Reality Politics

"... Kerry placards and anti-Bush signs were the predominant infiltrators among the red, white and blue 'American Candidate' campaign signs in Railroad Square as a group of seven finalists gave four-minute stump speeches, trying to garner crowd favor on their way to a big prize. ...

The mayor said Keene had been a strong base for Democrat Dick Gephardt and word had leaked out that his daughter Christy Gephardt was one of the finalists. Despite the Missouri congressman’s local strength, the younger Gephardt wasn’t there yesterday, and Cutler said she was not competing in that phase of the competition.

Another real-life trapping was the presence of political consultant Joe Trippi, Howard Dean’s former campaign manager.

Trippi said he was hired for that episode only, to advise the day’s winner on how to deal with community groups set to meet with the mock candidates today.

Trippi said the series 'is about a system that isn’t working,' a political system controlled by big money.

'The candidates in the show say what they think,' Trippi said. 'They’re not worried about special interests.'" (Gil Blass, Union Leader, June 13, 2004)