[The 90’s raw: Eddie Tape #108 – Democratic convention]

Eddie Tape #108. Democratic National Convention, 1992, New York City. Becker at the 1992 Democratic National Convention, various interviews.

00:00Copy video clip URL Footage continues from Tape 10950. Videographer Eddie Becker is at the 1992 Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Betty Aberlin interviews an attendee named Natasha who works at the Associated Press with the photography crew. She says she takes the film from the photographer and runs it backstage to an AP officer who curries it to the AP for processing. Aberlin asks her how she feels about the ticket, but Natasha says she’s not sure yet who she’ll vote for. Aberlin asks her for a response to the “blonding of America.” Natasha says nothing seems different about this campaign, but she would have liked to have seen a black candidate.

02:05Copy video clip URL Aberlin asks if she were the President what would she say to the public. Natasha says “that we need to not have a capitalistic country.” She doesn’t know how to turn it around, but she would try to find a way. Natasha, who is a college student, says she plans to go into journalism.

04:57Copy video clip URL Back at the convention, Aberlin talks to a French journalist and a staffer for Congressman Alexander from Arkansas. The journalist hopes the Democrats will win. She says Clinton knows what it’s all about and that Bush doesn’t know what America needs. When asked about race relations, the journalist reminds her of the relationship between whites and American Indians. In Europe, she adds, it’s different because we are pretty much the same race.

08:45Copy video clip URL Aberlin speaks with Helen Settles from the rules committee. She ran as a Clinton delegate from Staten Island. She wants to see change made in America. She says she was across the street at a soup line. She is with a group fighting against homelessness and employment issues. She sees the ramifications of overcrowding in schools. She notes there are more homeless people now then ever before, even on Staten Island. We need a change. It’s not Ross Perot and it’s not Bush and Quayle.

13:21Copy video clip URL Interview with a journalist from Radio Antenne in Germany. He notes the convention looks like a carnival. In Germany, things like this aren’t so much fun. He says he is here to talk about the atmosphere, the Democratic agenda. He’s not sure how Clinton’s Presidential efforts, if elected, would affect Germany or Europe.

15:22Copy video clip URL  Aberlin talks with a Jerry Brown delegate from Amherst, New York. She says as a Brown delegate she doesn’t feel very welcomed. The delegate notes that for her the most important issue should be women having the freedom to make their own social and career decisions. She thinks it will help if the country can get a Democrat in office. She feels Brown doesn’t have a chance in 1992, but if he loses, she will support him for the 1996 campaign.

18:55Copy video clip URL The convention comes to order. A man slams down a gavel. Betty and the videographer comment on how few people are in attendance. A man confronts an attendee saying he is in his seat.

20:17Copy video clip URL Various shots of speakers, journalists, and convention attendees. Aberlin interviews a German journalist asking him if he thinks there are too many blondes represented in the Democratic candidates. The man responds that he is with a German news company based in Washington, DC. Various shots of the audience. The Color Guard marches on stage as part of the opening ceremony. A soldier leads the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Opera singer Marilyn Horne sings the National Anthem.  A marching band enters with a conductor. Photojournalists in press box.

31:00Copy video clip URL Interview with film director Sydney Pollack who says that he is just here to watch.

31:31Copy video clip URL A journalist commenting on the expectations of an upcoming speech of a politician.

31:59Copy video clip URL Interview with a woman called Kitty who says that if she were in charge of the country she would make national health care and education for children the priorities. Sitting in a wheelchair, she notes that she fell and broke her back five-and-a-half years ago and knows what something like that can do to a household and a family budget. She says there’s always hope for the future and that life is going to go on so we might as well make the best of it. Together, she says, we can make a difference.

34:31Copy video clip URL Interview with Bella Abzug, a former US House of Representative member. When asked what’s next for her, she responds Who knows? Maybe President. When asked what a nice girl like her is doing with an Aryan hair color (blonde) Abzug scoffs, “That’s an Aryan color? Come on!”

