[ DOORBELL RINGS ]
I'M CORY BOOKER, DID YOU EVER HEAR MY NAME?
CORY BOOKER, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE HEARD OF ME,
BUT I'M THE CITY COUNCILMAN FROM THE CENTRAL WARD,
BUT NOW I'M RUNNING FOR MAYOR.
FELLAS, HOW Y'ALL DOIN?
Man: CORY BOOKER IS A 32-YEAR-OLD
FIRST TERM CITY COUNCILMAN
RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF NEWARK,
NEW JERSEY'S LARGEST CITY.
I'M COMING AFTER YOU.
Man: HE'S HOPING TO UNSEAT THE LONG TIME INCUMBENT,
SHARPE JAMES.
SO, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU USED TO LIVE IN A HOUSE
WHERE YOU COULD KEEP THE DOOR OPEN.
AND NOW YOU'RE IN A BUILDING WHERE YOU'RE NOT EVEN
I KNOW, I KNOW. IT'S OUTRAGEOUS.
YOU WANT A MILLION LOCKS ON YOUR DOOR.
WELL, THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE ISSUE,
AND NO DISRESPECT TO SHARPE JAMES,
BUT HE'S HAD 16 YEARS TO SHOW YOU WHAT HE COULD DO.
AND ANYTHING HE COULD'VE DONE, HE SHOULD'VE DONE BY NOW.
IT'S TIME FOR SOME NEW YOUNG BLOOD, OKAY?
THANK YOU. GOD BLESS YOU.
ALL RIGHT, BYE-BYE.
Man: I'VE BEEN DOCUMENTING
THE CAMPAIGN FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW,
AND I'M BEGINNING TO GET A SENSE
OF HOW MANY FORCES THERE ARE IN THIS CITY
WORKING AGAINST HIS CANDIDACY.
Man: EXCUSE ME, SIR.
HEY, HOW ARE YOU SIR?
I'M CORY BOOKER.
Man: THERE'S NOTHING ILLEGAL WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SHARPE'S PEOPLE CANVASSED HERE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.
NOW YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
BYE-BYE, NOW.
Man: WE'RE GOING TO FINISH THIS AND THEN WE'RE GOING DOWN.
THEY BROUGHT OUT THE BIG BRASS!
HOW YOU DOIN'?
IS THIS THE KIND OF SECURITY THEY GET EVERY NIGHT HERE?
[ LAUGHING ]
HOW ARE YOU DOING, MA'AM?
HOW ARE YOU? ALL RIGHT.
Man: BRINGING OUT THE DEPUTY CHF!
THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
IT'S SO IRONIC, MAN.
HERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT NEVER GETS POLICE PROTECTION.
BUT I SHOW UP AND THEY GET THE TOP BRASS!
Marshall: IN NEWARK, I'M DISCOVERING,
ELECTIONS ARE NOT ABOUT MEDIA CONSULTANTS.
THEY'RE NOT ABOUT SOUND BITES OR PHOTO OPPS.
IN NEWARK,
ELECTIONS ARE WON AND LOST IN THE STREETS.
[ TELEPHONE RINGS ]
Woman: CORY BOOKER FOR MAYOR.
Marshall: A FEW YEARS AGO,
I'D SPENT SOME TIME TEACHING IN NEWARK.
SO I WAS INTRIGUED WHEN I HEARD THE BUZZ
ABOUT THE ELECTION SHAPING UP BETWEEN BOOKER AND JAMES.
THEY'RE BOTH DEMOCRATS.
ELECTIONS IN NEWARK ARE NON-PARTISAN.
AND PEOPLE WERE SAYING IT WOULD BE A BATTLE
OVER THE FUTURE OF BLACK LEADERSHIP IN AMERICA.
BUT NO ONE WAS GIVING CORY MUCH OF A CHANCE.
WE REALLY, OUR FOCUS IS IN GRASSROOTS EFFORTS,
SO WE TRY AND SKIMP AS MUCH AS WE CAN
ON FACILITIES LIKE THIS.
SO WHAT WE'RE BASICALLY LOOKING AT
IS WHERE WE DO ALL OUR SCHEDULING,
ALL OUR FUNDRAISING OPERATION COMES OUT OF HERE.
[ TELEPHONE RINGING ]
[ HEAVY MACHINERY ]
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LIVING NEXT DOOR TO.
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY MAKING BLACK, PLASTIC BAGS.
WHEN WE FIRST MOVED INTO THAT OFFICE,
IT LOOKED LIKE THIS.
[ LOUD BUZZING ]
Woman: I HAVE TO WRITE THIS THING
IT'S SO LOUD IN HERE I GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE.
WE'RE SORT OF
PLUGGING IN A SURGE PROTECTOR TO AN OUTLET
TO AN EXTENSION CORD TO A SURGE PROTECTOR
TO SORT OF GIVE ELECTRICITY TO THE WHOLE PLACE.
THAT'S PRETTY DISGUSTING.
WHOA!
Marshall: THERE'S AN OLD JOKE IN NEWARK
THAT THE ONLY WAY AN INCUMBENT EVER LEAVES OFFICE
IS DEATH OR CONVICTION.
BUT CORY THINKS HE'S FOUND ANOTHER WAY.
Booker: I HAVE A PHILOSOPHY FOR CAMPAIGNING, WHICH IS,
I WALK EVERY STREET THAT I WANT TO REPRESENT.
ALL I'VE BEEN DOING IN THE EVENINGS IS WALKING THE STREETS
AND TALKING TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
I CAN'T EVEN SEE YOU, I'M TALKING TO A SCREEN,
BUT I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW, I'M RUNNING FOR MAYOR,
AND THE REASON WHY I'M RUNNING
THREE REASONS REAL QUICK, OKAY?
Booker: NEWARK FACES REAL CHALLENGES.
WE HAVE A MURDER RATE THAT'S TWICE THE BRONX.
WE HAVE ALMOST 1/3 OF OUR PEOPLE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
AND WE GRADUATE ONLY ABOUT 40% OF OUR KIDS FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THIS, THIS CITY CAN BE DOING
SO MUCH BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.
I'M TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR ME,
ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE FOR ME?
YEAH, I WANT TO TO VOTE FOR YOU.
YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR ME?
WHAT DOES VOTE MEAN? WHAT DOES VOTE MEAN?
IT MEANS PARTICIPATING IN DEMOCRACY,
TRYING TO MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY BETTER.
DID I TELL YOU MY ANCESTORS
COME FROM A SMALL ISLAND IN THE SOUTH OF SPAIN?
OH, REALLY?
CALLED AFRICA.
SMALL ISLAND!
A LITTLE RAIN'S NOT GOING TO STOP US, IS IT?
HOW YOU DOIN'?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT THIS LATE?
IT'S ALMOST 10:00!
Marshall: CORY LIVES IN BRICK TOWERS,
A LOW INCOME HOUSING PROJECT
IN ONE OF NEWARK'S POOREST WARDS.
IT'S THE WARD HE REPRESENTS IN THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT HE GREW UP 25 MILES AND A WORLD AWAY
IN SUBURBAN HARRINGTON PARK, NEW JERSEY.
Booker: MY PARENTS WERE VERY ACTIVE
IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
AND WE INTEGRATED AN ALL WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD
AFTER A BIG COURT FIGHT AGAINST A REAL ESTATE AGENT
THAT WOULDN'T SHOW US ANY HOUSES THERE.
I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYER,
GOT A SCHOLARSHIP TO PLAY FOOTBALL
AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY, WHERE THINGS REALLY TOOK OFF FOR ME.
Announcer: BOOKER BREAKS FREE.
15, 10, HE'LL SCORE!
TOUCHDOWN STANFORD!
Booker: TOWARDS THE END
OF MY LAW SCHOOL CAREER I MOVED TO NEWARK
TO SET UP A NON-PROFIT GOING AFTER SLUMLORDS.
BUT I GOT PULLED INTO POLITICS,
AND DECIDED TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL,
AND AMAZINGLY, WON.
AFTER I GOT ELECTED, I MOVED INTO BRICK TOWERS,
BECAUSE I WANTED TO STAY CLOSE TO THE COMMUNITY
THAT ELECTED ME.
EVERY MORNING WHEN I WOKE UP, AND WHEN I CAME HOME AT NIGHT,
I WANTED TO BE REMINDED OF THE REASONS
WHY I GOT INTO OFFICE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
HOW YOU DOIN', MR. BOOKER?
DOING VERY WELL. YOU ALL RIGHT?
YES, SIR, I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SPREAD THE WORD, ALL RIGHT?
YES, SIR.
I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOUR WORK.
MY HANDS ARE WET.
THAT'S OKAY, I'LL TAKE A WET HAND.
IT'S CORY BOOKER. I'VE MET YOU BEFORE.
OH, OKAY.
I LIKE YOU BUT I AIN'T VOTING FOR YOU.
I HOPE THEY MAKE A CHANGE, WHOEVER GETS IN.
WELL IF YOU KEEP PUTTING THE SAME PEOPLE IN THERE,
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE A CHANGE.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE SAME RESULTS.
YEAH, BUT WE BEEN HEARING THAT FOR SO LONG!
HOW OLD ARE YOU, BROTHER? I'M 41 YEARS OLD.
OKAY, FOR THE LAST 32 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE,
YOU'VE HAD THE SAME LEADERSHIP.
SHARPE JAMES HAS BEEN IN CITY HALL SINCE 1970.
WE DON'T MAKE CHANGE.
WE LET PEOPLE GET DOWN THERE AND CREATE DYNASTIES.
WE HAVE THE HIGHEST PAID CITY GOVERNMENT IN THE COUNTRY.
YOUR CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE MAKE OVER 100 G's A YEAR,
WHEN THEY PUT IN ALL THEIR PERKS.
SHARPE JAMES GOT INTO OFFICE MAKING $70,000 A YEAR, IN 1986,
HAS RAISED HIS SALARY,
NOW THE BROTHER'S MAKING OVER $200,000 A YEAR,
AND HE WASN'T SATISFIED.
THEN HE WENT OVER AND GOT ANOTHER JOB,
HE'S GOT TWO JOBS NOW.
WE'VE GOT BROTHERS LOOKING FOR ONE,
HE'S A MAYOR AND A STATE SENATOR,
MAKES ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
SO LET'S BE FOR REAL RIGHT NOW.
IF EVERY POLITICIAN WAS ON THE STREETS, OKAY,
OUT THERE REALLY FIGHTING TO MAKE REAL SOLUTIONS, OKAY,
THEY'RE LIVING IN THE
MAKE EVERY POLITICIAN LIVE IN
THE WORST NEIGHBORHOOD IN THEIR CITY,
I GUARANTEE THE CITY WOULD TURN AROUND A LOT QUICKER.
Marshall: TODAY, SHARPE JAMES IS FORMALLY
THROWING HIS HAT INTO THE RING.
THIS CAMPAIGN, FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END,
AS ALWAYS, IS A POSITIVE CAMPAIGN.
Marshall: I INTRODUCE MYSELF
TO THE CAMPAIGN'S PRESS PERSON.
I TELL HIM I'D LOVE TO SPEND SOME TIME
FOLLOWING THE MAYOR'S CAMPAIGN, AND HE SEEMS RECEPTIVE.
I'VE NEVER HEARD SHARPE JAMES SPEAK BEFORE,
BUT ONCE HE TAKES THE STAGE,
IT BECOMES OBVIOUS WHY HE'S NEVER LOST AN ELECTION.
[ UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING ]
THANK YOU.
SHARPE JAMES IS THE REAL DEAL!
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THE MAYOR
AND THE NEXT MAYOR OF THE GREAT CITY OF NEWARK,
SHARPE JAMES!
