Original subtitles

[lively instrumental music]

- Good evening.

I�m Helen Mirren,

and you�re watching "Documentary Now" season 51.

In 1992, filmmaker RC Baumgartner

set out for Ohio to chronicle a gubernatorial campaign.

While the intended focus was the candidates,

it soon shifted to those behind the scenes.

Through Baumgartner�s lens, the world was introduced

to political operators Teddy Redbones

and Alvin Panagoulious

in the campaign classic, "The Bunker."

[explosion]

[cheery, upbeat music]

- J� Dreaming J'

J� Dreaming J'

I Dreaming you�ll look my way I

J� Dreaming J'

J� Scheming J�

J� Hoping that you'll be mine someday I

J� Dreaming J'

J� Dreaming J'

I Hoping that you will stay I

I In the soft of the night I

I You�re holding me lightI

I When you look at me I

I Then you'll say I

I That you�ve been dreaming I

I Dreaming I

I Hoping you�ll be mine someday I

- That�s right.

As a former councilman, I care very much about Ohio.

Yes.

And I think it�s important to run

and give Ohioans a choice.

That�s right.

lrun as a...

as a kindness, you might say.

Okay.

[chuckles] Well, you have a good afternoon

and then a good night.

[chuckles]

Now, that is fun.

Talking on the telephone to reporters.

[laughs]

- Hey, listen to this.

"Modest though he is,

"Ben Herndon yesterday handed his campaign

"over to a rogue�s gallery of political gurus

"including Teddy Redbones,

"the so-called Mississippi Machiavelli,

and Alvin Panagoulious, the boy-hunk--"

Wow--"of the Beltway."

Huh, you think I�m a cute hunk?

I feel like I�m shy.

- No, they always write the same stuff about me.

A Mississippi Machiavelli or Sunburnt Succubus or...

what�s the other one? Suspected arsonist.

- Uh-huh. Yeah?

- But, uh, you know what they always leave out?

U ndeleated. That�s right.

Undefeated.

- Did you fellas forget to take your shoes off?

- Oh, sorry.

Apologies.

I mean, my goal is to have an office

that just has a lot of open communication,

so any messages for the candidate

can go through me.

If there are any phone calls for the candidate,

this all goes through me.

Everything�s streamlined so it goes through me.

Just faster that way, and-[laughs]

I don't know who put these up,

but this one is a nine,

and this wall should be all tens.

You know, blondes, brunettes.

Tasteful. Just tens.

It�s a little thing but it just affects everything, so...

- Okay. - All right, thanks.

- And let's please make sure on all the tiyers

that the name is spelled correctly.

It�s H-E-R�N-D-O-N, Herndon.

And now let's hear from the man of the campaign, Mr.�

- Get out of my way. Out of my way.

- Teddy Redbones. - Get out of my way.

[applause]

Let me tell you what this election's about, okay?

Let me tell you why I wake up at 4:30 in the morning so angry.

Because Governor Lester with his head of hair

and his perfect suits and his "jogging,"

well, he thinks he�s got

this re-election in the bag, right?

What, because our guy ain�t James Dean?

Well, let me tell you something.

We�ve all been the most unpopular guy in the room.

Yeah?

We've all been the person at the wedding

no one wants to speak to during passed appetizers, yeah?

And now we're up against Mr. Popular.

Okay?

Govemor Lester with his-- his perfect record

and his money and his $10 family,

well, let me tell you something.

Even the shiniest, most beautiful apple

has something mushy and brown underneath.

Now, we got to ?nd whatever weird, mushy brownness

we can on Governor Lester, all right?

So let�s get this goin�. Come on.

- So I guess the question is, how do you get excited

about a candidate who says he is only running

as a "kindness to the voters,"

and who has publicly praised

Governor Lester�s first term in of?ce?

- He praised it publicly, exactly, to be nice.

It�s kind of like when you meet someone�s wife

and you say she's a ten when really she�s a true five.

