come to the floor?

Ask them.

TJ.

Is there going to be a vote?

Look, I have no time, so I have no comment, Frank.

OK. What about the--

Come on, TJ.

You've got to give me something here.

Molly, I am late for a meeting.

Well, I need this.

OK, Molly.

Look, I might talk to you at the booth later on this afternoon.

I might, Molly.

I can't promise you anything.

Talk to you later. Maybe.

Maybe.

Thanks, TJ, for your time.

OK.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

If you'd be good enough to take your seats,

I'll start bringing you up to speed.

Now, what we're trying to do here

tonight is to challenge the apportioning

of the superdelegates.

As you know, they do not fairly reflect

the primary results, an inequity we're

trying to redress on the floor.

Now, if we can get the Convention

to support a redistribution of the superdelegates Dukakis,

we'll lose his majority, and this

will become an open convention.

And Jack Tanner can win an open convention.

You know it and I know it, but there are--

[cheers]

--a lot of swing delegates out there that are going to need

a little bit of education.

MAN: What we're trying to do--

MAN: Yes.

MAN: --is we're going to try and get a minority report

so that we can challenge-- MAN: Yes.

MAN: --the portioning of the superdelegates.

We're going to try and open this convention up.

Now--

Now, the Rules Committee has just turned us down,

but all we need are 47 signatures,

25% of the Committee, in order to petition

for a Minority Report.

Now, you've got to stay in constant touch

with your Cluster Leader, and you must poll and re-poll

as he or she indicates.

Now, Miss Panelli is handing out the numbers

to the control trailer so you will

have direct access to your Area Tracker should a crisis arise.

The Chief Coordinator here is Billy Ridenour.

He's at the top of the pyramid.

Don't try to get a hold of me.

It's his show.

Any questions?

OK.

Good.

Now-- oh, one more thing.

A lot of you have written this off

as some kind of futile gesture.

It's not.

It's for real.

Good luck.

[applause and cheers]

[chanting]

Yeah, OK.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

All right, all right.

[slams phone down]

[side conversation]

Uh, are you folks just about done here?

Yeah.

Thanks very much.

- Thank you. - Terrific.

Great.

Bye y'all.

Bye bye.

- Carl? - Sure.

Fine.

[inaudible]

NEWSCASTER ON TV: -- convention history.

Tanner headquarters released the candidate's

choices of cabinet members.

NEWSCASTER ON TV: Continuing our [inaudible].

GIRL: Ugh.

Well, the petition signatures have all been rounded up.

Jim Wright will get them at 5:00.

And if he goes for it, we could have a vote on the floor

by early tonight.

Let's go down for it.

Oh, god.

Can we go down for it, daddy?

Oh, sweetie, your father can't appear in the hall

until his name's been placed in nomination, OK?

It's just convention protocol.

Well, that's just dumb.

Well, it's the way it is.

I mean, this is the only convention you'll probably ever

be a part of, and you're trapped up here like a goddamn prisoner

in your own hotel room?

Alex, there's another reason.

I can't appear too anxious tonight.

I mean, if the Dukakis people get a hold of it,

we'll lose it.

"Ix-nay" in front of the "ukakis-day."

Alex, will you please not do that.

How long have you been involved

with the champagne, kiddo?

What is this?

The Spanish Inquisition?

Fine.

I'll just go downstairs by myself.

No. Come on now.

I need you here at least until the networks leave.

Forget it. Why should I?

What do I get out of pretending we're

the perfect little post-modern family?

Um, a car?

What did you say?

[laughter]

All right.

Now, what we've got is his position

that is going to the chair.

We're going to try and bring this thing on the floor.

What we want to do is challenge the apportioning

of the superdelegates.

We're going to try and open this convention up.

Now, what we need to do is pick up 50 swing votes

in the next couple of hours before the Jackson

people will play along with us.

Now, you might this is funny, but this far

from a wide-open convention.

Barney, Stringer,

Who are you?

At the moment, things are getting very hot indeed.

And Billy is getting a little squirrely.

Andrea, make sure we've got lots of Diet Coke.

Things are getting pretty exciting around here.

OK.

I will find out about that, all right?

- All right. - Where's Billy?

Has Billy Ridenour arrived yet? [phone ringing]

Is Billy here?

