Original subtitles

[chatter]

BILLY: So was it what you expected?

STEVIE: No.

I expected to win.

BILLY: Yeah, well, that's the funny thing about winning,

you know.

When you're in the heat of it and you're in that trailer

and it's the center of the universe,

I guess all you want out of life is to win.

But then it's over and it doesn't really matter much,

does it?

STEVIE: Come on.

How can it not matter to you, Billy?

BILLY: Because no matter how it comes out, Stevie,

I'm no longer a player, you know?

I came into this convention as a super tracker.

I was the indispensable man.

I not only knew the names and the districts of 461 delegates,

I knew who was wavering.

I knew who was hostile.

I knew who was going to come on board.

I knew the concerns, the backgrounds,

the leverage points of every one of these guys.

Hey, Billy!

[whistle]

Hey, tough night.

You still a Democrat?

I know stuff about them their own mommas don't even know.

I worked for two years for one night.

One night when I reign supreme.

One night when I impress the girls.

But then next day comes, and I'm irrelevant.

I'm-- I'm Michael Spinks, even if I won.

STEVIE: Let's have a drink.

BILLY: Yeah.

[music playing]

[water running]

[music playing]

[chatter in background]

ANDREA: This feels so good.

TJ CAVANAUGH: Yeah.

ANDREA: This was a great idea, Mrs. Cavanaugh.

TJ CAVANAUGH: This, Andrea, is my morning

after campaign ritual.

Sauna, steam, lunch, pool, and a one hour massage.

They have to pour me into a cab.

ANDREA: Hm.

Then what?

Then the driver, seeing my haunted eyes,

takes me to Bloomingdales.

Without even asking?

They know.

Cab drivers.

They know.

Now the ones I get.

I always get the sex maniacs.

TJ CAVANAUGH: Sex, Bloomingdales, same thing.

The important thing, Andrea, is to indulge yourself.

Never ever let yourself get out of practice, honey.

[inaudible].

ANDREA: Never forget about those very all-important shopping

days.

Absolutely.

Use them and lose them.

ANDREA: Wow.

I haven't seen the inside of a store

since last fall's markdowns.

TJ CAVANAUGH: God, try a year ago December.

But does the candidate notice or care?

No.

ANDREA: No.

Of course not.

He's a guy.

He could get away wearing the same clothes

he wore in college.

TJ CAVANAUGH: He does.

ANDREA: Oh, it's not fair.

I don't want to talk about him anymore.

TJ CAVANAUGH: OK.

[chatter]

ANDREA: Oh, god.

TJ CAVANAUGH: What?

ANDREA: I think Ms. Buckley buys his underwear.

[laughing]

[phone ringing]

[chatter]

Yeah, Jimbo.

It's-- yeah, it's Stringer.

What's the problem?

Yeah.

Just a second, for Christ's sake.

Let me finish my goddamn call.

Is that too much of a problem?

Bullshit.

As I told you before, I don't know.

Now, she said she was going out.

She didn't leave a number where she was going to be.

So she'll be happy to answer any of your questions because it--

it's obvious that we're just a little

bit behind on the report.

I see that you're behind.

Yes.

Who cares if it's from Penney's, right?

What the hell is this doing here?

I don't ever want to see these on the floor in this office

again, ever.

Yeah, now.

Where the hell have you been?

We've got two FEC auditors with proctoscopes poring

over our contributor list.

They've been here all morning. - TJ!

Carol left this thing a mess when

she went in to have her baby.

I just found out something.

WNBC is trying to put the lean on our "New Yorker" cow.

Now, we offered him $0.40 on the dollar, right, and those

bastards aren't going for it.

What did you buy?

Cookies.

Have one?

Call Bernie at the station and have him talk to the GM.

They promised me another month.

If they insist on closing it, I'm

going to empty that account.

They're not going to see a damn dime.

All right.

TJ CAVANAUGH: And call Carol at the hospital.

I want this thing contained. - All right.

TJ CAVANAUGH: Get me the auditors right away.

- OK. - Andrea!

Get me Matt Diller from legal on the phone right now.

Where's my phone? Hey, buddy.

Give me my phone.

Give me my phone.

This is Bill's phone.

No, it's my phone.

I know it.

JACK TANNER: Look, TJ.

I'll take care of it.

I've just got to get out of this town for a couple days,

go someplace, get my brain unscrambled.

Jack, the longer we wait, the more newsworthy this becomes.

Now, if we're going to be hit by a full dress

audit from the FEC, we've got to respond fast.

Now, Jack, we are up to our eyeballs in debt.

