Title sequence
Paul Duke and Cokie Roberts in studio. Paul Duke intros topics on this program: report on Congressional concern over the sexual abuse of children and banking practices unfair to consumers. Also legislative efforts to keep professional sports teams from switching cities.
Cokie Roberts with report on runoff primaries, now a concern for Democrats with success of Jesse Jackson's presidential campaign.
Jesse Jackson on stage with supporters, audience clapping and chanting support for his presidential campaign. Jackson walks across stage to embrace a supporter.
Map of the United States, highlighting south eastern states of Texas to North Carolina, states having second primary elections.
Representative Mickey Leland (D - Texas) response regarding dual primaries "...absolutely, they are inherently discriminatory as I've said before. They are very costly and it just simplifies matters. And only a few states have them, so why not follow the other states and do as they have done. There's nothing sacrosanct about dual primaries."
Representative Wyche Fowler (D - Georgia) response regarding dual primaries. "What the second primary, the runoff primary, brings is the opportunity for the top two vote getters to run head to head, debate the issues and let the pubic give a majority of votes to one or the other."
African American and Caucasian men and women at a polling station.
Mickey Michaux (D- North Carolina) meeting voters, campaigning, being kissed on the cheek by female African American supporter.
Representative Tim Valentine (D - North Carolina) on the street shaking hands with African American and Caucasian male voters, campaigning.
Political fundraising dinner with African American and Caucasian men and women in attendance.
Civil Rights lawyer, Frank Parker, response regarding runoff elections. "They require a majority vote to win party nomination and thereby deny black voters the opportunity to nominate candidates of their choice; deny black candidates an opportunity to win except in those areas where black voters are in the majority."
Representative Wyche Fowler (D - Georgia), response regauging runoff election. "Well, I know that looks fishy but the reason for that are the days when we only had a one party system. There just wasn't any such thing in the South as Republicans."
Caucasian man signing petition outside a polling station as Caucasian woman looks on. Interior of voting stations with Caucasian men and women stand at voting booths, casting their ballots. Caucasian man walking ballot to two female African American election officials.
Bill Youngblood, South Carolina Democratic State Chairman, commenting on runoff elections. "If we permit someone who cannot obtain more than 20% or 25% of the vote in the first round to be a nominee of the party that person will not win in November. It s just the nature of the electorate as a whole. So the law of unintended consequences would just kill us."
Webb Franklin (R - Mississippi) candidate shaking hands with older Caucasian voters who wear trucker caps and button shirts. Caucasian female supporters. Webb Franklin dancing with Caucasian woman at victory celebration.
Robert Clark Jr. (D - Mississippi) speaking. Inside a small church African American men and women jump to their feet and cheer.
Ralph Neas, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, commenting on second primaries. "One, I think, would cast a rather skeptical eye at the recent initiative by Brad Reynolds in the Department of Justice on this issue. It certainly seems to be consistent with some of the other blatantly political moves that have occurred in the civil rights area over the past 2 years."
Jesse Jackson at podium preparing to speak, he is surround by African American and Caucasian men and women, supporters and members of the press.
Young African American man at poll booth voting. Young African American woman handing ballot to two African American women working as election officials.
Ralph Neas, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, commenting of second primaries. "One solution, one possible solution that has surfaced is the 40% answer. It might not be exactly that but if I were to venture a guess I think you re going to see more and more discussions along those lines."
Cokie Roberts in studio, discusses report with Paul Duke, notes that past elections would have been changed under different rules. Discussion of "White Backlash" phenomenon, obstacles to electoral success by minorities and women on national scale.