I mean, I don�t think I�m speaking out of turn

when I say that. We all do that.

- And that�s your political strategy?

Rating women?

[both chuckle]

Ah. - You could see it that way.

- Okay. Okay.

l�m Luanne Maltley with "Politics Now."

We'll be right back.

- I think it went very well.

I understand that you're new to our style,

but it's very effective, I assure you.

Don 't worry.

Not gonna do anything

that makes you feel uncomfortable.

- Oh, jackass alert right here.

"Re-elect Lester."

All right, hold up.

[car door closes]

A lawn jockey?

It�s 1992.

What kind of people are th-these Lester supporters?

- Our man�s a little nervous about our tactics,

but he just needs to see that we've got it under control.

- Yeah, I�m not worried about our man.

No, what I�m worried about is, uh,

we don�t have any honest-to-God dirt

on Governor Lester.

0h, here�s another one.

[classic rock playing]

- [laughs]

Uh-huh.

- Whoo!

>\ss

- It�s why I love Ohio,

because you can�t say it without saying, "0h, hi." [chuckles]

And I want to say "Oh, hi" to all the voters

on election day.

And maybe the voters would like a change.

We have had a lot of Governor Lester

and his cronies in the toll authority.

- That�s right, you go for the jugular, fat man.

- I appreciate yoursupport and thank you all for being here

and, uh, let�s-- let�s win this thing.

Thank you. [cheers and applause]

Thank you.

[upbeat music]

- Is that myjacket?

- It�s the room's jacket.

- Um, our man�s a little nervous that the new TV ad is negative.

- We have it?

Mary Beth, we have it? - Mm-hmm.

- Put it in. Let's see it.

Come on. Let�s go.

[triumphant music]

- This Sunday is Governor Lester�s birthday.

Let�s hope...

[music winds to a stop]

It�s his last.

[woman screams]

[church bell tolls]

On election day vote for Ben Herndon.

- Okay, our biggest problem, as usual, is time,

so this is running 18 seconds.

Local TV will run it twice as long

if we get it done at 11.

- Now can we add kids singing "Happy Birthday"

all spooky-like?

- That will just add more time.

- Right.

Am I the only one that�s concerned

that this spot plays

like we want Governor Lester to die?

- Wow, I don�t understand.

W�walk me through that.

- I feel like you�re saying,

"We hope it's your last birthday."

- In of?ce.

We hope that Governor Lester will celebrate

his last birthday in of?ce

because we�ve got the right guy with the right ideas

who loves his state.

- We�re not only saying, uh,

"Happy birthday, Governor Lester."

We're also saying,

"Hope you don't have to work

on your birthday next year."

I mean, it�s two different types of nice.

- It�s a death threat.

It�s clear, it�s a death threat.

- I know how we can shave off ?ve seconds.

- Go.

- What if we take out

"This election, vote for Ben Herndon?"

- Yes, just say, "Hope it�s your last."

Cut to spooky kids singing, "Happy birthday."

I Happy birthday to you I

Spooky as shit.

Freeze frame, x-ray on the photo.

- Okay, you just added 15 more seconds.

- Goddamn it, Mary Beth.

In one hour I got to go meet with a forger

to try to change Govemor Lester�s

high school yearbook quote, you understand?

So I've got to be able to leave here

knowing that this ad plays without you coming

and pinching out the waist about ten [bleep] seconds.

Okay?

I can�t work like that.

- I trust you. It�ll be okay. - Mm-hmm.

- Figure it out!

[upbeat electronic music]

- Mr. Redbones, "The Cleveland Plain Dealer"

wrote today that Herndon is

"wildly unfit to be governor."

- Okay, well, first, "The Cleveland Plain Dealer�s"

a terrible name for a newspaper.

Man, it sounds like a boring blackjack dealer.

I mean, I like my blackjack dealers

to be celebrity impersonators, and--

and while we�re talking about gambling,

I mean, Governor Lester, uh, you know,

he's never publicly come out against riverboat gambling

between, uh, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

So I mean, ask yourselves that.

