![O.J.: Made in America [DVD]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71wtWVkVldL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
Robert Drew's "Primary" is a classic "you-are-there" documentary about the hard-fought 1960 Democratic presidential primary in Wisconsin. The primary featured two attractive liberal Senators - the wealthy, charismatic John F. Kennedy of Massachussetts, and the folksy, gregarious Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota. Both candidates gave Drew and his film crew unprecendented access to the inner workings of their campaigns. Filmed entirely in black-and-white, the video has little narration - instead you spend roughly fifty minutes following each candidate as he campaigns around the state, and then watching each candidate as they listen to the voting results on election night. I had seen many clips from this video in other documentaries on JFK's life and career, so it was nice to finally see the entire video. Humphrey is seen campaigning to farmers and country folk in western Wisconsin - his main base of support. Riding in a bus with an "Over the Hump with Humphrey" sign plastered on the front, he jokes with farmers, appears on a TV "question-and-answer" show, and talks with his bus driver while his campaign manager snoozes in the back. Kennedy is seen wooing voters in Milwaukee and other cities in eastern Wisconsin, where Polish voters sing (horribly off-key) JFK's campaign song "High Hopes". He and his wife Jackie then shake the hands of each voter there, and you can clearly see the hold that JFK had on female voters, as most of those shaking hands are younger women who cast an adoring look on Kennedy as he smiles and asks for their support.
From the beginning of this video you can tell that Kennedy is going to win the Wisconsin primary (JFK beat Humphrey 56-44%, thus beginning his string of election victories that would run through the general election in November 1960, where he defeated Vice-President Nixon). JFK's campaign was much better-financed, better-organized, and more professional than Humphrey's, and Kennedy had workers helping him in every precinct in Wisconsin. Humphrey's campaign, on the other hand, comes across in this video as a jolly, endearing but also bumbling operation - Humphrey often shows up to greet just two or three voters in a town, while Kennedy is seen shaking hands with hundreds of people at a time. To be sure, this video will ONLY be of interest to people who are interested in politics, the Kennedys, or Humphrey. Anyone else will probably fall asleep watching it. However, for a political "junkie" this video will be a delight - and it will also provide a nostalgic "snapshot" of the beginnings of the Kennedy "mystique" and "camelot". Recommended!
- Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account
