If you say "No"...
...oil wells will be ours...
...and we will decide
what to do with them!
Thank you.
If you say "No"...
...we won't sell out
to foreign interests...
...not even if they rub
their money in our faces,
as if they're having a feast
before starving people.
Ambulance!
Stay with him, stay with him!
Get the mic down.
Got a two-shot?
- Ambulance!
Keep down the mic, keep it down.
Keep shooting!
Somebody bring an ambulance!
Stay close. Watch out!
An ambulance, for Christ's sake!
Get this shot, right here!
Go away! Go away!
Keep shooting. Bring it around.
Go away!
Roberto, let's go.
It's dangerous out here, come on.
Not until an ambulance arrives.
The ambulance and a doctor
are already on the way.
- Are you sure?
- Yes, positive. Let's go.
- Are you sure?
- Let's go, let's go.
Roberto! Roberto!
Come on, hurry!
Cut, cut, cut!
So, who did it? The guerillas?
Maybe.
Christ, you were terrific!
It was an incredible moment!
I'm gonna cut the film
tonight in New York...
...and have it flown back
down tomorrow.
We're gonna take this thing.
We're gonna take it.
When are you coming back?
I don't know yet, but I've gone over
everything with Miguel.
He's gonna be handling...
...all the print contracts,
the billboards, the posters.
He also's gonna be having
the payroll,
which includes the reporters.
I gave him a list already.
From now until the election,
every speech, every appearance,
you're gonna wear this shirt.
You keep your jacket on
till just before the finish,
then slowly take it off...
...and you just stand there,
let the whole country see it.
"They want to hurt us,
they want to destroy us,"
"but they'll spill our blood
before they defeat us."
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
Nice trip, Mr. St. John?
- Tired?
- I can't tell yet.
We booked the mixing room
for the rest of the night.
- Did you bring the film?
- Yeah, but I wanna clean up a bit.
I want you to stick around
when I do the cuts.
I assume you found some decent
talent for the voice-over.
No, I found some great talent.
He's an actor.
He does Spanish soaps here.
He used to be a radio announcer
in South America.
Mom, I hope you didn't wait up.
God, you look like shit.
And this is only March.
What will you look like
in November?
I don't know.
I had him talk to my friend
Patricia, and according to her,
he has a very sexy accent.
I advise you to wrap this thing up
early tonight because...
...Wallace Furman is coming
in the morning.
- For how long?
- Definitely, no longer than all day.
What did Ellen want?
She said some decent information,
for a change.
You're having dinner
tomorrow night with...
-...Senator Hastings and his wife.
- In Washington?
Yeah, the plane will be
at LaGuardia at 6:00.
Even with traffic, you should
get there by 8:30.
You pulled the file
from the last campaign?
Yeah.
Also the Stannard files.
Oh, Garber called last week.
We pushed your meeting
up to the 12th.
You'll go to Seattle
right out of D.C.
I'll go there tomorrow and
brief them on the new numbers.
You did good.
Syd, you are sensational!
No problem!
You're my kind of guy.
And what kind is that?
Temporary.
So, let us move ahead,
with energy,
with compassion, and...
...united by the vision
of what New Mexico can be...
...if only we dare
to make it so.
Darling,
you are so positive.
- No, I'm not.
- Your strength flows right off--
- Oh, no, please--
- I'm not just saying that!
- I was terrible.
- You're so strong...
...in a nice, understated way.
Now, granted,
I may be a bit biased, Mr. St. John,
but you have got to admit that...
...Wallace has just got
that certain-- you know.
Mrs. Furman, Wallace,
I'll be right down.
Are you sure you want to handle
this campaign?
- Why?
- Why?
If this guy were masturbating
his hand would fall asleep.
We have nothing to lose.
Anything that gets over 39%
makes us look good.
And it pays the overhead.
Wallace, you're running
for governor.
It's not gonna be easy.
What we're aiming for here,
the ideal,
is that you personify
the themes of the campaign.
That you make a statement
just by standing up. Now,
our themes are:
new ideas, new directions.
Change! Vigor!
No offense, but you look
too soft to change a tire...
- ...much less a state.
- That's ridiculous.
- What are you saying?
- He's saying you're a wimp.
What I'm saying is,
you've got to align
the perception with the reality.
We've got two immediate problems.
One, you were born into money.
Two, you did it out of state,
which wasn't too smart,
but these are turnable,
we'll manage this whole thing.
All right, I want you to go
on a high protein diet...
...and start working out
on a Nautilus,
three times a week,
minimum.
We also gotta work on punching up
this delivery of yours.
And energyze it, make it track
with the message. Okay?
- Yeah, okay.
- Now let's talk about colors.
Syd's gonna take you
to this guy on 57th Street...
...for a couple of dozen shirts,
once we get set on the shades.
I don't like you in blue or gray.
Too cold for you.
You're running
in New Mexico.
You look a little
washed out.
Don't you ever
get outside at all?
I've asked him
to stay out of the sun...
...because his family has
a history of skin cancer.
But you've never had it.
No.
Long-term exposure, right?
This is only going to be
for the next six months.
I don't see anything
to worry about.
Wait, I-I'm paying you,
you-you work for me--
You're trying
to run my life here!
Wallace, Wallace, Wallace...
You are paying me
to make you a new life!
Politics! And in order
for me to do that,
I gotta be in charge of
all the elements that go into it.
It's the only way I work.
That means, framing
the overall strategy...
...as well as deciding
all the specifics.
The look of the campaign,
the look of the billboards.
Bumper stickers, what colors
they're going to be?
It means the polling, the ads,
radio, TV, newspapers.
It means coordinating every piece
of information out of this office...
...to make sure it fits with
what a polling tells us...
...the people are
worrying about.
Or what they're
feeling good about!
But, aside from the campaign themes,
I want to address...
- ...some of my long-term plans!
- Yes, I'm sure they're great,
but they're not important.
See, my job is to get you in.
Once you're there,
you do whatever your conscience
tells you to do.
...before the largest crowd
of the campaign.
It now appears the bloody
terrorist attack succeeded only...
...in adding momentum
and conferring legitimacy...
...on the one-time
underdog Cepeda.
Well, Mr. Billings,
this is not good news.
It certainly is not,
Your Excellency.
Do you know
how it happened?
Well, we know that none of
our people were involved.
Perhaps, the guerillas.
I'll know more tonight.
How will the bombing
affect us?
It's hard to know.
Cepeda could gather
tremendous support.
The only thing I know for sure...
...is that Pete St. John will milk
this thing for all it's worth.
- Milk it?
- Exploit. Use.
An incident like this
is tailor-made for St. John.
He managed the Cepeda campaign
brilliantly.
He'll probably manipulate him
into the presidency.
That is what I fear.
We have spent considerable
amounts of money down there.
His Majesty will not be pleased,
Mr. Billings.
Nor am I, Excellency.
These have been
difficult years for us.
Prices keep falling.
Populists like Cepeda keep...
...nationalizing their oil
and entering the market.
Here, we have senators
and congressmen talking of...
...solar generation and
electrical wind generators...
...and other such--
impractical ideas.
Your upcoming elections are
important to us, Mr. Billings.
We're well prepared.
I feel completely secure
about Senator Hastings.
And the man who will be
replacing him in...
- ...Oheeo?
- Ohio.
Thank you, Mr. Billings.
A superb candidate,
Your Excellency.
Who will be in charge
of his campaign?
Well, we have one of the
top campaign consultants.
Why not... Pete St. John?
He may be too close
to Senator Hastings.
He may have
conflicting loyalties.