We could have ourselves a gambling addict in the--

in the governor�s mansion.

Y'all are barking up the wrong dirt tree.

- You don't want to write a story

that Herndon failed basic economics

in community college five times

because we�re gonna win.

We're young, we�re cute.

You don�t want to be the guy who bet against us.

You want to be the guy

who went to high school with Kathy Ireland?

And you ignored her because she was mousy�looking

and then years later she�s on the cover

of "Sports Illustrated"?

Huh? How�s that gonna feel?

You don't want to be that guy.

-All right, now, listen up.

We're exactly one week away

from the only important debate

of this entire electron.

I need some dirt on Governor Lester, all right?

And I�m not talking about mudslinging.

Something real.

- What about that intern hours thing we talked about?

- Remind me, what is that again?

- That�s we have the news footage

from Lester�s headquarters.

Got interns. They�re working.

Not only on holidays

but also more than five hours on a business day.

These are unpaid workers so--

- So he�s got slaves?

- No, these are interns. It�s ?ne to have interns.

-Alvin.Alvin.

We got footage of Lester using slaves.

- No, no, no. These are intems. They�re kids.

- Oh, child slaves. Oh, that�s even better.

- That�s great. - Child slaves.

I want a press conference, that�s what I want.

- Tell Mary Beth we want press conference.

- You�re signing off on this?

- I�m signing offon� we�re both signing off on it.

What do you mean, we sign off on it?

- We�re both signing off.

- Don�t [bleep] with us, Mark.

- [laughs]

Sign off on it.

No, but Ben, it will absolutely dominate the airwaves tomorrow

if we hit them with this today.

Yeah, but sir, here�s what makes me nervous.

We�ve got nothing going into the debate.

Nothing that pops.

I�m sure you picked a nice suit out.

That�s...

Okay.

It�s a no-go.

[pounding]

- What does he want from us?

- I mean, hejust can�t wrap his head

around any kind of negativity.

- It�s what--l never--we've never had zilch, nothing.

Nothing at this late in the game, I mean�

- Wait, wait, wait, wait, Teddy.

- What is it?

Whoo-hool

- Got something, boss.

- Once again,

this is a shoes-off house.

- Yeah, not gonna happen.

Look, we got legit evidence

that Lester had a child with his college girlfriend

and he�s never admitted to it.

Look at this. Look at this. - What?

- It�s true. It�s all true.

-And he abandoned the child? - Yes.

- Well, technically he didn�t and he�s never mentioned it.

I mean, he does pay child support

and apparently they have a good relationship...

- The point is he's a liar, okay?

He�s lied time and time again about how many children he has--

- Oh, man. Well, now this raises questions.

- Yes, yes, it does raise some questions

we�re gonna raise in the debate tomorrow.

- Oh, no--

- Yes, yes, the people of Ohio deserve to know--

- You got to take the reins on this.

- Who they're gonna pick for governor.

They need to know the truth.

- Okay.

Okay, I will do it.

- You�ll do it?

Right, we'll see you tomorrow.

Wait. I got to go take a dump.

Where�s your commode at? - No, don�t--wait--

Wipe up. Shit.

- I�ve been working on a-- uh, a Herndon impression.

You guys want to see it? - Yeah.

- You can�t tell him.

He's always so nervous.

"Well, |--

Alvin. [laughter]

I think I�m nervous."

[laughter]

You think you�re nervous?

Yeah, if you think you�re nervous, you are nervous.

[laughter]

- Put the taffy down, Tubby Tammy.

Yeah, this one works good.

I like it.

Put the taffy down, Tubby Tammy.

This one works.

- You guys want to see the King of Pop?

- Yeah, do it. -All right, I�ll do it.

I Whoo�hoo I

Shamone!

I Whoa I

I Whoo�hoo ba, ba, ha I

- Boss, which one you want?

- I want the colorful one.

I like the one that makes me stand out.

