September 2008.Five citizens follow the campaign and try to make sense of what they hear from politicians who still dominate the political landscape. They confront their differences with civility and passion – rare in a polarized age -- and express frustration with the political process.
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Behind the Scenes
SelectionWe asked the citizens from the Primaries ’08 series to continue.
ParticipantsLizz, a 23-year-old florist from Iowa; Bert, a laid-off manufacturing professional and libertarian now living in Maine; Tamara, a 33-year-old Baptist mother of three and teacher from South Carolina; Tanya, a gun-carrying half-Cuban-American/half Puerto-Rican art gallery director from Florida, and Alex, a Californian who works for AT&T and lives with his Mexican-American son-in-law and grandchildren.
FinancingThe production budget was covered by individual contributions and a grant from The Carnegie Corporation to DCTV in partnership with Purple States, for nonpartisan, grassroots coverage of the immigration issue.
Editorial ControlThe producers selected the citizens and determined the content.
Credits
- Produced and (with the exceptions specified below) directed by Cynthia Farrar, John Kennedy, and Beth Morrissey
- (Re) introducing Purple States; Job (in) security; A (Post) Racial Election; and Preventing (Teacher) Dropout directed and edited by Laura Beatty
- Editing of remaining videos by Flavia Fontes
- Videography by Robbie Leppzer
Obama and McCain, Biden and Palin, through the eyes of five ordinary Americans.
Is the American Dream disappearing? Will green jobs offer security and pensions? Lizz and Bert with candidates in Michigan.
Elizabeth is young and Green, and she worries about offshore drilling -- which both candidates support.
Alex and Tanya explore the effect of the housing crisis on neighborhoods – and on public confidence in candidates or government.
Being married to a veteran complicates Tanya’s argument with Alex that war is worth the sacrifice.
Tamara and Bert investigate campaign rhetoric about "keeping good teachers and getting rid of bad ones."
Tamara explores the meaning of Barack Obama’s candidacy to black Americans.
The members of the team prepare to cast their ballots. Will they vote Republican or Democrat…or neither?