Knock Down the House (2019) Movie Script
1
Getting ready,
for women, it involves so many decisions
about how you're gonna present yourself
to the world.
'Cause there's kind of standard protocol
for how a man running for office,like,
should dress.
You either put on a suit,
or you put on a light color shirt,slacks,
and you roll up the sleeves.
Or...
I mean, those are pretty much
your two options.
Part of me is,
like, trying to brace myself
because people keep telling me,
"They're gonna try
to make sure that you...
just never show your face
in your community again."
How do you prepare for something
you don't know is coming?
Hey, everyone,
I'm getting ready to go file today.
Super excited.
It's official. We are in the race.
Go, Team Vilela.
Hey, everyone, it's Cori Bush,
candidate for United States Congress,
here in Missouri's first district.
Hello, everybody,
this is Anthony Vincent Clark.
- Hi, it's Rashida Tlaib.
- Second district of Nebraska...
We shouldn't have to worry
about self-serving politicians
catering to coal barons
instead of catering to our families
and communities.
I plan to Primary Joe Manchin in 2018,
and I'm asking you to stand with me.
...with some of these incumbent Democrats
who are facing primary challenges.
But are the progressives going to
make the Democrat primaries messy...
We're running to organize.
We're running to redefine
the political landscape in New York City.
And here's the best part
about all of this:
We're not running to make a statement.
We're not running to pressure
the incumbent to the left.
We're running to win.
Morning, guys. Buenos das.
- Hola.
- How are you?
If I was, like, a normal, rational person,
I would've dropped out of this race
a long time ago.
People don't see waitresses
as having a, quote-unquote, "real job."
But my experience in hospitality
has prepared me so well for this race.
I'm used to being on my feet
18 hours a day,
I'm used to receiving a lot of heat.
I'm used to people
trying to make me feel bad.
They call it "working class" for a reason.
Because you are working non-stop.
Americans aren't asking for a lot.
They're just asking to get by.
And they're just asking for politicians
to be brave enough to help them get by.
This is WNYC FM, New York.
Every political machine has a leader
and the most powerful of them
are known everywhere as the boss.
In Queens, that's Congressman Joe Crowley,
Chairman of the County
Democratic Committee
and also the Chairman
of the House Democratic Caucus,
making him the fourth most powerful
Democrat in Congress.
What we're talking about is better jobs,
better pay and a better future.
Crowley hasn't had
a primary challenger in 14 years,
until now.
I just want to thank
everyone here so much.
I mean, this is the work.
What I do is just talk to people
all the time.
Just members of our community,
all the time.
And that is the organizing
and that is the work
of running a grassroots campaign.
This is not just about
Democrat versus Republican,
in fact, it's so far away from that.
It's not Left or Right, it's up and down.
We're up against an opponent,
he's taken three million dollars per cycle
from Wall Street, real estate,
and pharmaceutical companies.
We need to have the courage
to stand up for working people
and stand up against corporate interests.
Let's assume all the energy in this room
can get you on the ballot
and into office.
How then do we overcome the drop in power?
We're trading a guy who's vying
for the Speaker of the House,
for somebody who's more in our corner
and has a lot less power.
I think we really need to look at...
what that power does now.
When it matters,
he doesn't stand up for us.
When it matters,
he doesn't advocate for our interests.
We have to have the courage to say,
"We can do better."
We can do better.
It's not gonna be a loss.
What would you reckon the...
evidence of selflessness is?
She is pretty doggone stellar.
I talked to her today.
Has not thought of running before.
I talked about the economic platform,
she loved it.
There wasn't a piece of the platform
she wasn't onboard with 100%.
All those in favor of moving her
to the next round, raise your hand.
At the first time,
we've gotten 100%?
I think that might have been
the first time!
For Brand New Congress
and Justice Democrats,
the biggest shared goal is removing
the corrupting influence
of money in politics.
The idea is to provide
an alternative path to Congress
outside of the current one that exists.
Right now we have a path through lobbyists
and through special interest groups.
Right now our Congress is 81% men,
it's mostly white men,
it's mostly millionaires,
it's mostly lawyers.
Most people in there
are just trying to figure out
how to keep their job
and win their next election.
That's not the thinking
that's going to fix climate change,
or mass incarceration,
or these giant problems
that are facing us.
The only way this works is if--
is if we really capture
America's imagination.
We're looking at Democrats and Republicans
to run in the midterms in 2018.
Non-career politicians.
So, nurses, teachers,
engineers, workers...
We don't care about party.
We just want to get stuff done.
If we elect working people,
working people
can have representation in Congress.
We can change the way we see government,
change the way we see politics
in this country.
So, I'm so glad all of y'all are here.
This--
This whole thing is making me feel like
there's no way that we're gonna go stop
this snowball that's now getting rolling.
It's going to become an avalanche
in a couple of months.
We want to actually create
that grassroots-funded machine
that can be your real opposition
to the current institutional powers
and that can really give power
back to the people
and really keep that power. Right?
I felt like there was...
such a wide divide in this nation
in terms of how we understand each other,
how we speak to one another,
and, in December,
I get a call from Isra saying,
"You've been nominated
to Brand New Congress."
And I was like, "What?"
You know, I'm from New York,
and New York isn't Democrat
versus Republican.
New York is establishment
versus whatever poor, stray cat
thinks you can stand up against them.
And then if you do stand up against them,
they take you and they consume you.
I never really saw myself
going into politics.
But now that I sit here in this room
with you all, I just feel like...
we can only accomplish
great things together.
I feel like I have to
because of you guys now.
You have to be fearless,
'cause they're going to come after you.
They are, this is no joke, y'all.
They're going to come after you.
But you have to be fearless.
Nobody owns you yet.
You don't owe anybody anything yet.
So, run.
You got people who are waiting for y'all
to come out this room.
To come back to Florida, and to Georgia,
and to Alabama, and to New York.
They want to be excited again.
Our future is in this room.
I'm nervous.
What do you say?
When they say, "Who is it?"
What do you say?
Hello?
Hi, my name is Mathew,
I'm out here canvassing
for a Congressional candidate
named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
for the Democratic Party in 2018.
I was wondering
if I could talk to you for a minute.
No, I'm sorry.
Now is not a good time.
- Okay, thank you.
- Thank you.
Easy.
Me no speak English.
- Oh, what do you speak?
- Greek, Greek.
Oh, Greek?
Why do you let people in the country
even though they're not legal--?
You know, they say,
"Okay, we're gonna forgive you."
I don't agree with that.
I'm a Democrat,
and I don't even agree with that.
Well, I think--
I voted for Trump, and I am a Democrat.
And she did too.
It's so crazy,
'cause speaking to groups of people...
- Right, it's easy.
- It's way easier.
In the beginning,
the fundamental question is like,
"Why you?"
"Why do you think you can do this?"
The reason "why"
was 'cause nobody else would.
So, literally anybody could, right?
Because the alternative is no one.
We have never seen this,
at this scale, in American history.
We have slates and legions of candidates
that are running now
and in 2018
that have rejected corporate funds.
Many of us, you know, we're doing
something very "controversial."
We're daring to actually force
the primary.
People would say,
"How dare you mount a challenge
to someone who's so established?"
Well, if they're good enough, they'll win.
And if we're good enough, we'll win.
She said,
"You shouldn't show your emotion,
because women are considered fragile
if you do.
And you need to be more of a bitch."
That is the worst advice
anyone can fucking give.
He said, "And when you go
to the people in West Virginia
and you tell 'em you're serving them,"
he says,
"You need to tell them
that you're their bitch."
- I said, "I'm not a dog."
- No! That's horri--
That's such horrible advice!
We work harder in these races
just 'cause we're women.
- We're not rich, white dudes in suits.
- Absolutely.
I don't know where I'm going.
- How are you feeling?
- Nervous.
Was this a good ending?
Let me read those.
Okay, so I'm taking theseawayfrom you
for a second.
Why?
Words don't matter so much right now
as you, right?
You're up there to convey your emotion
and to inspire people.
The words are useful in that,
but that's not the most important thing.
The most important thing is you.
- Do I look okay?
- You look awesome.
Don't worry about any of that stuff.
I just want you to just focus
on relaxing and breathing.
And as soon as you get on that stage,
before you walk through that door, smile.
And keep smiling until you start talking.
Please welcome,
from the great state of West Virginia,
Paula Jean Swearengin.
West Virginia
is oneof the poorest
and sickest states in this nation.
But I want you guys to know one thing,
West Virginians are strong,
we are proud,
and we won't give up.
No American should have to beg
for something so basic
as a clean glass of water!
My name is Paula Jean.
I am a coal miner's daughter,
running for the U.S. Senate,
and I am mad as hell.
As we go around the block,
I'll try to point out some of the houses
that I know that people had cancer.
This was my house,
where I raised my kids.
My neighbor's daughter ended up
with a rare form of bone cancer.
I know this lady had cancer.
There's a person in that house
that has cancer.
And our leadership's not hearing us.
They're in bed with the industries.
It's gone.
I mean,this mountain at this point
right here,it was really high,
and they took all of that out.
They just leveled this mountain here.
That community down there,
they're breathing in toxins every day.
Whether their water's polluted or not,
they're breathing in that air.
You talk about jobs,
you can probably count here
how many people's out here on this site
for miles and miles and miles.
Where are the jobs?
We don't have to do this.
If another country come in here,
blew up our mountains
and poisoned our water, we'd go to war.
But industry can.
As you know, I have
a real problem with what's going on,
the demonizing of coal, it seems,
by a whole group of people
that don't seem to understand
the life that we all have
is because of the domestic energy
that we have right here in this country.
Tell her what you think
about me running for office.
It scares me to death.
Her running all over the state,
her being up there with all those senators
and stuff scares me to death.
I'm her momma.
There's been people in this state
even in the coal industry
that has just disappeared.
You never find them no more.
I'm wondering in which hole
of these mines they're in, you know.
'Cause I know how things was done
in my daddy's day.
And I don't think it's changed much.
I come from a long line of coal miners.
My daddy died early... to power America.
We've been collateral damage.
People have seen West Virginians as...
we don't have no teeth,
no shoes, and no brains.
I just think they underestimate us.
At the end of the day,
we're gonna fight for each other.
They need to know that.
We're coming out of the belly of the beast
kicking and screaming.
Basically,
what political machines do
is they suppress democracy.
The whole game here is to prevent you
from getting on the ballot
in the first place.
Joe Crowley is not just a Congressman.
He's the Congressman,
he's the Chairman
of the Queens Democratic Party,
he's the district leader.
Joe Crowley has appointed
every board of elections judge.
When you turn in your signatures
to get on the ballot,
any tiny little discrepancy
in the signature,
they toss the signature out.
So, even though
the actual requirement is 1,250...
because we're challenging the boss...
we need to collect 10,000 signatures.
Good morning.
- Hi, are you a voter?
- Yes.
I'm running for Congress in the area.
We just need to collect signatures
to get on the ballot.
- Who would you be running against?
- Joseph Crowley.
- No.
- Yes.
I'm gonna stick with Crowley, thanks.
- Okay.
- All right, I'm gonna sign anyway.
- I'm a Crowley supporter.
- Oh! Okay. No worries. No worries.
Well, keep an eye out. Thank you.
One of my problems
when I'm trying to be polite to someone,
I feel like my voice goes up two octaves.
Like, "Hi!" Like...
This is my niece.
She's gonna be the next one.
- She's gonna get it after me.
- Oh, yeah.
Hi, my aunt's running for Congress.
You got it, bro.
For every-- For every ten rejections
you get one acceptance.
And that's how you win everything.
I killed the pint
of Americone Dream yesterday.
Sorry.
- I know we brought it from Manhattan--
- I didn't have one spoon of that.
- Yeah. I-- I can't help it.
- That's messed up.
That is really messed up.
You're like so unrepentant about it, too.
- You're like, "Yes, I did it.
- I mean, well--
You wanna make coffee or tea?
- I probably shouldn't have coffee.
- You probably shouldn't.
All right. Then give me the other two,
and then once you sign it,
you give it back to Clarence.
Clarence said that I'm gonna need 30.
Got it.
So, petition cleaning,
basically what we're doing,
we're going through all of these names,
making sure
that everything is legible.