From what I know of St. John,
he has no loyalties.
His candidates seem to be on the left,
on the right, in the center--
He seems to be loyal
only to money.
And we have money.
- I want to think about it.
- Is he the best?
- Yes, certainly one of the best.
- Then, please, Billings...
...do think about it.
I don't want His Majesty upset
with another failure,
mine...
...or yours.
...We can't afford you
anymore, Pete.
Naah, you don't have to, Senator.
I'm like Mother Teresa.
My work's only
for the truly needy.
I ran into Phil Healston.
He said he saw you...
...at the Aspen conference
last month.
How's Phil doing?
Great, absolutely great.
He said he was very impressed...
...with the paper you gave him
on solar generation.
- He showed it to you?
- Mm-hm.
What do you think?
What else?
If that new design works...
...shake-out will be
absolutely incredible.
I mean, if this gets funded,
actually worked...
My God!
We're talking, ten,
fifteen years?
Just the Sun Belt alone, what,
That's it for the utilities.
Gone.
This is the fuel oil,
electric, gas, everything...
...right down the tubes.
This must've leaked out by now.
You and your committee must be
getting squeezed like hell.
God!
When I talked
with Syd,
naturally, given
the timing, she, uh,
...she assumed--
I'm not running again,
I've made the decision. It's done.
I'm not feeling well.
I'm ill.
That's what'll come out.
Sam, I didn't know.
It's over, Pete.
I'm sorry about the campaign,
but-- it's over.
Fuck the campaign.
Just tell me how're you
going to be.
I'll be all right.
Is it terminal?
No, it's, uh--
After a while, when we have
some time, we'll talk.
I asked you down here, well,
first, to tell you.
Then, to ask you to help me
with the statement.
I don't want to get
into specifics, but,
it must be unequivocal.
I've thought you'd be
the guy to write it.
When do you want
this thing?
I asked my press secretary to...
...call a news conference,
Tomorrow?
Sam, you know you can
postpone this a couple of days--
No!
Okay.
There's a few calls you're
gonna have to make tonight...
...to let people know before
they hear it on the news.
Yes, I forgot.
You're right.
The Majority Leader,
the... State Party Chairman...
Sam, I'm really sorry.
You're one of the three or four guys
who made a difference up there.
- Yeah.
- Mr. St. John?
Who are you?
Arnold Billings. I'm calling
on behalf of Jerome Cade.
- Never heard of him.
- Yes, I know.
I'd like to arrange
an introduction.
Mr. Cade will be running
for Senator Hastings' seat.
- How did you find out?
- We just heard.
He'll be entering
the primary?
Yes, but I expect
he'll be unopposed.
I seriously doubt that,
Mr. Billings.
Nonetheless, that's the opinion here.
The filing deadline's the 1st.
We already organized
to collect signatures.
Mr. Cade is well-known
within Ohio and...
...the Senate seat is something
he's giving serious thought to.
You know my price?
$25,000 a month plus expenses,
Tell me more
about Mr. Cade.
Senator, how are you, sir?
How are you? It's good
to see you again.
Madam.
I got one for you.
Why did they put windshield wipers
on a Polish airline...
- ...on the inside?
- Why?
- Hey! How're you doing?
- Wilfred, you old reprobate!
I hear you're gonna resign
from the paper and finally...
- ...do some good in the world.
- Oh, God.
- Good to see you.
- Nice seeing you.
- My Goodness.
- Good morning.
I was worried for a while
I was gonna break our string.
Oh, no, I got your message.
You were in London last week.
Yes, Leonard and I were summoned
by our news editor for some...
...in-depth preplanning of our--
let's see, of our--
American election coverage.
- Wilfred?
- Yes?
What have you heard about, um,
about Sam Hastings?
Oh! Nothing yet.
He's supposed to be sick.
Hm! No ideas, huh?
Are you writing this down,
Ellen, honey?
No, no, no.
I'm just curious.
All I know is he--
- Have you decided?
Oh, uh, yes.
Have you got any freshly
squeezed orange juice?
- You didn't have any the last time.
- We have.
Right. I'll have
a large glass and...
...and English muffin.
I'll have that juice, too,
with a little vodka and ice.
- Anything else, Mr. Buckley?
- A doughnut plain.
All I know is, I ran into him
three weeks ago...
...at the Gridiron thing,
and everything was great.
He looks great,
like usual.
He feels good, just had
his physical at Walter Reed,
everything cheked out
just fine,
and, all of a sudden,
he's walking away from
the U.S. Senate. Mmm?
This means that
Mr. St. John loses...
...one of his "A" clients.
How's our boy?
Have you seen him lately?
I called him,
he's in South America.
He was doing the...
...presidential campaign
last week, there.
Are you two getting
back together?
- Are you?
- No.
Let's get right to it, shall we?
Did he screw you
as good as he did me?
- Have you seen him?
- No.
You're doing the New Mexico
gubernatorial race, uh...
- ...Frank McKusker, right?
- Yeah.
You'll be seeing him
very soon.
- He got Wallace Furman.
- Yeah, I heard he signed on.
Well, why not? Get the best
money can buy, right?
That's what he is, isn't he?
I mean, he's the very best.
It doesn't matter what or who
gets hurt in the process.
Sometimes I look at him
and he seems the same.
You were married to him,
so tell me,
when did it happen?
I keep thinking back and
I can't figure it out.
When did he start thinking
it didn't matter anymore?
I never heard of this guy.
He's got me on the phone...
...one hour, 55 minutes
after you'd made the calls.
I'm not surprised.
We knew it would get around.
Who is he?
- Billings or Cade?
- Either one.
Well, I've met Billings once.
He's in Washington.
I believe he has a
public relations firm,
I'm not exactly sure.
And Cade, owns
a number of businesses.
Trucking, bottling,
and something with pipelines,
mostly in the Midwest.
He's made some large contributions
to the State party.
He got a lot of
publicity last year.
He headed a
blue-ribbon commission on...
...governmental waste.
What do you think?
About what?
Cade.
Should I take him on?
Well, I'd give it
some serious thought.
Is that the new draft?
Yeah. Yeah, that's it.
Still, you must be happy about
connecting with McKusker.
- He's the big favorite, right?
- Oh, I sure am, honey.
Gotta look out for
my batting average.
Speak of the devil!
Look at this.
As I live and breathe.
Hello.
Darling.
- I'm sorry about Sam.
- Yeah.
How's Claire taking it?
She's doing fine.
So is he.
Pete, Pete-- um--
Is it-- Is it cancer?
I-I know his physical
last month was good--
His press conference
is at 10:00.
What did he say?
- "His press conference is at 10:00."
- Oh.
Thanks.
I hear we'll be running into
each other around New Mexico.
Yeah. How about we keep it
close till the last week?
Then flip a coin.
I saw you on Brinkley.
It's incredible but I think...
...you're more arrogant
since we got divorced.
Hey, look, don't go
blaming yourself.
You're meeting with
Jerome Cade at 10:30.
- Tonight?
- Look, his people called!
You're going flat out
the rest of the week and...
...they wanted this meeting
as soon as possible.
Look,
I'll call back
and postpone.
You don't need to take
this guy on.
Besides Stannard in Seattle,
we still got Cepeda.
And Furman in New Mexico's
gonna take a lot of time.
It's all right.
All right, it boils down
to this, Governor.
We don't wait for Murdoch
to bust our balls, we jump his.
Now, you've seen how
he's braked out.
You're getting killed on
the death penalty veto.
Ever wonder why the Eastwood movies
do so good up here?
And then, there is the--
the divorce.
