[The 90’s Election Specials raw: Kansas City #2]

Layoff of raw footage for The 90's election specials. Videomaker Skip Blumberg covers Bill Clinton's debate prep, speaking with speechwriters as well as members of a crowd waiting for a glimpse of Clinton. The majority of the tape takes place in a hotel lobby, and there are glimpses of campaign officials: Dee Dee Myers, James Carville and George Stephanopoulos, as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton.

00:00Copy video clip URL Black.

00:12Copy video clip URL Inside presidential candidate Bill Clinton’s debate prep at a hotel, Blumberg talks with one of Clinton’s speechwriters, Bruce Reed (the deputy campaign manager for policy), who used to write for Senator Al Gore. He talks about his experience on the campaign. He has nothing but good words about Clinton’s ability to think about policy. He and Blumberg discuss the upcoming Kansas City debate.  Reed says the biggest problem confronting Clinton is brevity, who has “8 answers for every 2 problems.”

08:58Copy video clip URL Briefly cuts to Clinton entering the hotel to prepare, and then to shots of the Kansas City skyline.

09:43Copy video clip URL In the hotel lobby, a woman is trying to figure out how to use a disposable camera. She talks about why she supports Clinton. “Bush has lost sight of the American people, and what we need.” Blumberg records people lingering in the lobby, waiting for photos and a glimpse of Clinton.

15:46Copy video clip URL A man with a pamphlet for Clinton says, “If Bush is reelected, I would predict that Western civilization would collapse just like communism.”

19:13Copy video clip URL Reporters question Clinton’s campaign press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, extensively about Clinton’s willingness to release health records to the public.

28:02Copy video clip URL More people waiting for Clinton, some children have a card to give Clinton.

30:54Copy video clip URL Clinton emerges from a back room, shakes hands, and signs a few autographs. He then addresses the press, answering questions about his health.

35:12Copy video clip URL Blumberg talks to Charles Stephenson, who is involved in security (he works for a dignitary protection group), and can’t reveal much.

38:03Copy video clip URL Clinton Campaign Manager James Carville appears, and Blumberg asks him a couple vanilla questions. Then Clinton once again reappears to shake hands. Hillary Clinton also emerges, and she and her husband go to lunch.

46:33Copy video clip URL Blumberg chats with Tom Weinberg and Reed (the speechwriter).

49:24Copy video clip URL Tape of a picture of Clinton on the front page of the New York Times. Then a brief interview with Clinton Campaign Manager George Stephanopoulos about the debate rehearsal.

52:22Copy video clip URL Footage of Carville’s denim jacket, with Clinton’s name and a donkey imprinted on the back. Interview with Mark Miller, a Newsweek reporter. He talks about the impact of cellular phones and other new technology on the media and the campaign, and James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.

01:02:18Copy video clip URL End of tape.