AUTHOR NAME: Samson Abebe
TITLE OF SHOW: “We The People”
FORMAT OF SHOW: Reality Series
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LOGLINE Hip Political Science Competition that pits real people (18+) against each other in a mock presidential election as they vie for America’s popular vote for “Reality Leader of the Free World”.
TREATMENT
Background and Overview
Now more than ever, the presidential election process is met with ignorance or cynicism. Platforms are platitude-level. Speeches and debates are benign. It is hard to separate one candidate’s stance on the issues versus another’s. And the actual process is becoming more confusing than it already was. Most American voters can’t define a caucus or an electoral delegate, much less a Democratic Super Delegate.
“We The People” is a show that would run in tandem with the actual 2008 presidential election. In an American Idol style forum, “We The People” begins with fourteen candidates who are rigorously pre-screened to meet the basic requirements (age, citizenship and lack of a criminal record) as well as for IQ and lifestyle insights. The chosen fourteen will be a diverse and disparate group of people in terms of age, sex, race, demographic and personality. Bible beaters, Hell’s Angels, housewives, strippers—it doesn’t matter who you are—as long as you are smart, engaging, up on the issues and can articulate original thinking.
The contestants will write genuine, personal and original positions as well as ACTION PLANs to the major issues facing America—including Education, Healthcare, The Economy, The War in Iraq, Global Trade, Immigration, Social Security, Terrorism and Race Relations .
Like Apprentice, they will be sent on real-world assignments. They will go to communities and neighborhoods to hear and record voter’s concerns. They will participate in various and rigorous debates as well as diverse academic forums. They will get input from well-know pundits and policy wonks. They will have access to creative minds (an ad agency) to create slogans, ads, bumper stickers and t-shirt messaging.
Every week a guest host will have the chance to give input and coach and challenge the contestants, and provide their opinions (like a real-time pundit).
Over the season the public will get to vote just like American Idol to eliminate contestants (and unlike the real deal the popular vote rules). Close to the season end, the final two candidates will “run” for (mock) President of the United States with a half-hour multi-media presentation.
The winner would get a high-paid consulting gig at a top political consultancy.
The bigger reward of this show, which would be the intellectual equivalent to the game show genre’s “Jeopardy”-- is to inform, teach, provoke and inspire Americans to participate in the political process.
By condensing the campaign time frame, streamlining the steps and forcing more substance over style—the notion of democracy is demonstrated and palpable and the game of politics becomes compelling entertainment.
More than just a plea on MTV by Diddy to show up at the polls to “rock the vote”, this can actually engage people to follow their candidate through the course of an entire race season, and albeit subtly—educate them on how things really work.
As the ‘We The People” brand evolves, there could be several spin-offs going forward. All in the name of educating and creating accountability for the political process. For example, there could be a follow up show on the life of the 2008 winner. Or a mid-term match up on the president’s ability to do what he/she promised, especially compared with the “ticket” of the winning “We The People” candidate.
Tone of the Show
Fast, smart and funny. There will be spicy and off-color language. Reminiscent of the Sunday morning line-up shows, but with some Bill Mahr irreverence thrown in to spice things up.
Sample Participant Descriptions
Iraq war veteran
Housewife
Political Science Major
Truck Driver / Mensa Member
Exotic Dancer
Internet Millionaire
Sample Dialogue
Sam: You are just a softie. Do you think that being a passivist is going to save lives? Yes soldiers have died. It’s called Casualties of War. Those casualties are what keep you safe.
Libby: (sarcastically) Thank you so much for that wisdom. You are missing the point. I’m not saying that all war is bad. I am saying that this particular effort IS NOT WORKING. The Democrats screwed up. They should have said more than just “this war is wrong” like they were galloping in on some moral high horse. They should have spelled out the benchmarks that the Bush administration laid out--things like de-Ba'athification, oil revenue sharing, provincial elections, amnesty, and militia disarmament-- and then said, “Where do we stand against each of these objectives? Because the truth is…we stand nowhere. You can’t say that fewer deaths is a success—that statistic is true only because they have become more ethnically homogenous as the minority groups have fled.
Promotional / Advertising Headline Concepts
The Hills meets The Hill.
Isn’t it Time Politics Got Real?
The Amazing Race meets Politics.
Potential Episode Segments
- T get a fast and very top line stance on the issues, contestant would be put through a speed style questionnaire (almost like speed dating)—with questions like “Abortion—A Woman’s Right or the Nation’s Plight?”
- If there is a comment made that has historical precedent, a bubble would pop up
- Every week the contestants would be put into a “Spin machine” where a simplistic (and often unfair) summation of their position would spit out. They would need to overcome (or fortify) that spin position on the following week’s show.
- There would be a weekly political quiz with either a timer or with everyone fielding a question—basic middle school questions to gauge political know-how
- White House tour, ‘Cribs” style
- A consultant like Hans Riemer (a veteran of Rock the Vote, which has been working to mobilize the student vote for years), could help with a plan for Personal canvassing (i.e. Obama’s successful “dorm storming”), and how to employ high tech tools such as Facebook, Meetup, and YouTube to solicit “viral popularity”
- There would be field trips—to the UN, a homeless shelter, the INS, veterans hospitals, etc. as well as meetings with economic gurus, business and civil rights leaders—to see and hear perspective first hand
- Sample Stump speeches would be critiqued by a guest judge or a panel of citizens who could interject with
Why? or Explain!
- “FullacrapBuster”
There could be a list of “weasel words” including hope, change, chance, new, refresh, etc. that would spark a buzzer to go off whenever a candidate utters them.
Potential Celebrity Guests
Al Gore
Al Franken
Bono
Matt Taibi
Ralph Reid
Chris Matthews
Mary Maitlin
James Carville
Bill Mahr
Tim Russert
Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt
Bill Clinton
Ex President of the Federal Reserve
Alan Greenspan
Potential Host
John Stewart
Stephen Colbert
George Stephanopolis