Not so much that you split up,
...but we had been pushing
the family image...
...in the first campaign.
I read the report
this morning, Pete.
Not unexpected,
but the fact that the resentment
has lasted this long...
...was surprising.
Look, Governor, if you go over
the focus group interview...
you'll see they keep
mentioning the fact...
...that you married
your campaign manager.
They also keep mentioning
that campfire commercial.
Harry cooking eggs
over the fire...
...for the kids, while
you're chopping wood?
That was almost four years ago.
Hell of a spot!
The election's this fall.
I gotta teach you how to cook.
Governor, this is
my recommendation.
We advance the media buys
three weeks,
shift money from the fall schedule
if we have to and blow him away now.
Back him off, before he nails you
for mothering killers and...
- ...dumping Harry and the kids.
- She didn't dump them.
Yeah, anyway,
that's my recommendation.
We've leased 30 minutes
of satellite time.
They'll be beaming him in
in about 90 seconds.
So, let's move our chairs
a little closer.
Charles, go ahead, sit down.
Mrs. Furman.
Put the chairs close
so we can talk into the mic.
Who is this guy?
Captain Video?
No, he's the best numbers-cruncher
in the free world.
I'll be heading back to New York
in about 10 minutes,
but Syd's going to stick around
for a couple of days...
...and make sure
everything's on line.
I thought you were going
to be in charge.
I am, Mrs. Furman.
I'm in overall charge.
Fortunately, Syd has consented
to make sure...
...I don't screw up on
any of those details.
It'll take a minute.
St. John to Ralph.
St. John to Ralph.
St. John to Ralph.
There he is.
- Sorry, Pete.
- It's okay, Ralph.
- Sorry, Pete.
- All right. You're looking good, Ralph.
I try.
Ralph, I got
Mr. and Mrs. Furman here,
and Charles Whiting,
their campaign manager.
They're excited to hear about
what you can do for them, so,
just lay out the program...
...and they'll cut in
if they have any questions.
- The sound level's okay?
- Yeah, it's great.
The principle is simple enough.
We take the last census data...
...and we match it against
all the New Mexico zip codes.
Then we combine that with what
the field research has determined...
...should be the targeted
population clusters.
In your case we've isolated
For example, we concluded
a high favorable is, uh...
...pools and patios.
Suburban, white-collar,
married, 25 to 49 years old.
We tailor the mail and the
phone pitches to each group...
...based on what we already know
is bothering them.
But the really exciting stuff comes
when I work out a simulation model.
That's when you tell me
what you're thinking of saying...
...and I'll tell you how
they're going to react.
Even then, the short range
possibilities of a simulation--
- Err-- excuse me...
- Yeah.
What is a simulation model?
It's a little complicated
but I'll try to explain.
See you around the block.
It's based on the idea that...
See you.
...a small number can represent...
...a much larger number.
We start out with
the breakdown of, let's say,
a city like Albuquerque.
We break it down
demographically by...
- Are you all right?
- I'm all right, yeah.
- Bye!
- Goodbye.
Pete!
Wallace Furman?
Oh, God!
Wallace Furman?
You got a real piece of work
this time, Pete!
What's gonna happen to your
boy Furman when you go home...
...and he's got to stand all by himself,
and let all the folks in on...
...whatever he could possibly have
on his feeble mind? Goddamn!
How could you sell this guy?
It's just for governor,
he doesn't have to be perfect.
There's more
than just winning!
I told you that the first time
you came in the door!
And you used to
believe in that, too!
- You used to believe that--
- I used to believe in tooth fairies, OK?
Oh! You wanna talk
about fairies?
What about Willet?
The man fucks chickens!
Yeah! This guy
goes down to Haiti...
...and he gets his rocks off
drinking blood of fucking chickens!
We had pictures!
We had pictures and
we couldn't even use 'em!
You put a pervert in the U.S. Congress
who fucks chickens!
I wouldn't be concerned.
He's probably exaggerating.
Pete, they're backed up
at LaGuardia.
We'll be circling for about
ten minutes.
Mr. Cade.
Sorry I'm late.
I've been looking forward to
meeting you, Mr. St. John.
I hope you're going into
this thing prepared to be...
...the official hydrant
for the State of Ohio?
You'll find that I'm prepared
for whatever it takes.
Does that go for the
energy market as well?
Ah! I see you've been
making inquiries.
I'd have been concerned
if you hadn't.
John, Henry, Mr. St. John.
Can we expedite this?
Is there something
you haven't found out yet,
that you'd like to know?
What's your
biggest weakness?
You mean, in running
for the Senate?
Probably, the fact that I
haven't held public office yet.
Although I personally
consider that a plus.
It's not critical.
You have done some
public service stuff.
Even as far as issues
that could get you...
...into a Kennedy School seminar,
or get your position paper...
...printed in the
Times' op-ed page.
I take it money
is not a problem.
No.
So, you would start--
I haven't done any
polls yet, I'd figure...
...16, 17, 18 points down.
And just by getting the nomination
that would jump.
So, I take it you're with me,
then, Mr. St. John?
Have you got
a couple of minutes?
I'd like to show you something
down in the basement.
Gentlemen, thank you.
Mr. Cade.
The Senate put in
new chairs,
right before Sam's
last campaign.
I talked him into letting me
keep his old one.
We used it in four or five
of his last TV spots.
Sit in it.
- How does it feel?
- It feels quite comfortable.
And please, don't play
games with me, Mr. St. John.
I've known what I wanted
for a very long time.
You want one like that?
It's going to run you...
- ...ten, eleven million bucks.
- An absurd sum, Mr. St. John.
But the real absurdity is to spend
that kind of money and not get it.
Now, you tell me,
if I pay you what you want,
will you be able to give me
the amount of time I require...
...or you'll be spread too thin
among your other candidates?
You'll get all the time
you require, Mr. Cade.
You do know that
if I take you on,
I'll be in control.
Just so we're clear,
that means strategy, budget--
The process doesn't interest me,
Mr. St. John.
What does is that you have
an 85% success rate.
I will pay you to play
those percentages.
My sole concern is my work
once I'm elected.
Why should I take you on?
Because some guy named Arnold
Billings got my phone number...
- ...and got to me first?
- Because once I get in--
and I will, with your help
or with someone else's,
I can accomplish
what has to be done.
Change the policies that
are strangling this country.
Now, I'm ready to begin.
Are you with me?
Where is Billings
in all this?
Mr. Billings is a business
associate of mine.
He handles public relations work
for some of my companies.
He has no official position
in my campaign.
He told me you were going to
line up with Sam on the issues.
- Did he get that right?
- That's correct.
Except for the solar energy bill,
I don't believe that approach is sound.
No, no. You explain it to me.
He's with you except
on solar energy.
Like being with Gloria Steinem
except on women.
I don't understand, Pete.
You were never much interested
on how your clients...
...stood on the issues before.
- I am now.
- Why?
He'd be replacing you.
What's the big problem?
Take him on.
Leonard...
I want to cancel the
West Coast trip.
We can get a stringer from L. A.
if we really need it, can't we?
Okay.
I want to take a look
into Sam Hastings.
Right, you're friendly with him
and he's wife, right?
Have you heard anything?
- Nothing special, no, but I--
- Coordinate it with Manny.
He's pulled a couple of people
from metro just to...
...chase down the rumors.
Have you heard the latest?
He's got AIDS.
Jesus, I love Washington!
Thank you for
your note, Ellen.
It meant a great deal to us,
it really did.
I meant everything
I wrote in it.
It's a great loss
for the country.
Sam is what the Senate
is all about.