This stuff seems
like a whole lot of stupid work.
But, you'd rather sit
and do this for three hours
than for somebody drag you to court
for six days.
And what they will do sometimes
if they have enough stuff to play with,
they know that eventually
you're gonna get on the ballot,
but they're gonna keep you busy
until the day before election.
Hmm.
So then you have no time.
So, the Whiteheads are like, legendary.
They started organizing on their own.
Figuring all this stuff out from scratch.
This is the war room
for every insurgent campaign in Queens.
We're a country
that's supposed to be set up,
where the people are supposed
to have the final say.
What happens is
those who are already entrenched,
select people.
It's going up against the establishment
in a true sense of the word.
So you have to make sure
you have as much stuff in order
as possible.
Well, guys, we got a lot of work to do.
Yeah.
He can't get challenged
by any down-ballot incumbent.
Anyone who wants to keep their job
in New York City...
would never dream
of challenging Joe Crowley.
It has to come from outside of Queens.
It has to come from someone
who's new on the political scene
that they don't foresee coming,
that they can't offer a job
or pressure in another way.
And it has to be someone
that represents her community
in more ways than one.
Basically, an insurgent, outside,
grassroots candidate
that's a woman of color from the Bronx.
Ah!
Ah!
We're like walking closer and I'm like...
"Aaah!"
- Nice to meet you.Name's Barbara.
- Alexandria.
Barbara? Nice to meet you.
- Paul.
- Paul? Nice to meet you.
Running for Congress
out in the Bronx and Queens.
Okay, well...
Here you go.
Everybody said we couldn't do it.
And then they saw how much money we had.
And they saw that we had, like,
two dollars in December,
and they're, like, "There's no way."
And here we are...
April 12th, 2018.
And we're on the ballot.
Unless he sues us.
Aah!
What does it say?
"Born to Rebel"?
That's-- That's you.
Fix it and I wouldn't have to rebel.
Yeah. Fix it.
- Born to rebel?
- Born to rebel.
Listen. We wanna talk about something.
If you look
at first Congressional district,
we're still number one in murder
per capita.
We're in the top three
in African American poverty.
We're talking about mass incarceration.
We're talking about for African Americans,
who are almost 50 percent
of the district,
to have a black congressman
as long as they have had...
Right.
...and still have not made
any significant gains?
That's ridiculous.
This is Cori Bush's time.
Dr. King talked about
the fierce urgency of now.
Mmm.
That the time is always right to do right.
If change is gonna happen in St. Louis,
- this is our moment.
- This is our moment.
We have to believe
that you are that change.
I'm a registered nurse,
I'm an ordained pastor,
and I'm a mother of two teenagers.
I was not trying to become an activist.
Didn't set out to do that.
This is the district
where Mike Brown was murdered.
I only live six minutes from Ferguson.
This is the police.
Clear the area immediately.
You must clear the area
immediately.
Chaos in the streets
of Ferguson, Missouri.
The crowd's furious
over the police shooting
of unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown.
It was like a battle zone at home.
I took to the streets
to lend a hand as a nurse.
What I was wanting to see
was justice happen.
It didn't happen,
so I just kept going back, again and again.
Don't shoot!
This district was able
to affect the entire world.
Just regular, everyday people.
People are now waking up to see
that the problems that we have
in our district,
are problems that we ourselves can fix.
Smile more.
All right. Here we go for reals.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
Awesome.
One, two and three.
That was fantastic. Cool.
Here's what we're looking at.
You put that light on my face, like--
Wow, you know what you--
You know how to work my melanin.
I have to be... appreciate that.
He workin' my melanin.
Everybody can't work with melanin.
That is a compliment I haven't heard.
Being a woman of color,
our image is really scrutinized.
You have to speak like this,
you have to dress like this.
I decided that, yeah, I don't care.
One, two, three.
Basically you deal with it.
You know, people in my district,
this is how we look.
I'm going to serve and represent
the people of my district.
Anybody can run,
but you're doing a walk-through.
- Yeah. A walk-through.
- That's why I'm running.
Because this shouldn't be about one person
being a king, being like, "Kiss my ring."
It's not about that.
- Because we don't get help that way.
- You're right.
It's gotta be about us.
It's gotta be about us thinking about us,
caring about us, speaking about us.
- Mm-hmm.
- Not being afraid.
Yeah. Looking for a real change.
Looking for some real change.
- Not promises.
- Oh, no.
- Action.
- Action. Action.
St. Louis, in Missouri's
first Congressional district,
had been represented
by William or his son Lacy Clay
since 1969.
If you look at the progress
that has been made
over the past 50 or 60 years,
it's been remarkable.
So, you're running against, uh...
Clay.
Okay.
- How you doing?
- I'm good.
Well, you have to forgive,
'cause it's just out of habit on--
on the Clay family
- from way, way back.
- Yeah.
I know my pop was saying,
"Who?"
But, of course, the whole point,
you get seniority in that place up there,
it does count.
Yeah.
It-- But who does it count for?
Is it definitely counting for us?
Do we feel the seniority?
I admire your guts
because this is an uphill battle.
Because it's almost odd--
You know, it's not even a thought
for most of the folks
that I know that vote.
Election time come round. "Okay. Clay."
That's one of the few ones--
Nobody even bother
looking at anything else.
I ain't really seen no Democrat
with the guts
to go up against the Clays in a long time.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to 950 Lounge
Miss Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
- Thank you.
- Welcome to the show.
- Thank you, guys, so much.
So New York City
and New York politics is wild!
We're so used to seeing
our elected officials in handcuffs
that it's like no big deal anymore.
Our current Congressman, Joseph Crowley,
never even won the seat.
His mentor used a loophole
in New York City election law
- to appoint him as the Democratic nominee.
- Yes.
Wow.
He doesn't even live here.
- He lives in Virginia, y'all.
- What!
- Yes.
- All right, so hold on. You got a--
- I'm assuming he's a Caucasian man.
- Yes, he is.
You got a Caucasian man
that's a Congressman for the Bronx,
Queens, and Rikers Island
that lives in Virginia.
It just don't make no common sense
to anybody.
I don't know what y'all doing.
If you popped him in the Bronx,
he would get lost.
I am so happy that I get to be here today
as a surrogate for Congressman Crowley.
He is extremely saddened
he couldn't be here with us today,
and it's not
because he did not want to be here,
and because he doesn't believe
that these types of forums are important.
We are making excuses
for absentee leadership.
This is not a debate!
With all respect--
With all respect to Councilwoman Palma,
I thank you for your service
to our community. I do.
But I am the only one
running for Congress in this room.
Question is about trusting
Congressman Crowley's judgment
when he votes for the Iraqi war.
I trust Congressman Crowley's judgment
because he has served this community.
I built a great partnership
in making sure that whatever I needed
to do for this community,
that the partner that I had
was the Congressman
who has never failed to deliver
for this community.
Thirty seconds.
The vote for the Iraq war was disastrous.
It destabilized an entire region.
What do you say about US role
towards Israel-Palestine,
and moving the embassy and settlements?
Yes.
- No, this is a regular question.
- Oh, regular question. Oh!
One minute.
I believe that the Congressman
supports that position.
That's it? Okay. Rebuttal.
I think that moving the embassy--
Uh...
Moving the embassy
was a profound mistake
in US foreign politics.
Profound mistake!
Listen, you know, I--
I would allow him to elaborate more
on his position on certain issues.
Tell him to come right here.
And-- Again, right? We explained--
We explained why he's not here,
and it's not disrespecting the Bronx.
So I wanna thank everyone
for participating in this process,
because for so long,
we haven't had these forums.
The only reason we are here
is because we organized
for the first primary election in 14 years
in New York 14th.
For once, we have a choice.
For once, we have a choice.
Okay. Thank you and good night.
- Thank you.
- The candidates will stay--
Before you break.
I have a question here.
I think one of the questions
that was sent to you
is of great concern
to the African community here.
There's close to 300 businesses
in this district
that are owned by Yemeni Americans
who are suffering from the travel ban--
Meantime, this last half hour,
- you can go up to the candidates.
- But it said till eight o'clock.
African immigrants,
they're feeling left out.
Because most of them
have come here through the diversity visa.
Several of the individuals here
have familiesstuck
outside the country for several months.
I hope to have the honor of having
the support of the Yemeni community,
but I also acknowledge
that I have to earn it and deserve it
every single time.
Hello. Happy Eid.
My name is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
I'm trying out here.
I'm running for Congress out here
in New York's 14th Congressional district.
And it is so important that we go out
and vote on Tuesday, June 26th.
If you agree with what--
you know, what I say,
raise your hand.
But if it's a no for you,
don't raise your hand.
Support a woman's right to choose.
Support the Paycheck Fairness Act
in eliminating the wage gap.
Love this room.
Support allowing transgender soldiers
to serve in the military.
All right.
Raise your hand if you refuse
to take corporate PAC money.
All right.
Amy, Amy!
All right.
Everybody that knows me
knows that on day one,
I will co-sponsorHR-676 Medicare for all.
It is time to join the other Democrats
in office right now
that are standing up and saying,
"Enough is enough!
We're not gonna accept
any more money from the hospital,
the insurance companies and pharma,
and we can have the people
behind the party again."
Thank you.
They're actually now posting
that I'm a Marxist.
I don't even know what a Marxist is.
Commie, and socialist,
and a piece of shit,
and a bitch.
And, you know, I look like I'm Russian,
go back to my country in Mexico...
You know what? Bring it on.
Right now we could really use your help.
We are a completely
grassroots-powered movement.
It's gonna be a close race.
It's, you know,
obviously it's a crowded field.
Oh, hell, yeah!
Okay, that's what I like to hear.
I'm cleaning up after a bunch of kids.
I'm the house mom, the den mother.
So I'm gonna make this disclaimer.
I'm Amy Vilela.
I do not approve of this mess.
My name's Amy,
and I am not a career politician.
Yes.
I was someone that should not be able
to run for Congress.
I was a single mom.
I was on Medicaid, WIC, food stamps.
That's right.
Worked my way through college somehow,
- and became a Chief Financial Officer.
- Cool.
- Thanks a lot.
- No problem, take care.
This is not a game to me.
This is not an opportunistic move for me.
You got a good grip.
I turned my back
on an executive level job.
I sold my house.
I've gone into debt.
In the beginning, it was a tough decision,
but I would do it again
in a heartbeat now.
I'm scared too,
because I've never felt this confident...
in a campaign.
It makes me uncomfortable,
but I feel like we might win.
Every step of the way,
we seem to be on track.
We're like in the Amazing Race...
And no one else believes in the path,
so they think we're not on track.
They say, you know,
"You don't have a shot
if you don't raise $100,000
between now and next week,
or you don't have a shot
if you're not gonna put out
targeted mailers, you know,
to women between the ages
of 55 and 65 before this date.
After 2016, nothing is predictable.
Nothing!
Hi, Amin, this is Amy Vilela.
I was just actually doing
my fundraising calls and saw your name.
Didn't know if you'd be able
to help us out one last time.
- I'm not sure if I can.
- Okay.
Did I catch you at a bad time?
You know, even $50
would be absolutely amazing.
Really not in a position
to go much further, I'm afraid...
Sure.
Thank you so much.
- What can I put you guys down for?
- Okay.
We woulddonate $100.
Thank you so, so much, guys.
That really made my day.
So, I was getting curious
where some of our opponents
are getting their money.
Particularly Horsford.
He's not taking money
from Big Pharma, but...
I've managed to see
who he is taking money from.
Culinary Union,
executives from MGM and Tropicana,
and the Crystal Sugar Agriculture Fund.
Caesars,
the Congressional Black Caucus,
Congressional Progressive Caucus,
and Joe Crowley.
Why is Joe Crowley
one of the leaders pushing this?
He's pouring all this money into a race
that is two weeks
before the New York primary.
If Amy wins against the establishment Dem,
things look a little bit more hopeful
for the scrappy fighter from the Bronx.
You know, I grew up in poverty.
I was raised by a single mother.
And so I learnt how to fight early on.
Now that my eyes are open,
I cannot and I will not close them again.
The person I'm running against
is complacent,
but I'm not.
I myself
can deescalate a person with a gun.
