Our Brand Is Crisis

We'll start in, what, 30 seconds?

We good for 30? Thanks. Um...

- So, uh...

- Move your lav up

just a little bit for me,

if you could, please?

Move it up?

Where is it?

Oh, I got it.

- Is that better?

- Thank you.

Is... Is the sound for both of us good?

- It's good. Thank you.

- Okay.

Right, well, um, when you're ready,

shall we start?

Jane, good morning.

Good morning.

Since your early days

as a political strategist,

you've been known by a certain name,

Calamity Jane.

Yeah, I've, I've been called

a lot of names.

Did you ever work for

a politician you did not believe in?

Oh, sure. I could, I could convince

myself of anything if the price was right.

There is no coming

back from a shot like that.

She is on fire. I'll tell you,

her opponents are scrambling

to keep up with her momentum.

How important is honesty?

Well, truth is relative in politics.

The truth is what I tell

the electorate the truth is.

In politics, money does talk,

and it's about to do a lot more talking.

The U.S. Supreme Court now

has lifted limits

on campaign contributions,

ushering in a new era of

unfettered political spending.

When you began your career,

you must've had heroes, role models?

Who are my heroes?

Well, when I first started

in this business,

my heroes were politicians and leaders,

and then I met them.

Look, the bottom line

is they have created

an inherently corrupt system here.

We're talking about a woman

who is combative at heart.

She's, uh...

She's belligerent, she's entitled,

and when she doesn't get her way,

she makes noise.

She's a strategist

who can't be trusted.

I say give her a glass of wine,

and she might spill the truth for once.

You had some personal

missteps that became very public.

I mean, it's almost like car races.

No one watches a car race to see who wins.

They watch the car race to see who wrecks,

who goes up in flames.

...in the wake

of serious political scandals.

She resigned on Monday

after they, uh, filed a criminal complaint

accusing her of, get this,

violating election laws.

She's obviously

at the center of a firestorm

and huge controversy.

No longer idealistic?

You know, you need to be idealistic

to get into this thing,

to keep going, but...

You know, once that is gone,

there's... There's no getting that back.

You know?

No matter how hard you try. You can't.

You stepped away from

your professional and political success

for a fight that might not be

winnable in this lifetime.

How did you get here?

What happened?

Where the hell are we, Nell?

Ready for a deer to jump out.

This makes no sense.

Who lives out here?

How long has she been out here?

I don't know. Six years, I guess.

Six years?

She hasn't run a campaign in six years?

You know she's lost

her last four elections.

And there's the haphephobia.

The what?

- Don't touch her.

- Oh.

She doesn't like to be touched.

Well, you said you wanted different.

- No, I said "unconventional," but...

- Oh.

I mean, this is a presidential campaign.

Ever heard of a disposable?

No, what's a disposable?

It's what the CIA call an agent

who's expendable and deniable.

She has no kids, no family, no life.

I've seen her take a dead horse

and bring in a landslide.

- Hmm.

- So, if she turns this thing around,

well, we did it together.

And if she messes it up,

that'll be Calamity Jane.

It's a presidential campaign

in South America, Jane.

Bolivia. Very interesting.

Uh, economy in real trouble,

fragile democracy.

It's challenging.

Our main opposition is Victor Rivera.

He's a deputy in

the lower house of Congress,

representing Potosi.

He's an opportunist. He's a populist,

and, well, he's... He's leading the field.

I like that hair.

Now, our candidate is Pedro Castillo.

Born in Bolivia, raised in America.

He was actually elected

president 15 years ago.

Privatized some industries,

and wasn't a popular move for him.

Mmm. So it was a gringo

stickin' it to the Indians.

- Right?

- Right.

- Moving on.

- How far are you behind?

Twenty-eight points.

Where you gonna find someone

to take on that sh*t basket?

- Hey, Jane.

- Yeah?

Did you make this?

- This, uh, arts and crafts kind of thing?

- Yeah.

Yep. It's a medicine bowl.

It's based on a Mohawk design.

This whole... This whole area

was, uh... Was Native territory.

Take one.

They have protective powers.

It's supposed to

ward off the evil spirits.

Most people use 'em for fruit.

That's, um...

Let me have the bowl.

Well, this is quite a setup.

I quit smoking, Nell. Can you believe it?

Ooh. Wow.

Haven't had a drink in three...

Three years.

- Oh.

- I sleep nights.

Some days, I can almost

look myself in the eye.

You're happy?

Oh, I'm better than happy. I am calm.

You're a fighter, Jane.

Can you look me in the eye

and tell me you don't miss it?

Don't miss what?

Candidates who can't think

unless we think for them?

No, ma'am. No.

You know what it did to me,

Nell, that whole world.

- Oh, blah, blah, blah.

- It's not good for me. Okay.

Yeah, well, they're paying very well.

I'm sure they are.

I know you're struggling.

I mean, we're talking

a couple of months in La Paz.

Oh, well, I get altitude sickness.

- Oh, yeah? Well, you live on a mountain.

- Yeah.

No, ma'am. I live between mountains.

I know. I saw it.

Remember, I said he had good hair?

Mmm-hmm. Look behind the hair.

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