Thank you.
Claire!
Claire! You're new home
is absolutely beautiful.
- You've never been here before?
- No.
Oh, I can't believe it.
Oh, I feel terrible!
Claire, it's my fault.
It's ridiculous, but,
when you get divorced...
...you don't know where you stand
anymore with your old friends.
You tend to avoid them in case
you make them feel awkward.
You assume they're all
going to take sides.
And I assumed--
well, Sam and Pete
are so close...
I really appreciate
your decision...
...to keep the details of the
illness a family matter.
Well, it was very hard.
Yes. Yes, I can imagine.
Is Sam being treated here
or in Ohio?
Well, that hasn't been
determined yet.
And how are the boys
taking it?
Oh, I am so proud of them.
They have been so strong,
so good.
I wouldn't have gotten through this
without those guys.
And your mother,
how's she doing?
Well,
this thing's been
very hard on her.
We talk to each other every night
on the phone and I--
- She's in Charleston, hm?
- No, no.
She moved back to New Orleans
several years ago.
Oh!
Ralph, I need some help
on this Billings guy.
Why's it this tough?
How many top black lobbyists
can there be in Washington?
Maybe his client list.
Maybe if you pass by all
the probable data banks?
I'd appreciate it.
If they're international
we could try wire transfers.
But don't hold your breath.
Ever since those kids started
breaking into everything,
everyone's gotten meshugah
on access codes.
Maybe if you take a run by
all the standard industry stuff.
Billings Associates's a privately held
corporation. That won't help.
Billings is the only
listed officer.
You need this by when?
As soon as possible.
I'm flying down to South America
in 24 hours.
I'm in New Mexico the next
couple of days,
Ohio the rest of the week.
- I know you're busy as hell--
- Have a safe trip. Go.
Pete!
How's the South American guy doing?
He's going to take it.
My husband felt
such shame, you see.
No one in his family, not one,
with all their money,
ever offered to help us out.
They just washed their hands,
every single one of them.
Well, except once...
...when Claire was getting ready
to go to college,
I had a call from her grandfather,
that he wanted to know...
...if Claire needed any money
for her education.
I told him what to do
with his money.
I told him that Claire
was valedictorian...
...and we'd get along somehow.
Well, he passed away.
I don't remember,
I guess it was several years later.
I did not go to the funeral.
But I did say a prayer
for his soul.
- You okay?
- Yeah.
Go get'em, tiger.
Okay, take him back.
- Okay, let's go.
Okay.
It looks good from here.
Yeah, we can see
the whole thing.
You about 50 feet?
A little less.
Stand by.
Eddie, can you read me?
Yeah, go ahead.
You got them lined up yet?
Yeah, we finally got'em
but you better hurry up.
Okay, I wanna stay clear
on channel 1.
And I want to hear if there's
any troubles, right now!
Martha, I want to get
a rough time on this,
so, start reading as soon as
the wagons go, okay?
Okay... roll tape!
Let me know when you got speed.
Speed!
Background action!
Cue Wallace!
New Mexico is a special land,
blessed with mountains, deserts,
clean air and pure waters.
But besides her natural resources,
our state has been blessed
with its human resources,
from the proud Apache and Navajo tribes
who first hunted and planted here,
to our long history of people
who have journeyed here.
Whether they came from Mexico,
or Europe or Asia...
...or other parts
of this country,
they all shared
a common dream:
to live in a land where
their opportunities were limited...
...only by their own vision...
and to make this special place
even better...
...for their own children
and other generations.
We are surely blessed
by that heritage.
Wallace Furman believes
that pioneer spirit is still alive.
Wallace Furman,
a governor we can trust.
Back to one.
Back to number one.
Take it back.
Eddie, take them back
to number one.
Back to number one,
line it all up again!
It'll be close to an hour, Pete.
We're not gonna have
enough light left.
- 50,000! We'll come back tomorrow!
- Weather prediction's bad for tomorrow!
Hold it a second, everybody.
You want us back
at number one, Pete?
Wait.
Wait a minute.
Move it, move it!
Back it up.
Back! Move on back!
Do you hear me?
Tommy, roll it up to
where the schmuck fell off.
Okay, take it back.
Back, back, back,
back, back...
Back... back...
OK, now forward.
Slowly, very slow...
Slow, slow...
...slow...
...slow...
...freeze!
Okay, mark it.
Take it back to the top.
Okay, forward. Real time.
New Mexico is a special land,
blessed with mountains, deserts,
clean air and pure waters.
But besides her natural resources,
our state has been blessed
with its human resources,
from the proud Apache and Navajo tribes
who first hunted and planted here,
to our long history of people
who have journeyed here.
Whether they came from Mexico,
or Europe or Asia...
...or other parts of this country,
they all shared a common dream:
to live in a land where
their opportunities were limited...
...only by their own vision...
and to make this special place
even better...
...for their own children
and other generations.
We are surely blessed
by that heritage.
Wallace Furman believes
that pioneer spirit is still alive!
Wallace Furman,
a governor we can trust.
Let's go home.
What's overriding is that
we pinpoint the audience.
Tomorrow morning I want to go
with TV news coverage.
But, every time we hit
a new medium market,
we'll have live remotes set up
for the noon or 6:00.
Local anchors don't know shit--
even less than reporters.
This way we'll be able to give...
- ...our message straight--
- Hold it, hold it.
On the state level, a new entry
into the Senate race...
...for the seat of Sam Hastings.
Phillip Aarons, an Oberlin College
History professor, who's known...
...for his involvement in antinuclear
and state environmental causes,
called a news conference
this morning...
...to announce his candidacy
as an independent.
I am announcing my candidacy...
...as an alternative, and
perhaps an answer,
...to the regressive,
short-sighted policies of...
...Mr. Westbrook and Mr. Cade.
I, along with many other
people of Ohio,
was particularly disappointed
by Mr. Cade's decision...
...not to follow the example
set by Senator Hastings...
...in the national leadership
of the development of...
...renewable non-polluting energy
offered by solar generation.
I intend to use this campaign
as a sounding board...
...to educate the people of Ohio...
...and, more importantly,
the politicians of Ohio,
as to certain facts having to do
with our environment.
Pardon me.
We can... no longer--
What the hell does that mean?
Nothing. Not a damn thing.
He'll make a little noise,
feel real good, and he'll get his...
...4% from the veggies
and save-the-whalers.
He's not going to hurt us.
They'll hate your guts anyway.
But-- there is something.
Our first poll's showing
a problem with...
...college-educated women
There's something about you
they don't trust.
- How are you today, Mr. Billings?
- Just fine, thank you.
Are you expecting a print-out
from Ralph?
Yeah, I sure am.
It must've gotten caught
in the printer.
Have Ralph send me
another one.
Governor?
Hello, Pete.
I think we gotta talk about
the death penalty thing.
Absolutely not.
That is not negotiable.
I'm not talking about
backing down.
But tell me this:
where does it say...
...just because you gotta follow
your conscience...
...we gotta stand still
and get kicked?
Any thoughts on the subject?
Yes, I do. One.
Frank Coleco.
For Christ sakes.
The man is a neanderthal!
So what?
He's our neanderthal, isn't he?
He happens to be speaking for
a constituency we could use.
- Or you wanna argue about that?
- You ever actually heard him?
In the State House, on the floor,
he said he'd pull the switch and then
drive home and eat a pizza.
This is very, very simple.
He crosses the line, endorses
the opposition, we start to bleed.
Come on, Pete!
You got any guarantees he won't?
I put out a wire.
What do I hear?
