Purple States, Episode 11: Tamara

Purple States, Episode 11: Tamara Synopsis

As election day approaches, what do the citizens who covered the 2008 election think is at stake for them -- and for the country? Bert and Tamara seem to fit two stereotypes being closely tracked by the media this election season: the angry white libertarian and the Black Obama supporter.

In their attempt to sort politics into neat categories, the pundits and the politicians often turn ordinary citizens into caricatures. Given the opportunity to speak for themselves, Bert and Tamara reveal the importance of looking beyond party profiles and socioeconomic categories to understand what's troubling and what's motivating today's voter.

Bert is a manufacturing professional in his 50's whose work has moved overseas; he now lives in Maine, and is a Ron Paul Republican. A 30-something teacher, Tamara lives in South Carolina; she initially favored Clinton, then voted for Obama. Despite very different political identities and backgrounds, both Bert and Tamara think politics is broken. And both seek to live their own lives by the standards they apply to government.