And I'm not a police officer,
so I wonder how come they can't do it!
I'm running because of Cori Bush.
I'm running
because of Paula Jean Swearengin.
I'm running because everyday Americans
deserve to be represented
by everyday Americans.
And it's time for ordinary people
to do extraordinary things.
Let's raise some hell,
and take our lives back.
Thank you.
Here we go.
Nice to meet you.
All right.
Oh, we're in the middle--
You guys gotta get used to this.
This thing is growing.
It's-- It's happening.
We are beginning our world tour
through northern Nevada.
This is a flip district.
We have to keep on the issues,
forget the party divides,
forget the parties,
and let's talk about
what's really happening.
But there are some things
I will not negotiate on.
When we're talking about human life...
human life,
and the ability just to survive
and take care of your family and yourself,
I will not buckle.
Ouch!
We're clearing this area out.
Ain't nobody been out here
for a couple years.
So we can have this event out here.
I look crazy!
I am a proud Appalachian woman.
Because there's 10,000 miners
that marched that mountain,
and stood up for us, our ancestors did.
One of the biggest labor uprisings
in our nation's history.
This last year, I have hope.
I have hope,
and it's because of all of you.
And I think about when you get
that new person on your job.
I mean, you interview 'em,
and they're like so excited,
like, "Oh, I'm gonna do this,
and I'm gonna do that,"
and you think about the person
that was there before.
How you couldn't get 'em
to move out their desk,
and they were always calling off, and--
If we can get even just 15 more people
across the country
that will come in in 2019 and perform,
how much greater will we be?
And then in two more years, 30.
You know, that's what I'm looking at.
Like, it's just continuing to grow.
I'm running to represent the Bronx.
I'm a third generation Bronxite.
I'm a Latina, I'm a Boricua,
I'm a descendant of Taino Indians.
I am a descendant of African slaves.
I am proud to be an American!
But we have to rise to that promise.
That's your rice and that's my rice.
Take a little tiny bite.
The rice is good.
Can you pass her the rice?
When these two little monsters
were little.
I don't know, she was maybe,
like, six or seven.
She got upset and said,
"You know what? I am leaving."
- I'm like, "What?"
- "I've had enough."
Yeah. I'm, like, "You what?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna leave."
I say, "Okay."
She went, got the suitcase,
put all her clothes there.
She found a nice hat, she put it on.
She went to the curb,
and she's looking both sides,
like, "Hmm... Which way I go?"
So one thing Sandy always had,
it was free will.
So, here we have Alexandria Ocasio.
A SPECIAL DAY
For our next thing,
we will take a little look at aliens.
Aliens, this is our aliens issue.
It's taking me down!
When I was a kid,
about half of New York City high-schoolers
would never graduate.
And so, when I was about four,
five years old,
my whole extended family
chipped in everything they could
for a small down payment on a tiny house
about 30 minutes north,
in a place called Yorktown.
I went to public school
in a town where no one looked like me.
And then,
always, always driving down to the Bronx,
because all of my family
and our family friends
were still in the Bronx.
My Mom cleaned houses growing up.
She would clean a woman's home
in exchange for SAT lessons for me.
My father knew my soul
better than anyone on this planet.
He really made me believe
that I had true power in this world.
My Dad passed away when I was in college.
Losing him in a time
when you're just figuring out the world
was really hard.
I didn't know up from down.
If you were to find out,
okay, this is coming.
We were digging back,
and then there we were.
We make a lot of holes, and then--
Wait, so he left home,
but what did you do?
Two week extensions.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Let it roll.
Thank you.
So look at this thing.
Everybody in the district
got this Victoria's Secret catalogue
of my opponent.
I mean, I'm not trying to gas myself up,
or brag, or anything,
but this is the difference
between an organizer and a strategist.
What am I trying to get people to do?
Two things: I want them to know my name,
and I want them to know
that they need to vote.
"Okay, vote for her, why?"
"End the war on drugs.
A hundred percent renewable energy.
Tuition-free public college."
This is how a strategist does it.
Where's the primary date on this?
When you first see it, when you
first pull this out of your mailbox.
"Taking on Donald Trump in Washington."
"Delivering for Queens and the Bronx."
Deliver is insider talk.
Deliver means "pork."
"Oh, Alex, you're being too harsh.
You're being way too harsh.
Give him a chance."
Okay, let's give him a chance.
Let's open it up.
Okay, we got
this big, beautiful spread here.
Where's the primary date?
"Democrat Joe Crowley
is leading the fight
against Donald Trump."
There is nothing
about the path forward here.
Trump: three times,
commitments: zero times.
One of these core, core issues
for the Democratic establishment
is that their consultants are garbage.
They're losing.
It's scary that this is, like, the fourth
most powerful Democrat in the country,
and this is the type of stuff
that he's doing?
I like--
I like this one.
- This looks like you're on a frontline.
- Right.
- And that's where we are.
- I like it.
So what I'd like--
What I kind of envisioned
for the back of these things is...
three words or four words
- that are big on the back.
- Okay.
So whether it's, like,
"Medicare for all"...
Okay.
I think "rejecting the corporate
money" is like a big-- it's like a signal,
sort of a big signal, you know.
Yeah, it is.
And I think it's stronger
than the word "progressive".
"Abolish ICE" is another one
that we could go to, if you wanted.
I mean, it's kinda cool.
Like, I wouldn't mind having posters
that say "abolish ICE".
Yeah.
To be in a political poster.
They're gonna say, "That's gangster!"
- Like, up in Jackson Heights.
- Yeah.
I'll show you what your ads look like.
We got women, unions,
criminal justice, under 25,
- over 55, Obama...
- Great.
Bengali, English, Spanish.
- Sounds good.
- It's moving.
So if you're still
following along with us,
I'm gonna plug our Bronx rally again.
It's this Sunday, 2 p.m.,
Allerton Avenue.
Come out, bring your friends...
All right, guys, today is
the day of our first ever rally.
Who's willing to lead an event,
and have a couple friends over
to do any one of the things
that we just talked about?
Raise your hand
if you're willing to do it.
All right. All right.
Now, if you just raised your hand,
I want you to stand up.
Got 'em.
Applause. Give them a round of applause.
Everybody in this room
knows five to ten people.
And then those five to ten people
know another five to ten people.
Frankly, big money is very lonely,
and we've got people on our side.
The Machine here imposes candidates.
But all they want are puppets
to do their bidding.
And we're tired of that.
Because everybody in this
community deserves...
...health care.
Up with Alexandria!
Down with the Machine!
I'm here
with the Democratic Socialists of America,
and we're so proud
to endorse Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez today.
The entire New York
political establishment,
they have no idea what's going on.
This race is winnable.
And don't let anybody tell you
any different,
because the power out there,
I'm telling you, is an illusion.
This election is extremely close.
Every vote counts.
So please, please get out to vote.
Can we count on your support for Alex?
Awesome.
Alexandria is a progressive Democrat
who's not taking any corporate donations.
We've got people, and they've got money.
...Chester Road, and if you go
all the way down Pelham Parkway,
these are all businesses.
- There you go.
- Yes!
Thank you.
Things are accelerating so quickly.
We released our campaign video on Tuesday,
it just...
blew up.
Before we knew it, we passed $200,000.
And, like, that's a race.
But the question is...
...has this all come
with enough time to make a difference?
He's operating in his kingdom, you know.
They don't let us into senior centers,
but they roll open the red carpet for him.
I mean, look at this.
He has, like, every endorsement ever.
So we'll see.
New York! New York!
Show us your pride!
Who you gonna vote for?
Ocasio-Cortez!
Who you gonna vote for?
Ocasio-Cortez!
The primary, this June 26th.
The first primary election in 14 years.
Healthcare is a right!
Fight, fight, fight!
Healthcare is a right!
Yes, healthcare is a right.
And we gotta get some.
Haven't seen you in a while.
- Re-election time, huh?
- Hey, you know, every so often.
You're going to do it. Don't worry.
Hey, Bill.How are you, brother?
You are in my district.
I don't know who that
stupid woman is, but I'm voting for you.
Thank you.
She's not stupid, but thank you.
She may not be stupid,
but I don't like her anyway.
Good luck, Joe.
Adrienne, can you send me a copy of it?
- Yeah, we'll send you a copy.
- Come on in, Bill.
Yesterday, I get this phone call.
The guy who won't show up
to a hundred-person community debate
has now agreed to debate me
live on New York One.
Hi, how you doin'?
I am, frankly, a little scared.
This is either a really big misstep
that they've made,
or they have this really well planned.
When you're running for office,
and you're not, you know,
a typical candidate...
you have to remember your "why."
Why are you doing it?
I remember actually
the day I put this stone here.
It would have been two years ago.
And it seems like decades ago.
And at that point...
I was so lost.
She didn't wanna be left in one place.
So, as crazy as it makes me look,
I follow her wishes.
You wanna travel? We're gonna travel.
I don't want this
to go flying around in the car.
That wouldn't be cool.
When the time came,
they said she was brain-dead.
I knew something was wrong
'cause my sister Ellie had gone over--
She's an RN.
And I looked to my sister
and said, "No, Ellie.
No. Don't-- No."
And I saw for the first time,
my sister, she just--
I knew she was gone.
But she still was alive for a while.
So, I got into bed and I held her,
and I sang this song I used to sing to her
when she was a baby.
I played with her hair and told her
how much I loved her
until she took her last breath.
It's not just our family.
It's 30,000 families a year.
Thirty thousand of us a year...
that are losing loved ones
because they don't have insurance.
No one in this great country
should be dying
because they don't understand
the intricate system of insurance.
And why is it difficult?
Because of algorithms,
because of risk assessment,
because the CFOs
that work in that field
are sitting there figuring out ways
to make optimum profit
for their shareholders.
This is a commodity.
My daughter's life wasn't.
We all handle it differently.
A lot of grieving parents
that I've been in contact with,
they're sort of, like,
really shocked that I'm able to do
as much as I'm doing.
For me, it's "How can I not?"
I will never stop.
I'm not going to allow my daughter
to have died for nothing.
I started waitressing
when the financial crisis hit.
My Dad had passed away.
Working in a non-profit
just wasn't enough for our family,
because we were about to lose our home.
You're trying to make
a $300 student loan bill here,
and your foreclosure installment here...
You just do your best to survive.
That's been the reality
for millions of people in this country.
That feel like they're just hanging
by a thread.
And they feel
like no one's fighting for them,
and everyone's just in it for themselves.
I am debating
on behalf of the movement tonight.
This is not about electing me to Congress,
this is about electing us to Congress.
That's what I have to communicate.
I need to take up space.
I need to take up space.
I am here.
What's that?
I don't know. This is me takin' up space.
Sending your energies out.
- I'm gonna try it tonight--
- Aura building.
- I can do this.
- I know you can.
I am experienced enough to do this.
I am knowledgeable enough to do this.
I am prepared enough to do this.
I am mature enough to do this.
I am brave enough to do this.
And this whole thing,
this whole time
he's gonna tell me I can't do this.
He's gonna tell me I'm small,
that I'm little, that I'm young,
that I'm inexperienced...
Welcome back to Inside City Hall
where we are holding
a Democratic Primary debate
for the 14th Congressional District.
Joe Crowley has represented this area
in Congress since 1999.
He's being challenged
by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
She is a native of the Bronx
who has worked as political aid
and as an activist.
Here are tonight's rules. Each can--
For over 20 years,
the interests of working families
have been sold off
to luxury real estate developers,
Wall Street banks,
and for-profit healthcare corporations.
And for 20 years,
our rents have been going up,
healthcare has been getting
more expensive,
and our incomes are staying the same.
Not all Democrats are the same.
And in a district
that is overwhelmingly working class,
we deserve a working class champion.
Okay. Thank you. Mr. Crowley?
First of all,
thanks a lot for this evening.
It's great to see you, and thanks
for participating this evening as well.
I think it's a good opportunity for us
to have an--
an exchange of thoughts and ideas
about the issues of concern
to our constituency.
If a person loves their community,
they would--
they would choose
to raise their family here.
They would choose
to send their kids to our schools.
When it comes to my kids,
I like to keep my kids out of it.
Quite frankly,
it's difficult to raise a family as it is.