When's Billy Ridenour arriving?

- 15 minutes. - All right.

All right.

[crowd chatter]

Hi, Susan? Barney.

You want to talk to TJ. TJ?

Yeah.

Estrich.

Shit.

Does she know?

I can't tell.

Hey, Susan.

TJ.

What's up?

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh.

What's Mike offering?

Uh-huh.

Well, I'll take it to him, Susan, but what can I say?

It looks, sounds, and feels like a bone.

Call Jack.

Jack.

Need this phone.

Thank you.

Are we finished with these newspapers?

This is really shitty champagne.

- [inaudible] - No, thank you.

[phone ringing]

This is a rotten toma-- excuse me.

Excuse me.

Alex.

Hello.

Hello?

Hello.

He's right here.

Yeah, Barney.

Once second.

Honey, will you-- what am I--

Yeah, Barney.

Good things are brewing.

TJ is talking to Susan Estrich.

Yeah.

Hold on.

Here she is.

Jack.

They're offering a major cabinet post or a prime-time speaking

spot tomorrow night.

I don't get it.

You think they're on to something?

JACK (ON PHONE): No.

First, Wright hasn't even cleared it.

Second, if they knew this early, they could block it.

I think they want a, uh, picture-perfect convention.

They don't want the legitimacy of their support

called into question.

Let's take a pass.

OK.

Call her back.

Maybe the vote got some hemorrhaging

that we don't know about.

WOMAN: TJ.

Emile on four for you.

Hold on, Jack.

Yeah, Emile.

What's up?

TJ.

It's getting interesting.

Yeah, Governor Blanchard just told me

that-- Governor Blanchard just told me

that he can deliver the entire Michigan

delegation in a rules challenge because Jack is a favorite son.

Great.

Great. All right.

I got it.

Thanks, Emile.

[crowd chatter]

Surprise, surprise.

Michigan saw it.

They're going for the challenge in toto.

Estrich must've gotten word.

Then were definitely out of it.

Have somebody get to Wright.

We're fighting this goddamn thing before it

even gets to the floor.

OK, Jack.

I've got you covered.

I want this line kept clear.

OK? Freddie?

Are we secure?

[crowd chatter]

Estrich.

Hi, Susan?

We're going to pass, OK?

Tell Mike not to take it personally.

All right.

Andrea.

Yes, Mrs. Cavanaugh.

I want to know when it's 6:20-- 6:20 exactly.

Why?

Are you taking a pill or something?

Every delegate is entitled to vote.

And every delegate is entitled to have

his or her vote counted.

Chairs of the delegations will poll

their respective delegations and cast

the votes of those delegations by electronic device.

Our secretary, Dorothy Bush, will come forward and explain,

since this is a new process, exactly how to activate

the electronic devices.

Chairs of the delegations will poll their delegations

and see that the vote accurately reflects the wishes--

Look TJ, even if he lets it onto the floor,

the Chair is going to have to rule

on whether the superdelegates can

vote on their own eligibility. - OK.

Check it out and see if we've got Convention

precedent on our side.

Yeah, will do.

Mrs. Cavanaugh, it's 6:20.

Good.

Get me Molly Hark.

She's in the NBC booth.

Excuse me.

Barney, what are the caller codes on these phones?

The one [inaudible] the cluster leaders.

The red is Billy's other phone, Amanda.

That sounds redundant, but we wanted a two-tiered system.

OK.

Whatever Billy wants, he's got.

[crowd chatter]

WOMAN: Molly Hark, 3 4, Please.

I met you outside.

Oh, yeah.

It's really nice to see you again.

[crowd chatter]

I'm going to make one little call, outta here.

WOMAN: She's pretty busy right now.

[crowd chatter] - Hi, Molly?

TJ.

Listen, we're about to submit a Minority Report.

Chairman Wright has to rule on whether or not

it's going to go to the floor.

We're hearing that he's going to approve

it, because he's got a little bit of an image problem.

He can't afford to be seen as a backroom call on anti-reform.

You got it?

MOLLY HARK (ON PHONE): Yeah. - Good.

MOLLY HART (ON PHONE): Thanks, TJ.

You're welcome.

Bye.

You're hearing what from who?

Well, you heard it from me, and I

don't know where I heard it.