James: TODAY, I WISH TO CONTINUE TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK
TO THE CITY OF NEWARK THAT TOOK A POOR BOY,
LIVING ON HOWARD STREET AND SOUTH ORANGE AVENUE,
IN ONE ROOM WITH A POT-BELLIED STOVE,
WITH AN OUTHOUSE
IN THE BACKYARD.
ONE PAIR OF SNEAKERS, ONE PAIR OF PANTS,
ONE T-SHIRT.
AND TODAY THE POOR BOY FROM HOWARD STREET IS YOUR MAYOR
AND SEEKING RE-ELECTION.
[ CHEERING ]
LET THE WORK I'VE DONE SPEAK FOR ME.
I DON'T FEEL NO WAYS TIRED.
[ CHEERING ]
TODAY,
I OFFICIALLY DECLARE MYSELF A CANDIDATE FOR RE-ELECTION
AS MAYOR OF THE CITY
OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY!
[ CHEERING ]
Marshall: AS I FILM THE CROWD,
THE MAYOR NOTICES ME,
AND SAYS SOMETHING TO HIS SECURITY DETAIL.
SUDDENLY, I'M SURROUNDED BY FOUR PLAIN-CLOTHES POLICEMEN.
WHERE'S YOUR CAR, SIR?
I DON'T SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
I NEED TO SEE IDENTIFICATION.
Marshall: CAN I SEE SOME IDENTIFICATION FROM YOU?
YOU'RE A POLICE OFFICER? I SURE AM.
OKAY, AND SO, YOU NEED TO SEE IDENTIFICATION
FROM ME BECAUSE WHY?
WE'RE POLICE OFFICERS
AND WE NEED TO SEE SOME IDENTIFICATION,
THAT'S ALL WE WANT TO SEE.
OKAY, AND YOU'RE SURE YOU CAN
JUST ASK PEOPLE ON THE STREET FOR IDENTIFICATION?
SURE CAN.
Marshall: THEY WRITE DOWN MY HOME ADDRESS
AND LICENSE PLATE NUMBER.
I'M BAFFLED I CALL THE MAYOR'S PRESS PERSON
AND EXPLAIN AGAIN WHAT I'M DOING.
HE APOLOGIZES AND SAYS HE'LL TALK TO THE MAYOR.
BUT MY FOLLOW UP PHONE CALLS AND FAXES GO UNANSWERED.
AND I SOON DISCOVER
THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING TROUBLE
FOR SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME WITH CORY BOOKER.
Man: I OPENED THIS PLACE UP IN '97.
I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS.
UNTIL CORY BOOKER CAME TO MY HOUSE ONE NIGHT.
HE WANTED THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY
TO GET TO KNOW HIM THAT DIDN'T KNOW HIM.
SO I SUGGESTED I HAVE, LIKE, A COFFEE KLATSCHE AT MY HOUSE,
INVITE 15 OR 20 PEOPLE OVER.
SO I HAD ONE. ONE SUNDAY NIGHT,
AND LIKE I SAID, THAT MONDAY,
POLICE CAME, SAID I WAS ILLEGAL,
AND THEY CLOSED MY BUSINESS DOWN.
YOU CAN GO TO ANY PLACE IN THE CITY
AND YOU CAN FIND A VIOLATION.
Marshall: PABLO FONSECA USED TO BE THE HEAD
OF CODE ENFORCEMENT FOR THE CITY OF NEWARK.
IF YOU'RE IN THE CITY, YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL
IF YOU TAKE ON SHARPE JAMES.
EVERYTHING IS AT HIS POWER,
IS AT HIS BEHEST.
HE CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE IMPOSSIBLE.
Marshall: HE WAS ALSO SHARPE JAMES' CAMPAIGN MANAGER
IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY.
Fonseca: TWO YEARS AGO, I SUPPORTED A CANDIDATE
SHARPE JAMES DID NOT LIKE AND DID NOT BACK.
AND EVEN THOUGH I WAS PROTECTED BY CIVIL SERVICE,
HE BROUGHT ME UP ON CHARGES AND DEMOTED ME.
FROM SUPERVISING A $4 MILLION BUDGET
TO SUPERVISING TWO PEOPLE IN A SANITATION GARAGE.
THAT'S A REALITY CHECK ON POLITICS,
THAT'S POLITICS 101!
AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW,
WOW, WHAT THE HELL?
I SUED THE ADMINISTRATION, AND WON,
AND I JOINED THE BOOKER TEAM.
Marshall: JIMMY MITCHELL JOINED THE BOOKER CAMPAIGN, TOO,
AS CORY'S DRIVER.
BUT FOR MOST PEOPLE, THEIR BUSINESSES COME FIRST.
THEY SENT CODE ENFORCEMENT DOWN TO BERGEN STREET
TO BASICALLY THREATEN FOLKS AND SAY,
IF YOU PUT UP A CORY BOOKER SIGN YOU'LL FACE THE CONSEQUENCES.
AND HAVING CODE ENFORCEMENT DELIVER THAT MESSAGE,
YOU KNOW, IS PRETTY PERSUASIVE.
Marshall: OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS,
I MEET A POLICEMAN,
WHOSE SUPPORT FOR BOOKER GOT HIM TRANSFERRED
TO NIGHT PATROL IN A DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD.
A MINISTER, WHOSE CHURCH WAS THREATENED BY CODE ENFORCEMENT
AFTER HE CRITICIZED THE MAYOR.
A WOMAN, WHO FEARS SHE'LL LOSE HER PUBLIC HOUSING,
IF SHE HANGS A BOOKER SIGN IN HER WINDOW.
PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN, PEOPLE HAVE HOUSES AND MORTGAGES
AND RENT TO PAY AND FOOD TO BUY,
WHY ARE YOU FIRING SOMEBODY
BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR YOU?
THAT'S THEIR GOD GIVEN RIGHT.
THEY'RE BORN IN AMERICA,
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR WHO YOU WANT TO.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
AND WHEN YOU TAKE THAT FROM SOMEBODY,
AND THE LAW DOESN'T STAND UP FOR IT
AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT,
THERE'S SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG.
JUST ON THIS SCHEDULE, LIKE TONIGHT'S FUNDRAISER.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE JIMMY WRIGHT'S NAME ON IT,
IF SOMEONE PICKS THIS UP, GUY,
JIMMY WRIGHT'S ASS IS GOING TO BE AT CELL BLOCK
24 HOURS A DAY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE PUTTING A LOT ON THE LINE FOR US,
THAT IF SHARPE HAS ANY IDEA,
YOU KNOW, HE WILL CRUSH THESE PEOPLE.
DRUG DEALERS DON'T OWN THIS CITY, WE DO.
YEAH.
DRUG DEALERS DON'T OWN THIS CITY, WE DO.
Marshall: THE POLLS SHOW THAT CORY'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE
IS NAME RECOGNITION.
SO HE'S OUTSIDE HIS BUILDING, TRYING TO CREATE A BOOKER BRAND.
I THOUGHT WE WERE JUST BRINGING THE CAMCORDER OUT!
Man: JUNIOR!
CAN I HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE, JUNIOR?
AW, COME ON, I JUST WOKE UP!
ANOTHER DAY.
OKAY, WE GOT A SHOT HERE, JUNIOR, TELL ME HOW I DO.
I'M CORY BOOKER. IT'S TIME THAT WE PUT
AH! I APOLOGIZE.
Man: THAT'S OKAY.
I'M CORY BOOKER.
AND I'M BUTT COLD RIGHT NOW.
OKAY, HERE WE GO!
QUIET PLEASE.
REAL JOBS, REAL SAFETY, REAL PROGRESS.
OUR MAYOR, SHARPE JAMES.
THE REAL DEAL.
Marshall: SHARPE JAMES IS PUSHING HIS STORY AS WELL.
HE GREW UP IN NEWARK,
SERVED IN THE ARMY,
AND TAUGHT GYM AT A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL.
IN 1970, AT THE AGE OF 34,
HE WAS ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
HE SERVED 16 YEARS,
AND THEN, RUNNING AS A REFORMER, HE WAS ELECTED MAYOR.
BUT IN THE '90s, CORRUPTION SCANDALS PLAGUED HIS OFFICE,
TAKING DOWN HIS CLOSEST AIDES,
INCLUDING HIS CHF OF POLICE AND HIS CHF OF STAFF
WHO WAS CAUGHT WITH BAGS OF MONEY UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS.
SHARPE WEATHERED THE STORM, THOUGH.
HE WAS FUNNY, AND AN ENERGETIC BOOSTER FOR THE CITY.
NEW BUILDINGS WENT UP IN THE DOWNTOWN,
A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STADIUM.
AND SHARPE JAMES GAINED A REPUTATION
FOR CREATING A RENAISSANCE IN NEWARK.
Crowd: FIVE, FOUR,
THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO!
[ EXPLOSION ]
James: THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR NEWARK.
WE HEARD CHEERS WHEN IT CAME DOWN,
BECAUSE WHAT WILL GO UP WILL BE PART OF A NEW NEWARK,
AND A NEW AMERICA,
AND NEW DREAMS AND NEW HOPES.
Booker: WHAT THIS CITY IS DOING
IS DESTROYING HOMES FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE
AND DISPLACING THEM,
AND NOT PROVIDING PLACES FOR THEM TO LIVE.
IN THE LAST 10 YEARS,
10,200 HOMES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED
AND ONLY 2,500 HOMES
HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
CORY BOOKER DOES NOT HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THIS CITY.
HE DOESN'T OWN ANYTHING.
HE'S A JOHNNY-COME-LATELY.
HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS OF THIS TOWN.
AND JUST BECAUSE
YOU COME IN AS SOME GOLDEN BOY,
AND YOU HAPPEN TO GET LUCKY AND WIN ONE ELECTION,
DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU'VE GOT A HANDLE ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, AND HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN OUR CITY,
KNOW THAT SHARPE JAMES IS DOING A GREAT JOB FOR THIS CITY.
SHARPE JAMES TRYING TO GET CREDIT
FOR SOMETHING HE DIDN'T EVEN DO! HE AIN'T NOTHING!
IF HE WAS RIGHT HERE I'D TELL HIM IN HIS FACE!
OKAY, LET'S DON'T BLAME THIS ON SHARPE,
'CAUSE I KNOW WHAT'S ALREADY HERE,
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GETTING IF BOOKER GETS IN.
WHY YOU WANT TO BLAME IT ON SHARPE?
CORY'S A COUNCILMAN.
IF HE COULDN'T DO IT IN THE CENTRAL WARD
RIGHT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD!
SHARPE JONES! SHARPE JONES
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE BLAMING
SHARPE JONES
[ Shouting ] SHARPE! SHARPE! SHARPE! SHARPE!
[ Shouting ] BOOKER! BOOKER! BOOKER! BOOKER!
YES, MR. SIMON?
THIS IS CAROLYN BOOKER, I'M THE MOTHER OF CORY BOOKER.
Marshall: CORY'S PARENTS HAVE COME TO TOWN
FOR THE REST OF THE CAMPAIGN.
THE REASON FOR MY CALL IS SIMPLY TO SAY THANK YOU
FOR SUPPORTING CORY'S CAMPAIGN.
Marshall: I KNEW THEY HAD RAISED CORY AND HIS BROTHER
IN A COMFORTABLE SUBURB,
SO I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED WHEN I LEARNED MORE ABOUT THEM.
Booker: MY DAD WAS BORN VERY POOR,
TO A SINGLE PARENT IN THE SOUTH.
YOU KNOW, HE HAD A TOUGH, TOUGH CHILDHOOD.
YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN '36
TO BE BORN WHEN THEY CALLED IT AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD.
REALLY A SELF-MADE MAN.