This job requires me
to be away from them
for a very long time,
and I'm just doing the best that I can,
quite frankly, as a father.
I'm poised at this point and time
to take on this president.
And I've been doing it,
just like I did this week,
when I marched in protest
against what's happening
at our nation's border,
where this government
is separating children from their mothers.
It is antithetical
to everything that I believe in,
- and that's what I fight for everyday.
- And you know what?
If this organization is as fascist
as you have called it...
- I've said it's fascist.
- And you have said it's fascist.
Then why don't you
adopt the stance to eliminate it?
This is a moral problem.
It is the first big Primary day of 2018.
Big Primary day.
- All eyes on West Virginia.
- West Virginia.
You are on the clock.
It's Primary day there
and three other states...
It's not about red state issues,
it's not about blue state issues,
it's about people issues.
If Joe Manchin's got you down,
come on out,
bring a little bit of hope
back to West Virginia,
and vote for Paula Jean Swearengin today.
Votefor Paula Jean Swearengin today.
It's Primary day, West Virginia, 2018.
I would just like to report to everyone
that currently we have 35,000 votes
from some wonderful,
hardworking West Virginians just like you.
So can we have a round of applause?
I'd like to thank you
for staying out with us so late,
enjoying a wonderful election night,
guys. So thankyou.
And these counties, these
bigger counties have not reported yet.
We've already got 42,000 votes.
We might still be able to win this
still, look at the bigger counties.
Manchin is 50,000 ahead of ya.
Joe Manchin has been declared
the winner with 69.5% of the vote,
to Paula Jean Swearengin's
30.5% of the vote.
- Not bad. Not bad.
- With 7.4% of the precincts reporting...
So, my thinking is,
if Paula was to run as independent,
if she has 30% of the Democratic vote,
there's possibility that she can pull over
some Independent
and even Republican voters.
If she runs as an Independent,
and Morrissey ends up
as our senator, you're done,
your political career is over.
I'm not telling you not to run
as an Independent,
because you are a good candidate,
and I believe in my heart
that people are drawn to good candidates.
I'm just asking you where you think
you can do the most good.
- Paula Jean? It's Mara.
- Hey, Mara.
Great race, by the way.
- Thank you, ma'am.
- Very good race.
Do you have a moment to talk
to Senator Manchin?
I sure do.
Okay. Hold on one second.
- Paula Jean?
- Hi, Senator Manchin.
How are you? I just wanna thank you.
I mean, I congratulate you. Thank you.
I've said to everybody...
You're just a classy person,
and I appreciate it very much.
Thank you, Senator Manchin,
that means a lot.
Whatever we can do--
If you wanna come in,
we could sit down and work together,
and look at some of the issues
you really have,
and see if we can come together
and try to help each other?
I'm happy to do that.
I'd love to come and sit down,
Senator Manchin.
I've been wanting that for a long time.
Okay. Why don't you-- You call Mara.
Mara has your number.
I'll have Mara schedule it,
that way we can spend some time together.
I'd love to do that.
Okay. Yeah.
I would like to see some changes
in this state, Senator Manchin.
- I understand.
- People are dyin'.
This is who we are.
This is the light of St. Louis.
We are the light of St.Louis.
Thank you all.
Let's take a look at the race
for the Missouri
first Congressional district.
Incumbent Lacy Clay, 61% of the vote
against his closest competitor, Cori Bush,
with 31% percent of the vote.
It was the old guard
versus the progressive new guard.
Many of you
called for change after Ferguson.
It does not look
like that is happening, though.
Feel like I'm gonna vomit.
...watching that screen pretty carefully
behind me...
I don't think I've seen Keenan this quiet.
Keenan,
you are the most awesome
campaign manager I could ask for.
We did this without knowing shit.
That's true.
And you stuck through everything,
and were there, and I love you.
I love you too, Amy.
- Okay, we have new results.
- Next time I see you...
Shit.
Some of us have gotta get through--
It's not about any one of us,
individually.
It's about the--the whole movement.
It's just the reality that
in order for one of us to make it through,
100 of us have to try.
Shalynne would be really proud of you.
I'm not sorry.
I'm not sorry.
I'm not sorry that I'm here.
I'm not sorry that we ran
the campaign that we ran.
The same reason that all of us are here,
that hasn't gone away.
The Primary ended,
the injustice has not.
We have a lot of work left to do,
and I for one am not gonna stop doing it
until we fix some things.
Thinking about 9 p.m. on Tuesday
makes me want to lock myself in a closet.
It will never be the same after Tuesday.
No matter what the outcome, this moment,
I'm never gonna get back.
Go, Lexie!
Everyone, try to keep
the outbursts to a minimum,
we wanna keep this moving on
as best as we can.
So the New York Times editorial board
yesterday came out
- with a scathing review of your campaign--
- Wasn't that bad.
...calling, uh--
They criticize you for, quote,
"your galling snub of a debate
in the Bronx."
That's right.
Is that the reason you're here tonight?
I appreciate the editorial
and I appreciate also the hard work
that I've been doing
to win back the support
of my constituents here.
When it comes time to standing up
against the big banks and Wall Street,
I stood shoulder to shoulder
with Barnie Frank
in passing Dod Frank.
I was proud of my work
and the effort that I did.
So let's talk about
Dodd-Frank, because after the--
one of the directors
of Morgan Stanley emailed
my opponent's campaign director
and told him,
"Before you pass Dodd-Frank,
you need to kill the Lynch Amendment,"
which protects working families.
He left the floor of Congress,
went to that fundraiser,
came back and killed the Lynch Amendment,
and then he voted for Dodd-Frank.
So, we need
to keep the facts straight here.
You know, you've spoken
about the fact that there are
you know, good Democrats
and bad Democrats, and...
I'm willing to say that maybe there are
some bad Democrats,
people who've let us down.
Hiram Monserrate is someone
who actually cut his girlfriend's face
with a broken piece of glass.
My question to you is,
why have you sought his support,
why did you go to his club
and speak at his club?
I'd like to know why you did that.
So, that's a lie.
I have not s--
I have not sought his support.
I think that that-- that history is--
is absolutely reprehensible,
and you say, "Why are you at his club?"
I was at the only Latino Democratic Club
in East Elmhurst and Corona.
That's where I was.
There are teachers there,
there are cross-walk guards there,
and that was-- that is who
I was talking to that day.
So, while I know that women tend
to be made responsible
for the actions of every man in the room,
I am not. I am not.
After ten years of failed leadership,
we have lost1,000
Democratic seats nationwide.
We have lost the House,
we have lost the Senate,
we have lost the Presidency,
and it would be a profound mistake
if we believe that the same leadership
getting us into this mess
is gonna get us out.
Because what's gonna get us out
is improved and expanded Medicare for all.
What's gonna get us out
is a federal jobs guarantee.
What's gonna get us out
is the abolition of ICE.
What's gonna get us out
is a $15 minimum wage.
I think-- Miss Ocasio-Cortez,
I think you brought a lot of energy,
and I think you--
for someone who is not as experienced,
in terms of public life
and public service,
I think you're doing a great job
in that vein.
- Well, look, I do--
- No outbursts, please!
I do thank her for the energy
she's brought to this.
What I'm hoping for is that that energy
doesn't end on Tuesday,
that that energy is brought forward
to November.
Crowley! Crowley!
Hi, man, how are you? Nice to see you.
Crowley! Crowley!
- Hi, how are you?
- Hi, don't forget to vote.
Today's an election.
We vote right in that corner.
- All right, thank you.
- Thank you.
Morning. It's election day.
Don't forget to vote.
Vote for Alexandria.
- Hi, good morning.
- Morning. Good luck today.
- Thank you!
- Don't forget to vote.
Good morning.
- It's election day, don't forget to vote.
- Today's the election...
Thank you.
Ready?
Let's go. Go.
Let's go.
- Hi! How are you, ladies?
- Very good.
- Thank you so much.
- Okay.
Nice to meet you.
- Your name, please.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
You know that.
Thank you!
Bye-bye, all.
- Thank you so much.
- Good luck.
- I saw the video clip but I saw--
- Oh, amazing!
I didn't see it all through,
but the first two minutes
convinced me to come here.
Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much.
This district is 85% Democrat.
So, whoever wins the Primary,
essentially wins the General Election.
There hasn't been
any public polling in the race.
When we finally got enough money
to do a poll at the last minute,
it showed us about 35 points behind.
You know where your poll is.
So, here's some information
about our candidate.
You got it! You got it!
I get scared of the cynicism
that could result
from people really believing
in something
and then it not working out.
- You guys voting today?
- Thank you.
Vote for Alex.
Oh... Vote for Alex.
Polls are open for 90 more minutes.
I just don't want to let them down.
I don't wanna hear anything.
Mami, can you put your phone on mute?
Okay. Mm-hmm.
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
- What?
- Oh, my God, no. I just...
Calm down.
Sorry. No, sorry. It's nothing.
It's not nothing.
I saw press running to our party.
- I love you.
- I love you, too.
I'm so proud of you.
Whatever happens, okay?
- We did the best we could do.Okay?
- We did.
- You did good.
- You did great. We did great.
No. I'm scared.
I don't know if I want to go in.
I'm scared.
- Should we walk in right now?
- Yeah, it's fine.
- You think so?
- Let's do it.
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Wait, wait, guys. Wait...
- Oh, my God!
- It's me! That's me!
- That's me on the poster! I'm sorry...
- Uh... Oh, hey!
Hey! I'm sorry! Oh, my God!
What is it?
I can't let--
on television right now.
How are you feeling?
- Can you put it into words?
- No.
- I cannot put this into words.
- All right.
Your supporters here
are very excited for you!
This was a grassroots campaign.
- It absolutely was.
- Can you believe the numbers?
I cannot believe these numbers right now.
But I do know
that every single person here
has worked their butt off to change
the future of the Bronx and Queens.
That's what I know.
When you said
that you were gonna take on Joe Crowley,
people looked at youlike you were crazy.
They did. They did.
And maybe I was a little bit.
I mean, you're going up against
the Queens Machine, as they call it.
Yeah, yeah. But, you know what?
We need a machine with a movement
and that is what we have done today.
Well, go ahead and celebrate
with your supporters.
- Eighty-two percent of vote!
- Yes!
Oh, my God!
Congratulations!
God, thank you!
Alexandria the Great!
Do you want any calls
with senators and such that keep calling?
The ones that didn't endorse you
along the way?
Or you wanna talk to them tomorrow?
It's up to you, obviously.
- Let's talk tomorrow.
- Okay.
All right.
It's my first time meeting you.
I live in the Bronx--
- I love you!
- Oh, thank you!
When I was a little girl,
my Dad wanted to go on a road trip
with his buddies.
I wanted to go so badly,
and I begged and I begged,
and he relented.
And so...
it was like four grown men
and a five-year-old girl
went on this road trip from New York.
We stopped... We stopped here.
And it was a really beautiful day,
and he leaned down next to me, and he--
he pointed at the Washington Monument,
and he pointed at the Reflecting Pool,
and he pointed at everything, and he said,
he said, "You know,
this all belongs to us."
He said, "This is our government.
It belongs to us.
So all of this stuff is yours."
The last thing my Dad ever told me
was to make him proud.
And I finally think I did.
I hope.
This land is your land
This land is my land
From California
To the New York Island
From the Redwood forest
To the Gulf Stream waters
I tell ya
This land
Was made for you and me
As I went walking
Down that ribbon of a highway
I saw above me
Oh, that endless skyway
Now I saw below me
That golden valley
And I said
This land
Was made for you and me
As I was walking
Now, they tried to stop me
They put up a sign that said
Oh, it said: Private Property
Well, on the back side
You know it said nothing
So, it must be
That side
Was made for you and me
One bright sunny morning
Well, in the shadow of a steeple
Down by the Welfare office
I saw my people
You know, now, they stood hungry
I stood wondering
I was wondering if this land
Was made for you and me
This land is your land
This land is my land
From Riverside, California
Oh, to Staten Island
Well, oh, down to Modesto, Georgia
Oh, don't forget to say Philadelphia
Oh, we moving down to Mississippi
Oh, Houston, Texas, oh, LA
Yeah, you know
This land is your land
Ah, this land is my land
Getting ready,
for women, it involves so many decisions
about how you're gonna present yourself
to the world.