It turns out the Senator's
next greatest passion,
next to frying convicts,
is high school football,
specifically, Eagle Lake High,
where Frank Jr. happens to be
starting left tackle.
He's so proud of the kid
he goes out and buys him...
...a brand-new Dodge pick-up.
Then, to make it really special,
he calls the Governor's assistant...
...for a little help
in getting plate nbr. 76,
Frank Jr.'s football number.
- You're way out of line, pal.
- Coleco calls once.
He can't get through.
He leaves a message.
He calls back again. The Governor's
assistant is still in conference.
His secretary calls back
two days later...
...and says his request for
plate 76 will be considered!
What is the thought there?
You're turning a philosophical
disagreement into a vendetta?
Our office has never delivered--
Just get him the goddamn plate,
all right?!
Well, as you know, I've lived
in this state all my life.
And I've got
a lot of confidence...
...in the plain horse sense
of the voters of New Mexico.
That they'll be able to see
the real issues of this campaign,
who has the experience and
the proven ability to lead...
...and that we simply
cannot afford...
...a governor who needs
on-the-job training.
Thank you very much, ladies and
gentlemen. Pardon me.
Hi there!
Thanks, people. Thanks.
Right! Hey, you're looking good
over there!
That's good, Frank.
- Real good, Frank.
- I'm worried, Will.
Oh, there's nothing to worry about.
- He's starting to move.
- Well, of course he is.
He started so far down
he got no place to go but up.
But still, he's coming up
in the poll.
Look, if can't beat some geek,
maybe we don't deserve to win.
You're going to ice him, Frank.
Hi, there! How are you?
- You want him to hold?
Excuse me...
- One minute.
What do you think of someone...
...coming from New Mexico
to be governor of New York?
What? Is this a joke?
You're not serious, are you?
And what about you, ma'am?
What do you think of someone...
...coming from New Mexico
to be governor of New York?
Utterly preposterous, young man.
Not worthy of discussion.
From New Mexico?
Is this some kind of
affirmative action thing?
A cow-boy, governor of New York?
What do I think of a cow-boy
governor of New York?
C'mon, will you? Gee...
Crazy. Stupid!
Wilfred, you are great.
McKusker...
...from New Mexico
for New Mexico.
You didn't have a date or anything
tonight, did you?
Not anymore.
Oh, wow.
Wallace! How're you doing?
Yeah, yeah. I just saw it.
It was terrific, huh?
Yeah, Wallace...
Wallace-- look--
Stop worrying, Wallace.
We'll be making a rebuttal
commercial tonight.
Yeah, say it again.
Listen, can I call you
right back?
Yeah, right. Thanks.
Helen?
I want you to call Jack Rosack.
I want him to do a sweep of the
offices, studios, everything.
- Right away?
- Right away.
- I want him to do the apartment, too.
- The apartment-- okay, all right.
...Wallace Furman can give
our state.
He didn't HAVE to come here.
He WANTED to.
Wallace Furman for governor.
A new vision for New Mexico.
- Is that a buy, Pete?
- That's it.
- I can go home now?
- Let's go home!
This is the upper East side
of New York.
This is Monte Carlo.
This is Beverly Hills,
California.
Wallace Furman could have lived
in any of these places.
Instead, he chose to live
in New Mexico.
Not because it was
more exciting or luxurious,
but because,
unlike Monte Carlo...
...or Beverly Hills,
it was a place that needed help,
needed the energy
and the new leadership...
...that Wallace Furman
can give our state.
He didn't HAVE to come here.
He WANTED to.
Wallace Furman for governor.
A new vision for New Mexico.
What about the photo session?
Syd! Syd!
I've got Pete on the line.
The newspaper you wanted me
to research?
We just got the overnights,
we stopped the erosion.
That carpetbagger thing
is a dead issue.
I know you don't need to hear this,
but that mansion spot was brilliant.
Yeah, that was great.
Look, I'm going to be here one...
...maybe two more days,
and then back to New York.
I want to go over this stuff
that Mitch sent,
then we have to talk about
the rehearsal for the debate.
Oh, almost forgot
the best part. Listen.
The story going around
down there is that...
...McKusker got the new numbers...
...and he panicked.
I have it from two sources
that he fired Wilfred Buckley...
...and he hired John Dietrich.
Isn't that incredible?
Jerome.
Yeah, Billings?
- He's doing everything he should?
- Mm-hmm.
- The quality is...?
- Well, you've seen it.
The polling, the ads.
First rate.
I don't know...
Baggage will arrive
at the low level.
Buses for downtown Cleveland
are available outside main hall.
Thanks for meeting me, Pete.
I thought you'd get out
of all the travelling this year.
So did I!
- Spoken to Sam recently?
- Last week.
Talked about his illness?
Off the record.
Not much.
Mostly about whether or not
he's going to stay in Washington...
...and practice law...
...or go back to Ohio.
I don't think he's ill.
Is that so?
I'm curious,
how much do you actually know
about Sam? Financially, I mean.
He's never had that much.
It's just his salary.
And Claire?
Her family's got dough.
Yes, but she never
got any, did she?
Her father blew his share.
Did you know
she needed scolarships...
- ...to get through college?
- You've been busy.
Pete...
How many times have you been
to their house?
Have you ever wondered
how they carried that place?
Look, that house's gotta be worth
at least $600,000.
The mortgage is under $200,000.
I know they didn't get
anything like that...
...when they sold the other house
in Virginia.
Have you ever noticed
the furniture? The antiques?
- Claire paid for those, all in cash.
- What are you trying to tell me?
That Sam's on the take?
Is that it?
Is that the line that'd let you
win the Snoop-Of-The-Year award?
Cause if it is, you've got
this one little problem.
Why's he taking a walk?
I don't have the story yet.
I don't know why he's leaving.
Pete, Sam is your friend.
If you're--
Any bad judgement--
You're talking to me, remember?
You're praying so hard
he's fucked up,
you're salivating.
You're f--
You're fucked up. Not him.
You're a fuck-up.
Look, there's a lot of stuff
flying around Washington...
...about why you're leaving.
About how you can afford
all those antiques,
about buying the new house.
As a friend...
...I appreciate you
telling me that, Pete.
I love my job.
A man couldn't ask
for a better one.
But it's precisely because of
crap like that...
...I'm glad I'm getting out.
Those things are Claire's.
She collects them.
The money's from her inheritance.
Here you are, Mr. St. John.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
You were right.
I shouldn't have done that.
It was stupid.
I just wanted you to know
that I... recognize that.
So...
Maybe, buy you a drink?
How'd you know
I'd be here tonight?
Well, the receptionist said
you hadn't checked out,
and your office in New York said
you weren't due until tomorrow and...
I saw Sam.
Oh.
You knew I would. That's why
you've been camping...
...out here all night.
It's all right, it's okay.
You're good. You're real good.
I mean, on that
we've always agreed.
I'm going to tell you
what Sam said.
He said the money came
from her inheritance.
Christ, he lied to me.
For a politician, you'd think
he'd be pretty good.
He was so fucking bad.
You've been lied to before.
Oh, yeah, right. I forgot.
Are you going to hold that
over me forever?
Good old Saint Pete, who never
told a lie to his wife.
You never asked.
Well, I'm asking now!
How many?
Times or women?
Oh, let's keep this
to one night. Women.
All right, let's set
the history straight here.
Towards the end, you and I were close
if we were in the same time zone.
You got any idea
what it's like...
...to spend ten days
massaging some poll?
And wind up at 1:00 a.m.
in some bar in Cleveland...
...and notice some lady
across the room...
...with a lot of hair
on her chin?