AND REALLY WHAT I'M DOING IS AS A RESULT
OF MY PARENTS' GUIDANCE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK ME,
WHO IS THIS BOY WITH A RHODES SCHOLARSHIP
AND A YALE LAW
WHY WOULD HE WANT TO COME TO NEWARK?
MY FATHER GREW UP IN NORTH CAROLINA.
HE STILL HAS PHYSICAL SCARS ON HIS BODY
FROM BEING CAUGHT BY THE WHITE CITIZENS COUNCIL IN THAT TOWN
ON THE WRONG SIDE OF TOWN AFTER DARK.
IN '61 WHEN THE SIT-IN MOVEMENT STARTED IN NORTH CAROLINA,
MY FATHER WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE
ON THE STOOLS BEING KICKED, BRUISED RIBS,
BEING HURT BASICALLY IN THAT SIT-IN MOVEMENT.
BACK IN THE LATER '60s,
MY PARENTS WERE THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICANS
IN THE ENTIRE NORTHEASTERN SEABOARD TO BE HIRED BY IBM.
MY MOM WAS FIRST, MY DAD SOON BECAME THE FIRST BLACK SALESMAN,
HAS THESE AWFUL STORIES ABOUT MAKING SALES CALLS
AND PEOPLE RIPPING UP HIS CARD AND SAYING, YOU TELL IBM
NOT TO SEND ANY MORE NIGGER SALESMAN OUT HERE.
MY PARENTS TOLD ME,
TO HE WHO MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS EXPECTED.
AND THEY EXPECTED THEIR TWO CHILDREN
TO BE A PART OF THE STRUGGLE.
AND I BELIEVE IN MY HEART, THAT NEWARK, NEW JERSEY,
AND CITIES LIKE IT ARE THE FRONTIERS OF THE AMERICAN DREAM,
AND THAT WE AS AFRICAN AMERICANS AND WE AS AMERICANS PERIOD
HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO FIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M DOING THIS.
[ UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING ]
HELLO, EVERYBODY!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, I'M RUNNING TODAY,
BUT I HAD TO COME THROUGH HERE
AND SPREAD SOME LOVE.
WE HAVE SOME GIFTS TO GIVE OUT TO EVERYBODY DOWN HERE.
Marshall: IN NEWARK,
GIVING STUFF AWAY IS A BIG PART OF CAMPAIGNING.
THERE'S A SAYING
"IF YOU FEED 'EM, YOU CAN LEAD 'EM."
AND CANDIDATES HOST CHICKEN DINNERS,
CHARTER BUSES TO ATLANTIC CITY,
GIVE AWAY FLOWERS OR PERFUME, POT HOLDERS,
OR TICKETS TO CONCERTS OR THE CIRCUS.
AND IT MATTERS.
ONE WOMAN TOLD ME SHE WASN'T GOING TO VOTE FOR CORY,
BECAUSE THE MOTHER'S DAY CARD
THAT HIS OFFICE SENT OUT LAST YEAR
WAS CHEAP LOOKING COMPARED TO SHARPE'S.
IN HIS FIRST FEW YEARS IN OFFICE,
CORY TRIED TO DEFY THAT SYSTEM,
BUT HE'S BEEN GETTING MORE REALISTIC.
SO, WE'LL SHARPE'S?
SHARPE'S IS THIS SATURDAY.
WHAT IS HE DOING?
HE'S DOING BINGO AND BREAKFAST.
SAUSAGE, HOME FRIES, EGGS.
OUR MISTAKE IN THE LAST APPEARANCES
HAS NOT BEEN TO PUBLICIZE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE MAJOR FOOD.
THE FOOD,
NO BRAINER, LET'S DO IT.
OKAY. LET'S JUST FEED.
I'D RATHER WIN AND OWE $100,000,
THAN LOSE FOR NOT SPENDING $100,000.
AND THE CHECK THERE, IS THAT FROM YOU?
OR IS THAT FROM
Marshall: EVERY DAY, CORY SPENDS AN HOUR OR TWO
SHAKING DOWN HIS FRIENDS,
AND THEIR FRIENDS, AND THEIR FRIENDS.
PEOPLE HE KNOWS FROM STANFORD AND YALE,
FROM NEWARK, AND NEW YORK, AND CALIFORNIA.
TO BE COMPETITIVE, THEY THINK THEY'LL HAVE TO RAISE $15,000
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SHOW ME THE MONEY! WHERE'S THE MONEY?
AND THE CHECK IS MADE OUT TO "FRIENDS OF CORY BOOKER"?
Booker: IN OUR GENERATION,
I SEE THAT WILLINGNESS TO MAKE A SACRIFICE
TO MAKE THIS NATION WHAT IT HAS NOT BEEN YET.
TO MAKE IT REAL FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF ITS CITIZENS.
THE THINGS THAT WE BRAG ABOUT,
BUILDINGS IN THE DOWNTOWN,
THEY ARESYMBOLS OF A RENAISSANCE,
BUT NOT THESUBSTANCE
OF A RENAISSANCE.
DAVID DID BEAT GOLIATH!
OKAY?
ALI DID UPSET GEORGE FOREMAN!
AND ON MAY 14th,
WE NOT ME
WE, WE, ARE GOING TO UPSET SHARPE JAMES.
[ CHEERING ]
Marshall: IT'S MONDAY MORNING,
AND EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT "SIGHTS."
Man: WE'RE THE ONLY NUDE CLUB,
NUDE DANCING CLUB, IN NEWARK.
Marshall: LAST NIGHT, A VICE RAID
LOOKING FOR DRUGS AND PROSTITUTION,
DISCOVERED A 16-YEAR-OLD STRIPPER WORKING AT THE CLUB.
THEY ALSO FOUND A YOUNG MAN IN LINE, OUTSIDE,
NAMED JERMAINE JAMES.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, KNOWING WHO JERMAINE JAMES WAS,
TOLD THE MAYOR.
THE MAYOR, WHAT I UNDERSTAND,
TOLD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE.
WHOA!
UH-OH.
WHOA.
Moses: JERMAINE JAMES TURNS OUT TO BE
CORY BOOKER'S CHF OF STAFF.
I PICKED UP MY PHONE THAT MORNING
AND I MUST HAVE HAD LIKE 20 MESSAGES,
JUST FRUSTRATED SUPPORTERS,
JUST ANGRY.
WHAT DO WE SAY? HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD?
FUMBLE!
EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO OFF CAMERA.
I'LL BE DOWN IN A SECOND.
Marshall: IT'S A MAJOR BLOW TO THE CAMPAIGN.
AND THEY WON'T LET ME FILM THE MEETING
WHERE THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.
SHARPE JAMES EMBELLISHES THE STORY A BIT,
AND THEN HAMMERS THEM WITH IT ALL OVER THE CITY.
IF ANY MEMBER OF MY STAFF
FREQUENTED A PLACE
OF PROSTITUTION AND NARCOTICS,
THAT'S ILLEGAL IN THE CITY OF NEWARK,
WHERE 14-YEAR-OLDS ARE DOING LIVE SEX ACTS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO TOUCH 'EM,
I'M STILL GOING TO FIRE THEM!
[ CHEERING ]
SHARPE DID A MASS MAILING ON IT.
EVERYBODY GOT IT YESTERDAY.
Marshall: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
DON'T LET IT TAKE OVER THE CAMPAIGN.
STICK TO THE ISSUES. WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT.
Marshall: CORY IS A VEGETARIAN,
WHO DOESN'T DRINK OR SMOKE,
AND RARELY EVEN SWEARS.
BUT ONE OF THE RISKS OF RUNNING A CHOIR BOY CAMPAIGN
IS THAT IF YOU STUMBLE, YOU FALL HARD.
AS I'VE SPENT MORE TIME IN THE CITY,
I FOUND THAT THERE'S A SIDE OF NEWARK
THAT MOST OUTSIDERS DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
A NEWARK OF HOMES WITH LAWNS,
OF PARKS, AND MIDDLE CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS,
AND MANY NEWARKERS SEE SHARPE'S IMPROVEMENTS DOWNTOWN
AS AN EXPANSION OF THAT.
Man: HE'S CHANGED THIS TOWN.
HE'S CHANGED THE PERCEPTION OF THIS TOWN.
AND IF YOU WALK AROUND THIS TOWN,
IF YOU'RE FROM HERE, YOU CAN SEE IT.
IT'S GOTTEN BETTER, EVERY DAY, OVER THE LAST 16 YEARS.
AND IT'S GOING TO GET BETTER TOMORROW,
THE NEXT DAY AFTER THAT, IT'S GETTING BETTER.
Marshall: IT'S CLEAR THAT THE NEWARK OF TODAY
IS NOT THE NEWARK OF 1986, WHEN SHARPE JAMES TOOK OFFICE.
BUT IT'S ALMOST AS IF THERE ARE TWO NEWARKS.
ONE, WHERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH RELENTLESS POVERTY
AND CRIME AND POOR SCHOOLS YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND ANOTHER, WHERE A PROUD PHOENIX
IS RISING FROM THE ASHES.
THE QUESTION IS,
WHEN VOTERS GO TO THE POLLS IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS,
WHICH NEWARK WILL THEY BE THINKING OF?
I'VE CONTINUED CALLING AND FAXING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE,
ASKING TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM, BUT NO LUCK.
SO I GO TO ONE OF HIS PUBLIC APPEARANCES,
IN THE PORTUGUESE DISTRICT.
Man: EVERYBODY, LET'S WELCOME OUR MAYOR.
THE GREAT MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEWARK,
THE HONORABLE SHARPE JAMES!
HEY, PARTNER, HOW'S MY DATE?
HOW ARE YOU?
I GET TIRED OF PEOPLE COMING TO NEWARK,
MOVING THEIR FAMILY HERE, AND THEN SAYING
"YOU KNOW, NEWARK IS SO TERRIBLE,
"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE, YOUR SKY GOING TO FALL OUT,
YOU GOING TO GO IN QUICKSAND."
BUT THEY MOVE HERE, WHY?
A POLITICAL AGENDA.
STOP THAT NONSENSE.
WE'VE BEEN HERE DURING BAD TIMES, GOOD TIMES,
AND WE'RE GOING TO STAY HERE DURING IMPROVED TIMES.
WE AIN'T GOING NOWHERE.
AND WE DON'T NEED NO CARPET BAGGERS COMING IN HERE
TELLING US HOW BAD WE ARE.
STAY OUT!
IT'S A GREAT DAY, DON'T LET ME GET STARTED.
BOY, I DRANK SOME OF THAT WINE,
THEY GAVE ME SOME PORTO WINE, I'M IN TROUBLE NOW.
WHERE IS IT, THEY TOOK IT AWAY FROM ME.
I'M QUITTING.
BESSY AND GALE TOLD ME STOP TALKIN' NOW,
THE WINE BEGINNING TO WORK.
THAT PORTO WINE IS TOO MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LET'S GO BOW WOW.
MAYOR, LOOK AT THESE GUYS.
HEY, RIGHT HERE, TWINS.
WHO YOU TAKING PICTURES FOR, MAN?
THAT'S A VOTE FOR CORY BOOKER MAN.
YEAH, KILL YOUR FILM. YOU FILM EVERYBODY ELSE BUT HIM,
DON'T YOU JUST FILM
FILM THEM, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FILM HIM.
HE DON'T WANT YOU.
HE'S THE MAYOR OF THE CITY, I'M ALLOWED TO FILM HIM.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FILM HIM.
HE'S THE MAYOR OF THE CITY AND I'M ALLOWED TO FILM HIM.
LET GO OF MY CAMERA!
I'M ASKING YOU NOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
I'M JUST ASKING YOU NOT TO FILM HIM.
I'M ALLOWED TO FILM HIM.
HE DON'T WANT TO BE ON YOUR FILM.
IT DOESN'T MATTER. HE'S THE MAYOR OF THE CITY.
Marshall: I'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE.