'Cause there's kind of standard protocol
for how a man running for office,like,
should dress.
You either put on a suit,
or you put on a light color shirt,slacks,
and you roll up the sleeves.
Or...
I mean, those are pretty much
your two options.
Part of me is,
like, trying to brace myself
because people keep telling me,
"They're gonna try
to make sure that you...
just never show your face
in your community again."
How do you prepare for something
you don't know is coming?
Hey, everyone,
I'm getting ready to go file today.
Super excited.
It's official. We are in the race.
Go, Team Vilela.
Hey, everyone, it's Cori Bush,
candidate for United States Congress,
here in Missouri's first district.
Hello, everybody,
this is Anthony Vincent Clark.
- Hi, it's Rashida Tlaib.
- Second district of Nebraska...
We shouldn't have to worry
about self-serving politicians
catering to coal barons
instead of catering to our families
and communities.
I plan to Primary Joe Manchin in 2018,
and I'm asking you to stand with me.
...with some of these incumbent Democrats
who are facing primary challenges.
But are the progressives going to
make the Democrat primaries messy...
We're running to organize.
We're running to redefine
the political landscape in New York City.
And here's the best part
about all of this:
We're not running to make a statement.
We're not running to pressure
the incumbent to the left.
We're running to win.
Morning, guys. Buenos das.
- Hola.
- How are you?
If I was, like, a normal, rational person,
I would've dropped out of this race
a long time ago.
People don't see waitresses
as having a, quote-unquote, "real job."
But my experience in hospitality
has prepared me so well for this race.
I'm used to being on my feet
18 hours a day,
I'm used to receiving a lot of heat.
I'm used to people
trying to make me feel bad.
They call it "working class" for a reason.
Because you are working non-stop.
Americans aren't asking for a lot.
They're just asking to get by.
And they're just asking for politicians
to be brave enough to help them get by.
This is WNYC FM, New York.
Every political machine has a leader
and the most powerful of them
are known everywhere as the boss.
In Queens, that's Congressman Joe Crowley,
Chairman of the County
Democratic Committee
and also the Chairman
of the House Democratic Caucus,
making him the fourth most powerful
Democrat in Congress.
What we're talking about is better jobs,
better pay and a better future.
Crowley hasn't had
a primary challenger in 14 years,
until now.
I just want to thank
everyone here so much.
I mean, this is the work.
What I do is just talk to people
all the time.
Just members of our community,
all the time.
And that is the organizing
and that is the work
of running a grassroots campaign.
This is not just about
Democrat versus Republican,
in fact, it's so far away from that.
It's not Left or Right, it's up and down.
We're up against an opponent,
he's taken three million dollars per cycle
from Wall Street, real estate,
and pharmaceutical companies.
We need to have the courage
to stand up for working people
and stand up against corporate interests.
Let's assume all the energy in this room
can get you on the ballot
and into office.
How then do we overcome the drop in power?
We're trading a guy who's vying
for the Speaker of the House,
for somebody who's more in our corner
and has a lot less power.
I think we really need to look at...
what that power does now.
When it matters,
he doesn't stand up for us.
When it matters,
he doesn't advocate for our interests.
We have to have the courage to say,
"We can do better."
We can do better.
It's not gonna be a loss.
What would you reckon the...
evidence of selflessness is?
She is pretty doggone stellar.
I talked to her today.
Has not thought of running before.
I talked about the economic platform,
she loved it.
There wasn't a piece of the platform
she wasn't onboard with 100%.
All those in favor of moving her
to the next round, raise your hand.
At the first time,
we've gotten 100%?
I think that might have been
the first time!
For Brand New Congress
and Justice Democrats,
the biggest shared goal is removing
the corrupting influence
of money in politics.
The idea is to provide
an alternative path to Congress
outside of the current one that exists.
Right now we have a path through lobbyists
and through special interest groups.
Right now our Congress is 81% men,
it's mostly white men,
it's mostly millionaires,
it's mostly lawyers.
Most people in there
are just trying to figure out
how to keep their job
and win their next election.
That's not the thinking
that's going to fix climate change,
or mass incarceration,
or these giant problems
that are facing us.
The only way this works is if--
is if we really capture
America's imagination.
We're looking at Democrats and Republicans
to run in the midterms in 2018.
Non-career politicians.
So, nurses, teachers,
engineers, workers...
We don't care about party.
We just want to get stuff done.
If we elect working people,
working people
can have representation in Congress.
We can change the way we see government,
change the way we see politics
in this country.
So, I'm so glad all of y'all are here.
This--
This whole thing is making me feel like
there's no way that we're gonna go stop
this snowball that's now getting rolling.
It's going to become an avalanche
in a couple of months.
We want to actually create
that grassroots-funded machine
that can be your real opposition
to the current institutional powers
and that can really give power
back to the people
and really keep that power. Right?
I felt like there was...
such a wide divide in this nation
in terms of how we understand each other,
how we speak to one another,
and, in December,
I get a call from Isra saying,
"You've been nominated
to Brand New Congress."
And I was like, "What?"
You know, I'm from New York,
and New York isn't Democrat
versus Republican.
New York is establishment
versus whatever poor, stray cat
thinks you can stand up against them.
And then if you do stand up against them,
they take you and they consume you.
I never really saw myself
going into politics.
But now that I sit here in this room
with you all, I just feel like...
we can only accomplish
great things together.
I feel like I have to
because of you guys now.
You have to be fearless,
'cause they're going to come after you.
They are, this is no joke, y'all.
They're going to come after you.
But you have to be fearless.
Nobody owns you yet.
You don't owe anybody anything yet.
So, run.
You got people who are waiting for y'all
to come out this room.
To come back to Florida, and to Georgia,
and to Alabama, and to New York.
They want to be excited again.
Our future is in this room.
I'm nervous.
What do you say?
When they say, "Who is it?"
What do you say?
Hello?
Hi, my name is Mathew,
I'm out here canvassing
for a Congressional candidate
named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
for the Democratic Party in 2018.
I was wondering
if I could talk to you for a minute.
No, I'm sorry.
Now is not a good time.
- Okay, thank you.
- Thank you.
Easy.
Me no speak English.
- Oh, what do you speak?
- Greek, Greek.
Oh, Greek?
Why do you let people in the country
even though they're not legal--?
You know, they say,
"Okay, we're gonna forgive you."
I don't agree with that.
I'm a Democrat,
and I don't even agree with that.
Well, I think--
I voted for Trump, and I am a Democrat.
And she did too.
It's so crazy,
'cause speaking to groups of people...
- Right, it's easy.
- It's way easier.
In the beginning,
the fundamental question is like,
"Why you?"
"Why do you think you can do this?"
The reason "why"
was 'cause nobody else would.
So, literally anybody could, right?
Because the alternative is no one.
We have never seen this,
at this scale, in American history.
We have slates and legions of candidates
that are running now
and in 2018
that have rejected corporate funds.
Many of us, you know, we're doing
something very "controversial."
We're daring to actually force
the primary.
People would say,
"How dare you mount a challenge
to someone who's so established?"
Well, if they're good enough, they'll win.
And if we're good enough, we'll win.
She said,
"You shouldn't show your emotion,
because women are considered fragile
if you do.
And you need to be more of a bitch."
That is the worst advice
anyone can fucking give.
He said, "And when you go
to the people in West Virginia
and you tell 'em you're serving them,"
he says,
"You need to tell them
that you're their bitch."
- I said, "I'm not a dog."
- No! That's horri--
That's such horrible advice!
We work harder in these races
just 'cause we're women.
- We're not rich, white dudes in suits.
- Absolutely.
I don't know where I'm going.
- How are you feeling?
- Nervous.
Was this a good ending?
Let me read those.
Okay, so I'm taking theseawayfrom you
for a second.
Why?
Words don't matter so much right now
as you, right?
You're up there to convey your emotion
and to inspire people.
The words are useful in that,
but that's not the most important thing.
The most important thing is you.
- Do I look okay?
- You look awesome.
Don't worry about any of that stuff.
I just want you to just focus
on relaxing and breathing.
And as soon as you get on that stage,
before you walk through that door, smile.
And keep smiling until you start talking.
Please welcome,
from the great state of West Virginia,
Paula Jean Swearengin.
West Virginia
is oneof the poorest
and sickest states in this nation.
But I want you guys to know one thing,
West Virginians are strong,
we are proud,
and we won't give up.
No American should have to beg
for something so basic
as a clean glass of water!
My name is Paula Jean.
I am a coal miner's daughter,
running for the U.S. Senate,
and I am mad as hell.
As we go around the block,
I'll try to point out some of the houses
that I know that people had cancer.
This was my house,
where I raised my kids.
My neighbor's daughter ended up
with a rare form of bone cancer.
I know this lady had cancer.
There's a person in that house
that has cancer.
And our leadership's not hearing us.
They're in bed with the industries.
It's gone.
I mean,this mountain at this point
right here,it was really high,
and they took all of that out.
They just leveled this mountain here.
That community down there,
they're breathing in toxins every day.
Whether their water's polluted or not,
they're breathing in that air.
You talk about jobs,
you can probably count here
how many people's out here on this site
for miles and miles and miles.
Where are the jobs?
We don't have to do this.
If another country come in here,
blew up our mountains
and poisoned our water, we'd go to war.
But industry can.
As you know, I have
a real problem with what's going on,
the demonizing of coal, it seems,
by a whole group of people
that don't seem to understand
the life that we all have
is because of the domestic energy
that we have right here in this country.
Tell her what you think
about me running for office.
It scares me to death.
Her running all over the state,
her being up there with all those senators
and stuff scares me to death.
I'm her momma.
There's been people in this state
even in the coal industry
that has just disappeared.
You never find them no more.
I'm wondering in which hole
of these mines they're in, you know.
'Cause I know how things was done
in my daddy's day.
And I don't think it's changed much.
I come from a long line of coal miners.
My daddy died early... to power America.
We've been collateral damage.
People have seen West Virginians as...
we don't have no teeth,
no shoes, and no brains.
I just think they underestimate us.
At the end of the day,
we're gonna fight for each other.
They need to know that.
We're coming out of the belly of the beast
kicking and screaming.
Basically,
what political machines do
is they suppress democracy.
The whole game here is to prevent you
from getting on the ballot
in the first place.
Joe Crowley is not just a Congressman.
He's the Congressman,
he's the Chairman
of the Queens Democratic Party,
he's the district leader.
Joe Crowley has appointed
every board of elections judge.
When you turn in your signatures
to get on the ballot,
any tiny little discrepancy
in the signature,
they toss the signature out.
So, even though
the actual requirement is 1,250...
because we're challenging the boss...
we need to collect 10,000 signatures.
Good morning.
- Hi, are you a voter?
- Yes.
I'm running for Congress in the area.
We just need to collect signatures
to get on the ballot.
- Who would you be running against?
- Joseph Crowley.
- No.
- Yes.
I'm gonna stick with Crowley, thanks.
- Okay.
- All right, I'm gonna sign anyway.
- I'm a Crowley supporter.
- Oh! Okay. No worries. No worries.
Well, keep an eye out. Thank you.
One of my problems
when I'm trying to be polite to someone,
I feel like my voice goes up two octaves.
Like, "Hi!" Like...
This is my niece.
She's gonna be the next one.
- She's gonna get it after me.
- Oh, yeah.
Hi, my aunt's running for Congress.
You got it, bro.
For every-- For every ten rejections
you get one acceptance.
And that's how you win everything.
I killed the pint
of Americone Dream yesterday.
Sorry.
- I know we brought it from Manhattan--
- I didn't have one spoon of that.
- Yeah. I-- I can't help it.
- That's messed up.
That is really messed up.
You're like so unrepentant about it, too.
- You're like, "Yes, I did it.
- I mean, well--
You wanna make coffee or tea?
- I probably shouldn't have coffee.
- You probably shouldn't.
All right. Then give me the other two,
and then once you sign it,
you give it back to Clarence.
Clarence said that I'm gonna need 30.
Got it.
So, petition cleaning,
basically what we're doing,
we're going through all of these names,
making sure
that everything is legible.