$4 million, Jack.

You can't just skip town.

TJ, I know guys who have carried debt since 1976.

I mean, we-- we'll take care if it, all right?

Jack, if we're going to plan for the future

now, what we have to do is--

What future?

What future, TJ?

$10,000 lunches and--

That's right.

JACK TANNER: Oh, Christ.

[piano music]

Oh, Christ.

List it on your-- on your campaign--

Dad. Dad.

Oh, hi.

What are you-- what are you doing here?

You've been here this whole time?

You know Mr. Connors?

If you don't, you should.

He's going to make a whole film documentary about you.

We've gotten to be new best friends.

Hi, TJ.

Hi, General.

New best friends?

Hey, he's a great guy, Jack, once you get to know him.

Oh, I was just telling Mr. Connors here how much

I admired your floor strategy.

I think their only mistake was not

assigning Jackson a babysitter.

There's no reason Dukakis should have gotten

to him in the last few minutes.

JACK TANNER: Thanks for the critique, Dad.

It's appreciated, as usual.

GENERAL TANNER: I wasn't talking to you.

But now I am.

Jack, you had the best goddamn week of a campaign I ever saw.

Every time you opened your mouth, you talked sense,

and everyone knew it.

That's why that nose counter of yours

was able to corral so many of those uncommitteds,

more than you had any right to expect,

and you nearly pulled off the upset of the decade.

You came in without a prayer.

You fought like a wounded Gurkha.

And you came out a bigger man than the guy who won.

And if you conduct yourself half as well this fall,

you're going to rewrite history.

Rewrite his-- Dad, what are you talking about?

You are running, aren't you?

It's over.

I-- I lost.

It's in all the papers.

No, no.

As an independent, you jackass.

You're not quitting?

You're not quitting?

He can't quit.

People are already talking about it!

Well, did you-- did you read Anthony Lewis this morning?

TJ CAVANAUGH: Tony Lewis thinks Jack should run?

JACK TANNER: Of course he does.

It's crazy.

I'm $4 million in debt.

The FEC is going to audit me.

And-- and I went to the doctor this morning.

You know what the doctor said to me this morning?

[beeping]

Oh, jeez.

Was that thing on again?

Tanner fam unit.

TJ CAVANAUGH: No, no, really.

I mean it.

Is it so crazy?

I stayed up till 2:00 in the morning

last night talking to delegates, county

chairman, National Committee members,

and not one of them, children.

People-- people, these people had

a vested interest in Dukakis.

And not one of them-- not one of them,

children, told me that their man had

a lock on the party regulars.

These people don't trust the polls for a minute.

They are so unenthusiastic that Bush might even pull it out.

You know, I have been picking that up too,

boss, I mean like everywhere!

Murray, know what you got here?

You got us a goddamn picture window of opportunity.

You've got two guys that nobody cares about

and a guy who's catching eyes.

He's standing over there waiting on the sidelines.

Emil.

What were your numbers going in?

Marginally supportive, but I wasn't testing

an independent candidacy.

You really can't extrapolate.

Also, Jack's stock has really taken off in the last week.

Now, I don't know how long he's going to keep this buzz,

but I haven't seen a convention speech land as hard

since Mario's in '84.

TJ CAVANAUGH: Can you do an overnight?

EMIL: Sure, but where am I supposed

to get the money for pollsters?

TJ CAVANAUGH: Well, let's just some volunteers.

Those girls.

The-- the booster group.

The ones that met Jack at the airport.

What?

St. Mary's of the Woods.

[interposing voices]

Set up a phone bank and give them a bunch of free T-shirts.

Kids love that stuff, right, Andrea?

Yeah?

- Yeah. - Stringer?

Who do you think for a trial balloon?

STRINGER: I'd go network.

Donaldson, Hark, any of them.

TJ CAVANAUGH: OK, you guys.

You think this is crazy?

You bet it is.

Oh.

Hey, there he is.

What are you doing, TJ, declaring me because my father

said to?

Anybody seen my raincoat?

I did, Congressman.

I hid it.

There were so many weird people in here yesterday.

Christ.

If it were up to him, we'd be in war with five countries

right now.

Including Japan.

Jack, we're just checking it out, you know?

Just trying to see what kind of support you have out there.

Hey, did you know the "Detroit Free Press" came out for you?

Of course they did.

I'm from Michigan.

My college roommate runs the editorial staff.

Come on, TJ.

It's time to get real for real.

Thanks, Andrea.

I'm sorry about the stains.

Somebody put a hamburger on it.

Barney.

BARNEY: What?