Well, you know, TJ, Molly's going to check it out.

Well, no she's not.

Why not?

Because "Nightly" airs in 10 minutes.

Yeah?

And she wants this story.

She needs this story.

She's going run with it, and it's

going to make Wright look like he's

been bought out if he now refuses to send

this report to the floor.

- Dick. - What?

Get your ass in gear.

Get your ass in gear, please, darling.

Look, I want to do a set up now.

What are you talking about, Mol?

They're already on the air. - Look.

We're going to do a cut-in.

Now hurry up and hook this thing up.

[inaudible]

That's right, Tom.

NBC has learned-- oh, right NBC has learned.

Oh, don't you love it?

NBC didn't learn a goddamned thing.

I learned it.

God, that's good.

[crowd chatter]

People, visiting hours are over.

TJ CAVANAUGH: Hey, listen.

I thought you told me that we're going to get some sleep.

MAN: I did.

Go back to the hotel [inaudible].

[crowd chatter]

Oh, god.

Andrea, get Mr. Ridenour a cup of coffee.

Absolutely. Cream, sugar?

Oh, no, no.

No coffee, no.

[crowd chatter]

Communication report, someone, anyone please.

Everything is online.

The phones are up.

The radio phones are charged and distributed.

We got you six backup runners and the flags you wanted.

What flags?

If all systems go down, and there's gridlock on the floor,

we communicate our votes by flags.

Green's up, red's down.

Stringer on the outside line secure?

As best we can tell, Billy.

The only vulnerable point is outside the mall.

We got Southern Bell to weld the manhole shut.

Inside we're buried in concrete.

Barney. BARNEY: Yeah.

Call the booth and make sure that Rather

and Jennings and Brokaw Have my direct line.

Got it.

Man, is this better than sex or what?

So far, the Tanner forces have shown no willingness

to back down, and with reliable sources confirming

that Chairman Wright is almost certain to send the report

to the floor, it seems that the Tanner

delegate challenge, however doomed,

will take place tonight.

This is Molly Hark, NBC News, Atlanta.

You know, dad, this caricature really

doesn't look like you at all.

You want to see?

I mean, you know, he's a good looking guy.

They haven't found-- [telephone ringing]

Well, other than his nose.

Hello.

Hello.

Yeah just a sec.

Honey.

It's TJ.

Yeah.

TJ CAVANAUGH: Jack, Wright's on board.

Also, Estrich called.

How does Secretary of State sound to you?

Well, tell him I'll think about it.

I won't, but it might distract him.

Get smiling Jack off my back.

I don't want to talk to him until I need him.

TJ CAVANAUGH: You got it.

OK.

45 minutes til first vote.

Billy, you're on.

Give me a phone.

Does everyone understand the rules?

Those in favor of the adoption of the Minority Report

will vote aye.

Those opposed to the adoption of the Minority Report

will vote no.

The Chair will permit a bit of time, considering the newness

of this process, to allow the Chairs

of the respective delegations to move among them

and take the count--

Kids, this is it.

Plug in your guitars.

Dorothy Bush will explain the mechanics.

DOROTHY BUSH: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It's good to see all of you here this afternoon,

and we are just about ready to start the voting process.

We will use the computer that [inaudible] at the front

of each delegation Chair.

Please use the official tally sheet to poll your delegation.

You've all been provided with those tally sheets.

Once you have the total--

Heads, up, coming through.

Going Excuse me.

[telephone ringing]

Uh, excuse me, bud.

I think that's my seat you got there.

Uh, you deaf?

Look, pal.

I said vamoose.

I couldn't even get into the hall.

Yeah. Well, that's the way it goes.

Can you believe it?

I'm the candidate's father, and all they'd give

me is a goddamn press pass.

Uh, excuse me.

Did-- did you see the candidate's father?

Tonight.

Of all nights.

Once over, huh?

This, uh, this-- this challenge.

It's the only real drama of the whole convention.

The rest is bullshit.

Set piece bullshit.

Is that right?

He's onto something here.

I know my son.

He's got more than he's showing.

I can smell it.

OK.

Well, hell.

I guess you should know.

Mind if I watch with you, Mr, Dukakis?

[crowd chatter]

I'm telling you, wait for the absolute [inaudible]

in the first four states.