This stuff seems
like a whole lot of stupid work.
But, you'd rather sit
and do this for three hours
than for somebody drag you to court
for six days.
And what they will do sometimes
if they have enough stuff to play with,
they know that eventually
you're gonna get on the ballot,
but they're gonna keep you busy
until the day before election.
Hmm.
So then you have no time.
So, the Whiteheads are like, legendary.
They started organizing on their own.
Figuring all this stuff out from scratch.
This is the war room
for every insurgent campaign in Queens.
We're a country
that's supposed to be set up,
where the people are supposed
to have the final say.
What happens is
those who are already entrenched,
select people.
It's going up against the establishment
in a true sense of the word.
So you have to make sure
you have as much stuff in order
as possible.
Well, guys, we got a lot of work to do.
Yeah.
He can't get challenged
by any down-ballot incumbent.
Anyone who wants to keep their job
in New York City...
would never dream
of challenging Joe Crowley.
It has to come from outside of Queens.
It has to come from someone
who's new on the political scene
that they don't foresee coming,
that they can't offer a job
or pressure in another way.
And it has to be someone
that represents her community
in more ways than one.
Basically, an insurgent, outside,
grassroots candidate
that's a woman of color from the Bronx.
Ah!
Ah!
We're like walking closer and I'm like...
"Aaah!"
- Nice to meet you.Name's Barbara.
- Alexandria.
Barbara? Nice to meet you.
- Paul.
- Paul? Nice to meet you.
Running for Congress
out in the Bronx and Queens.
Okay, well...
Here you go.
Everybody said we couldn't do it.
And then they saw how much money we had.
And they saw that we had, like,
two dollars in December,
and they're, like, "There's no way."
And here we are...
April 12th, 2018.
And we're on the ballot.
Unless he sues us.
Aah!
What does it say?
"Born to Rebel"?
That's-- That's you.
Fix it and I wouldn't have to rebel.
Yeah. Fix it.
- Born to rebel?
- Born to rebel.
Listen. We wanna talk about something.
If you look
at first Congressional district,
we're still number one in murder
per capita.
We're in the top three
in African American poverty.
We're talking about mass incarceration.
We're talking about for African Americans,
who are almost 50 percent
of the district,
to have a black congressman
as long as they have had...
Right.
...and still have not made
any significant gains?
That's ridiculous.
This is Cori Bush's time.
Dr. King talked about
the fierce urgency of now.
Mmm.
That the time is always right to do right.
If change is gonna happen in St. Louis,
- this is our moment.
- This is our moment.
We have to believe
that you are that change.
I'm a registered nurse,
I'm an ordained pastor,
and I'm a mother of two teenagers.
I was not trying to become an activist.
Didn't set out to do that.
This is the district
where Mike Brown was murdered.
I only live six minutes from Ferguson.
This is the police.
Clear the area immediately.
You must clear the area
immediately.
Chaos in the streets
of Ferguson, Missouri.
The crowd's furious
over the police shooting
of unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown.
It was like a battle zone at home.
I took to the streets
to lend a hand as a nurse.
What I was wanting to see
was justice happen.
It didn't happen,
so I just kept going back, again and again.
Don't shoot!
This district was able
to affect the entire world.
Just regular, everyday people.
People are now waking up to see
that the problems that we have
in our district,
are problems that we ourselves can fix.
Smile more.
All right. Here we go for reals.
One, two, three.
One, two, three.
Awesome.
One, two and three.
That was fantastic. Cool.
Here's what we're looking at.
You put that light on my face, like--
Wow, you know what you--
You know how to work my melanin.
I have to be... appreciate that.
He workin' my melanin.
Everybody can't work with melanin.
That is a compliment I haven't heard.
Being a woman of color,
our image is really scrutinized.
You have to speak like this,
you have to dress like this.
I decided that, yeah, I don't care.
One, two, three.
Basically you deal with it.
You know, people in my district,
this is how we look.
I'm going to serve and represent
the people of my district.
Anybody can run,
but you're doing a walk-through.
- Yeah. A walk-through.
- That's why I'm running.
Because this shouldn't be about one person
being a king, being like, "Kiss my ring."
It's not about that.
- Because we don't get help that way.
- You're right.
It's gotta be about us.
It's gotta be about us thinking about us,
caring about us, speaking about us.
- Mm-hmm.
- Not being afraid.
Yeah. Looking for a real change.
Looking for some real change.
- Not promises.
- Oh, no.
- Action.
- Action. Action.
St. Louis, in Missouri's
first Congressional district,
had been represented
by William or his son Lacy Clay
since 1969.
If you look at the progress
that has been made
over the past 50 or 60 years,
it's been remarkable.
So, you're running against, uh...
Clay.
Okay.
- How you doing?
- I'm good.
Well, you have to forgive,
'cause it's just out of habit on--
on the Clay family
- from way, way back.
- Yeah.
I know my pop was saying,
"Who?"
But, of course, the whole point,
you get seniority in that place up there,
it does count.
Yeah.
It-- But who does it count for?
Is it definitely counting for us?
Do we feel the seniority?
I admire your guts
because this is an uphill battle.
Because it's almost odd--
You know, it's not even a thought
for most of the folks
that I know that vote.
Election time come round. "Okay. Clay."
That's one of the few ones--
Nobody even bother
looking at anything else.
I ain't really seen no Democrat
with the guts
to go up against the Clays in a long time.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to 950 Lounge
Miss Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
- Thank you.
- Welcome to the show.
- Thank you, guys, so much.
So New York City
and New York politics is wild!
We're so used to seeing
our elected officials in handcuffs
that it's like no big deal anymore.
Our current Congressman, Joseph Crowley,
never even won the seat.
His mentor used a loophole
in New York City election law
- to appoint him as the Democratic nominee.
- Yes.
Wow.
He doesn't even live here.
- He lives in Virginia, y'all.
- What!
- Yes.
- All right, so hold on. You got a--
- I'm assuming he's a Caucasian man.
- Yes, he is.
You got a Caucasian man
that's a Congressman for the Bronx,
Queens, and Rikers Island
that lives in Virginia.
It just don't make no common sense
to anybody.
I don't know what y'all doing.
If you popped him in the Bronx,
he would get lost.
I am so happy that I get to be here today
as a surrogate for Congressman Crowley.
He is extremely saddened
he couldn't be here with us today,
and it's not
because he did not want to be here,
and because he doesn't believe
that these types of forums are important.
We are making excuses
for absentee leadership.
This is not a debate!
With all respect--
With all respect to Councilwoman Palma,
I thank you for your service
to our community. I do.
But I am the only one
running for Congress in this room.
Question is about trusting
Congressman Crowley's judgment
when he votes for the Iraqi war.
I trust Congressman Crowley's judgment
because he has served this community.
I built a great partnership
in making sure that whatever I needed
to do for this community,
that the partner that I had
was the Congressman
who has never failed to deliver
for this community.
Thirty seconds.
The vote for the Iraq war was disastrous.
It destabilized an entire region.
What do you say about US role
towards Israel-Palestine,
and moving the embassy and settlements?
Yes.
- No, this is a regular question.
- Oh, regular question. Oh!
One minute.
I believe that the Congressman
supports that position.
That's it? Okay. Rebuttal.
I think that moving the embassy--
Uh...
Moving the embassy
was a profound mistake
in US foreign politics.
Profound mistake!
Listen, you know, I--
I would allow him to elaborate more
on his position on certain issues.
Tell him to come right here.
And-- Again, right? We explained--
We explained why he's not here,
and it's not disrespecting the Bronx.
So I wanna thank everyone
for participating in this process,
because for so long,
we haven't had these forums.
The only reason we are here
is because we organized
for the first primary election in 14 years
in New York 14th.
For once, we have a choice.
For once, we have a choice.
Okay. Thank you and good night.
- Thank you.
- The candidates will stay--
Before you break.
I have a question here.
I think one of the questions
that was sent to you
is of great concern
to the African community here.
There's close to 300 businesses
in this district
that are owned by Yemeni Americans
who are suffering from the travel ban--
Meantime, this last half hour,
- you can go up to the candidates.
- But it said till eight o'clock.
African immigrants,
they're feeling left out.
Because most of them
have come here through the diversity visa.
Several of the individuals here
have familiesstuck
outside the country for several months.
I hope to have the honor of having
the support of the Yemeni community,
but I also acknowledge
that I have to earn it and deserve it
every single time.
Hello. Happy Eid.
My name is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
I'm trying out here.
I'm running for Congress out here
in New York's 14th Congressional district.
And it is so important that we go out
and vote on Tuesday, June 26th.
If you agree with what--
you know, what I say,
raise your hand.
But if it's a no for you,
don't raise your hand.
Support a woman's right to choose.
Support the Paycheck Fairness Act
in eliminating the wage gap.
Love this room.
Support allowing transgender soldiers
to serve in the military.
All right.
Raise your hand if you refuse
to take corporate PAC money.
All right.
Amy, Amy!
All right.
Everybody that knows me
knows that on day one,
I will co-sponsorHR-676 Medicare for all.
It is time to join the other Democrats
in office right now
that are standing up and saying,
"Enough is enough!
We're not gonna accept
any more money from the hospital,
the insurance companies and pharma,
and we can have the people
behind the party again."
Thank you.
They're actually now posting
that I'm a Marxist.
I don't even know what a Marxist is.
Commie, and socialist,
and a piece of shit,
and a bitch.
And, you know, I look like I'm Russian,
go back to my country in Mexico...
You know what? Bring it on.
Right now we could really use your help.
We are a completely
grassroots-powered movement.
It's gonna be a close race.
It's, you know,
obviously it's a crowded field.
Oh, hell, yeah!
Okay, that's what I like to hear.
I'm cleaning up after a bunch of kids.
I'm the house mom, the den mother.
So I'm gonna make this disclaimer.
I'm Amy Vilela.
I do not approve of this mess.
My name's Amy,
and I am not a career politician.
Yes.
I was someone that should not be able
to run for Congress.
I was a single mom.
I was on Medicaid, WIC, food stamps.
That's right.
Worked my way through college somehow,
- and became a Chief Financial Officer.
- Cool.
- Thanks a lot.
- No problem, take care.
This is not a game to me.
This is not an opportunistic move for me.
You got a good grip.
I turned my back
on an executive level job.
I sold my house.
I've gone into debt.
In the beginning, it was a tough decision,
but I would do it again
in a heartbeat now.
I'm scared too,
because I've never felt this confident...
in a campaign.
It makes me uncomfortable,
but I feel like we might win.
Every step of the way,
we seem to be on track.
We're like in the Amazing Race...
And no one else believes in the path,
so they think we're not on track.
They say, you know,
"You don't have a shot
if you don't raise $100,000
between now and next week,
or you don't have a shot
if you're not gonna put out
targeted mailers, you know,
to women between the ages
of 55 and 65 before this date.
After 2016, nothing is predictable.
Nothing!
Hi, Amin, this is Amy Vilela.
I was just actually doing
my fundraising calls and saw your name.
Didn't know if you'd be able
to help us out one last time.
- I'm not sure if I can.
- Okay.
Did I catch you at a bad time?
You know, even $50
would be absolutely amazing.
Really not in a position
to go much further, I'm afraid...
Sure.
Thank you so much.
- What can I put you guys down for?
- Okay.
We woulddonate $100.
Thank you so, so much, guys.
That really made my day.
So, I was getting curious
where some of our opponents
are getting their money.
Particularly Horsford.
He's not taking money
from Big Pharma, but...
I've managed to see
who he is taking money from.
Culinary Union,
executives from MGM and Tropicana,
and the Crystal Sugar Agriculture Fund.
Caesars,
the Congressional Black Caucus,
Congressional Progressive Caucus,
and Joe Crowley.
Why is Joe Crowley
one of the leaders pushing this?
He's pouring all this money into a race
that is two weeks
before the New York primary.
If Amy wins against the establishment Dem,
things look a little bit more hopeful
for the scrappy fighter from the Bronx.
You know, I grew up in poverty.
I was raised by a single mother.
And so I learnt how to fight early on.
Now that my eyes are open,
I cannot and I will not close them again.
The person I'm running against
is complacent,
but I'm not.
I myself
can deescalate a person with a gun.