Yes, I have an idea.
It must be like chasing a story
for a week and a half,
getting nothing but
doors slammed in your face...
...and ending up in some bar
in the Ramada Inn in Akron,
next to a guy with a clean shirt,
whose hands don't sweat?
No.
Nothing like that at all.
Well, they're now
in his room, fucking.
So what? They used to be married.
Look, what has he actually done?
He went to see Hastings.
He's the best friend he's got.
We know he run a check on me.
You put him in touch with me,
so, he run a check on you.
Now, he's screwing
his ex-wife.
Uh, she's a problem.
I don't care how you cut it.
Trip to New Orleans,
a session with Hastings wife--
I can't help but
find that troubling.
All right, Billings, what are you
going to do about it?
- Yeah.
- Breakfast, sir.
Okay
- Didn't you order Canadian bacon?
- Uh-huh
Didn't bring it.
...it comes!
Television's most exciting hour
of fantastic prizes!
The fabulous 60-minute
"Price is Right"!
Tammy Garland!
Come on down!
Wally...!
There's a tap on the phone.
My office phone too.
I found a bug.
Who?
I'm not sure.
I don't know.
Arnold Billings.
Ever heard of him?
He works out of Washington,
does some kind of corporate PR.
But, why?
I checked him out.
This is connected with Sam?
Sam says no.
Andrea's on the line.
Today's poll is worse.
The shift is starting to build.
The feedback says...
...it's coming from those
family image spots.
A man called just before
it's out of control.
He says the last couple of days
have been total saturation...
Hey, Mom.
Okay, get the voice.
Check the room 44, I think
he's doing a new Pepsi spot.
Tell him to be
at the studio at 11:00.
And I want you to go
to the archives.
Jan shot some cover footage
some time last year.
Somewhere in the middle of that
there's about 10 seconds...
...of some kid that looks like
Ricky Schroeder that...
...runs up to her and hugs her.
If you have some trouble
finding that, ask Phil.
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Governor!
Word here is you've missed the cut
for Mother Of The Year.
Have you seen
this latest commercial?
Not "The-Sanctity-Of-The-Family" one.
This one is grotesque.
They have these kids--
who aren't that cute,
all lined up begging for
a governor they can look up to.
You know, Andrea,
you and I have this, uh...
...this fantastic symbiosis.
Even more than with your husband.
You want to stay in office,
I want to stay in business.
I think I'll be able
to take care of it.
I want to destroy him now.
I swear I do.
Throughout her public life,
Andrea Stannard has shown
the courage...
...to fight for
what she believes in,
and the compassion
to defend those...
...who can't fight
for themselves.
But lately,
Albert Murdoch has chosen...
...not to attack her beliefs.
Instead, he has smeared
her personal life.
Smeared her family.
Smeared her name
and reputation.
Albert Murdoch thinks
that's the way...
...you get elected
Governor of Washington.
Do you?
Andrea Stannard.
Courage, compassion.
Now, more than ever.
Okay, take it back
to the top.
Let's animate it this time
with the paint box.
We're ready, Pete.
You want the A. D. O.?
Yeah, everything this time.
Jackson, you too.
Right, Pete.
Okay. Hit the tape.
Throughout her public life,
Andrea Stannard has shown...
...the courage to fight for
what she believes in,
and the compassion
to defend those...
...who can't fight
for themselves.
But lately,
Albert Murdoch has chosen...
...not to attack her beliefs.
Instead, he has smeared
her personal life.
Smeared her family.
Smeared her name
and reputation.
Albert Murdoch thinks
that's the way...
...you get elected
Governor of Washington.
Do you?
Andrea Stannard.
Courage, compassion.
Now, more than ever.
All right!
Right! Yeah!
How did I do?
You got me so worked up,
I nearly went up and register.
You want me
Tuesday afternoon?
Yeah, for the two
new Cade spots.
- Good night, people.
- Good night.
Thanks.
Monday, Rosten's office called.
They said he's reconsidering
running for mayor next year.
He might take a shot
at the Senate.
They want to cancel
his contract.
They even want
their retainer back.
They say anything about us
doing the Senate campaign?
- That's all they said?
- Yeah.
Wednesday, Gazziano called.
Pretty much the same thing.
They said he's reassessing...
...his campaign plans
for next year.
He's out.
Hmm.
Santa Fe Ground,
Westwind-407-Whiskey to parking.
Santa Fe Ground to Westwind-407.
Roger.
Forget about the debate rules
you learned in school.
Gary, just keep it rolling.
You can turn any question
into what you want to say.
If the questions hit
our key points, great.
If they don't, just slide off.
Keep pounding away on
our themes, which are:
Integrity, new ideas,
no IOU's, no special interests.
- All right?
- Right.
Okay, bring it down a little.
Now, you're going to find
yourself very nervous.
That's to be expected,
it's okay.
Don't forget McKusker
is going to be nervous, too.
If your hands
start to shake,
just rest them
on the podium, that's all.
Now, when he hits you
with the rich boy shot,
and you make your response,
don't look at him.
Forget him.
Just look straight ahead
into the camera.
Listen, what about the road tax?
If we come out with a
limited increase,
- tied to the road tax, we can--
- No, no,no!
You want to win the uncommitteds?
You've got to stay uncommitted.
Right there, okay, perfect.
Now, tomorrow night--
this is very important,
when you and McKusker come out,
if that key light isn't high
hitting you dead on...
...you just walk off.
Don't come back till
they fix it, OK?
- Right.
- All right.
Okay, let me see
the opening statement again.
No, nothing, Ellen.
No, I just want to know
if you found anything out yet.
Yeah.
Syd, come on.
Jack?
Pete, you're going to have to
fly back to New York commercial.
- I've already booked you.
- All right, what's the matter?
I got back from dinner
and the airplane was gone.
The guys in the hangar said
a truck hooked it up and towed it.
They thought I knew about it.
We found it way the hell and back
by the old runway.
Whoever it was,
went through it,
but I can't find
anything gone.
I've got to hold it here and
have it checked out tomorrow.
Do you have any idea
what the hell is going on here?
You have a visitor.
Mr. Buckley.
Send him in, Helen.
Ohhh, my!
I thought you never
came around these parts.
Yeah... Oh!
I read someplace, uh--
Reader's Digest,
that life is dynamic
and you got to--
keep trying new things--
you got to-- I...
I couldn't believe it when I heard
about the McKusker thing.
It wouldn't be the first time
I had a butt-head firing me.
- What's that-- over there...?
- Yeah, go ahead.
Oh, thank you!
Ah, it was a good lesson.
We'd lost focus.
He's crapping in his pants
all the time about...
...what you're going to do next.
I just let it get away from me.
What's this--? Ooh!
Yeah, I lost control
of the terrain.
Started reacting, and sure as shit,
start losing the battle.
What now?
I'm going to be in Ohio.
- Ohio?
- Mm-hmm.
- Westbrook-- You with Westbrook?
- No, with college professor Aarons.
Why, Will?
The guy's a loser.
Well, it's real simple.
He's smart, he's straight,
he needs the help,
and I need the work.
I'm going down there,
pull another 6 or 8 points,
double his share--
it ain't impossible.
What he got going now, it'll make me
look like a fuckin' miracle worker.
See? It's real simple.
Yeah.
Well, if they're out there,
I've seen the polling...
But, Will, we're not talking about
undecideds planning to vote here.
You got 7 weeks to identify
and roust 50,000 people...
...about as removed
from the system as he is.
That's when I figured that the votes
wouldn't be coming from Cade.
Are you going to make me ask?