35:06Copy video clip URL Pat Frawley, official certified sign language interpreter says hello to camera. When asked her thoughts on the “blonding of America” Frawley says “I guess that’s all the rage.” She feels hopeful for the Democrats, thinks the country has had enough of Bush. When asked what would she do if she were Hillary Clinton, Frawley comments that she would redesign the White House.

35:56Copy video clip URL Interview with a Clinton delegate who says she’s been to every convention since 1972. This is one of the most unified conventions she’s ever seen. She hopes the Democrats take back the White House this year. Her advice to the country is “I want you to work hard, stick together, and try to pull this country at of recession so our young people can have a future.”

37:27Copy video clip URL The convention, audience members cheer and clap as a speaker delivers a speech. People hold signs. Cheer. An Asian woman is in conflict with others around her. She tries to rip a sticker off the seat. She finally settles down. The crowd. She cries out, “Why do you put labels on the chair? We stand for two hours? Why?”

40:46Copy video clip URL Jerry Brown supporters chanting and screaming to let Brown speak.

43:00Copy video clip URL A delegate from the San Francisco Bay area says, “This demonstration is our only way to be heard, that the convention wants to shut Jerry Brown down.” He says, “We’ll keep chanting as long as we can.”

44:27Copy video clip URL Interview with a man named Simon. He is demonstrating with the crowd that wants Jerry Brown to  speak. He thinks the convention should let all people speak.

46:00Copy video clip URL The convention.

46:30Copy video clip URL A journalist communicates to someone unseen using headset and microphone. He says the most news worthy events of this first day are the opening ceremony and the keynote speeches. He notes that they broadcast news 24/7 and that they are live at the convention every twenty minutes. He interviews Buck Henry who describes himself as a “sometimes comedy writer” writing for the comedy channel. He says we are live 9 to 11. When asked if he’s spoofing the convention the man responds that people have to tune in to find out.

49:50Copy video clip URL Interview with teenager Jake Smith who says his father, Gary Smith, is the producer of the convention. Jake is a volunteer running errands, and is “learning a lot.” He says one day he’d like to be a producer. He notes that his father produced the last convention in Atlanta.  He says he doesn’t feel society has put pressure on today’s children, but thinks if Clinton is elected then kids will be affected. Jake thinks America needs a change and that Clinton can do the job and the poor in the country will be affected for the better. He believes the world, with its various points of view, needs to put these multiple cultural perspective together to solve the world problems. He doesn’t think fighting solves anything. The LA riots, he says, didn’t do anything to help. He notes that he is 14-years-old. When asked if his thoughts are influenced by the media, Jake responds, “No. I think the media exaggerates a lot and blows things out of proportion.” He notes that he goes to a private school. He tells his contemporaries to keep hope for the future.

54:57Copy video clip URL The convention. A group of men talks about Jerry Brown’s supporters. He describes them as lunatics. Brian Berthiaune, a delegate from Northern California, says Brown’s people were knocking others out of chairs,  but there’s no rule here that there are “select chairs.” Another man counters and says there are rules for who sits where. He comments on the earlier commotion with the Asian woman. Berthiaune says the argument came about because the Brown people came in and put tags on some seats but not on others.  The Asian woman sat in a seat that was not labelled next to seat that was labelled for the Brown people. The men say the convention won’t let Jerry Brown speak unless he agrees to endorse Clinton. A third man, Mark Ross, says he hopes Brown speaks and thinks the Clinton people made a grievous error in not letting him speak.

58:03Copy video clip URL Rebecca Reynolds-Knight giving her name after an interview.

58:16Copy video clip URL A Brown supporter says, “We are all leaders. We all want Jerry to speak.” She affirms that the country needs a big change and Brown can do it better than Clinton. She says her group is demonstrating so that everyone, notably Brown, can have a chance to speak at the convention. A man confronts the woman and says that the whole point of the primaries is to give potential candidates a chance to speak. She counters saying that the way the primaries were done is not representative. She notes that Hispanics don’t have an equal voice in politics and do not get their fair share of our vote. The man and woman continue bickering.

01:00:04Copy video clip URL A man, Henry Mossel, enters and talks to the Brown demonstrators. He tells them that a roll call vote is coming up and when that happens we all have to say YES.

01:02:56Copy video clip URL END