And I'm not a police officer,
so I wonder how come they can't do it!
I'm running because of Cori Bush.
I'm running
because of Paula Jean Swearengin.
I'm running because everyday Americans
deserve to be represented
by everyday Americans.
And it's time for ordinary people
to do extraordinary things.
Let's raise some hell,
and take our lives back.
Thank you.
Here we go.
Nice to meet you.
All right.
Oh, we're in the middle--
You guys gotta get used to this.
This thing is growing.
It's-- It's happening.
We are beginning our world tour
through northern Nevada.
This is a flip district.
We have to keep on the issues,
forget the party divides,
forget the parties,
and let's talk about
what's really happening.
But there are some things
I will not negotiate on.
When we're talking about human life...
human life,
and the ability just to survive
and take care of your family and yourself,
I will not buckle.
Ouch!
We're clearing this area out.
Ain't nobody been out here
for a couple years.
So we can have this event out here.
I look crazy!
I am a proud Appalachian woman.
Because there's 10,000 miners
that marched that mountain,
and stood up for us, our ancestors did.
One of the biggest labor uprisings
in our nation's history.
This last year, I have hope.
I have hope,
and it's because of all of you.
And I think about when you get
that new person on your job.
I mean, you interview 'em,
and they're like so excited,
like, "Oh, I'm gonna do this,
and I'm gonna do that,"
and you think about the person
that was there before.
How you couldn't get 'em
to move out their desk,
and they were always calling off, and--
If we can get even just 15 more people
across the country
that will come in in 2019 and perform,
how much greater will we be?
And then in two more years, 30.
You know, that's what I'm looking at.
Like, it's just continuing to grow.
I'm running to represent the Bronx.
I'm a third generation Bronxite.
I'm a Latina, I'm a Boricua,
I'm a descendant of Taino Indians.
I am a descendant of African slaves.
I am proud to be an American!
But we have to rise to that promise.
That's your rice and that's my rice.
Take a little tiny bite.
The rice is good.
Can you pass her the rice?
When these two little monsters
were little.
I don't know, she was maybe,
like, six or seven.
She got upset and said,
"You know what? I am leaving."
- I'm like, "What?"
- "I've had enough."
Yeah. I'm, like, "You what?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna leave."
I say, "Okay."
She went, got the suitcase,
put all her clothes there.
She found a nice hat, she put it on.
She went to the curb,
and she's looking both sides,
like, "Hmm... Which way I go?"
So one thing Sandy always had,
it was free will.
So, here we have Alexandria Ocasio.
A SPECIAL DAY
For our next thing,
we will take a little look at aliens.
Aliens, this is our aliens issue.
It's taking me down!
When I was a kid,
about half of New York City high-schoolers
would never graduate.
And so, when I was about four,
five years old,
my whole extended family
chipped in everything they could
for a small down payment on a tiny house
about 30 minutes north,
in a place called Yorktown.
I went to public school
in a town where no one looked like me.
And then,
always, always driving down to the Bronx,
because all of my family
and our family friends
were still in the Bronx.
My Mom cleaned houses growing up.
She would clean a woman's home
in exchange for SAT lessons for me.
My father knew my soul
better than anyone on this planet.
He really made me believe
that I had true power in this world.
My Dad passed away when I was in college.
Losing him in a time
when you're just figuring out the world
was really hard.
I didn't know up from down.
If you were to find out,
okay, this is coming.
We were digging back,
and then there we were.
We make a lot of holes, and then--
Wait, so he left home,
but what did you do?
Two week extensions.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Let it roll.
Thank you.
So look at this thing.
Everybody in the district
got this Victoria's Secret catalogue
of my opponent.
I mean, I'm not trying to gas myself up,
or brag, or anything,
but this is the difference
between an organizer and a strategist.
What am I trying to get people to do?
Two things: I want them to know my name,
and I want them to know
that they need to vote.
"Okay, vote for her, why?"
"End the war on drugs.
A hundred percent renewable energy.
Tuition-free public college."
This is how a strategist does it.
Where's the primary date on this?
When you first see it, when you
first pull this out of your mailbox.
"Taking on Donald Trump in Washington."
"Delivering for Queens and the Bronx."
Deliver is insider talk.
Deliver means "pork."
"Oh, Alex, you're being too harsh.
You're being way too harsh.
Give him a chance."
Okay, let's give him a chance.
Let's open it up.
Okay, we got
this big, beautiful spread here.
Where's the primary date?
"Democrat Joe Crowley
is leading the fight
against Donald Trump."
There is nothing
about the path forward here.
Trump: three times,
commitments: zero times.
One of these core, core issues
for the Democratic establishment
is that their consultants are garbage.
They're losing.
It's scary that this is, like, the fourth
most powerful Democrat in the country,
and this is the type of stuff
that he's doing?
I like--
I like this one.
- This looks like you're on a frontline.
- Right.
- And that's where we are.
- I like it.
So what I'd like--
What I kind of envisioned
for the back of these things is...
three words or four words
- that are big on the back.
- Okay.
So whether it's, like,
"Medicare for all"...
Okay.
I think "rejecting the corporate
money" is like a big-- it's like a signal,
sort of a big signal, you know.
Yeah, it is.
And I think it's stronger
than the word "progressive".
"Abolish ICE" is another one
that we could go to, if you wanted.
I mean, it's kinda cool.
Like, I wouldn't mind having posters
that say "abolish ICE".
Yeah.
To be in a political poster.
They're gonna say, "That's gangster!"
- Like, up in Jackson Heights.
- Yeah.
I'll show you what your ads look like.
We got women, unions,
criminal justice, under 25,
- over 55, Obama...
- Great.
Bengali, English, Spanish.
- Sounds good.
- It's moving.
So if you're still
following along with us,
I'm gonna plug our Bronx rally again.
It's this Sunday, 2 p.m.,
Allerton Avenue.
Come out, bring your friends...
All right, guys, today is
the day of our first ever rally.
Who's willing to lead an event,
and have a couple friends over
to do any one of the things
that we just talked about?
Raise your hand
if you're willing to do it.
All right. All right.
Now, if you just raised your hand,
I want you to stand up.
Got 'em.
Applause. Give them a round of applause.
Everybody in this room
knows five to ten people.
And then those five to ten people
know another five to ten people.
Frankly, big money is very lonely,
and we've got people on our side.
The Machine here imposes candidates.
But all they want are puppets
to do their bidding.
And we're tired of that.
Because everybody in this
community deserves...
...health care.
Up with Alexandria!
Down with the Machine!
I'm here
with the Democratic Socialists of America,
and we're so proud
to endorse Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez today.
The entire New York
political establishment,
they have no idea what's going on.
This race is winnable.
And don't let anybody tell you
any different,
because the power out there,
I'm telling you, is an illusion.
This election is extremely close.
Every vote counts.
So please, please get out to vote.
Can we count on your support for Alex?
Awesome.
Alexandria is a progressive Democrat
who's not taking any corporate donations.
We've got people, and they've got money.
...Chester Road, and if you go
all the way down Pelham Parkway,
these are all businesses.
- There you go.
- Yes!
Thank you.
Things are accelerating so quickly.
We released our campaign video on Tuesday,
it just...
blew up.
Before we knew it, we passed $200,000.
And, like, that's a race.
But the question is...
...has this all come
with enough time to make a difference?
He's operating in his kingdom, you know.
They don't let us into senior centers,
but they roll open the red carpet for him.
I mean, look at this.
He has, like, every endorsement ever.
So we'll see.
New York! New York!
Show us your pride!
Who you gonna vote for?
Ocasio-Cortez!
Who you gonna vote for?
Ocasio-Cortez!
The primary, this June 26th.
The first primary election in 14 years.
Healthcare is a right!
Fight, fight, fight!
Healthcare is a right!
Yes, healthcare is a right.
And we gotta get some.
Haven't seen you in a while.
- Re-election time, huh?
- Hey, you know, every so often.
You're going to do it. Don't worry.
Hey, Bill.How are you, brother?
You are in my district.
I don't know who that
stupid woman is, but I'm voting for you.
Thank you.
She's not stupid, but thank you.
She may not be stupid,
but I don't like her anyway.
Good luck, Joe.
Adrienne, can you send me a copy of it?
- Yeah, we'll send you a copy.
- Come on in, Bill.
Yesterday, I get this phone call.
The guy who won't show up
to a hundred-person community debate
has now agreed to debate me
live on New York One.
Hi, how you doin'?
I am, frankly, a little scared.
This is either a really big misstep
that they've made,
or they have this really well planned.
When you're running for office,
and you're not, you know,
a typical candidate...
you have to remember your "why."
Why are you doing it?
I remember actually
the day I put this stone here.
It would have been two years ago.
And it seems like decades ago.
And at that point...
I was so lost.
She didn't wanna be left in one place.
So, as crazy as it makes me look,
I follow her wishes.
You wanna travel? We're gonna travel.
I don't want this
to go flying around in the car.
That wouldn't be cool.
When the time came,
they said she was brain-dead.
I knew something was wrong
'cause my sister Ellie had gone over--
She's an RN.
And I looked to my sister
and said, "No, Ellie.
No. Don't-- No."
And I saw for the first time,
my sister, she just--
I knew she was gone.
But she still was alive for a while.
So, I got into bed and I held her,
and I sang this song I used to sing to her
when she was a baby.
I played with her hair and told her
how much I loved her
until she took her last breath.
It's not just our family.
It's 30,000 families a year.
Thirty thousand of us a year...
that are losing loved ones
because they don't have insurance.
No one in this great country
should be dying
because they don't understand
the intricate system of insurance.
And why is it difficult?
Because of algorithms,
because of risk assessment,
because the CFOs
that work in that field
are sitting there figuring out ways
to make optimum profit
for their shareholders.
This is a commodity.
My daughter's life wasn't.
We all handle it differently.
A lot of grieving parents
that I've been in contact with,
they're sort of, like,
really shocked that I'm able to do
as much as I'm doing.
For me, it's "How can I not?"
I will never stop.
I'm not going to allow my daughter
to have died for nothing.
I started waitressing
when the financial crisis hit.
My Dad had passed away.
Working in a non-profit
just wasn't enough for our family,
because we were about to lose our home.
You're trying to make
a $300 student loan bill here,
and your foreclosure installment here...
You just do your best to survive.
That's been the reality
for millions of people in this country.
That feel like they're just hanging
by a thread.
And they feel
like no one's fighting for them,
and everyone's just in it for themselves.
I am debating
on behalf of the movement tonight.
This is not about electing me to Congress,
this is about electing us to Congress.
That's what I have to communicate.
I need to take up space.
I need to take up space.
I am here.
What's that?
I don't know. This is me takin' up space.
Sending your energies out.
- I'm gonna try it tonight--
- Aura building.
- I can do this.
- I know you can.
I am experienced enough to do this.
I am knowledgeable enough to do this.
I am prepared enough to do this.
I am mature enough to do this.
I am brave enough to do this.
And this whole thing,
this whole time
he's gonna tell me I can't do this.
He's gonna tell me I'm small,
that I'm little, that I'm young,
that I'm inexperienced...
Welcome back to Inside City Hall
where we are holding
a Democratic Primary debate
for the 14th Congressional District.
Joe Crowley has represented this area
in Congress since 1999.
He's being challenged
by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
She is a native of the Bronx
who has worked as political aid
and as an activist.
Here are tonight's rules. Each can--
For over 20 years,
the interests of working families
have been sold off
to luxury real estate developers,
Wall Street banks,
and for-profit healthcare corporations.
And for 20 years,
our rents have been going up,
healthcare has been getting
more expensive,
and our incomes are staying the same.
Not all Democrats are the same.
And in a district
that is overwhelmingly working class,
we deserve a working class champion.
Okay. Thank you. Mr. Crowley?
First of all,
thanks a lot for this evening.
It's great to see you, and thanks
for participating this evening as well.
I think it's a good opportunity for us
to have an--
an exchange of thoughts and ideas
about the issues of concern
to our constituency.
If a person loves their community,
they would--
they would choose
to raise their family here.
They would choose
to send their kids to our schools.
When it comes to my kids,
I like to keep my kids out of it.
Quite frankly,
it's difficult to raise a family as it is.