OKAY, STILL, THOSE GUYS?
I MEAN, I'VE HAD MY CAMERA GRABBED BY SECURITY PEOPLE,
AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I WILL TRY AND TALK TO HIM.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST YOU,
I'VE HAD "THE LEDGER" AND "THE TIMES,"
IT'S LIKE, I'VE HAD TO GO LIKE
AND THE PROBLEM IS I DON'T REALLY KNOW HIM TOO WELL,
I WISH I HAD STARTED UP HERE SOONER
SO THAT I COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO WORK UP A RAPPORT,
AND IT'S JUST,
YOU KNOW, JUST IDIOTIC.
IT'S ALSO COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
IT MAKES US LOOK TERRIBLE, I THINK.
AND THE REST OF THE PRESS SEES IT.
IT MAKES US LOOK PARANOID, TOO.
BUT THESE GUYS, I TELL YOU, THEY ARE,
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT,
THEY GOT THIS THING ABOUT THE PRESS,
THEY SEE IT AS LIKE A CONSPIRACY,
IT'S JUST BEEN SO FRUSTRATING.
SO I DO HAVE TO TRY TO GRAB HIM AND TALK TO HIM.
[ HIP-HOP MUSIC, HONKING ]
Man: EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP!
WE DON'T WANT NOBODY PRACTICING ON NEWARK!
WE NEED SOMEONE THAT KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON IN NEWARK.
WE NEED SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN HERE
SINCE 1967 RIOTS.
CORY BOOKER, BABY, CORY BOOKER!
WE NEED EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP.
EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP.
Man: IT HAPPENED SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER 10:30.
WE HAD THE POLICE COME OUT
AND THEY DUSTED THE WHOLE WINDOW FOR FINGERPRINTS.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THE DAMAGE.
THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED, EDIE REACHED FOR THE TELEPHONE,
AND THERE WAS NO TELEPHONE.
SHE FELT THE DRAFT, WALKED BACK HERE,
AND SAW EVERYTHING OPENED UP AND SHE REALIZED
THAT WE HAD BEEN BROKEN INTO AND ROBBED.
SO THEY TOOK A RADIO,
TWO TELEPHONES THEY RIPPED OFF THE WALL.
BUT WHAT REALLY BOTHERED US
IS THEY GOT TWO BOOKS WORTH OF INFORMATION, TWO DISTRICTS,
AND THEY KNOW WHO'S A BOOKER, WHO'S A JAMES, WHO'S UNDECIDED,
ALL THAT STUFF.
AND THAT'S VALUABLE, SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
WE HAVE IT BACKED UP, BUT STILL, THEY HAVE IT NOW.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS
ACTUALLY SUGGESTED THAT WE
HAVE THE WHOLE TRAILER SWEPT FOR LISTENING DEVICES.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND
WE HAVE SOMEBODY COMING IN TO DO THAT NOW.
Marshall: SWEEPING FOR BUGS SEEMED A BIT PARANOID TO ME,
UNTIL SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT WHEN CORY WAS FIRST ELECTED,
IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT HIS HOME PHONE
WAS BEING TAPPED BY THE POLICE.
THE POLICE INSISTED IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE,
BUT IT STILL LINGERS IN THE BACK OF PEOPLE'S MINDS.
THIS MORNING,
"SIGHTS" IS BACK IN THE NEWS.
I HAD HEARD THAT SHARPE JAMES
SAID IN HIS RE-ELECTION SPEECH
THAT HE WOULD FIRE ANYONE IN HIS STAFF
WHO WENT TO PLACES OF ILL REPUTE I THINK HE CALLED IT.
AND, YOU KNOW,
HE WAS BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT "SIGHTS."
I THINK WE HAVE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE,
TO OUR CHILDREN, TO OUR CITY!
IT IS WRONG TO FREQUENT HOUSES OF ILL REPUTE!
Wilson: YOU GOT TO HAVE A LOT OF BALLS
TO STAND UP WITH THE GOVERNOR, STATE SENATORS,
CONGRESSMEN SITTING BEHIND YOU,
AND MAKE IT SOUND AS THOUGH YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO A PLACE
THAT YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN TO.
MAYOR SHARPE JAMES SAT
RIGHT THERE AT A TABLE,
DRINKING SNAPPLE,
WATCHING A DANCER ON STAGE DANCING,
HE WAS HERE HIMSELF.
WERE YOU IN THE CLUB, OR NOT IN THE CLUB?
WE ARE TOO SMART TO DIGNIFY THAT.
NEWARK MAYOR SHARPE JAMES
TODAY REFUSED TO ANSWER REPEATED QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHETHER HE VISITED A STRIP CLUB.
WHEN A REPORTER ASKED HIM IF THAT WAS TRUE TODAY,
THE MAYOR LASHED OUT.
I DISMISSED YOU!
WHO YOU THINK YOU'RE éLING AT!
WHO YOU THINK YOU'RE éLING AT?
HEY, YOUNG MAN, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE éLING AT AS A REPORTER!
WHO YOU THINK YOU'RE éLING AT?
YOU BETTER SHOW SOME RESPECT!
MAYOR JAMES SAYS THAT THE ONLY TIME
HE WENT TO THE CLUB WAS WHEN POLICE RAIDED IT.
LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING HERE,
YOU GOT THE "IT WASN'T ME!"
IN THAT CLUB?
WHAT?
HE SAYING HE WASN'T IN THAT CLUB?
YEAH, JUST READ THIS.
WELL, DIDN'T YOU SEE HIM ON CHANNEL 11 THAT NIGHT?
OH, WHEN HE GOT CRAZY?
HE GOT UP THERE, AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS IN THERE,
BUT TO SEE WHAT HE COULD DO ABOUT CLOSING IT DOWN.
Marshall: SHARPE JAMES MADE A SPEECH AT A BARBECUE
HE HOSTED FOR A HOUSING PROJECT LAST NIGHT.
OH, YEAH, AND THEN HE CALLED
CORY LAST NIGHT, "BABY FACE."
Man: SHARPE DID? YEAH.
"BABY FACE IS A SNAKE, DON'T TRUST HIM."
AND I WAS SO MAD I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IN THE WORLD TO DO.
YEAH,
HE HAD 'EM ALL FOOLED LAST NIGHT.
YOU WERE THERE? YEAH, I LIVE HERE.
YOU HEARD HIM SAY IT? YES!
THAT'S WHAT CAME OUT IN THE BUILDING TODAY.
WHITE REPUBLICAN.
HE GAVE THAT OUT LAST NIGHT TO EVERYBODY.
Man: UNBELIEVABLE.
Marshall: THEY BRUSH ASIDE THE REPUBLICAN STUFF,
BUT THE WHITE COMMENT STINGS.
AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLACK
IS NOW BECOMING A MAJOR CAMPAIGN ISSUE OUT IN THE STREETS.
THE DIVISION, I MEAN, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TELLING PEOPLE,
THEY WERE SAYING "OH, CORY'S LIGHT SKINNED.
OH, HE'S ALMOST WHITE."
I'M LIKE, THIS IS WHAT HAS KEPT US,
ALL THIS TIME, SEPARATED AND DIVIDED AMONGST OURSELVES.
THE RACIST COMMENTS THAT WERE COMING FROM THE BLACK PEOPLE.
AN OLDER LADY WALKS UP TO MY CAR AND SAYS,
"WHO ARE YOU VOTING FOR, THE WHITE MAN OR THE BLACK MAN?"
I SAID, "I'M VOTING FOR CORY BOOKER."
THEY'RE MAD AT CORY
BECAUSE HIS MOTHER WAS ABLE TO GIVE HIM A GOOD EDUCATION,
BECAUSE HE WASN'T RAISED IN THE PROJECTS.
SO WHAT? YOU KNOW, HE'S STILL BLACK.
IF MY MOTHER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO RAISE ME IN A BETTER ENVIRONMENT
AND GIVE ME A GOOD EDUCATION,
I'M SURE SHE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT.
BUT YOU CAN'T BE MAD AT HIM BECAUSE HE'S MAKING IT,
YOU CAN'T BE MADE AT HIM BECAUSE HE HAS A VISION,
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?
YOU CAN'T BE MAD AT THAT.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO JUST SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT,
LET'S MAKE IT SO ALL OUR CHILDREN CAN BE THAT WAY.
WHY PLAY A HATE ON HIM BECAUSE HE'S DOING WELL?
STUPID, IT'S JUST STUPID.
Marshall: SHARPE IS QUOTED CALLING CORY
"A FAGGOT WHITE BOY," AND TELLING AUDIENCES
THAT HE TAKES MONEY FROM THE KU KLUX KLAN.
ON "THE TODAY SHOW" HE SAYS THAT
CORY, A BAPTIST, IS ACTUALLY JEWISH.
James: HE WENT TO STANFORD AND HE'S JEWISH.
HE TELLS THE STORY ABOUT HIS GRADUATION
WHERE HE COULDN'T DATE A WHITE GIRL.
Marshall: HE ALSO SAYS OF CORY,
"YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO BE AFRICAN-AMERICAN,
AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO TRAIN YOU."
AND ALL THIS IS JUST WHEN HE'S SPEAKING ON THE RECORD.
WE ASK OUR BLACK CHILDREN TO GET EDUCATED.
AND THEY DO, AND WE CALL THEM WHITE.
THAT'S SAD.
IT'S TRULY SAD.
AND TO BELIEVE THAT, IT'S NOT THAT SHARPE DID THAT,
THAT'S DIRTY, THAT'S LOW.
SHARPE IS A LOW INDIVIDUAL.
FOR THEM TO BELIEVE IT!
AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS?
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN THROUGH
SOME OF THEM WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE '60s.
THAT'S A DISGRACE
TO MARTIN LUTHER KING, TO MALCOLM X,
TO MEDGAR EVERS,
AND ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY
WHO WORKED LIKE A DEMON
TO GET US BEYOND THAT.
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT, A REALLY SAD ATTEMPT BY SHARPE JAMES
TO RACIALIZE THIS CAMPAIGN
AND IGNORE, DISTRACT PEOPLE FROM WHAT THE REAL ISSUES ARE
SAFETY, SECURITY, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND GOOD SCHOOLS.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, I'M AN AFRICAN AMERICAN
WHO HAS BENEFITED FROM A LEGACY OF STRUGGLE IN OUR COUNTRY,
I'M AN AFRICAN AMERICAN
WHO BENEFITED FROM MY PARENTS' GENERATION,
WHO MARCHED FOR ME, WHO SAT IN FOR ME,
LITERALLY BLED THAT SOUTHERN SOIL RED FOR ME.
I HAVE BEEN TOLD
BY MY FAMILY NEVER TO FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM,
AND THE STRUGGLES THAT GOT YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE.
MY GRANDFATHER WHO PASSED AWAY DURING THIS ELECTION,
THE DAY I GOT MY DIPLOMA FROM YALE LAW SCHOOL,
GRABBED ME BY THE ARM, AND SAID "DON'T YOU EVER FORGET THAT
"THAT DIPLOMA YOU'RE HOLDING WAS PAID FOR
"IN THE BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS OF YOUR ANCESTORS.
"AND IF YOU WANT TO PROVE WORTHY OF THAT STRUGGLE,
"THEN YOU MUST CONTINUE IT.
"IF YOU WANT TO BE PROVED WORTHY OF THAT LEGACY
THEN YOU MUST ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK."
SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, ALL RIGHT?
THANKS, MAN, GOD BLESS YOU.
MY VOICE IS SHOT.
Marshall: CORY IS SPENDING MORE HOURS
EVERY DAY KNOCKING ON DOORS.
OH, WATCH YOUR HEAD, DON'T HIT YOUR HEAD!
OH, YOU HIT YOUR HEAD.