Take a good look, troops.

My final indignity as a candidate.

Not necessarily.

[laughing]

OK, troops.

Go out there and get me news from the hinterlands.

STRINGER: Yeah!

Do it.

STRINGER: I'll go on NBC. I'll check it.

OK, Stringer.

Go for it.

STRINGER: Excuse me.

ANDREA: OK.

ALEX TANNER (SINGING): Happy birthday, Dad, to you.

Happy birthday, Dad, to you.

Here's a cupcake, I love you.

You're the best, you're the tops,

I'm so glad you're my pops.

When was my birthday? Did I miss

it?

ALEX TANNER (SINGING): It's true.

During the convention.

Oh, man.

I hope it's money.

I heard.

Lifestyles of the rich and swinish, if I do.

May all your upscale dreams come true.

Happy birthday, and love from Alex.

You'll be receiving a one year subscription to "Seeds."

"Seeds?" great.

Well, thanks.

What-- what is that, some kind of garden magazine?

It's the world hunter monitor.

Oh, hunger.

Oh, great, thanks, Alex.

Eat your cupcake.

Well, sit down, as it seems to be my birthday.

Actually, I'm meeting with Kitty.

Really?

Yeah, so I'm just going to--

Well, well, how did-- how did this--

Well, she just called.

She asked if we could get together, and--

Well, what does she want?

Well, I don't know what she wants, Jack.

I-- she's a friend. I didn't ask.

Dad, it's over.

We're all civilians now.

We can all talk to whoever we want.

OK, I'll let you know.

I-- really, I will, OK?

[french]

Oui, oui, oui.

How old am I, anyway?

[loud chatter]

EMIL: All right, ladies!

Here, here we go.

COME on, let's move along.

[interposing voices]

Ladies, let's get moving here.

Let's get in our seats.

[chatter]

All right, here.

Here you go.

[interposing voices]

Ladies!

First thing you're going to need to do--

ANDREA: Everyone start taking your assigned seats now!

[interposing voices]

EMIL: All right, ladies.

The first thing you're going to have to do,

ladies, is give your respondents a reason

to stay on the phone with you.

OK?

ANDREA: Excuse me.

Did everyone hear?

Ladies, there is no such thing--

ANDREA: Please sit down now!

There-- there is no such thing, ladies, as a convenient

time to call people.

These people are going to be in the middle of eating dinner.

They are going to be getting ready to walk the dog.

People are going to be trying to-- quiet!

ANDREA: Can we have your attention, please?

People are going to be trying to quiet a screaming child.

People are going to be in the middle of making love.

At 5:30 in the afternoon?

EMIL: Yes.

And the one thing they will not be doing

is waiting by the phone for you to call.

Who does it at 5:30 in the afternoon?

You do, Julie.

EMIL: Well--

God, I mean, if I caught someone doing it on the phone,

I'd be so embarrassed I would die!

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

Could we please give Mr. Berkoff your attention?

We really don't have all night, OK?

Thank you, Ms. Spinelli.

ANDREA: You're welcome.

Now--

ANDREA: I think that includes all of you.

OK, ladies.

Now, how do we engage--

ANDREA: SH, sh.

EMIL: --our party?

How do you draw your respondent into taking--

You have a minute, Mr. Tanner?

EMIL: --to answer--

Yeah, sure.

EMIL: --all of these questions?

Thank you so much.

You know, the more I think about it,

he kind of looks like Warren Beatty.

ANDREA: Can we have your attention?

No he doesn't.

EMIL: --seem like this will only take a few seconds.

In reality, this questionnaire takes

almost six minutes to fill out.

Six minutes?

EMIL: Six minutes.

So it's important to make--

[shrieking]

Oh my god, Bonny made [inaudible].

[shrieking]

Hey, hey!

Both of you out now!

You heard me!

Get out!

Do we get to keep the T-shirt?

ANDREA: Get the fuck out of here now!

Girls, are we quite finished yet?

Did you all meet our sergeant at arms?

This is Andrea Spinelli.

ANDREA: Yeah, thanks a lot.

Are we quite finished?

EMIL: OK, ladies.

So let's go to the phones.

You've got your list of numbers.

Start dialing, and remember.

Jack Tanner needs this information.

Thank you very much.

Let's start dialing.

KITTY DUKAKIS: I have a present for you.

JOANNA BUCKLEY: You do? KITTY DUKAKIS: Yes.

JOANNA BUCKLEY: What?

KITTY DUKAKIS: A silly little thing.

[laughing]

OK, great.

OH, that's so-- a little Mikey.