Ask what, Will?
Your demographics, goddamn it!
The polls.
You're right.
There's no time.
There's no money.
I need them. Listen to me,
I'm calling everything in.
After this, you owe nothing to me.
I owe--!
I don't owe you anything now,
all right?
I left you for an opportunity.
You didn't want to go with the guy,
I did, so I left.
He was slime!
He didn't deserve getting you!
And I didn't deserve being left
in the middle of a campaign!
I didn't deserve that from you!
Hey-- goddamn it,
are you going to make me beg?
What in the hell did you do?
We billed Cade over $200,000
for those two polls.
That makes him
the biggest contributor...
...to the Phil Aarons
for U.S. Senate campaign.
It's illegal.
And it's stupid.
We're running
short of time.
From now on, this campaign
frames a single question:
"Is it or isn't it
time for a change?"
Now, we reshape the question,
and make the other two guys
part of the problem.
But, the critical thing is,
we don't get bogged down...
...trying to come up
with the answers!
By November, there's going to be
a feel out there...
...that you can do a better job
to find them.
- Look, I know you're--
- Phillip!
I could squeeze you out the whole
foot and a half of bullshit,
but neither of us has the time.
Everything I learned in the last
if they like you,
they'll vote for you. Period.
People don't vote issues,
they vote people.
Yeah, but the whole point of--
Phillip, you're the best guy
running, am I right?
I wouldn't be here
if I didn't believe that, right?
I think that's why you called me,
in the first place.
Now, the leaves
are starting to turn.
We got a debate
coming up, Phillip,
with statewide exposure.
You got a question
you got to answer:
Phillip,
are you running for office
or running for principle?
I hope I'm running for both.
Oh, Phillip... Phillip!
I'm personally convinced you'll do
a hell of a job once you get in,
but you got to get
through that door!
What's the price of admission?
Why just kiss off
the middle class?
I've seen some intriguing numbers.
A lot of them out there
like what you're saying,
but they're not going to
vote for you. You know why?
Because they don't really know you.
They think they know you.
They see you
without a tie,
wearing an old beat-up jacket
and chinos...
They get frightened!
We're throwing those votes away!
On the gut issues, you're not
that far away from them.
You got to ease off on the ones
that you are, though.
Look, Phil.
They're scared about the future.
Whether or not they're going to
have a job next year.
You got to make sure
they really listen to you.
They all turn off when you
stand up wearing a flannel shirt,
and hiking boots, looking like you
just came off a picket line.
Yeah. That's all you got to do.
- Are you through with the file?
- Yes, I think so.
I just want to make quite sure,
if there were any outstanding notes
on their property,
any liens, things like that,
it would be recorded here?
Well, are they residents here
and is the property here?
- Yes, Georgetown.
- Then, it'll be here.
Okay.
Thank you.
Yeah, Ellen.
All right, fellows,
bring the boxes in here.
What?
- What is going on out there?
- The pipes in the basement burst.
There's 6 inches of water
down there.
Yeah, say it again.
No, don't say it
over the phone.
I'll meet you there.
Yeah, bye.
What time will you be back?
It never opened.
The construction costs went
way over budget and...
...they couldn't get the rents
they were asking.
I don't get it.
The owner is the Liberty Mall
Development Corporation.
General partners...
...Arnold Billings and
Claire Hastings.
He advanced me some money.
A lot of money...
...for my share
in the partnership.
Well, I bought this house and--
redecoration got out of control,
I took a second advance.
in anticipation of profits,
when they--
sold the share to the
limited partners...
...and the rents
started coming in.
That whole neighborhood was due
for urban renewal,
until it got killed
in some goddamn committee.
And, ludicrous as it may seem,
I still believed, even then,
that in the end...
...everything was going to
turn out all right.
When did Billings
start leaning on you?
In January.
He said a couple of clients
would be hurt...
...by the new solar design
and he asked me...
...to persuade Sam
to stop pushing it.
I told him he was crazy!
I mean, my God, Sam--
wouldn't listen to me
on the abortion!
It was damned sure he wouldn't
listen on solar generation.
This went on for a month,
six weeks,
and then, he brought up
a surprise:
the money.
How much money
did he give you?
A little more.
What was so funny
was I thought...
...that I could handle it--
and him!
Even when he started to...
...come to the house and
show up all the time,
I still thought that I--
it was only a little kind
of intimidation.
And then, one day, he--
walked right past me
into Sam's office, and...
...laid it on the line.
Laid it on the line!
And he asked Sam
to kill the appropriation.
Sam threw him out of the house!
And then--
because of me, because--
of what might happen to me,
he's walking away
from a job...
...that he's put his life
and soul into.
Remember when you
were here last...
...and you spoke about friendship?
You didn't tell me...
...that you had come here
to dig up something on us, but...
...after you had left,
I knew why you had come!
That was one thing I could
figure out for myself!
When you write this,
make sure I am the monster.
Right, right, right.
Just send it to me. If, uh,
if I have any questions
I'll get back to you.
Yeah, okay.
I had a long talk with
Claire Hastings last night.
Well, I happen to know
Mrs. Hastings quite well.
I don't know if she told you,
but we were business partners.
I'm out.
I assume that means
you're resigning from...
...the Cade campaign. Is that
what you mean, Mr. St. John?
The plane. The phones.
Two clients cancelling out,
what was the point?
The point-- to what?
The point is...
...I didn't trust you, okay?
I didn't want you
on this campaign.
One, you're much too close
to Hastings and, out of nowhere,
this Aarons jumps in the race,
and your old pal Buckley
is calling the shots on that one?
No, no.
Look,
we hired you to do a job,
Mr. St. John,
and it wasn't to investigate
me and my company...
...and it sure wasn't to exchange
information with your ex-wife.
Look, we wanted you to know...
...that if you really
did try and screw us,
that something bad
could happen to you.
That's the message
we were trying to convey.
Now, the plane,
the phones...
...merely dramatic illustrations.
Don't you walk out on me.
Oh, you think it's all
some kinda game, don't you?
You just walk in,
you jerk the locals around,
you put in whoever's paying you
and you leave.
It is no fucking game!
You are deciding
who's running this country,
who's running other countries.
I care about that.
My clients have to deal
with the consequences.
You don't give a shit!
Look, I, uh--
Come on, we're the same guys,
you and me.
Why don't you just do
what you've always done?
Just elect Cade,
and get paid,
and leave.
What is the problem, Peter?
I hate this.
You're going to do good, Phillip.
Real good.
- I've got an idea.
- What?
Instead of me trying
to impersonate a statesman,
when it's my turn to speak
maybe we should just...
...turn down the lights and run
"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington".
Now we're starting to move.
You could feel it
on our last trip.
You're framing the right message
and it's getting through.
Will--
I know this is a real bad time.
Could I have a couple of minutes?
Yeah, you're right, it is bad.
We're just on our way out.
Phillip, this is Pete St. John.
I've read about you.
Yeah. Hello.
We'll talk later, uh?
Look, I gave you two polls.
You can give me two minutes.
What did I give you?
What did you do with it?
I sold out! All right, Will?
I sold out!
He thinks because he won't work
for someone like Cade,
...makes everything okay.
It makes me a shit...
...and him, some kind of
a holy crusader. We're the same!
He got you this suit, right?
New haircut. Contacts.
And what you've been saying
has started to shift?
Have you softened anything
you were saying...
...before he came along
to help you out?
Hmm? Well, that's OK.
That's his job, to get you in.
Once you're elected, you can do
anything you want to do.
That sound familiar?
Look, I know I'm going to
hurt your feelings, but...