WHAT'S UP, BIG MAN?
Woman: TELL MR. BOOKER TO HELP MOMMY GET A JOB
SO WE CAN GET OUT OF HERE, IT'S NOT SAFE.
LISTEN, MOMMY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS,
WE'RE GOING TO DEFINITELY FIGHT
TO HELP PEOPLE GET MORE EMPLOYMENT.
WE'RE GOING TO WIN THIS CAMPAIGN IN THE STREETS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO WIN THIS CAMPAIGN ON T.V.,
WE'RE NOT GOING TO WIN THIS CAMPAIGN ON RADIO.
WE'RE GOING TO WIN THIS CAMPAIGN IN THE STREETS.
Man: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!
Crowd: TIME FOR CHANGE!
IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE!
Marshall: THE CROWDS AT CAMPAIGN EVENTS
ARE GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER.
Booker: WELL, IT'S TIME
THAT WE PULL TOGETHER.
BLACK NEWARKER, WHITE NEWARKER,
PORTUGUESE, BRAZILIAN,
PUERTO RICAN, OLD, YOUNG!
WE NEED TO BE UNIFIED, BECAUSE IN UNITY THERE IS STRENGTH.
THERE'S AN OLD AFRICAN SAYING THAT SAYS,
"STICKS IN A BUNDLE CAN'T BE BROKEN."
Marshall: BUT THE BIGGER THE RALLY, THE BIGGER THE BILL.
AND EVERYTHING REQUIRES MORE FUNDRAISING.
YOU AIN'T SEEN THIS ROOM? LET ME SHOW YOU THIS ROOM.
IT'S BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME AS "THE CARD ROOM."
CAN YOU STEP IN HERE, MR. BOOKER.
CAN YOU IMAGINE PLAYING CARDS
WITH THREE OF YOUR FRIENDS?
IN HERE?
IN HERE.
SURE.
THIS IS A NICE ROOM.
SURE, YOU WANT TO PLAY SOME CARDS?
WANT TO ROLL A LITTLE DICE?
[ LAUGHING ]
Booker: THE PEOPLE OF THIS TOWN REALLY HAVE AMAZED ME.
AND MAYBE YOU REALIZE MORE THAN ANY OTHER PLACE,
THE TRUTH OF WHAT MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID,
THAT WE ARE ALL CAUGHT
IN AN INESCAPABLE NETWORK OF MUTUALITY,
TIED IN A COMMON GARMENT OF DESTINY.
THAT INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE.
JIMMY? YES, SIR?
THERE ARE RICH PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD.
THEY LIVE IN SOME VERY LARGE HOUSES!
I HAD TO CALL MY
WHEN I FLUSHED THE TOILET, AND IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY NOISE.
[ LAUGHING ]
I SAID, I GOT TO TELL MY GIRLFRIEND ABOUT THIS.
WHAT DID JOB SAY, "NAKED, I CAME INTO THE WORLD
AND NAKED I SHALL LEAVE."
DOES YOUR TOILET MAKE A SOUND?
[ LAUGHING ]
Woman: HOW ARE YOU DOING, CORY?
I'M DOING REALLY WELL!
Man: HEY, YOU SEE THE TOTAL FOR TODAY?
WHAT WAS THE TOTAL FOR TODAY?
64.
Marshall: THAT'S $64,000 FOR THE DAY.
PRETTY DAMN GOOD.
Marshall: CORY'S FUNDRAISING EFFORT
HAS MANAGED TO PASS SHARPE'S.
THEIR FILINGS WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHOW THAT EACH SIDE
HAS RAISED BETWEEN $2.5 AND $3 MILLION,
WHICH SHOULD BE A HUGE BOOST FOR CORY.
IT SHOWS THAT HE'S A REAL COMPETITOR.
BUT SHARPE HAS MANAGED TO TURN THIS ADVANTAGE
INTO A DISADVANTAGE.
EVERYWHERE HE GOES, HE'S SAYING THAT CORY HAS RAISED
$10 MILLION, NOT THREE,
AND IS TRYING TO BUY THE ELECTION.
$10 MILLION CAN BUY A LOT OF VOTES.
WHY DOES CORY BOOKER, AFTER FOUR YEARS IN NEWARK,
HAVE $10 MILLION?
IF MONEY CAN BUY AN ELECTION,
THEN IT WILL.
BUT WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING IN NEWARK,
NEWARK IS NOT FOR SALE.
BOOKER CAN'T BUY THIS!
All: NEWARK IS NOT FOR SALE!
Booker: SHARPE HAS THIS AMAZING ABILITY
TO TELL A LIE SO MANY TIMES
THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE TRUTH.
IF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY
IS SAYING THIS,
SORT OF PUTS SOME VERACITY IN IT.
Marshall: EVEN I BEGAN TO WONDER
WHETHER PERHAPS I WAS BEING SPUN BY THE BOOKER FOLKS.
SO I CONFIRMED BY LOOKING ONLINE.
IT'S ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION ON A GOVERNMENT WEBSITE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE $10 MILLION?
Marshall: BUT IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER
OF HOW MUCH MONEY THERE IS, IT'S ALSO WHERE IT COMES FROM.
AN ANONYMOUS FLYER GOES OUT
ACCUSING CORY OF CONSPIRING WITH JEWS
TO TAKE OVER THE CITY.
SHARPE TELLS REPORTERS THAT CORY IS PROPPED UP BY WHITE,
RIGHT WING INVESTORS.
BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME GROUPS, FAR WHITE,
RIGHT WING REPUBLICAN PARTY WHO ARE SUPPORTING HIM.
Marshall: HIS COMMERCIALS, SPEECHES, AND MAILINGS
ALL PUSH THE MESSAGE HARD.
I'M A TOOL FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, I CONFESS IT!
I THOUGHT YOU WERE A TOOL OF THE JEWS.
I'M A TOOL OF THE JEWS, REPUBLICAN PARTY,
AFGHANISTAN, THE TALIBAN,
I AM A MEMBER OF THE KKK,
I'M PART OF A CIA CONSPIRACY.
OH, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE NEWEST ONE IS?
I'M GAY?
THERE'S A MEDIA CONSPIRACY TO ELECT CORY BOOKER.
I'M PART OF THE MEDIA CONSPIRACY.
YOU'RE LISTENING TO
98.7 KISS,
WRKS FM, NEW YORK.
AND OUR GUEST, CANDIDATE FOR
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, CORY BOOKER.
HE SAYS HE'S A DEMOCRAT.
NO MATTER WHAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT HIM
INCLUDING HIS OPPONENT, SHARPE JAMES.
THIS PCE THAT WE HAVE HERE
FROM OFF THE INTERNET,
THE BLACK COMMENTATOR, RIPS YOU A NEW BOOTY.
Man: WHAT IS THIS DALLIANCE
WITH REPUBLICANS THAT, YOU KNOW,
OF COURSE, YOU SAY THE WORD "REPUBLICANS"
AND BLACK VOTERS ARE READY TO, LIKE, RUN!
WELL, LET'S JUST PUT IT THIS WAY.
I'M A DEMOCRAT.
IF THERE ARE SOME MODERATE REPUBLICANS
WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO SUPPORT ME THAT'S THEIR PREROGATIVE.
WHAT MY FOCUS HAS BEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN A YOUNG MAN,
IS WORKING TO MAKE SURE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
IS AS STRONG AS IT CAN BE,
SO THE NEEDS OF INNER CITY COMMUNITIES ARE MET.
SO I'M PROUD OF MY ROOTS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
AND I'M TIRED, FRANKLY,
OF SHARPE JAMES TRYING TO CAST THIS DEBATE
IN TERMS OF REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT
AS OPPOSED OF WHAT HE SHOULD BE CASTING IT IN TERMS OF,
WHY HAS HIS CITY HAD A POVERTY RATE THAT'S GONE UP,
WHY HAS HIS CITY HAD AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
BUT DO YOU THINK IT'S OKAY NOW
TO ALIGN YOURSELF WITH EXTREMISTS
OR FAR RIGHT PEOPLE, LIKE J.C. WATTS.
SIR, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I'VE NEVER MET J.C. WATTS, NOR HAVE I ALIGNED MYSELF WITH HIM.
YOU HAVE HAD NO SORT OF ALLIANCES WITH THEM,
IN TERMS OF REPUBLICAN HANDLERS, ANYBODY COMING TO YOU
THESE SMEAR CAMPAIGNS REALLY CONCERN ME,
BECAUSE I'VE NEVER MET J.C. WATTS,
I'VE NEVER MET A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
I'VE BEEN A LIFELONG DEMOCRAT,
AND SUDDENLY HERE WE ARE WASTING TIME
TALKING ABOUT SHARPE JAMES'S ACCUSATIONS.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM THOUGH, CORY,
I THINK PEOPLE ARE CONFUSING YOUR BROAD-BASED SUPPORT,
I MEAN, I GATHER JUST FROM LOOKING AT THE CONTRIBUTORS
AND LOOKING WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM,
YOU'RE GETTING A BROAD BASE OF SUPPORT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, CORY? THAT SCARES PEOPLE.
WELL, LET ME TELL YOU THIS.
THIS IS WHAT IS ALMOST COMICAL ABOUT THIS.
THE MAJORITY OF SHARPE JAMES'S SUPPORTERS ARE DEVELOPERS,
AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE CITY CONTRACTS,
AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE
ARE PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE HAPPEN TO BE WHITE.
REPUBLICANS?
MANY OF THEM ARE REPUBLICANS AS WELL.
SO HERE'S A MAN, WHO IS ALLOWING OUR CITY,
THE MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE,
OUR $600 MILLION BUDGET,
87% OF THOSE CONTRACTS ARE BEING TAKEN BY OUTSIDERS.
AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH OUR GUEST, CORY BOOKER,
A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR THE MAYOR OF THE CITY
OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AFTER THESE MESSAGES.
YOU'RE LISTENING TO "THE WEEKLY REVIEW"
I'VE ENJOYED IT.
WE KNEW YOU COULD HANDLE IT!
NOW I'M WAKING UP, BEFORE I WASN'T AWAKE!
[ Man On Radio] I'VE GIVEN CORY A HARD TIME,
BECAUSE I HAD SOME QUESTIONS
AND I WAS SUSPICIOUS ABOUT HIS ASSOCIATIONS.
BUT I THINK THAT IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE.
CORY BOOKER TO ME REPRESENTS A TYPE OF YOUNG LEADERSHIP,
A LEADERSHIP THAT NEWARK WANTS.
I LIKE HIS ANSWERS ON THE QUESTIONS OF POLICE,
WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO WITH THAT,
I LIKE HIS ANSWERS ON THE QUESTIONS ABOUT EDUCATION.
I THINK HE HAS BRIGHT IDEAS,
THAT'S WHAT SHARPE JAMES IS AFRAID OF.
[ APPLAUSE ]
TODAY, I'M ENDORSING CORY BOOKER
FOR MAYOR OF NEWARK,
BECAUSE I BELIEVE HE IS NEWARK'S BEST HOPE
FOR THE FUTURE.
CORY REPRESENTS
THE BEST OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
HONORED BY BOTH THE DNC
AND THE DLC,
AND ASKED TO SPEAK
AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.
SO IF ANYONE TELLS YOU
CORY BOOKER IS NOT A DEMOCRAT,
THEY GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THEY GOT TO ARGUE WITH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
Woman: WE'RE REALLY TIRED OF PEOPLE LYING TO US
AND TELLING US WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS,
IF YOU ELECT ME, I'M GOING TO DO THIS
AND THEN YOU GET INTO OFFICE, AND YOU WORK PART TIME,
AND YOU DON'T DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO
AND THEN OUR STREETS STILL LOOK LIKE THEY LOOK,
AND STOLEN CARS AND DRUGS AND WE DON'T HAVE WHAT WE NEED.
