[The 90’s Election Specials raw: Braun Spiaggia Fundraiser #2]

Raw footage for The 90's election specials. Carol Moseley Braun fundraiser in Chicago before the Democratic primaries. Interview with Braun's Finance Committee Chairman John Rogers and footage of Braun socializing with supporters.

00:00Copy video clip URL The tape begins with color bars, quickly followed by footage of Braun speaking with some of her supporters. One of them refers to Alan Dixon as a “sleazebag.” Braun emphasizes her confidence in her campaign. Another woman commends Braun on once lending out her condo for a cocktail party. “What a nice lady, that she loaned her condo out to a group of people she barely knew and that she was so gracious about it, and I’ll never forget that.” Braun then continues to make her rounds through the party.

03:59Copy video clip URL Braun greets a few of her constituents at a table and accidentally presumes that the two Asian individuals at the table are related in some way. Braun then quickly moves on to greet others in attendance, talking about her campaign schedule. She states that she is running an old fashioned campaign primarily focusing on word of mouth. She states that incumbent Alan Dixon, on the other hand, had been relying on television ads, something that the Braun campaign could not afford.

07:06Copy video clip URL Braun Finance Committee Chairman John Rogers introduces Braun at the gathering. “It’s just been a wonderful opportunity to work with such a first class individual, someone that is just absolutely superb in every way. She works very, very hard, she cares about everyone, and it’s time for us to open up the United States Senate and have a great black woman, Carol Moseley Braun.” Braun is welcomed with a warm applause and begins to thank everyone involved in the campaign. “Your being here tonight really is history making and I feel confident that we are going to make history in this election. We are going to elect the first hard-working, female, African-American senator from the state of Illinois on March 17th.” She says there is electricity emanating from her campaign all across the state and emphasizes the grassroots qualities of her campaign and labels it a “campaign of inclusion.” Braun recalls a story about a student from DuSable High School modeling herself after Braun. She uses the story as an example of how the country needs to change and open up and provide opportunities to all Americans.

14:55Copy video clip URL Videomaker Ray Haninia interviews Braun. “The people are ready for a change. The people are ready to have government be more supportive of working people, and I will bring, I think, to the Senate the kind of perspective that’s been locked out.” Haninia asks Braun about what people look for in a candidate and how she is different from her opponents. Braun responds by saying, “Well, as I’ve said before, one of my opponents thinks he owns the Senate seat, the other one is trying to buy it, and I’m working to earn it. I think the people want substance over sound bites in the election.” She goes on to talk about the difficulty of raising money for the campaign during a recession and her thoughts on the media labeling her the “underdog” in the campaign. “My attitude is we’re moving forward, the campaign is working, it’s really hot out there, and we’re going to win this election, underdog or no.”

19:22Copy video clip URL Videomaker Tom Weinberg asks Braun about the unfair aspects of television coverage in the campaign. She explains that in only one of the eight major media markets in Chicago, it costs $250,000 a week to be on television. “I think there’s something sad when our system has gotten to the point that it takes that kind of money to even access the electoral process.” Braun and Weinberg then discuss the difference in campaign finances between herself and her opponents. She goes on to talk about the use of campaign commercials in the election. When asked whether she watches her opponents’ commercials, Braun responds, “Why? They’re lying anyway!” She then jokes that she made a gaffe and giggles over it.

25:32Copy video clip URL Weinberg asks Braun if she feels that winning the election is an actual possibility. Braun is confident: “If idealism and being on the right side of history counts for anything, then we’ll win.”

26:19Copy video clip URL Cut to an interview with a woman who talks about her support for Braun and her views on the campaign. She is excited to vote for Braun, and has “no reservations.” She also comments on Braun’s opponents and finds it offensive that a politician is able to buy a Senate seat. She and Weinberg go on to talk about the campaign, Braun’s pro-choice views, and the possibility of Braun winning the election.

28:57Copy video clip URL The woman states that the fastest way to inform a woman about the importance of electing a woman into the Senate is by talking about Braun’s pro-choice stance. “I think that I have sort of likened choice to Vietnam and I also would liken to things that went on with the Contras. Nobody understood these terms. A lot of people didn’t understand the terms for many years and if you don’t understand the terms, there comes a point where you’re afraid to ask what it means… And I feel that by explaining the terms, then they suddenly start seeing the importance of having a woman represent them.” The woman continues to discuss her pro-choice views.

31:05Copy video clip URL Tape ends.

 

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