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Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
African-American residents of Pontiac, washing cars in driveway of suburban neighborhood.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
CU of hands operating machines in an automobile factory.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Shots of idle Pontiac (GM) automobile assembly factory with empty parking lot.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Line workers working on engine blocks in an automobile factory.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Shots of United Auto Workers jacket on back of man, pan to show large crowd in Unemployment Office.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
CU of various unemployed workers, all say that unemployment is the biggest issue in this election.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Bob Carr (D - Michigan) with a large African-American family in front of a house.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
James Dunn (R - Michigan) shaking hands with workers leaving a factory.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
James Dunn (R - Michigan) in office, Unemployment growth factors for the state of Michigan in my last 2 years, my opponent s in his last years in office, was averaging 5.8% for his last 2 years. Unemployment in my first 2 years in this state has continued to grow. It s grown by 2.8%. Now that s about half, I m not satisfied with either one of those numbers. Nevertheless, when you study what the changes, not only that we ve made in Washington, but that our auto industry, ourself, the state legislature. We are indeed on the right track.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Shots of workers in campaign office for James Dunn (R - Michigan).
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Shots workers in campaign office of Bob Carr (D - Michigan).
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Bob Carr (D - Michigan) With that kind of money you can power past the good argument from the other side just by sheer volume. The Republican committee has itself announced that in close races, they believe they can buy 2 percentage points - by brute force of spending, they think they can buy 2 percentage points. And this is certainly going to be a close race. And the evidence is they think they can buy this one.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Shots of workers in campaign office for James Dunn (R - Michigan) in office, reading voter lists, etc.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Long line of factory workers exiting a plant.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Suburban African Americans outside their home in Pontiac, Michigan.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Line at Unemployment office.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Reporter, Trudy Gallant, in Pontiac, Michigan says this will be the closest race in Michigan.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Paul Duke and Cokie Roberts discussion of White House concern that the Republicans might lose many seats. President Reagan has been very active in the campaign to try and help certain Republicans their campaigns, especially in farm states. Discussion that the freshmen Republicans don't seem to be in much trouble, but older Republicans tend to be in jeopardy.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Paul Duke introduces commentary.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Commentary by Charles McDowell. Here in Washington it is perfect apparent that there ought to be a landslide in the making out there. Out there is our engaging term for the 50 United States of America. Anyway, President Reagan s economic program is in tatters. Unemployment has crossed the landslide line on our politics meter. And the national polls reported an increasing inclination of people generally to vote Democratic in the Congressional elections. So some of us have been venturing out there to look at the landslide. We can t find it. We ve heard a sort of rumbling in the hills, but not that big crashing sound you get with a landslide. It might still happen of course. Democrats generally seem to be doing better than Republicans, generally. And some specific Republican candidates might well lose because the economy makes the difference. But most of the contests are turning on other things. Things that don t quite fit into the political landscape sliding down the slope of the economy. Most of the incumbents of both parties are going to win. Because they ve been around awhile and their constituents think they are pretty good Congressmen. Democrats are gong to win here and there because they re younger - or older - or brighter or maybe just more pleasant than their opponents. Republicans are going to win here and there for the same reasons. Or because they have more money for television ads or because they re on the right side of some esoteric local issue that we wouldn t recognize in Washington if it hit us on the head. There will be winners who owe their margins to the nuclear freeze movement or the anti-abortion movement or some little movement of sentimental voters who remember one candidate s daddy. But to keep our perspective there s still that rumbling in the hills that worries the Republicans. If it is economic protest and it keeps getting louder, things like the daddy vote might not matter at all.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Paul Duke signs off.
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
Closing credits
Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
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Lawmakers - October 14, 1982
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