This job requires me
to be away from them
for a very long time,
and I'm just doing the best that I can,
quite frankly, as a father.
I'm poised at this point and time
to take on this president.
And I've been doing it,
just like I did this week,
when I marched in protest
against what's happening
at our nation's border,
where this government
is separating children from their mothers.
It is antithetical
to everything that I believe in,
- and that's what I fight for everyday.
- And you know what?
If this organization is as fascist
as you have called it...
- I've said it's fascist.
- And you have said it's fascist.
Then why don't you
adopt the stance to eliminate it?
This is a moral problem.
It is the first big Primary day of 2018.
Big Primary day.
- All eyes on West Virginia.
- West Virginia.
You are on the clock.
It's Primary day there
and three other states...
It's not about red state issues,
it's not about blue state issues,
it's about people issues.
If Joe Manchin's got you down,
come on out,
bring a little bit of hope
back to West Virginia,
and vote for Paula Jean Swearengin today.
Votefor Paula Jean Swearengin today.
It's Primary day, West Virginia, 2018.
I would just like to report to everyone
that currently we have 35,000 votes
from some wonderful,
hardworking West Virginians just like you.
So can we have a round of applause?
I'd like to thank you
for staying out with us so late,
enjoying a wonderful election night,
guys. So thankyou.
And these counties, these
bigger counties have not reported yet.
We've already got 42,000 votes.
We might still be able to win this
still, look at the bigger counties.
Manchin is 50,000 ahead of ya.
Joe Manchin has been declared
the winner with 69.5% of the vote,
to Paula Jean Swearengin's
30.5% of the vote.
- Not bad. Not bad.
- With 7.4% of the precincts reporting...
So, my thinking is,
if Paula was to run as independent,
if she has 30% of the Democratic vote,
there's possibility that she can pull over
some Independent
and even Republican voters.
If she runs as an Independent,
and Morrissey ends up
as our senator, you're done,
your political career is over.
I'm not telling you not to run
as an Independent,
because you are a good candidate,
and I believe in my heart
that people are drawn to good candidates.
I'm just asking you where you think
you can do the most good.
- Paula Jean? It's Mara.
- Hey, Mara.
Great race, by the way.
- Thank you, ma'am.
- Very good race.
Do you have a moment to talk
to Senator Manchin?
I sure do.
Okay. Hold on one second.
- Paula Jean?
- Hi, Senator Manchin.
How are you? I just wanna thank you.
I mean, I congratulate you. Thank you.
I've said to everybody...
You're just a classy person,
and I appreciate it very much.
Thank you, Senator Manchin,
that means a lot.
Whatever we can do--
If you wanna come in,
we could sit down and work together,
and look at some of the issues
you really have,
and see if we can come together
and try to help each other?
I'm happy to do that.
I'd love to come and sit down,
Senator Manchin.
I've been wanting that for a long time.
Okay. Why don't you-- You call Mara.
Mara has your number.
I'll have Mara schedule it,
that way we can spend some time together.
I'd love to do that.
Okay. Yeah.
I would like to see some changes
in this state, Senator Manchin.
- I understand.
- People are dyin'.
This is who we are.
This is the light of St. Louis.
We are the light of St.Louis.
Thank you all.
Let's take a look at the race
for the Missouri
first Congressional district.
Incumbent Lacy Clay, 61% of the vote
against his closest competitor, Cori Bush,
with 31% percent of the vote.
It was the old guard
versus the progressive new guard.
Many of you
called for change after Ferguson.
It does not look
like that is happening, though.
Feel like I'm gonna vomit.
...watching that screen pretty carefully
behind me...
I don't think I've seen Keenan this quiet.
Keenan,
you are the most awesome
campaign manager I could ask for.
We did this without knowing shit.
That's true.
And you stuck through everything,
and were there, and I love you.
I love you too, Amy.
- Okay, we have new results.
- Next time I see you...
Shit.
Some of us have gotta get through--
It's not about any one of us,
individually.
It's about the--the whole movement.
It's just the reality that
in order for one of us to make it through,
100 of us have to try.
Shalynne would be really proud of you.
I'm not sorry.
I'm not sorry.
I'm not sorry that I'm here.
I'm not sorry that we ran
the campaign that we ran.
The same reason that all of us are here,
that hasn't gone away.
The Primary ended,
the injustice has not.
We have a lot of work left to do,
and I for one am not gonna stop doing it
until we fix some things.
Thinking about 9 p.m. on Tuesday
makes me want to lock myself in a closet.
It will never be the same after Tuesday.
No matter what the outcome, this moment,
I'm never gonna get back.
Go, Lexie!
Everyone, try to keep
the outbursts to a minimum,
we wanna keep this moving on
as best as we can.
So the New York Times editorial board
yesterday came out
- with a scathing review of your campaign--
- Wasn't that bad.
...calling, uh--
They criticize you for, quote,
"your galling snub of a debate
in the Bronx."
That's right.
Is that the reason you're here tonight?
I appreciate the editorial
and I appreciate also the hard work
that I've been doing
to win back the support
of my constituents here.
When it comes time to standing up
against the big banks and Wall Street,
I stood shoulder to shoulder
with Barnie Frank
in passing Dod Frank.
I was proud of my work
and the effort that I did.
So let's talk about
Dodd-Frank, because after the--
one of the directors
of Morgan Stanley emailed
my opponent's campaign director
and told him,
"Before you pass Dodd-Frank,
you need to kill the Lynch Amendment,"
which protects working families.
He left the floor of Congress,
went to that fundraiser,
came back and killed the Lynch Amendment,
and then he voted for Dodd-Frank.
So, we need
to keep the facts straight here.
You know, you've spoken
about the fact that there are
you know, good Democrats
and bad Democrats, and...
I'm willing to say that maybe there are
some bad Democrats,
people who've let us down.
Hiram Monserrate is someone
who actually cut his girlfriend's face
with a broken piece of glass.
My question to you is,
why have you sought his support,
why did you go to his club
and speak at his club?
I'd like to know why you did that.
So, that's a lie.
I have not s--
I have not sought his support.
I think that that-- that history is--
is absolutely reprehensible,
and you say, "Why are you at his club?"
I was at the only Latino Democratic Club
in East Elmhurst and Corona.
That's where I was.
There are teachers there,
there are cross-walk guards there,
and that was-- that is who
I was talking to that day.
So, while I know that women tend
to be made responsible
for the actions of every man in the room,
I am not. I am not.
After ten years of failed leadership,
we have lost1,000
Democratic seats nationwide.
We have lost the House,
we have lost the Senate,
we have lost the Presidency,
and it would be a profound mistake
if we believe that the same leadership
getting us into this mess
is gonna get us out.
Because what's gonna get us out
is improved and expanded Medicare for all.
What's gonna get us out
is a federal jobs guarantee.
What's gonna get us out
is the abolition of ICE.
What's gonna get us out
is a $15 minimum wage.
I think-- Miss Ocasio-Cortez,
I think you brought a lot of energy,
and I think you--
for someone who is not as experienced,
in terms of public life
and public service,
I think you're doing a great job
in that vein.
- Well, look, I do--
- No outbursts, please!
I do thank her for the energy
she's brought to this.
What I'm hoping for is that that energy
doesn't end on Tuesday,
that that energy is brought forward
to November.
Crowley! Crowley!
Hi, man, how are you? Nice to see you.
Crowley! Crowley!
- Hi, how are you?
- Hi, don't forget to vote.
Today's an election.
We vote right in that corner.
- All right, thank you.
- Thank you.
Morning. It's election day.
Don't forget to vote.
Vote for Alexandria.
- Hi, good morning.
- Morning. Good luck today.
- Thank you!
- Don't forget to vote.
Good morning.
- It's election day, don't forget to vote.
- Today's the election...
Thank you.
Ready?
Let's go. Go.
Let's go.
- Hi! How are you, ladies?
- Very good.
- Thank you so much.
- Okay.
Nice to meet you.
- Your name, please.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
You know that.
Thank you!
Bye-bye, all.
- Thank you so much.
- Good luck.
- I saw the video clip but I saw--
- Oh, amazing!
I didn't see it all through,
but the first two minutes
convinced me to come here.
Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much.
This district is 85% Democrat.
So, whoever wins the Primary,
essentially wins the General Election.
There hasn't been
any public polling in the race.
When we finally got enough money
to do a poll at the last minute,
it showed us about 35 points behind.
You know where your poll is.
So, here's some information
about our candidate.
You got it! You got it!
I get scared of the cynicism
that could result
from people really believing
in something
and then it not working out.
- You guys voting today?
- Thank you.
Vote for Alex.
Oh... Vote for Alex.
Polls are open for 90 more minutes.
I just don't want to let them down.
I don't wanna hear anything.
Mami, can you put your phone on mute?
Okay. Mm-hmm.
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
- What?
- Oh, my God, no. I just...
Calm down.
Sorry. No, sorry. It's nothing.
It's not nothing.
I saw press running to our party.
- I love you.
- I love you, too.
I'm so proud of you.
Whatever happens, okay?
- We did the best we could do.Okay?
- We did.
- You did good.
- You did great. We did great.
No. I'm scared.
I don't know if I want to go in.
I'm scared.
- Should we walk in right now?
- Yeah, it's fine.
- You think so?
- Let's do it.
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Wait, wait, guys. Wait...
- Oh, my God!
- It's me! That's me!
- That's me on the poster! I'm sorry...
- Uh... Oh, hey!
Hey! I'm sorry! Oh, my God!
What is it?
I can't let--
on television right now.
How are you feeling?
- Can you put it into words?
- No.
- I cannot put this into words.
- All right.
Your supporters here
are very excited for you!
This was a grassroots campaign.
- It absolutely was.
- Can you believe the numbers?
I cannot believe these numbers right now.
But I do know
that every single person here
has worked their butt off to change
the future of the Bronx and Queens.
That's what I know.
When you said
that you were gonna take on Joe Crowley,
people looked at youlike you were crazy.
They did. They did.
And maybe I was a little bit.
I mean, you're going up against
the Queens Machine, as they call it.
Yeah, yeah. But, you know what?
We need a machine with a movement
and that is what we have done today.
Well, go ahead and celebrate
with your supporters.
- Eighty-two percent of vote!
- Yes!
Oh, my God!
Congratulations!
God, thank you!
Alexandria the Great!
Do you want any calls
with senators and such that keep calling?
The ones that didn't endorse you
along the way?
Or you wanna talk to them tomorrow?
It's up to you, obviously.
- Let's talk tomorrow.
- Okay.
All right.
It's my first time meeting you.
I live in the Bronx--
- I love you!
- Oh, thank you!
When I was a little girl,
my Dad wanted to go on a road trip
with his buddies.
I wanted to go so badly,
and I begged and I begged,
and he relented.
And so...
it was like four grown men
and a five-year-old girl
went on this road trip from New York.
We stopped... We stopped here.
And it was a really beautiful day,
and he leaned down next to me, and he--
he pointed at the Washington Monument,
and he pointed at the Reflecting Pool,
and he pointed at everything, and he said,
he said, "You know,
this all belongs to us."
He said, "This is our government.
It belongs to us.
So all of this stuff is yours."
The last thing my Dad ever told me
was to make him proud.
And I finally think I did.
I hope.
This land is your land
This land is my land
From California
To the New York Island
From the Redwood forest
To the Gulf Stream waters
I tell ya
This land
Was made for you and me
As I went walking
Down that ribbon of a highway
I saw above me
Oh, that endless skyway
Now I saw below me
That golden valley
And I said
This land
Was made for you and me
As I was walking
Now, they tried to stop me
They put up a sign that said
Oh, it said: Private Property
Well, on the back side
You know it said nothing
So, it must be
That side
Was made for you and me
One bright sunny morning
Well, in the shadow of a steeple
Down by the Welfare office
I saw my people
You know, now, they stood hungry
I stood wondering
I was wondering if this land
Was made for you and me
This land is your land
This land is my land
From Riverside, California
Oh, to Staten Island
Well, oh, down to Modesto, Georgia
Oh, don't forget to say Philadelphia
Oh, we moving down to Mississippi
Oh, Houston, Texas, oh, LA
Yeah, you know
This land is your land
Ah, this land is my land