- Let me see it. Let me see it.

Right?

- [exhales]

- Tonight, the 1992 Ohio state gubernatorial debate,

with current governor Tom Lester

facing off against former councilman Ben Herndon.

And now, your debate moderator, Rhonda Lawndes.

- Live from Wrigley Civic Center,

the 1992 Ohio gubernatorial debate.

- Tonight is the night, Alvie.

The tide is gonna change.

- l have prayed on it,

and I cannot engage

in this kind of attack.

- Well--do you want to lose the race?

Is that what you want to do?

- If I do this, how will I sleep at night?

- Y-you drink and you take pills like everybody else.

- I believe in forgiveness.

And I am not sure what you two believe in except yourselves.

I want you off my campaign.

Now if you will excuse me,

I�m going to have an honest debate.

- Thanks for all your help.

- Thanks for having me on.

- Yes, it's a lot of work.

- Yeah. - Not for us.

- No, no, for Mr. Hemdon. - Right.

- Please welcome Govemor Tom Lester.

[cheers and applause]

And former councilman and grandfather Ben Herndon.

[light applause]

- That�s the governor. [ch uckles]

- It�s okay. It�s all right.

- With Ohio�s economy having a surplus

for the first time in a generation,

how would you continue economic momentum?

- Well that�s a-- a good question.

And lwould like to answer it tomorrow,

and also I'm out of water.

- l have water for you.

[glass clinks]

[cheers and applause]

- We�re gonna lose this election.

- No, no, no, we're ain�t gonna lose this election.

Come here.

Remeber what I told you I'd do before I lose an election?

- Oh, yes, that was crazy.

- Should I do it?

- Yeah.

- Yeah. - You should do it.

- Yeah.

- Although I think my opponent would make

a great grandfather of the year,

I think I'd make a better governor.

[laughter]

[gunshot]

[screaming]

- Teddy Redbones�s been shot!

They shot me!

Someone on Lester�s campaign shot me!

0h!

Oh, man, that hurt.

[percussive electronic music]

- That�s what I�m saying.

So Cleveland, Youngstown, Columbus,

and all the southern districts are in.

Well, we�re waiting on that, but I don�t think it matters.

We got this.

It�s ours.

Congratulations, Mr. Governor.

[sighs]

We won.

We won!

Yeahl

[cheers and applause]

Um, if you don't mind,

I�d like to say, uh, a few things.

There are three things that I'm grateful for

at this moment.

The first is the way we ran this campaign.

[applause]

I�m proud of everyone in this room.

The second thing,

I recently met someone

and l--l am just giddy.

It�s in that early phase where just--

everything is exciting.

Anything.

Holding hands, seeing each other,

just walking into the same room.

[man coughs]

Third thing

is that I am proud and grateful

for this man right here.

[cheers and applause]

- Shut up. Shut up.

Shut up.

I�m gonna cry now.

It�s gonna be a weird cry.

This all started with a bet in a restaurant, that right?

A bet that we could get anyone elected to anything.

And we did.

This was never about the state of Ohio

or Ben...

- Herndon. - Herndon.

It�s about what we did.

We changed the way that election narratives are hijacked.

Y�all are political professionals.

You should be proud of that.

I�m proud of you.

You love your work,

and you learned a lot.

We all learned a lot.

Like the difference between shooting someone in their ass

and shooting them in their femur,

ain't that right, Mary Beth?

[laughter]

You should have seen her out there.

She went, "Ahh!"

It was like Wile E. Coyote down there.

Dumb knucklehead.

Anyway, give yourself. Come on.

[cheers and applause]

- Thank you.

| just heard from Governor Lester

who offers his congratulations.

[cheers and applause]

I cannot believe I am governor.

[laughter]

Oh, I should say now,

we have a family cruise planned in October

for my aunt�s 80th birthday,

sol will be gone for three weeks

for the cruise.

I hope that�s okay.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for your support.

Thank you for your vote.

Thank you.

[laughs]

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