WE'RE TIRED.
WE'RE REALLY, REALLY TIRED.
Booker: I NEED YOUR HELP.
ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU LOOK AT ME,
AND HOW I'VE LED MY FIGHT.
Woman: I DON'T LISTEN TO THAT STUFF,
BECAUSE I'M NOT INTO POLITICS,
AND I HAVEN'T BEEN IN NEW JERSEY THAT LONG.
BUT THEY'VE BEEN FOLLOWING YOU
AND NOW THEY'RE DISAPPOINTED AT THE FACT
THAT SOME OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE PROMISED
THAT YOU HAVE NOT DONE, SO
Booker: WHAT, SPECIFICALLY WHAT?
OKAY, YOU SAID YOU LIVED IN BRICK TOWERS.
THERE'S NO PROOF THAT YOU HAVE LIVED IN BRICK TOWERS.
Booker: OH, MY GOSH, OH, MY GOSH!
STOP FOR A SECOND, STOP FOR A SECOND!
STOP FOR A SECOND, HOLD UP!
I APPRECIATE YOU KEEPING IT REAL WITH ME
ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE HEARD OUT THERE, WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING,
BUT I'M SIMPLY SAYING I'M ASKING YOU TO LOOK AT MY RECORD.
AND IF YOU WANT TO RIGHT NOW,
ANYBODY THAT DOESN'T THINK I LIVE IN BRICK TOWERS,
COME TO MY APARTMENT, I'LL SHOW YOU MY MESS!
I'VE GOT DISHES IN THE SINK.
I'VE GOT DIRTY LAUNDRY ON MY FLOOR.
PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE TIRED OF POLITICIANS LYING TO THEM,
THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE HAD
THE SAME POLITICIANS THERE FOR 32 YEARS!
32 YEARS!
IT'S JUST SAD THAT WE'VE BEEN LIED TO FOR SO LONG.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR ME, BROTHER, OKAY, FIRE AWAY.
IS YOU LYING?
[ LAUGHING ]
THAT CRUSHES ME THERE.
Man: THAT HURTS.
ALL THAT TIME YOU PUT IN.
Marshall: NEW NUMBERS HAVE JUST COME IN
FROM THE CAMPAIGN'S POLLSTER.
HEY, JIM, IT'S VAN AND CORY.
Marshall: THE POLL SHOWS THE MAYOR STILL AHEAD,
41% TO 33%.
BUT THAT LEAVES 26% OF NEWARK STILL UNDECIDED.
41 TO 33, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
IS THAT GOOD FOR HIM OR BAD FOR HIM?
SO BIG TROUBLE?
Marshall: IT'S A TRICKY BALANCE.
IN THE PAST, WHEN CORY'S ADS
HAVE POINTED TO CRIME OR FAILING SCHOOLS,
SHARPE HAS SPUN THEM AS AN ATTACK ON THE CITY ITSELF.
IF THEY CRITICIZE THE MAYOR DIRECTLY,
THERE'S A RISK OF IT BACKFIRING.
THE THING ABOUT SHARPE JAMES IS THAT, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT,
HE'S 66 YEARS OLD, 32 YEARS OF THOSE YEARS,
ALMOST HALF HIS LIFE HE'S SPENT IN PUBLIC OFFICE,
AND PEOPLE HAVE GROWN WITH HIM.
PEOPLE KNOW HIM, PEOPLE LIKE HIM.
HE'S A GOOD CHEERLEADER FOR THE CITY.
ONE OF THE BEST BASKETBALL TEAMS IN AMERICA
EAST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL.
Parish: PEOPLE VOTE FOR SHARPE BECAUSE THEY LIKE SHARPE.
SHARPE JAMES IS THEIR GUY.
THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
WITH MARION BARRY.
HOW DOES A GUY WHO GETS BUSTED FOR WHAT HE WAS BUSTED WITH,
GET RE-ELECTED?
AND ESSENTIALLY PEOPLE BEGAN TO FEEL DEFENSIVE
ABOUT EITHER FOLKS FROM OUTSIDE,
OR OTHER PEOPLE GOING AFTER SOMEBODY
WHO THEY FELT WAS "THEIR GUY."
IS THIS GOING TO DAMAGE
I MEAN, I HAD TWO SENIORS TODAY TELL ME
THEY REALLY RESPECTED THE WAY I WAS RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN,
YOU'RE NOT RUNNING A NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN LIKE SHARPE IS,
YADDA YADDA YADDA.
SO THE ONLY THING I WANT TO MAKE SURE IS,
WE DON'T HAVE A BACKLASH AS A RESULT OF THIS
WITH A CANDIDATE WHO,
70% OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY SAY THEY LIKE.
YOU KNOW CARL, I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE THIS RACE
BECAUSE WE'RE AFRAID TO PUNCH SHARPE IN THE NOSE.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT WITH DIGNITY.
BUT YOU'RE STILL ROLLING UP THE SLEEVE
AND SLUGGING THIS GUY IN THE FACE.
BUT THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT WITH DIGNITY.
SHARPE JAMES SAYS HE'S THE REAL DEAL.
THE TRUTH IS, SHARPE JAMES IS GETTING REALLY RICH
AT THE TAXPAYERS' EXPENSE.
WHILE SCHOOLS CRUMBLE AND CRIME AND DRUGS PLAGUE OUR STREETS,
SHARPE HAS GIVEN HIMSELF A RAISE
TO OVER $200,000 A YEAR,
HE'S BOUGHT TWO VACATION HOMES,
A 46-FOOT YACHT, AND A ROLLS ROYCE.
AFTER 16 YEARS, IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE.
WE GONNA VOTE FOR YOU, SHARPE JAMES!
* SLIDE TO YOUR LEFT *
* SLIDE TO YOUR RIGHT *
* TURN AROUND, Y'ALL *
* NOW, READY, GO ON, GET IT * * *
McGrath: THIS IS UNLIKE ANY ELECTION
THIS IS UNLIKE THE ELECTIONS I USUALLY WORK ON.
MOST ELECTIONS I WORK ON ARE LIKE,
IT'S MEDIA, ADVERTISING, POLLING,
ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, YOU KNOW?
AND THIS, THIS REALLY IS
MORE OLD-FASHIONED POLITICAL MACHINES.
MY PARENTS WOULD LIKEN THIS TO BOSTON,
WHEN THEY WERE THERE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, WITH ALL THE STUFF THAT GOES ON
IN STREET LEVEL POLITICS UP HERE,
IT DEFINITELY IS A THROWBACK.
Fonseca: YOU KNOW WE'RE HAVING A RALLY
IN THE NORTH WARD, TONIGHT?
Man: YEAH, THE FLAMBOYAN THING.
HE'S JUST CLOSED THE PLACE DOWN.
WHAT? YEAH.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE CLOSED IT DOWN?
THE PLACE IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS!
I GO TO THE CLUB DOWN THE STREET
TO TRY TO MOVE IT FROM THIS PLACE TO THE OTHER PLACE
AND THE GUY GOES "LISTEN, PABLO, I LOVE YOU,
BUT I'M TOO AFRAID TO LET CORY IN HERE."
HE GOES YOU KNOW, PABLO, YOU KNOW HOW POLITICS IS,
YOU KNOW IF I LET CORY IN HERE
I'LL HAVE THE POLICE HERE TOMORROW.
THEY'VE BEEN LAYING OFF OF ME
SINCE I LET THE MAYOR PUT HIS SIGNS UP HERE,
THE POLICE DON'T COME ANYMORE.
YEP, YOU KNOW SHARPE, THAT'S WHAT HE DOES.
HE THREATENS EVERYBODY.
JUST PARANOID.
TOTALLY, TOTALLY PARANOID.
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
THIS CAMPAIGN OF INTIMIDATION,
IT'S NOT GOING TO WIN FOR THEM.
JUST NOT GOING TO WIN FOR THEM.
SOMEBODY PUT A THREAT IN THE EMAIL.
WHAT'D THEY SAY?
YOU KNOW, CORY BOOKER BETTER WATCH OUT.
I'M TRYIN' TO GET IT.
WAS IT A PHYSICAL THREAT?
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
Marshall: THE HEAT IS BEING TURNED UP
EVEN HOTTER ON BUSINESS OWNERS, AND SOME ASK THE CAMPAIGN
TO COME TAKE BACK THEIR "BOOKER" SIGNS.
THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY,
IF CORY WINS YOU DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
BUT IF HE DON'T, I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM.
YOU WANT TO PUT THE LITTLE ONE ON ANN STREET
AND WE'LL TAKE THE BIG ONE BACK?
I KNOW YOU GUYS AREN'T GOING TO PUT IT UP,
YOU'RE WORRIED AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT'S FINE.
Man: YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GETTING CLOSED DOWN, YOU KNOW.
Woman: SEE, OUR ONLY THING IS
WE HAVE CITY CONTRACTS.
HE TOLD THE POLICE OFFICERS THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED
TO GO TO ANY MORE CORY BOOKER FUND RAISERS.
Marshall: THEY'RE ALSO BEING ENCOURAGED
TO DONATE MONEY TO THE JAMES CAMPAIGN.
Man: THIS COP CAME DOWN AND WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW,
SINCE YOU HAVE THE CONTRACT FOR THE CITY OF NEWARK, YOU KNOW?
Woman: GOT TO GIVE ME $500.
I SAID YO, MAN, I CAN'T AFFORD IT, HERE'S 250.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, THEY'LL DO YOU IN, MAN.
THEY WILL DO YOU IN.
THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT.
YOU SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING?
YEAH, YEAH, I SAW ALL THOSE.
YEAH, THEY'RE RIPPING DOWN TONS OF OUR SIGNS.
THEY TOOK TWO HUNDRED SIGNS IN THE NORTH WARD, LAWN SIGNS.
200?
200 LAWN SIGNS.
THAT'S FINE, BUT YOU WERE THERE. 'CAUSE SHE WASN'T THERE.
Marshall: TENSION IS RISING ON THE CAMPAIGN.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE AS MUCH EFFORT
AS PEOPLE WERE SPENDING BEFORE ON WINNING OVER VOTERS,
THEY'RE NOW SPENDING JUST TRYING TO KEEP THE ELECTION HONEST.
I GOT A VERY INTERESTING CALL, AN ANONYMOUS CALL,
ON MY CELL PHONE EARLY THIS WEEK.
THIS PERSON TOLD ME THAT
THERE ARE THREE MACHINES IN THE EAST WARD
THAT SHE BELIEVES ARE BEING TAMPERED WITH.
OKAY, I ASKED HER SPECIFICALLY
WHAT ARE THE MACHINES, AND SHE SAID THAT
I REALLY CAN'T TELL YOU THAT,
BECAUSE OF THE POSITION THAT I'M IN,
THEY WOULD KNOW
HOW YOU GOT THAT INFORMATION.
SO, I WAS INCLINED TO THINK
THAT SHE WAS CALLING FROM THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
Bluestein: REMEMBER THAT THIS IS NOT A DEBATE
IT'S NOT AN INTELLECTUAL DEBATE, IT'S NOT AN ACADEMIC DEBATE.
YOU WILL NOT WIN ANY POINTS
FOR THE QUALITY OF YOUR ARGUMENTS, FOR THE LOGIC.
IT'S SAYING THINGS THAT RESONATE WITH THE CROWD.
SO YOU REALLY WANT TO THINK NOW OF SOME
GOOD SNAPPY SOUND BITES.
EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE
JUST MEMORIZE THEM AND SEE IF YOU CAN THROW THEM IN THERE.
OKAY.
SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS, LIKE THE TAX RATES,
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HIT HIM ON THAT.
SHARPE JAMES HAS RAISED TAXES 100%.
