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How Can We Make America Better?
September 04, 2006



I went down to the Minnesota State Fair with 10 year-old Amirah and we asked people, "How can we make America better?" Amirah's dad is Keith Ellison, running for U.S. Congress. We wanted to talk to real people for his campaign ad. This is the "director's cut" version, with bloopers and responses from everyone who talked to us on camera.

Watch the official Keith Ellison for Congress campaign ad here.

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More options: Blip.tv, YouTube, Google video

Disclaimer: I was paid to make the official campaign ad by Keith Ellison for Congress. This longer version I did on my own, because that's how I do.

RELATED VIDEO: Keith Ellison environmental press conference

Posted by Minnesota Stories on September 4, 2006 12:28 AM

Comments

Great video. I like the short version better though. Only for my own ploitical views though.

Posted by: Jeff at September 4, 2006 08:56 AM

Nice cameo by Chuck... dipping his toe into the political water!

Posted by: steve garfield at September 4, 2006 11:20 AM

And don't forget, regardless of your affiliation, the primary is SEPTEMBER 12.

Posted by: chuck at September 4, 2006 01:37 PM

I like the video. It is fitting with my own political opinion.

Posted by: Kelly at September 4, 2006 02:50 PM

"We probably shouldn't be answering those questions..."

WTF. More evidence that we need change.
That makes me angry.

Posted by: Joshua at September 4, 2006 04:44 PM

Soldiers are generally instructed not to act as spokesmen or engage in politics. I've had the same response from firemen just trying to find out about a recycling truck fire in my neighborhood. The guys would talk off camera, but not "on the record."

Posted by: chuck at September 4, 2006 04:49 PM

I think people need to stop relying on others to make the world better and do it ourselves.

Just getting somebody into an office doesn't make change a reality. People need to stop supporting this unjust government: stop voting, which legitimizes the system, and start making real change with the power each of us has.

Posted by: Michael at September 4, 2006 05:38 PM

i agree we have to be the change we want to see in the world - but that doesn't let us off the hook from engaging outside of ourselves. "the system" is happy to railroad over people doing their own thing.

Posted by: chuck at September 4, 2006 05:51 PM

Great piece, Chuck! Both are great! I think the range of response is awesome.

And I love Amirah's reactions and comments to a few of the respondents. "..oh that was really good." :)

Posted by: Karina at September 4, 2006 08:35 PM

It's terrible that we have to classify "How can we make America better?" as a political question that people are afraid to answer on camera.

Chuck, I would answer any question you ask on the record.

And - Yes, I would open more Skittle factories to make America better.

Posted by: Joshua at September 5, 2006 02:31 PM

The notion that democrats are against families is ridiculous and has no basis. I think the main problem here lies in the terminology of prochoice/prolife. Pro-life is a poor term to describe the belief that abortion is wrong. Pro-choice people also support life, and support family, as well as the right of individuals to decide what is right for them at a certain time.

Posted by: Aleshia at September 5, 2006 05:07 PM

while democrat and repulican are certainly only labels, the marketing term, "prolife," was recently translated by a friend to mean "pro birth policy" since, apparently, once you are born, independence is a more important principle than christ's ultimate embrace of everyone and his call of "come as you are!"

Posted by: MS at September 6, 2006 02:26 PM

OMG CHOOSE PRO FAMILY! if you're a democrat you hate those blasted families! LIBERALS ARE FAMILY HATERS! boooo!

/sarcasm

Posted by: honey bunny at September 7, 2006 04:25 PM

This was awesome. What an amazing collection of opinions--I love that so many were actually NOT political but rather along the lines of "Be Nice". Amirah's reactions were great to see...

Posted by: missb at September 7, 2006 04:28 PM

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