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 O-Ton Barack Obama: I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear The American President is probably the most powerful person in the world. He makes the important decisions and shapes big policies O-Töne Reagan You don t know how heartwarming that is Perhaps even more importantly: The American President is commander-in-chief of the world s second largest army during war and peacetime. He is also the leader of the world s biggest economy 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!

2 01.27 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 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 in our example the 2012 election in which Barack Obama hopes to be re-elected for a second term in office When Barack Obama was sworn into office four years ago as the first black President of the United States, the country was euphoric. Obama s promise of change won a clear majority. But it soon became clear: his presidency wasn t going to be easy. The challenges he faced were huge O-Ton Barack Obama: Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met Obama s first major project immediately divided the nation: the health care reform also known as Obamacare mandatory health care for all legal US residents. For some a blessing... for others too much regulation by the federal government The second problem zone: the US economy. High unemployment figures and bleak economic prospects dampened the mood in the country - and are a shadow over Obama s presidency The repercussions of two overseas wars in Afghanistan and Iraq add to Obama s problems. Many people think it s time to bring the US soldiers home.

3 03.53 All mammoth tasks which Obama had to deal with during his first term of office made only worse by constant political resistance amongst his opponents in Washington DC as they preyed on his weak points and attacked him ruthlessly O-Ton Mitt Romney: The president has run out of ideas. Now he s running out of excuses The man who said that would like to be President himself: Mitt Romney O-Ton Ann Romney: The next president of the United States Mitt Romney is a Republican and one of the main challengers to the Democrat President Obama in this election campaign. Romney tried to make it into the White House in the elections four years ago, but he didn t get past the internal party primary Now the successful businessman and multimillionaire is stepping up again this time with a good chance, despite some tough competition from inside his own party Rick Santorum, for example, stands for clear values. The father of seven is a devout Christian - and extremely conservative Herman Cain s chances in this campaign are slim, but theoretically anyone can become a candidate if they choose to and have enough money Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington, is known as someone who advocates his policies with uncompromising conviction Ron Paul tried to get into the White House on two previous occasions to no avail. This is his third attempt O-Ton Ron Paul: That is the road to peace and prosperity. Thank you very much At the start of the presidential primaries, two dozen candidates are ready and waiting in the starting blocks. They all want to make it to the White House. The fight begins straightaway Only a few make it through all 51 fields. Many -especially those from the minor parties- get left behind. They aren t popular enough with the voters!

4 05.58 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 is basically branded a loser 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 Canvassing from door to door also serves an additional purpose: to check that supporters are able to vote at all. In the USA people aren t automatically eligible to vote they have to be registered to vote as well. Whoever forgets to register is out of the game, because there s no centralized electoral list The candidates wouldn t get anywhere without their helpers. That s why there are campaign offices all over the country, manned by volunteers who give their time to help their favourite candidates Their most important job: to win over voters O-Ton Frau am Telefon: This is Mary Perry with the Obama campaign An arduous undertaking in which each vote counts. Sometimes even the candidates themselves find the time to make a call. Effective media promotion by Mitt Romney Mitt Romney am Telefon: Hello Ralph and Ruth, it s Mitt Romney calling. Sorry to have missed you, but I hope you get out and vote tomorrow in the primary. And I d love to have your help. Thank you. Bye-bye But not always do their efforts find favour Ton Anrufbeantworter: This is governor Mitt Romney... Frau: Ah - Romney again!

5 08.21 This is also part of the election campaign - and a tradition in the first primary states of Iowa and New Hemshire: only a few people keep quiet about their political opinions. Most people shout their preferences out loud Voting in some primaries takes place in a way we know in Germany by secretly making a cross in a polling station. That s only one of the ways of voting in the USA. But there s also the so-called caucus As seen here At a caucus, people in a community vote openly. Usually following long, hard discussions Voters meet up in a central location, like a sports hall or the local high school, and debate fervently about the qualities of the individual candidates. For example, Republican Rick Perry O-Ton Wähler:... I submit that this candidate is Rick Perry With their speeches, voters try to win over as many different-minded people as possible. Voting takes place directly after the debate, and the votes are counted there and then. 09:56 The Americans are very proud of their caucus system. It shows that grassroots democracy really means a lot to them O-Ton Wahlleiter: Rick Santorum received 17 votes. Newt Gingrich received 23 votes. Ron Paul received 47 votes. And Mitt Romney received 105 votes Weeks pass 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 several states vote at the same time. It s normally clear by now who s going to run for each party. But amongst the Republicans it s closer than ever before in this campaign Mitt Romney, the multimillionaire from Massachussetts, is able to score in six of ten states on Super Tuesday in early March. But it s still far from a landslide.