...you don't have a chance.
- You got a lot of gall--
- No, no, no, no--
It's OK, Wilfred.
I want to hear this.
You're a bright guy,
you teach college,
just can't be news.
You do not have a prayer.
It's just one of
those awkward realities...
...we don't say out loud
in front of the paying clients.
Instead of just going back
and teach History...
...why don't you go out there
tonight and make some?
You got nothing to lose!
Why don't you go out there...
...stand up and say
exactly what you think?
What you think!
Maybe even what you feel!
Not what the polls say,
or what Wilfred says, or what I--
Are you saying
I can't handle my client?
Wilfred, I'm not talking about you.
You're the best of all of us.
But it doesn't mean a damn
who's running the show!
- It's a show!
- What do you want to do?
Go back to the old days?
Like it was before?
Have the machines
put their boys in?
Is that what you want?
Have the newspapers in charge?
Have the "Los Angeles Times"
create another Richard Nixon?
If you want to walk,
just walk. Go ahead.
You shit on your own life,
not on mine.
Come on, Phillip.
We're irrelevant.
But you're staying.
Those people there sure as hell
aren't going anywhere.
Can you look at 'em and
say exactly what you feel?
I'm not saying you may not make
a horse's ass of yourself.
But, just the spectacle of
something human out there...
...may make hordes of people
come tumbling out of their homes...
...in a huge tidal wave of emotion
and vote for you.
You read the papers,
you got to know...
...there's a higher voters' percentage
in Bolivia than in the U.S.
I don't know, maybe they feel
connected to what's going on.
Maybe it takes too much
in America-- too much energy,
too much attention
to follow it all.
Maybe that's why they like to get
their candidates predigested,
prepackaged, like TV dinners.
I've become a very rich man
believing that.
Prove me wrong.
Hi, Pete.
Syd, come on.
We can watch from the booth.
As President of the Ohio
League of Women Voters,
I wish to personally
welcome you...
...to the United States
Senatorial debate tonight.
The order of opening
and closing statements...
...was determined
this afternoon by lot.
Mr. Aarons will give
the first opening statement,
followed by Mr. Westbrook
and Mr. Cade.
- Mr. Aarons.
- Thank you, Mrs. Bernhardt.
For those of you who still
don't know who I am,
I'm the guy for whom this job
actually means a raise in pay.
Ladies and gentlemen!
Ladies and gentlemen!
Ladies and gentlemen...
I would like to remind you...
...to please refrain
from any kind...
...of public demonstration
during the debate.
I, uh,
feel very uncomfortable
right now.
I feel uncomfortable
standing up here,
under all these lights,
trying to fit what I believe in
into a 180 seconds.
But more than that,
I feel uncomfortable with the job
of being a candidate.
With trying to convince you
that by electing me...
...to the U.S. Senate...
...you're going to get
a better job,
you're going to
make more money,
that your lives are somehow
going to magically improve,
because that's not
going to happen.
It's not going to happen
if you elect me,
or Mr. Cade
or Mr. Westbrook.
Therefore,
I am not going to ask you
now for your vote.
I am going to ask
that you listen to me...
...for the next few minutes, and
during the rest of the debate,
and then just think about
what I've said.
I think that, above all else,
our real problems--
chronic poverty,
shrinking resources,
are long-term.
But the solutions
we're being given...
...are designed to get
the politicians elected,
not to solve the problems.
Ladies and gentlemen!
Ladies and gentlemen!
Once more I remind
the audience...
...not to cheer or applaud.
You only take time away
from your candidate.
You only take time away
from your candidate.
Thank you.
Right now,
right here in Ohio,
why can't we be the first
to forget about the election?
And think past November.
And past next year. And--
maybe even beyond our own
lifetimes and begin to...
...really think about
the real answers.
If there is an early pattern
in this off-year election,
is that the voters...
...are sending a strong signal
to the politicians,
saying any politician
who takes them for granted...
...does so at his or her
own peril.
For instance, Senate races
in New York, Florida and Oregon,
had been predicted by the experts
as easy contests.
They're horse races.
Jim Hart, it's an hour or so
before the polls close in the West.
What do our exit polls
show us so far?
Roger, one contest in which
the experts appear to be right,
though it was exceptionally
bitter and hard-fought
and closer than expected, is the
New Mexico gubernatorial race.
Based on our numbers,
we believe that congressman
Frank McKusker...
...will wind up with about
defeating millionaire
Wallace Furman...
...who spend more than
an estimate of $5,000,000...
Wallace, I'm sorry!
Oh, yeah, Wilfred called me
last week.
Yeah? How is he?
Well, he was pretty upset
when he called.
Something about
you storming in...
...like the mad prophet of doom.
That's the way he put it.
He was pleased
you left Cade.
But he seemed, hum--
upset about something
you'd said to Aarons.
What did you say
to him, Pete? He--
wouldn't be specific.
The truth, I think.
Finally, all he had to offer
was himself.
Thank you. Based on our
ABC exit polls,
and early results from
key precincts...
...in the State of Washington,
we're now projecting...
...that incumbent Governor
Andrea Stannard...
...will win a second
four-year term...
Thank God.
Well done.
- Well done.
- Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you.
You having problems
with your story?
How do you mean?
It's just that
I haven't seen it yet.
I'm surprised, that's all.
No. No, it's fine.
Just a-- a mess.
You having trouble
finding sources?
Oh, uh--
No, no.
What is it?
I, uh--
I just-- I decided
not to do a story about, uh...
Sam and Claire, that's all.
Why?
Well, first of all,
Sam didn't commit any crime.
He didn't do
anything wrong.
The only person who did
anything was Claire.
Billings went into business
with a Senator's wife...
...and tried to influence
his vote.
Of course, it's nasty and
it's against all the rules,
but it's just
a question of degree.
The man's basically
a lobbyist, right?
That's what he gets paid for,
trying to influence votes.
Do you know what
the real story is?
Foreign influence
in American elections.
Do you know what
I found out since--?
That's what's going in
next week, anyway.
I don't believe this!
Even I think Sam and Claire's
a terrific story.
I hate the idea of it--
You're not getting
human on me, are you?
Hey.
I don't believe this.
You're not blushing, are you?
- Hmm?
- Excuse me.
Certainly, one of the big
surprises of this election night--
and we're having
a lot of them--
was the apparent second-place
finish by an independent...
...running for the Senate
in Ohio.
Phillip Aarons,
not long ago,
was an unknown
college History professor.
He has been beaten by
Michael Westbrook, a republican,
but now clearly,
and some say, miraculously,
he will finish ahead
of Jerome Cade...
...in a contest that
no-one had predicted.
As you can hear,
the excitement and...
...enthusiasm here at
Phil Aarons' headquarters...
...is running high and wild.
You get the impression
from these young people...
...that their man has just won
the Presidency of the U.S.,
when in fact,
he lost an election.
Phil's phools fooled
the political experts...
...by catapulting their man
from a virtual unknown...
...to a second place
in the highly contested freeway...
We are number two!
Now, let's go to the podium
for the man of the hour,
in what many here
consider to be...
...a victory speech.
He's about to address
his cheering supporters...
...and the American public.
Good night.
Something that none
of the comentators,
none of the newspapers,
none of the so-called
"media wizards" predicted...
...came into this race.
Something...
...something human
came into this race.
Some straight talk,
some honest feeling,
something that wasn't slick
and prepackaged,
that wasn't engineered
by these media wizards,
We...
...we, together,
have achieved...
...that historic moment
in politics.
And we have come too far
to turn back now.
Tonight...
...tonight...