HE'S RAISED THEM FROM DAH-DAH-DAH TO DAH-DAH-DAH.
YOU DON'T EVEN NEED DAH-DA-DA-DA-DAH.
DON'T DAH-DA-DAH-DA-DAH.
"SHARPE JAMES HAS RAISED 110%."
'CAUSE PEOPLE, PEOPLE
THE THING ABOUT A DEBATE IS PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY,
SO YOU DON'T NEED TO OFFER THEM MUCH EVIDENCE.
"SHARPE JAMES HAS RAISED TAXES 100%,"
VERSUS "SHARPE JAMES HAS RAISED TAXES 100%
FROM BLAH-BLAH-BLAH TO BLAH-BLAH-BLAH."
I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, JUST GET ME THOSE NUMBERS.
WHAT NUMBERS?
WHAT THE TAX RATE WAS BACK IN 1986,
WHAT IT IS NOW, WHAT THE AVERAGE FAMILY PAID,
WHAT THE AVERAGE FAMILY PAYS NOW.
THERE'S ONE CHART. IT'S ALL THE SAME CHART.
PROMISE ME YOU WON'T SAY THAT WHEN YOU GET IN
I WILL NOT PROMISE YOU I WON'T SAY THAT.
I'M GOOD AT READING AUDIENCES AND
YOU DON'T HAVE AN AUDIENCE.
I'M GOOD AT GOING WITH THE FLOW.
OKAY, BUT HEAR ME
BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE NO AUDIENCE.
THE AUDIENCE IS ONE CAMERA.
NO, WHEN I NEED TO THINK ON MY TOES,
AND I NEED TO MAKE A GOOD COMEBACK,
IF SHARPE KEEPS GOING BACK TO THE THINGS,
I WANT TO KNOW MY S-.
OKAY, BUT JUST, JUST KEEP IN MIND
SO, SO, I'LL NOT PROMISE YOU
YOU'VE GIVEN ME SOME GOOD THINGS, SOME GOOD POINTERS,
BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S ME OUT THERE AND I HAVE TO GO ON MY GUTS.
I KNOW THAT, BUT ONE THING THAT I KNOW
IS THAT IF YOU ROLL OUT SOMETHING
THAT TAKES LONGER THAN A MINUTE, THEY'LL CUT YOU OFF
AND THEN YOUR POINT WILL GET LOST.
I UNDERSTAND THAT. I UNDERSTAND THE POINT.
SO JUST MAKE SURE I GET THAT INFORMATION.
Marshall: I SHOW UP AT THE DEBATE WITH MY CAMERA,
BUT THE POLICE TELL ME I CAN'T FILM.
I PUT THE CAMERA IN MY BAG,
BUT CONTINUE RECORDING AUDIO.
Marshall: AS SOON AS IT ENDS, A FRACAS BREAKS OUT.
THE MAYOR ACCUSES A BOOKER SUPPORTER OF BEING A TERRORIST.
Marshall: THEY HAUL THE MAN INTO ANOTHER ROOM.
Marshall: TWO LAWYERS FROM THE BOOKER CAMPAIGN ARGUE
UNTIL HE'S RELEASED.
Marshall: THE MAYOR LUNGES AT THE LAWYERS,
BUT HIS SUPPORTERS HOLD HIM BACK.
Marshall: A BOOKER SUPPORTER TAUNTS HIM.
Marshall: EVERYONE POURS OUT ONTO THE SIDEWALK.
AS I TAKE OUT MY CAMERA, A POLICEMAN FROM
THE MAYOR'S SECURITY TEAM COMES AT ME.
LET GO OF MY CAMERA!
THERE IS FREE PRESS. THIS IS AMERICA.
Marshall: HE'S BROKEN THE MICROPHONE OFF OF MY CAMERA,
WHILE THE MAYOR IS WHISKED AWAY.
REPORTERS GATHER AROUND.
I WAS TRYING TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAYOR WAS SAYING,
AND I HAPPENED TO HAVE SHADES ON.
SO WHEN HE COMMENTED ABOUT THE SHADES, I TOOK THEM OFF.
SO AFTER I TOOK 'EM OFF, HE SAID "HE'S STILL A TERRORIST.
"RUN A CHECK ON HIM, SEE WHO HE IS.
I DON'T KNOW HIM, HE'S NOT A NORTH RESIDENT."
SO I PULLED OUT MY NORTH WELFARE ID,
AND THEY SAID "WHERE'S YOUR ADDRESS,"
AND I SAID I GAVE THEM MY ADDRESS, RIGHT?
MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER WAS ON THERE AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT WASN'T SUFFICIENT ENOUGH,
THEY WANTED TO TAKE ME OUT TO THE SIDE.
I TOLD THEM I WAS THERE WITH CORY BOOKER,
THAT'S WHEN THEY REALLY TOOK ME OUT.
I WAS JUST SITTING THERE,
NO, I WAS JUST SITTING THERE!
HE WAS JUST LOOKING.
THIS IS WHAT HE SAW.
HE SAW THE HAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?
THAT'S ALL IT WAS.
HE SAW THE HAT.
YOU SAW HOW I COMPORTED MYSELF,
AND I REALLY HOPE, AGAIN, THAT YOU WRITE THE TRUTH.
THIS IS HOW CORY BEHAVED,
THIS IS HOW SHARPE JAMES BEHAVED.
Marshall: THE BOOKER TEAM IS STRUGGLING TO GET THE PRESS
TO SHOW MORE OUTRAGE.
BUT SO MUCH OF THE REPORTING
JUST TREATS THE ELECTION LIKE A SPORT.
THEY CALL IT "ROUGH AND TUMBLE POLITICS."
AS IF NEWARK WERE A CRAZY REGIME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE,
RATHER THAN AN AMERICAN CITY,
JUST 12 MILES FROM MANHATTAN.
HE'S DOING SOME THINGS,
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HE GETS AWAY WITH THEM.
YOU COULDN'T DO THAT IN NEW YORK.
Marshall: I REALIZE THAT I'VE GOTTEN A BIT OUT OF MY LEAGUE.
IF A COP WILL SHOVE ME AND BREAK MY CAMERA IN BROAD DAYLIGHT,
WITH REPORTERS AROUND, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF,
AS THEY TAUNTED, I AM CAUGHT OUT IN THE STREETS?
TWO DIFFERENT REPORTERS WHO COVER NEWARK
TAKE ME ASIDE AND TELL ME TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
I ASK ONE BOOKER AIDE IF THIS IS SERIOUS,
IF I SHOULD BE WORRIED,
OR IS IT REALLY JUST "ROUGH AND TUMBLE POLITICS?"
HE TELLS ME THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE LAST,
HIS FRONT DOOR WAS SMASHED IN,
AND NOW HE'S CARRYING A GUN IN HIS CAR.
[ LOUD THUDS ]
I HAVE NOT BEEN SLEEPING THAT EASILY THE LAST WEEK OR TWO,
SO SOMETIMES I SPRING UP AT 5:00 IN THE MORNING
AND CAN'T GET BACK TO SLEEP.
THAT'S CITY HALL AND ME AND MAYOR SHARPE JAMES.
HE STOPPED SHAKING MY HAND MONTHS AGO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M CHRIS CHRISTIE,
THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY.
TODAY I HAVE DIRECTED ATTORNEYS,
INVESTIGATORS, AND OTHER STAFF IN MY OFFICE,
TO BE PREPARED TO SERVE AS ELECTION OBSERVERS
ON THE NEWARK MUNICIPAL ELECTION
THIS TUESDAY, MAY 14th.
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT NOW WE HAVE EVERY ASSURANCE,
EVERY POSSIBLE ASSURANCE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE
AN ELECTION THAT'S SAFE,
FAIR, AND THAT DEMOCRACY WILL BE SERVED.
[ From Loudspeakers ] A-1, SHARPE JAMES.
LET'S CONTINUE THE PROGRESS.
VOTE SHARPE JAMES.
VOTE FOR THE RIGHT PERSON.
WA-HOO!
Marshall: BACK TO BACK, "THE STAR LEDGER,"
NEW JERSEY'S LARGEST NEWSPAPER,
AND "THE NEW YORK TIMES" HAVE ENDORSED BOOKER.
AWESOME, AWESOME ARTICLE.
Marshall: AND SUDDENLY, THIS LOCAL ELECTION,
IN A MEDIUM SIZED CITY,
HAS BECOME THE CENTER OF AMERICAN BLACK POLITICS.
THIS IS THE DIRECTOR, SPIKE LEE, ASKING YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING
BY VOTING FOR CORY BOOKER FOR NEWARK MAYOR
THIS TUESDAY, MAY 14th.
WELL, THE RACE FOR MAYOR
IN NEW JERSEY'S BIGGEST CITY IS HEATING UP.
ON ONE SIDE YOU'VE GOT MAYOR SHARPE JAMES
FACING THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE OF HIS CAREER
FROM THE 32-YEAR-OLD COUNCILMAN CORY BOOKER.
Man: THIS HAS CLEARLY BEEN
THE MOST EXCITING ELECTION IN RECENT YEARS.
Woman: BOTH CANDIDATES HAVE ALLEGED
ACTS OF INTIMIDATION, AND OTHER SHENANIGANS
THROUGHOUT THIS RACE.
Woman: THE CAMPAIGN, AT TIMES INTENSE,
HAS ATTRACTED THE INTEREST OF THE NATIONAL MEDIA.
Marshall: SHARPE HAS BEEN LOBBYING BILL CLINTON
FOR AN ENDORSEMENT, AND HE SAYS
IN A SPEECH THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT
WILL BE COMING TO STUMP FOR HIM.
BUT THE NEXT DAY, CLINTON'S OFFICE SAYS
HE WON'T BE TAKING SIDES.
SHARPE SENDS OUT A MAILING FEATURING CLINTON ANYWAY,
THAT IMPLIES THE ENDORSEMENT,
WITHOUT BEING EXPLICIT ENOUGH TO GET INTO TROUBLE.
Booker: HOW LONG AGO WAS THIS PICTURE, ANYWAYS?
Man: I DON'T KNOW, THREE YEARS AGO.
Marshall: JESSE JACKSON COMES TO TOWN,
AND CALLS CORY A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING.
THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT NEWARK, NOW.
THIS IS ABOUT THE NATION.
WHAT YOU ARE BEHOLDING HERE
IS A NEW VISION,
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IN NEWARK.
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING FOR YOU, MAN.
I'M SERIOUS. NEXT FIVE, 10, 15 YEARS
THIS IS THE REAL BATTLE IN AMERICA RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS THE FRONT LINE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM. THIS IS THE FRONT LINE.
Marshall: BUT AS PEOPLE LINE UP, TO GET CORNEL WEST
TO AUTOGRAPH HIS BOOK ON RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA,
A SOUND TRUCK ROLLS BY.
I DON'T KNOW, I HAVE NO IDEA.
YEAH, I'M IN FRONT OF THE T.V. RIGHT NOW
WAITING FOR THEIR POLL RESULTS.
Man: THERE'S AN INCREDIBLY CLOSE RACE
EMERGING IN THE ELECTION OF THE NEXT MAYOR OF NEWARK.
ACCORDING TO A NEW EYEWITNESS NEWS POLL,
INCUMBENT MAYOR SHARPE JAMES NOW FINDS HIMSELF
IN A STATISTICAL DEAD HEAT.
[ CHEERING ]
WE'RE IN A FIGHT! WE'RE IN A FIGHT!
IT'S ONLY COSTING F-ING
$200,000 A WEEK, BUT, YOU KNOW.
THAT'S A GREAT POLL FOR US,
THAT IS AN AWESOME POLL FOR US.
EVERYBODY WHO'S WITH SHARPE RIGHT NOW
HAS GOT TO BE THINKING TWICE.