6 11.16 Close on his heels is the ultra-conservative Rick Santorum who wins in three states Even Newt Gingrich is still in the race, fighting against Romney for key delegate votes. The voters are undecided as seldom before O-Ton Wähler: If I could take bits and pieces of each of the candidate we d probably put together the best candidate. Does one person right now wow me? No! But despite all the in-party fighting, Republican voters are primarily concerned with the question of who stands the best chance of beating the incumbent Democrat President. Many think Mitt Romney is the right man for the job O-Ton Wählerin: I think that he has a little bit stronger possibility of defeating Obama O-Ton Mitt Romney: I will make America the most attractive place in the world for entrepreneurs, for innovators, for job-creators. And unlike the other people running for president I know how to do that cause I ve done it before Yet his success as a businessman draws considerable criticism. Negative commercials from his own party brand Romney as a greedy money-maker Werbespot gegen Romney: When Mitt Romney came to town... his mission: to bring massive rewards for himself and his investors. Romney began a pattern exploiting dozens of American businesses. A story of greed, playing the system for a quick buck But Romney doesn t go down without a fight. What s wrong with being successful? he argues. America is the land of opportunity after all! O-Ton Mitt Romney: When my opponents attack success and free enterprise they re not only attacking me - they re attacking every person who dreams of a better future. He s attacking you! The Republican Party presidential primary grows increasingly heated.

7 13.06 Off-Sprecher CNN: Ladies and gentlemen: the republican candidates for president of the United States And, as seen here in a CNN TV debate, the tone is often less than collegial. The gloves are off, and mutual respect seems to have been left on the shelf O-Ton Wahlkampf-Experte: I think this is the craziest primary I ve ever witnessed in my life. And nobody knows how it s going to come out. I think that at the end of the day we re gonna be studying this for several years Electing a president in America is clearly about choosing a personality. Do you like someone or not? A game of sympathies rather than policies. And, in the end, the image of the smart businessman Mitt Romney comes through. His competitors are left standing Verkündung Wahlergebnis Vorwahl: Governor Mitt Romney received 30,015 votes. Senator Rick Santorum received 30,007 votes. Congratulations to Governor Mitt Romney And what about the incumbent President? What has Barack Obama been up to, the Democrat who is running for his second term in office? His candidacy is more or less guaranteed despite some minor challengers in his own party. But that doesn t mean he will be re-elected as President. Obama has to take to the campaign trail as well his eyes set on the deciding date of November 6th. He knows that, in the end, he will be judged on his successes O-Ton Barack Obama: I have absolutely no doubt that we can get this economy going again, we can put people work back again, small businesses can start growing again. But I m gonna need your help to make it happen. You ve got to send a message to Washington that it s time for the games to stop. It s time to put country first There aren t many players left on our board: Barack Obama for the Democrats, Mitt Romney for the Republicans and Ron Paul is still hanging in there, despite major setbacks The next step is normally just a formality for the candidates with the most delegates votes: the party nominating conventions. The Democratic convention takes place in North Carolina; the Republican in Tampa, Florida At a convention, everything centres around these two people: the candidate and his second-in-

8 command. But everything around them is also quite impressive! The conventions generally last four days and are basically a huge celebration. The party makes its commitment to their chosen candidate, shows unity and gets itself in the mood for the real election campaign later in the year. The message is clear: We ve got the best candidate in the country! Prominent public figures are invited to back this up Grußworte Bush-Sohn and -Vater: And there is no doubt in my mind that Mitt Romney would be a great president. He s a good man And then the celebrations begin with the official nomination O-Ton John Boehner (Nominierung Romney): I m proud to declare the honorable Mitt Romney of Massachussetts and the honorable Paul Ryan of Wisconsin the Republican Party nominees for President and Vice-President of the United States of America An important step for Mitt Romney. He won enough delegates votes during the primaries and is now reaping the benefits. His acceptance of the nomination is a mere formality O-Ton Mitt Romney: Mr. Chairman and delegates. I accept your nomination for President of the United States Then the so-called running mate has an opportunity to take the stage. Paul Ryan wants to be Mitt Romney s vice president. It s always the same game: the presidential candidate chooses someone whose qualities make up for his own deficits and whose voter base expands his own O-Ton Paul Ryan: Whatever your political party, let s come together for the sake of our country. Join Mitt Romney and me. Let s give this effort everything we have. Let s see this all the way through. Let s get this done The convention comes to a triumphant end after days of speeches, endless declarations of support and much euphoria. The convention was shown on TV and has bound loyal Republian supporters to Romney and Ryan - and perhaps even won over a few undecided voters too. And yet this national conference is also no more than a stepping stone on the long road to the White House It s much the same story for the Democrats, just with different faces! Barack Obama s party also

