A long way to the White House

Transcription

1 Script O-Ton Jimmy Carter: It s crucial that you understand how serious this challenge is And what a challenge that is! The American President is probably the most powerful person in the world He makes the important decisions and shapes big policies O-Töne Reagan + Kennedy: You don t know how heartwarming that is. Ich bin ein Berliner Perhaps even more importantly: The American President has the most modern and expensive army in the world and is its commander-in-chief during war and peace time The White House is the centre of all this power. And every four years, it opens its doors briefly to let someone new inside That s when the President is elected The way to the White House is long and winding. Anyone wanting to get in here has to be the best. Or at least better than the competition Tricks are important and so is sometimes a bit of luck. The whole thing is like a game and only one person can win! The first part of the race is called a primary and is too tough for most of the players. They come off the road almost straight away Because only one of all the candidates from each party is actually nominated.

2 01.43 And he or she has to survive the rest of the game until: It s time to vote! The big decision! Or nearly, because the electors also have a part to play. At some point, however, one of the candidates has made it But let s go back to the beginning In the beginning are the primaries. Two of them. Because both the big parties the blue Democrats and the red Republicans face the same question: who will we send on into the second half of the game? There are always a whole lot of candidates, just as there were in our example the 2008 election Let s first take a closer look at some of the Democrats OFF-O-Ton: The next senator from the state of Illinois - Barack Obama Obama s big moment came in That s when he was elected to the Senate and he made a speech at the party convention that was a big hit. Since then, everyone s been crazy about him Especially young people. A bonus point for Obama: he gets young people excited. Not even a hint of being bored with politics Young people have to get involved When he says: Get involved!, they do so gladly Hillary Clinton is in the Democratic Party too internal competition for Obama. She already knows the White House. As the wife of ex-president Bill Clinton, she lived there for eight years.

3 03.23 O-Ton Hillary Clinton: Thank you She wants to be the first woman to hold America s highest office O-Ton Clinton: God bless America Here s another Democrat: John Edwards. He s had his foot in the door of the White House before. He nearly became Vice President in But he didn t quite make it. Someone else won in the end John Edwards is seen as being quite liberal, so he s very different from the candidates in the other big party: the Republicans Their best hope is John McCain, in his early 70 s and a former soldier. Veterans like the expilot because he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for five years. He s been seen as a hero since then. His message in the election: My skills mean I can govern this country safely O-Ton McCain: I have the knowledge, the background and the judgement to lead this country and take on this transcendent evil Mick Huckabee isn t just a good bass player. He s also generally great at getting on with people. He s seen by many in the Republican camp as a sympathetic alternative O-Ton Huckabee: We re going to win South Carolina Huckabee -a former pastor- is especially popular with hardline Christians Charismatic and rich: Mitt Romney, businessman from Boston and former governor of Massachussetts.

4 05.08 He s Republican too one of twelve candidates from the conservative party. And very successful at first O-Ton Romney: Tonight is a victory of optimism over Washington-style pessimism It s a victory that doesn t last long Romney, like most of our players, doesn t make it through 51 fields. Many get left behind straight away. They aren t popular enough with the voters! The primary system is really complicated. Each party and each state has its own rules. Candidates basically collect delegates votes for six months, by doing well in the 51 primaries. They need these votes later The primaries traditionally start at the beginning of January. In Iowa So this rural state is very important. Anyone doing badly here has at best one more chance in the next primary. After that, he or she basically has the word loser written on their foreheads Everyone works hard to stop this happening. Typically, this means going door to door. Supporters try to sell their candidate s good points. It s tough work The candidates themselves are also on the hunt for votes. Every single one counts. And they always have reporters with them. Having the media around is the best way to promote yourself And because Clinton and Co can t be everywhere at once, they bombard people with telephone messages Voice mail: This is Governor Mitt Romney Woman: Ach, Romney again! (drückt ihn weg) There s another reason for going door to door: to make sure that supporters actually get out and vote.

5 07.18 situativer O-Ton: What we gonna do is - we have your name and telephone number. We will contact you The candidates wouldn t get anywhere without their helpers. And Obama, the Democrat, is better than anyone else at getting these helpers. They come from all over the country, sign up at campaign offices and start right away Their most important job to persuade voters situativer O-Ton: Hi, my name is Lisa and I m a volunteer with the Obama campaign in Davenport. As you know tomorrow is the caucus and I was wondering if you would let me know whom you are planning on caucusing for. - Oh, you do? Ok This is also part of the election campaign and there s a tradition in Iowa: only a few people keep quiet about their political opinions. Most people shout their preferences out loud A huge amount of cardboard is used in this war of the signs Voting in some primaries take place in a way we know in Germany by secretly making a cross in a polling station But there s also a different way of voting system: a caucus. At a caucus, people in a community vote openly. Usually following long, hard discussions. About Obama s qualities, for instance O-Töne Woman 1: He inspires young people. He s inspired my children and he s got me involved in politics again after 25 years. Woman 2: What I want to see in a leader is somebody who has courage and somebody who has morality. And I think he has both. Woman 3: The people are hungry for that all across the United States. Man: I m not a democrat but I m a supporter. And I have many friends who are no democrats who are supporters. So if he can bring me together -and I m a pretty stuck ol log - then I think he can do