CORY BOOKER!
HOW YOU DOIN', LADIES?
Girls: FINE.
ARE YOU SURE? YES.
WHO YOU GOING TO VOTE FOR FOR MAYOR?
YOU.
Girl: OH, MY GOD, IT'S CORY BOOKER!
[ LAUGHING ]
WATCH FOR CARS!
HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING?
HOW ARE YOU DOING, MR. BOOKER? VERY WELL.
MY NAME IS MALCOLM McDONALD,
AND I JUST MET CORY BOOKER, MY BEST FRIEND!
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, SMELL MY HANDS!
Marshall: SMELL YOUR HANDS?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YES.
CAUSE I JUST TOUCHED CORY BOOKER.
Marshall: AND HE'S GOT A SMELL?
MM-HMM. AND SHE LOVES HIM.
Marshall: WHAT DOES HE SMELL LIKE?
HE SMELLS LIKE THE FUTURE.
NIGHT BEFORE, THE EVENING BEFORE THE BATTLE,
AND I FEEL GOOD, I FEEL REALLY GOOD.
WE FOUGHT A GREAT FIGHT,
AND TOMORROW'S JUST EXECUTION AND PRAYER.
LIFE COULD CHANGE A LOT FOR ALL OF US,
COME THE END OF THE DAY.
YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS WHAT THE OUTCOME'S GOING TO BE?
I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG.
I COULD HAVE COMPLETELY UNDERESTIMATED OUR ENEMY,
AND HE COULD JUST COME OUT AND CRUSH US
OR KEEP US, AND WE CAN NARROWLY LOSE.
MY GUT OF GUTS TELLS ME
THAT WE GOT THIS GUY AGAINST THE ROPES
AND HE'S GOING TO GO DOWN TOMORROW.
Marshall: IT'S ELECTION DAY.
[ SHOUTING ]
BOOKER ALL THE WAY!
BOOKER IS THE MAN! BOOKER!
A-1, SHARPE JAMES!
Woman: THERE GO OUR NEXT MAYOR.
THERE GO OUR NEXT MAYOR, Y'ALL.
DEMOCRACY!
Reporter: SHARPE JAMES KNOWS MORE THAN ANY OTHER
THAT YOU NEED TO GET OUT THE VOTE ON ELECTION DAY.
IN TIGHT RACES LIKE THIS,
IT COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE END.
Marshall: EACH CAMPAIGN HAS AROUND
1,500 WORKERS ON THE STREETS, DRAGGING PEOPLE OUT TO VOTE,
WAVING SIGNS, AND WATCHING THE POLLS FOR CHEATING.
WITH THE VOTER TURNOUT THAT'S EXPECTED,
IT WORKS OUT TO AROUND
ONE WORKER FOR EVERY 15 VOTES.
SOME OF THE WORKERS ARE VOLUNTEERS,
BUT MANY OF THEM ARE PAID,
AND BOTH CAMPAIGNS ARE SPENDING
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TODAY.
SINCE SHARPE WON'T LETMEGET CLOSE,
I HAVE ANOTHER CAMERA CREW COVER HIM.
TIME TO TELL THE TRUTH NOW, YOU'RE ON CANDID CAMERA!
WHY WE CAME FROM PHILLY?
GET PAID!
THEY CAN COME IN HERE, THE PRESS CAN COME HERE.
I CAN STAND IN HERE WHILE I TALK TO THEM AGAIN.
THIS IS A VOLUNTEER ARMY AGAINST A PAID ARMY,
AND A VOLUNTEER ARMY
AGAINST A PAID ARMY.
SO I'M INDEBTED TO THE PEOPLE OF NEWARK WHO ARE COMING OUT,
POURING OUT THEIR LOVE
OF THEIR CITY, LOVE OF PEOPLE.
VOLUNTEERS YOU CAN'T PAY VOLUNTEERS.
THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE THEY LOVE THIS CITY.
THEY LIVE HERE AND THEY LOVE THEIR CITY.
SHARPE JAMES THE REAL DEAL!
WE'RE MUCH BETTER THAN WE WERE BEFORE IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.
LOOK AT NEWARK!
Man: IN THE COMMUNITY?
HE DON'T GIVE A F- ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY! NOTHING!
IT BELONG TO US, IT GOES BEYOND WHEN WE TAKE IT BEYOND.
WILSON AVENUE SCHOOL,
ONE OF THE VOTING MACHINES IS ALLEGEDLY BROKEN,
POLL WORKERS ARE CLAIMING
THAT THEY HAVE NO EMERGENCY BALLOTS TO GO TO.
Marshall: PROBLEMS ARE ERUPTING ALL OVER THE CITY.
LAWYERS AND POLL CHALLENGERS RACE AROUND PUTTING OUT FIRES,
BUT NEW ONES SPRING UP IN THEIR PLACE.
ALL RIGHT, THANKS.
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, FINALLY GETTING BACK TO ME.
INTIMIDATION.
HIGHLY, HIGH INTIMIDATION IN ALL THE POLLING SITES.
WE'VE HAD MACHINES BROKEN, WE'VE HAD LEVERS BROKEN,
WE'VE HAD DISTRICT LEADERS BRINGING IN PEOPLE TO VOTE.
YEAH, MACHINE POLITICS AS USUAL.
Reporter: AT THIS POLLING STATION,
BOOKER'S CAMPAIGN COMPLAINED THAT ELDERLY RESIDENTS
WERE BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE POLLING BOOTHS WITH THEM.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DAY WHEN MR. BOOKER
DIDN'T MAKE ACCUSATIONS?
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DAY WHEN HE DIDN'T COMPLAIN?
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DAY WHERE HE DIDN'T CONDEMN EVERYONE
AND EVERYTHING TO SPIN THE MEDIA?
A NEW DAY IS DAWNING IN NEWARK.
THE SUN IS RISING ON NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW HOPES.
TODAY IS A GLORIOUS DAY IN OUR CITY.
Marshall: BUT AS THE DAY GOES ON,
THE RELATIVE INEXPERIENCE
OF CORY'S OPERATION STARTS TO SHOW.
Man: THEY'RE SAYING THAT A LOT OF PLACES
WE NEED MORE POLL WORKERS.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE MORE BODIES. YOU HAVE BODIES OVER THERE?
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO.
HE WAS LIKE "JUST GO DOWN TO CLINTON PLACE."
WHAT IS MY JOB? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE DOING?
THE POLICE IS DOWN AT 505 ON PROSPECT
RIPPING DOWN OUR SIGNS.
Marshall: A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS ORDERED THE CITY GOVERNMENT
NOT TO SELECTIVELY TAKE DOWN ANY BOOKER SIGNS.
BUT AROUND THE CITY,
THE FEDERAL ORDER IS BEING IGNORED.
[ CHEERING ]
WE GOT AN HOUR AND A HALF.
THEY'RE TRYING TO BUY IT!
MAYOR SHARPE JAMES!
[ CAR HORNS HONKING ]
[ MUSIC PLAYING ]
CORY BOOKER FOR MAYOR, YEAH, YEAH,
CORY BOOKER FOR MAYOR! YO!
CORY BOOKER FOR MAYOR, YEAH, YEAH.
[ MUSIC PLAYING ]
SHARPE JAMES, HE'S OUR MAYOR!
Marshall: AT 8:00, THE POLLS CLOSE
AND THE COUNTING BEGINS.
SURE, SURE.
38, 40 AND 45.
Marshall: ONE BY ONE,
EACH POLLING SITE REPORTS ITS NUMBERS.
I FEEL GOOD, MAN, I REALLY DO FEEL VERY GOOD.
IT'S BEEN ALL POSITIVE, IT'S BEEN ALL POSITIVE.
Marshall: CORY SURGES AHEAD IN THE LATINO
AND PORTUGUESE DISTRICTS.
WHAT'S THE OTHER WARDS LOOK LIKE?
Marshall: BUT FROM THE PREDOMINANTLY BLACK DISTRICTS,
THE RESULTS ARE VERY DIFFERENT.
NUMBER!
[ CHEERING ]
Crowd: SHARPE JAMES,
HE'S OUR MAYOR!
SHARPE JAMES, HE'S OUR MAYOR,
FOREVER!
SHARPE JAMES, HE'S OUR MAYOR,
FOREVER!
I'LL BE BACK, I'LL BE BACK.
ROBERT TREAT HOTEL.
ROBERT TREAT HOTEL!
KICK ASS!
110 OF 161 DISTRICTS ARE REPORTING SO FAR.
SHOWS JAMES UP BY 800 VOTES.
800 VOTES.
IT'S VERY, VERY CLOSE.
FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!...
[ TELEPHONE RINGS ]
HELLO?
YEAH.
OH, MY GOD.
THEN IT'S OVER?
Marshall: SHARPE JAMES GOT 28,300 VOTES.
CORY GOT 24,800.
Man: HE WENT UPSTAIRS TO HIS APARTMENT.
Marshall: HOW DID HE SEEM?
YOU KNOW.
HE'S A STRONG MAN. HE DIDN'T WANT TO SHOW IT.
HE'S GOT A LOT OF TROOPS BEHIND HIM,
HE DIDN'T WANT TO SHOW HIS WEAKNESS,
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, HE DIDN'T SHOW IT.
BUT I KNEW.
IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER NEXT TIME.
WE, WHO FOUGHT SO HARD,
HAVE NOW SLIPPED A SMALL END OF A LARGER WEDGE,
INTO THE DOOR OF THIS POLITICAL MACHINE.
[ CHEERING ]
LET US SHOW OUR DIGNITY,
AND OUR LOVE FOR THE CITY OF NEWARK,
BY NOT GIVING UP OUR PRINCIPLES,
BY NOT GIVING UP OUR PASSION,
BY STAYING PERSISTENT IN THIS CAUSE,
AND IN THIS FIGHT.
I WANT ALL OF YOU TO KNOW, WHO STRUGGLED SO HARD,
WHO PUT YOUR FAITH IN ME AND MY LEADERSHIP,
THAT I HAVE NOT YET
BEGUN TO FIGHT.
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!
[ CHEERING ]
I'VE JUST NEVER HAD THIS EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE
WHERE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED, OR AGAINST MY EXPECTATIONS
THAT DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE BETTER,
FOR THE BETTER FOR SOME REASON.
YOU KNOW, IN MY MIND I KEPT ON THINKING OF A VICTORY SPEECH,
AND ENDED UP HAVING TO MAKE A CONCESSION SPEECH,
BUT I WANTED EVERYBODY TO HOLD HANDS,
AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE
THAT WERE HOLDING HANDS AT THAT ONE MOMENT
AND WHAT THOSE PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AND ACHIEVE.
AND THE POWER THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING TO BEAR.
IT WASN'T THE POWER OF INDIVIDUALS
OR ONE RACE OR ONE COLOR, OR EVEN AGE GROUPS.
I MEAN THERE TEENAGERS, KIDS THAT WORKED ON THE CAMPAIGN
TO SENIOR CITIZENS.
[ LAUGHING ]
FEELING A BIT,
A BIT, YOU KNOW, EMBATTLED,
BUT ALSO FEELING INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY GOOD.
WE FOUGHT ONE HELL OF A FIGHT,
I WISH YOU COULD HAVE KNOWN
ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON,
IT WAS, IT WAS JUST PHENOMENAL.
AND I LEARNED SOMETHING, I LEARNED SOMETHING.
REAL COURAGE IS LIKE THAT FAMOUS POEM
BY MAYA ANGELOU, WHO SAYS
"YOU MAY WRITE ME DOWN IN HISTORY
"WITH YOUR BITTER TWISTED LIES,
"YOU MAY GROUND ME DOWN IN THE VERY DIRT,
BUT LIKE DUST, STILL, I RISE."
[ CHEERING ]