9 knows how effective a party convention can be, both internally and outwardly. It is carefully staged to evoke strong feelings and a fighting spirit At the Democratic Convention former US President Bill Clinton also takes the stage to demonstrate his support O-Ton Bill Clinton: I want to nominate a man who is cool on the outside but who burns for America on the inside. If that is what you want, if that is what you believe, you must vote and you must re-elect President Barack Obama The nomination is easy for the Democratic delegates at their party convention. Even the so-called super delegates, whose decision is independent of the primary results, don t really have an alternative to the drive of the incumbent president O-Ton Barack Obama: That s what we can do in the next four years, and that is why I m running for a second term as President of the United States However, it is far from certain that the country will re-elect the President in November. Obama knows that. So it s even more important for him to make a fighting impression at the convention: I started something, and it s not easy, but with me at the helm, it will work! 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 win on election day in early November Once again, money is an important factor because an election campaign is an expensive business. But that isn t a problem for either of the candidates: by the end of the campaign, Obama will have received 630 million dollars from his supporters. Romney 390 million. Some of the campaign money comes from selling merchandising products such as T-shirts, baseball caps, banners, coffee cups and mouse pads. Every little bit helps! But most of the money comes from donations made via the internet. It s hardly suprising that the online shops on both candidates websites are so well organized. It s all about advertising This man is not a candidate but a Hollywood star. At gala dinners, George Clooney also asks for donations for the President and tries to influence the paying guests in which way to vote O-Ton Wähler: He told us what we have believed for the last several years, that the best opportunity for the

10 United States to move forward, is to re-elect Barack Obama Celebrities on the campaign trail? Both sides need all the help they can get. Actor Clint Eastwood is a fervent Republican and professed opponent of the politics of Barack Obama Obama, on the other hand, is doing just the thing that is so important only a few weeks before the election: boosting his image! As with his challengers, Romney and Ryan, his own personal profile is very much in the foreground. Cool, sympathetic, competent Obama: situativer O-Ton: That s outstanding! that s how he and his team want to win over undecided voters - without scaring anyone off Both candidates present themselves as down-to-earth. Men of the people who are happy to meet their potential voters eye to eye And, where need be, to be bear-hugged quite unpresidentially by a pizza baker! It s important for both candidates that staged-but-apparently-normal encounters like this one are not left unseen by the cameras Mitt Romney also has another task at hand: he has to improve his foreign policy profile. A trip overseas aims to show the American people that he s also at home on the world stage and can lead the country internationally Towards the end of their campaign, candidates focus on important target groups: undecided voters and undecided states. Swing states lack a clear political direction O-Ton Paul Ryan: Florida - thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality States like Florida and Colorado O-Ton Barack Obama: Hello Colorado! And Ohio and Nevada still need some convincing. O-Ton Mitt Romney: We believe in America. We believe in the future. We don t believe that the future will be darker than the past. The candidates now prefer to make appearances where they can win over entire voting groups like women or Latin Americans. Addressing the Hispanic community in Florida, Mitt Romney hopes to offset the impression that he has a problem with immigrants.

11 O-Ton Mitt Romney: We are not anti-immigrants, we are not anti-immigration. We are the pro-immigration, prolegality, pro-citizenship nation and party Clear words which are clearly heard O-Ton Hispanic-Wähler: By the year 2050 we re gonna be 25 percent of the whole population of this country. We re talking about 100 Million people. So they better listen to you?! They better listen to us - of course. They better listen to us because we are going to decide the future of all politicians in this country The future of the next president is also decided in TV duels where the two rival candidates take center stage. The three debates attract huge attention. Some people even meet up to view the debates at so-called watch parties, in bars for example. While viewing, they twitter their opinions across the country The future president can t afford to come across as weak in these TV duels. The two rivals deal each other feisty blows. Neither of them wants to let their opponent get ahead. In the end, observers see Obama on top. He came across more convincingly to the TV viewers All of a sudden the presidential election campaign takes an unexpected turn: hurricane Sandy devastates the east coast of America, leaving many dead. A state of emergency is declared. Americans now want to see a crisis manager tackling the problems head on. The incumbent president does a convincing job Ansprache Barack Obama: If you ve been directly impacted by the storm and need temporary assistance getting back on your feet you can call FEMA Another boost for the incumbent president: people see him as a problem-solver O-Ton Barack Obama: We recover, we rebuild, we come back stronger. And together we will do that once more. God bless you and god bless America Election day in the United States of America. It s always on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Today matters. It s decision time! For voters, it s a choice between two totally different candidates and their visions for the country s future. And yet: of the 206 million eligible voters in the USA, only 60 percent go to the ballot box. Fewer than four years ago.

12 Which makes it even more important for the candidates to mobilise those voters affected by the storm O-Ton Wählerin: We need to vote. We need to let our voices be heard. So - you know, if you don t vote today you can t complain tomorrow Mobile polling stations; voting via everything is done to make it possible for storm victims to vote. And it turns out that most of them give their support to the incumbent president O-Ton Wähler: Obama coming to New Jersey and showing that he cares about the people. And that definitely has a huge impact on this election I feel - cause Romney didn t show up Voting even takes place on the street! For many, it s the ultimate civic duty. 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. In total there are 538 electors. Whoever has more than half of the electors at the end wins. Each state is counted separately. Depending on the voting results, all of a state s electors are given either to Obama or Romney. There s no sharing: The winner takes it all When the electors have been distributed on election night, the outcome is usually decided. This time Barack Obama has kicked Romney out of the race more decisively than expected. Before our new President 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 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 45th President of the United States is the same as the 44th. And 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.