No fucking around, right?

Right.

We show Jesse what we've got.

You tell me when he starts releasing.

All right, then.

All right, then.

Any luck, we just hold onto California, right?

Nobody's going to give a shit about

some rogue votes in California.

Absolutely.

TJ.

Who's our people on the Jackson trail?

TJ CAVANAUGH: No one.

We don't have a line.

Hey, Ed.

How's it going?

You telling me I can't get in touch with them?

That was the deal.

They want to preserve their deniability.

Deniability.

What the hell is deniability?

I'm trying to coordinate a strategy here,

and you're telling me that I can't talk to the man?

That was the deal, Billy.

WOMAN: We picked up five more in Arizona.

Oh, Christ.

What are they doing, man?

They're blowing the whole game in the first minute.

OK. Arkansas.

Hold on. Hold back.

I want 26 ayes, you understand that?

Holding at 26.

That's 26-- 2 6.

MAN: 119 in California.

Are you fucking kidding me?

[inaudible] goddamn message.

DOROTHY BUSH: California 363.

[cheers]

Mind fuck.

Skipper, Skipper.

What, what?

They won Jackson's votes.

They were Dukakis's.

What?

Dukakis released them to vote as they wish.

Four of Dukakis's California reps aren't even on the floor.

Oh, unbelievable.

Un-fucking-believable.

Son of a bitch doesn't even know he's at war.

He's out picking drapes for the goddamn White House.

Yes.

Wear that.

Tie my shoe.

DOROTHY BUSH: Florida 154.

It's too easy.

It can't last.

Only picking up a handful.

The basic instinct is to stay loyal.

We need Jesse's people in bigger numbers,

and we need Michigan as a block.

Yeah.

Well, sweetheart.

Dad, [inaudible] or does it have to be an American?

[interposing voices]

What the hell happened to the favorite son block?

I don't know.

Governor Blanchard just couldn't hold him on the line

until all of a sudden Dukakis's [inaudible] put the heat on.

I don't like the smell of it.

What does Minnesota look like?

Not a single Dukakis vote.

Jesse's only in for nine.

What the fuck is the matter with those Jackson people?

Don't they know how to count?

We need Michigan back.

You get me the candidate.

Hey, you.

You.

I have a name, OK?

It's Andrea, OK?

You've got to reach him.

No time for attitude, woman.

You are out of my trailer now.

Stevie, get me Jack.

Did you see that?

Did you hear that?

That's not right.

MAN: I'm sorry?

Mrs. Cavanaugh, that's not right.

MAN: We're having a lot of problems here too, friend.

Then deliver those to me.

If you made a commitment, then be prepared to keep it.

Hey, you looking for this?

There you go.

[interposing voices]

Listen.

We've got to get Michigan to re-poll.

I'm going to send Jack down.

You're going to bring him out here on the floor?

Ah, man, this fucking place is going to go berserk.

That's the idea, boy.

We're going to shame those sons a bitches

into getting back in our column.

They're in trouble now.

He is?

How do you know?

Jackson isn't coming in in sufficient numbers.

They better get Michigan to re-poll or their dead.

That's amazing.

See, to me, this just looks like so much parliamentary bullshit.

I'm sure you have other qualities.

DOROTHY BUSH: Illinois 200.

[telephone ringing]

I got it.

Yeah. Yeah.

Just a sec.

Jack, it's Billy.

Yeah.

Jack, listen.

I'm sending you down to the floor.

We've got to get Michigan to re-poll.

JACK (ON PHONE): What?

It's our last chance, man.

Jackson is holding out.

We got three minutes tops.

Once Texas votes, you're dog meat-- sir.

OK.

What?

I'm going down to the floor.

- What? - He's going down.

He's going down.

He's going down.

They're asking me for numbers.

Stringer, what are you doing here, man?

Jack is going down to the floor.

I want every goddamn camera in the place on him.

I want to know where is every second.

Got it.

TJ, get me Brokaw.

OK.

All right, people.

We are going to slow things way down now.

We're going to slow way down.

Big states all passed.

Tom, get me a pass on Ohio.

WOMAN: Brokaw 72.

Right, right, right, right.

Hi, Tom? Hello.

Yeah, guess what?