6 wonderful things for the country At a caucus, people stand around discussing things before getting into groups. One group for each candidate. Then they re counted situativer O-Ton: The number of delegates will be: 3 for Obama, 2 for Clinton, 2 for Edwards and 1 for Richardson The Americans are very proud of their caucus system. It shows that grassroots democracy really means a lot to them Time goes by and the primaries are over in many states. There aren t many players left on our board One player has run out of money, another has run out of hope because he or she doesn t have enough delegate votes Many give up after Super Tuesday. That s when 20 states vote at the same time. It s normally clear by now who s going to run for each party. For the Republicans, it s John McCain He s not really a model conservative. In fact, for hardline Christians in America, McCain is much too liberal But the Republicans are finally won over by McCain s reputation as a tough war hero who never gives up TV ad - McCain: Keep that faith, keep your courage, stick together. Stay strong, do not yield, stand up. We re Americans and we ll never surrender. What is your rank? Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. John McCain. The American president Americans have been waiting for McCain leaves his internal competition behind early on in the primaries. A clear victory.

7 11.44 O-Ton McCain: We are the Republican Party front-runner for the nomination for president of the United States While the Republicans are celebrating their choice of candidate, two Democratic candidates are still battling it out: Obama and Hillary O-Ton Clinton: I m Hillary Clinton. And I m running for president. And I m in it to win it - with your help Obama auf Bühne: Are you fired up? Are you ready to go? Hillary against Obama a bitter duel Their favourite way of fighting make the other one look foolish Our time has come. Our movement is real. And change is coming to America O-Ton Clinton: You know what? Change is just a word if you don t have the strength and experience to make it happen During the campaign, it s often said that Obama doesn t have enough experience or the big political picture. All he can do is inspire people and make nice speeches TV ad - Clinton: It s 3 a.m., and your children are safe and asleep, but there s a phone in the White House and it s ringing. Something is happening in the world. - Who do you want answering the phone? I m Hillary Clinton and I approve this message The question is not about picking up the phone. The question is: What kind of judgment will you exercise when you pick up that phone?

8 13.33 But Clinton has an image problem, too. A lot of people see her as being too cold and unapproachable OFF-O-Ton: The democratic presidential candidates debate - from Drexel University in Philadelphia. Here is Brian Williams The presenter asks what she thinks about people liking Obama more than her. Clinton reacts sensitively O-Ton Clinton: Well - that hurts my feelings. I m sorry senator. I m sorry. But I ll try to go on O-Ton Clinton: I don t think I m that bad. Obama: You re likeable enough Electing a president in America is clearly about choosing a personality. Do you like someone or not? Obama is soon more popular than Hillary situativer O-Ton: Alright. Is Washington D.C. for Obama? This national wave of enthusiasm carries Obama to victory. After six months of primaries, he gets the majority of delegate votes he needs Because of you tonight I can stand here and say that I will be the democratic nominee for the president of the United States of America A strange situation for the Democrats: the winner seems clear. And yet Clinton won t step out of the race. Officially, she still wants to be a candidate at the party s national convention.

9 15.27 There aren t a lot of figures left on our board: John McCain for the Republicans and Barack Obama for the Democrats and Hillary Clinton s still there too The next step is normally just a formality for the person with the most delegates votes: the party nominating conventions both Republican and Democratic The conventions last four days and are basically huge celebrations. Everything centres around the candidate and his or her family. The party shows unity and gets itself in the mood for the real election campaign later in the year. TV puts the message across: We ve got the best candidate in the country! O-Ton Michelle Obama: I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he would be an extraordinary president But formal voting also takes place at the nominating convention. Now delegates gathered by the candidates during the primaries are important. They have to vote here and now for their candidate And they are joined by so-called superdelegates such as Christine Warnke. Unlike normal delegates, she doesn t have to follow the primary results. She has a free choice at the party convention But because Warnke and her 800 superdelegate colleagues hold the balance of power, they also carry a lot of responsibility O-Ton Christine Warnke: I get many, many s, telephone calls from all over the country asking me to wait, to vote for one or the other. And it s been a very exciting, an interesting process Superdelegates are appointed and are usually top party functionaries or important party members, such as ex-president Clinton. He has already decided how to vote, of course. But with the others, it s more difficult to know who they ll vote for at the party convention O-Töne: There is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to create one America - not two. And that man is Barack Obama. That is Barack Obama.

10 Senator Obama. Elect Barack Obama President of the United States of America. Barack Obama I think that it s an encouraging sign that our campaign is making progress and that superdelegates are moving in our direction In the end, no surprises from the delegates: 4,000 found a clear winner O-Ton Clinton: Let s declare that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president It s only now that Barack Obama is the Democratic party candidate But the important election is still to come. Obama wants to take over from the old President in early November after eight years in office On November 4th we must stand up and say: 8 is enough! The party convention. A big show. And a perfectly staged one It s the same story for the Republicans. They also make a second important decision at their party convention: they choose their so-called running mate, who will stand as possible vice president at the new president`s side. McCain has chosen a young woman Sarah Palin who s grateful for the chance O-Ton Sarah Palin: And I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election Now things get harder for the current governor of Alaska. Because the American election really is a tough fight. McCain is very happy with his decision.