A little Mikey.

[squeaking]

That's a--

And you can kind of put him on your--

Right.

Or attach him to your dress.

Here, wait.

Can I-- - Yeah.

That's great.

Oh, that's so cute.

Looks great.

I don't know what Jack's going to think about it.

Well, that's all right.

I think I'd show him that.

Oh, that's all sweet.

Oh.

When you called him Mikey, when Michael was three,

he was walking with his mother.

And she turned around and said to him, Mikey Boy.

Never call me that again.

He was very definitive on that.

JOANNA BUCKLEY: Right.

I just-- I worried lately that-- that I somehow

betrayed the two of you.

That being as involved as I was in the campaign and with,

you know, Susan and-- and everyone, that I picked

the wrong person you know, to--

To fall in love with?

Well, yes.

[laughs]

I know I just--

I'm going to be honest with you.

I think Michael and I were surprised and not disappointed

because when two people love each other,

other things really aren't that important.

And I think when we got over our initial shock,

we were really happy for you.

I truly feel that I needed your blessing and approval,

and I've--

KITTY DUKAKIS: You have to follow your own heart.

MAN: May I take a message?

And know that family is as-- as important as anything else.

It is for us, and I know it's going to be for you.

Now I've got an important question to ask you.

Mm-hm.

KITTY DUKAKIS: Is Jack going to support Michael?

[laughing]

I don't think that I'm in a position where I can honestly

tell you that right now.

I think that's something that Jack and Michael are

going to have to talk about.

But I think you can help him make the right decision.

JOANNA BUCKLEY: I know that party unity is at stake here.

KITTY DUKAKIS: Also they're too much alike for them not to be

together and on the same team.

[music playing]

BARNEY: Well, I filled out Jesse's

direct mail people today, and so far his list is not for sale.

I mean, Jackson's got his own debt to pay.

- He certainly does. - He does.

But they didn't rule it out.

Now, Simons I know I can get for a song.

- Barney. - Oh, I know.

Who cares?

But I still think, no, you're right,

there's too much cross-pollination

between his list and ours.

And you should also know that there

is a very pissed off Molly Hart bearing down at 3:00.

TJ.

TJ CAVANAUGH: Jesus.

Oh, god, Barney.

Cover my ass.

I got you, come on.

Hey, Molly!

I'll see you tonight.

MOLLY HART: Like hell you will.

Excuse me.

You manipulative little bitch.

That's uncalled for, Molly?

Oh, is it?

You screwed me over, Cavanaugh.

Hey, Barney. How's it going, buddy?

Good to see you.

You had me go on the air and deliver

your little message to Jim Wright

like I was some goddamned staff lack.

Now, speaking as her goddamn staff lack, I resent that.

You didn't have to run with that story, Molly.

You're a big girl.

You're allowed to exercise your own news judgment.

Oh, don't you pull that shit with me.

That story was a plant, and it was

without foundation, which is why you gave it to me

10 minutes before air time.

Molly, I gave it to you when I had it.

We made nothing up, and Wright was considering the floor vote.

And if your story helped him decide, so much

the better for both of us.

Molly, where did this sudden naivete come from?

You know the game.

What campaign official ever gave you a story

without spinning it first?

I tried to explain that.

Oh, shut up, Deke.

Well, you'll be happy to know you probably cost me my job.

TJ CAVANAUGH: So go out and fight for it

and quit feeling so goddamn sorry for yourself.

Go find a good story that'll make your producer

forget the old one.

Yeah, like what?

Like maybe Jack's considering an independent candidacy.

Whoa.

TJ.

Big guy's going for it.

Who knows this?

Well, as far as I'm concerned, you don't even know it.

Oh, god.

Thank you, TJ.

Where's Tanner now?

He's in his hotel.

He's not going to go in front of the camera, Molly.

Well, how about you?

Me?

Well, I won't deny it.

Oh, I love you, TJ.

Now you stay right here.

Let me call New York first?

OK, move.

Jesus.

I love to watch you set a hook.

Oh.

Gives me shivers.

EMIL: Two hours.

I'll call him.

Well, because I think-- I think we're

going to get something here.

Yes.

[interposing voices]

Yes.

No, no, she-- this girl I'm talking on the phone,

she knows your friend.

She knows you.

WOMAN: Me?

Yeah.

[interposing voices]

EMIL: Stringer.

Stringer, come here.

Stevie, Stevie.

Andrea?

Andrea?

Hey, Andrea?

Stringer.

Andrea?

Could you come here?

This is a waste of time.

OK.

Stringer.

OK, guys.