I've got an exclusive for you, an absolute exclusive.

Get me Rather.

Jack Tanner is going to walk out down on the floor, Tom.

Uh-huh.

First time in history it's ever been

done, that a candidate has gone on the floor during a vote.

Yeah?

Well, I don't know, five minutes tops.

I let you know which portal once we get there, huh?

Yeah, right.

Bye.

You haven't got me yet, you goddamn Greek geek.

Get me a shirt.

MAN: On the floor, portal H. Portal H.

You got Tanner behind you.

Jack Tanner. [inaudible]

DOROTHY BUSH: New Jersey 126.

[crowd chatter]

Get me Barney.

Barney, [inaudible] bring the man in.

H. Got it.

H. All right.

All right. one, two, three, four.

[crowd chatter]

Look at him.

Look at him.

He's just stirring up left and right.

They're freaking out.

They don't what to do.

I know, but it leaves him very vulnerable politically.

This is why you don't do this kind of thing.

Oh, that's just stuffy.

I mean, that's what the whole campaign is about.

It's about making changes, stirring things up.

Ssh.

Ssh.

A stunt.

Another goddamn stunt.

Yeah, and I'm missing it [inaudible].

Excuse me, [inaudible].

Catch you later.

[crowd chanting]

- Come on, we got him. - All right.

I want Ohio now. - Ohio.

Do not pass again.

Ohio, all your members.

121.

Get the fuck on board.

MAN: 213 from Texas.

140 from Jesse.

State of Massachusetts 119.

[cheers]

MAN: Where's Congressman Carr?

DOROTHY BUSH: Michigan--

MAN: What?

I didn't see him.

DOROTHY BUSH: --162.

Montana 28.

Minnesota 91.

MAN: We had an agreement here.

Where's Congressman Carr?

[inaudible]

[interposing voices] - All right.

All right.

MAN: He's off.

[inaudible] We've only got six days left.

You tell them to tell their reps we lose nobody now.

We lose nobody.

We got no margin here.

Where the hell is Ohio?

MAN: Not yet.

WOMAN: Virginia's on board. [inaudible]

Who are we talking to? MAN: Four left.

All right.

What do we need from Ohio in the count.

204.

If we get the Jackson delegates, we should have 209.

MAN: We just lost two in Washington.

Margin of three, Billy.

Shit.

Wyoming is soft.

Yeah, I know Wyoming is-- I know Wyoming is soft.

Where the hell is Ohio?

Ohio is taking too long.

DOROTHY BUSH: New Jersey 126.

He's losing it.

Wyoming.

Do we have Wyoming?

Wyoming's solid.

Wyoming's good.

We got it.

We have California?

We have--

We have California?

It's not up to California.

[interposing voices]

- It isn't up to Ohio. - Ohio?

Come on, Ohio. Come on.

- Give me an O. - O.

- Give me an H. - H.

- Give me an I. - I.

O.

O. Ohio.

Hey.

We got a recount from South Carolina.

We need 207 now.

No.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Something's wrong here, guys.

Something is very definitely wrong.

Billy.

Billy.

Only 122 ayes from Ohio.

DOROTHY BUSH: Right over here.

Ohio--

Forget it

DOROTHY BUSH: --122

What the fuck?

DOROTHY BUSH: Oklahoma 56.

Back up there.

You get it, don't you TJ?

Jesse Jackson, the man I couldn't talk to.

He just got whatever it was he wanted,

and we spent the night negotiating for him.

Have a good day.

TJ CAVANAUGH: Well, I let him down, Joe.

Oh, go.

I should have seen it.

I've been at this for 16 years.

I should have seen it.

Right.

Hm?

Oh, uh, I've had some offers.

Oh, yeah.

Markie wants me to be his-- his AA.

No.

No, you know me, Joe.

You put me behind a desk and I die.

Right.

Pfft, man, I need a drink.

What time is it?

Really?

God, Joe, you gotta stop calling me at these hours.

I called you?

Well, what do ya know?

[hangs up phone]

TJ CAVANAUGH: (SINGING) Exercise your right to vote.

Choose the one you like the most.

It's your individual right.

Choose the one you want to fight for you.

Vote.

Pick the proper candidate.

You can change the course of fate.

[music playing]