11 19.45 O-Ton McCain: Don t you think we made the right choice for the next Vice-President of the United States? It s always the same game: the presidential candidate chooses someone who has the qualities he doesn t have: Man woman - young old - liberal conservative. Everything should add up perfectly so that America chooses this couple on election day After the nominating conventions, the game really starts to heat up The final spurt on the long way to the White House Two rivals with the same goal: to be ahead on election day at the start of November Once again, money is very important. Barack Obama doesn t have to worry about this. He s got a total of nearly 600 million dollars to use for his election campaign Some of this comes from selling merchandising such as t-shirts, hats, key rings, stickers, flags, signs, coffee cups and mouse pads But most of the money comes from donations. Both candidates never stop asking for money. The easiest way is through the internet. They know: every little bit helps As things heat up, it s most important to work on their own profile. Cool, likeable and competent - they want to win some voters without scaring others away. Which makes it worse for the candidates when the insults start coming O-Töne Woman: His name scares me. Obama sounds like Osama and I just don t like that. Man: Just simply because of his name and his background - he s moslem Which definitely isn t true: Barack Obama s middle name might be Hussein but he s a practising Christian.

12 21.45 An important target group towards the end of every election: the undecided voters and the undecided states. These are the swing states, the ones still without a clear political direction - such as New Mexico, Florida or Pennsylvania It s worth spending a lot of time here to persuade people and this is where you ll see most of McCain and Obama At this stage, it s important that McCain should not make the mistake of being seen too often with this party colleague George W. Bush. After eight years in office, Bush is one of the least popular American presidents ever. While McCain has to show that he s different to Bush, his competitor has a big advantage half of America thinks he s sexy Obama-Song - Crush on Obama situativer O-Ton Oprah Winfrey: Is he the one? Is he the one? - South Carolina I do believe he s the one to bring us the audacity of hope - Barack Obama! But Obama s opponents love to make fun of his star cult TV spot - McCain: He s the biggest celebrity in the world. But is he ready to lead? I m John McCain and I approve this message Obama knows himself that he doesn t have enough foreign policy experience. He wants to change this In summer, he makes a high-profile trip around the world in a week, visiting crisis regions, meeting statesmen. High-speed image boosting His message to the American people is clear: look, I m also at home on the international stage and I m a big hit!

13 23.51 Thank you to the citizens of Berlin But the election takes a surprising turn when a financial crisis shakes America. Americans are now more interested in the economy and their own money than foreign policy Suddenly, money problems are more important than wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The public and the stock markets are panicking Whoever wants to be President at this difficult time must be able to make the country believe that he has the best solution to these problems. TV debates offer the chance to do this Obama is more convincing here. And McCain is seen as having helped to cause this crisis This is a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by George Bush supported by Senator McCain Election day in the United States of America It s always on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Today matters This election is seen as important by many Americans it s historic because a black man could become President for the first time. And because it could bring political change to the country. Many young and first time voters use their chance O-Ton Woman: First time I m voting so this is very exciting. I feel like my vote is actually - can make a difference this time O-Ton Man: This is the first time I ve ever voted in my entire life. - Obama, that s all I can say.

14 25-49 O-Ton Woman: It s very exciting that people open their minds and that they can see the possibility for someone other than a white man to be president. And it makes me proud to be an American O-Ton Woman: You know, it s emotional, like tears in my eyes just thinking about: Today is the day. And it s aweinspiring Usually no more than half of the 220 million people in America who are allowed to vote actually do so. One reason - they have to register first and this is too much effort for many people But this election is different. People stand in line for hours. Voting today is seen by many as a civic duty. The number of Americans turning out to vote is the highest in a hundred years I voted! The future president of the United States is not directly elected. On election day, Americans take another route, using the so-called electors who have the representative job of choosing the president for everyone It works like this: Each state has a fixed number of electors, depending on their population. The bigger the population, the more electors a state has There are a total of 538 electors. Whoever has more than half of the electors at the end wins Each state is counted separately. Depending on the result of the votes, all of a state s electors are given either to Obama or McCain. There s no sharing: The winner takes it all Everything is pretty much decided on election night. Now it s already known who holds the majority of electors votes. In this election, Obama has kicked McCain out of the race a clear victory Before he can triumphantly enter the White House he still has the electoral college standing in his way. They will make him wait for a whole month before they officially elect him President.

15 28.17 But because this really is simply a formality with no surprises, there s nothing to stop a wild party from already taking place on election night America has decided: the President of the United States is a black man, for the first time Barack Obama has achieved his great ambition: the White House is all his He ll live and govern here for four years. Until the next election. Because then they re all back at the start: new candidates, on the long way to the White House. End.