Guys.

Ease up, OK?

It's working.

What is working?

They're being productive.

Look.

Look at this.

We've had no more than half a dozen hang-ups

in the entire time we've been here.

That's 1/10 the normal rate.

And the data seems to be better.

I think what's happening is they're

putting them at their ease.

Just nice and slow.

I've done this before.

I've done lots of calls like this.

Nice and slow.

[interposing voices]

One minute, please.

What are you talking about?

She's pregnant.

She's on her way to the hospital,

and it's a [inaudible].

EMIL: OK.

Now, our polling setup left a little bit to be desired.

ANDREA: I'll say.

EMIL: But basically we were able to measure

a fairly wide dissatisfaction with the existing choices.

So Jack would be going in with 17% with a margin

of error of about 5%.

Now, you know, if that error is on the high side,

we're within striking distance of the Duke

and we haven't even started.

The main problem is we're taking

practically nothing from Bush.

It is, for all practical purposes, a ticket splitter.

That's in line with what I'm picking up too, TJ.

Tanner's too liberal.

All we'll end up doing is clinching

the election for Bush.

What do you think, Barney?

You think we can pull back enough to make

him competitive in the center?

Oh.

With his drug position and his inner city programs and his

environmental views, he's-- he's not credible fighting

between the 40 yard lines.

Nobody is going to believe he's a moderate.

He's got to go long.

He's got to go deep.

EMIL: I agree.

So what we've got to do is redefine the issue

as being beyond competence.

Now-- right now, we've got two managers duking it out.

But god, leadership isn't about management,

especially given the very real limitations

on presidential power.

It's about values.

It's about choosing roads, not paving them.

Yeah, exactly.

Was FDR a good manager?

Forget it.

But he inspired.

He set a new course.

TJ CAVANAUGH: OK.

Let's see how it looks on paper.

Stevie, Barney, Stringer?

I want a media strategy by tomorrow morning.

Emil, I want you to brief Jack as soon as he comes down.

ANDREA: The congressman's not here, Mrs. Cavanaugh.

What do you mean, he's not here?

I scheduled four appointments for him.

ANDREA: Well, he's here, but Joanna wanted

me to tell everyone he wasn't.

She said that they were going to take a nap.

I think they're tired.

ALEX TANNER: Charlotte?

Alex.

Hi.

I've been dying to talk to you.

Things have been so crazy here.

They're just finally beginning to quiet down.

CHARLOTTE (ON PHONE): Good.

ALEX TANNER: Daddy and the first mistress

are taking a nap in the other room.

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more.

CHARLOTTE (ON PHONE): Alex, it's 5:30!

ALEX TANNER: Yes, I know it's 5:30 in the afternoon.

But Joanna had a meeting with her god, Kitty Dukakis,

yesterday.

And Kitty told Joanna that she and the Duke

try to do it every afternoon if they can.

CHARLOTTE (ON PHONE): Do it?

You mean do it?

ALEX TANNER: No, not do it, do it.

Take a nap.

Charlotte, this really bizarre thing happened.

Did you watch Jesse's speech on Tuesday night?

CHARLOTTE (ON PHONE): Yeah, of course.

Well, I got this podium pass, right?

So I'm about 20 feet from where all the speakers are.

It was incredible.

So you saw it, right?

You saw all his kids, right, before he gave his speech?

You saw them introduce him?

You remember the last one, Jesse Jr.?

CHARLOTTE (ON PHONE): Oh, that hunk?

ALEX TANNER: The really studly one, right.

So I run into him yesterday afternoon,

and he said-- you know, he introduces himself

and he says he's a really big fan of Dad's, and how

are we enjoying Atlanta, and you--

like, where are we staying?

So I think this is like a really clever way of,

you know, trying to find out where I'm staying.

So there's also-- I-- there's this "Gone with the Wind"

I was thinking I might go to it.

museum.

Joanna said, you know, maybe we might, you know, go tomorrow.

And I said, frankly, Joanna, I don't give a damn.

[door rattling]

[papers rustling]

Oh.

Hm.

Well, oh.

She-- she wants your support for Mike, Jack.

Sure she does.

And really, I mean, I don't know.

I don't see the point in waiting.

Do you?

It could only hurt the ticket.

Don't you think you're a little close to the situation

to make that judgment?

Don't you think that goes without saying?

It's my decision to make, Joanna.

I know it is, honey, and that's exactly what I told her,

but I mean, you're so close to him philosophically.

And besides, he's won.

He's your party's nominee.

It's over, Jack.

Isn't it?

Jack?

[music playing]