DL21C, along with Screening Liberally, invite you to the first of several summer screenings of the recent HBO movie, "Recount."
Joining us will be Christine Jennings, a Florida Congressional candidate (Sarasota), who "lost" her 2006 election by fewer than 400 votes, prompting a machine recount and special investigation. Jennings is running again in one of the hottest Congressional races this cycle, so it's a great opportunity to enjoy a Friday night movie and hear from a candidate who has lived through hanging chads, undervotes, and butterfly ballots....
We'll be screening "Recount" again later this summer, but hope you can make it Friday night to meet Christine!
Movie screening begins promptly at 7:20pm and runs 110 minutes.
Beer and wine will be available for purchase during the film, and we'll follow with after-film drinks and discussion at a bar nearby.
This event is free! See you Friday night!
About "Recount" (from HBO website):
"Recount" brings viewers behind the scenes at the controversial Florida recount. The film pulls back the veil on the headlines to explore the human drama surrounding the most controversial presidential election in U.S. history.
Mixing news footage and verbatim dialogue into fictionalized re-creations, Recount examines the torturous process that culminated in the Supreme Court decision in Bush vs. Gore. The Republicans, led by charismatic Texan James Baker, seize the initiative as the case is tried in the judicial system and the court of public opinion. The Democrats play catch-up until Ron Klain, Gore's former chief of staff, takes over and starts matching Baker's political hardball with tough moves of his own. Mutual respect forms between the two as the fate of the presidency plays out among a colorful cast ranging from the impressive (appellate lawyer David Boies) to the maligned (Florida's Secretary of State Katherine Harris) and many more of the characters involved in this historic election fight.
About Christine Jennings' 2006 Election and Recount (from the Cook Political Report):
In the 2006 election, election officials certified Republican businessman Vern Buchanan as the winner of the race over Jennings by 369 votes. Buchanan was declared the winner after a mandatory recount and analysis of
alleged voting machine errors in the race.
The controversy in this race was that over 18,000 ballots, roughly 1 in 6, cast in Sarasota County apparently did not register a vote for this race, far higher than in the two previous elections.
Sarasota County voted for Jennings by a 6 point margin. Jennings filed an appeal for an investigation of the election with the House Administration Committee. The GAO investigation proved inconclusive and Buchanan was named the winner. Sarasota County has since moved
to optical scanned paper ballots as a result of a 2006 referendum vote.