537 Votes - Movie Details

537 Votes

2020 1h 49m English 7.2

Action, Documentary

In Miami, 2000, and around the country, the Bush vs Gore for the presidency of the United States campaign is underway. The most talked-about issue leading up to the election was that whichever candidate won Florida, would win the whole thing. Miami, once a cultural wasteland in the 1970s and 1980s, emerged with the attractiveness of South Beach and the influx of the Cuban people. The Cubans become the heartbeat of city and dominate local politics on the peninsula. Alex Penelas is cast as America's sexiest politician. He had learned to be democrat and operate in the traditional Cuban ways successfully. He was elected the Executive Mayor of Dade County. In the year leading up to this contest, one name would become synonymous with the disaster that it would become and that is Elian Gonzalez. Elian was an innocent little boy that survived a trip from Cuba to Florida - a trip in which he lost his mother - and became a pawn in the game of politics. The uproar was over whether or not Elian should remain in the United States or be sent back to Cuba to be with his father. Armando Gutierrez, a very influential political consultant to judges, became the family spokesman. Rosa Rodriguez, a judge he helped elect, rules that Elian would stay in America for at least two more months until his case is resolved. Janet Reno, the US Attorney general, indicates that the case is a federal immigration matter. Gutierrez used the power of Cuban-American radio in the region to drive opinion. The Republican party took note and began to flock to Florida for photo opportunities with Elian. It became a divisive issue both between the Democrats and the G.O.P but also between Clinton and Gore. At one point, Mayor Penelas said the potential protests and violence would be at the hands of Reno and Clinton. Then, in a Ted Koppel interview, Penelas backed down and promised local support if federal intervention became necessary. The outcome finally came when Janet Reno gave the go-ahead to forcibly remove Elian from his Miami home and have him sent back to his father in Cuba. Riots ensued, blame was placed, and payback was sought. A revenge vote against the democrats was promised and pledged to George W. Bush. Penelas, funded by democrats, won reelection for mayor in September, 2000. In October, however, Penelas failed to appear at a press conference organized by the Gore campaign where Penelas and the mayor of Hialeah were set to endorse Gore and support his remarks that he did not agree with the Clinton administration's action against Elian. George W. Bush relied on his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush to spur a big turn out the vote effort. Both Gore and Bush held rallies in South Florida as the campaign season neared its end. On election day, November 7, 2000, the television networks called Florida for Al Gore early in the evening. Later they had to recant and put Florida back in the undecided column. Fox news was the first network to declare Florida for George W. Bush and declare him the winner of the presidential election. The other networks followed suit and Al Gore made a concession call to George W. Bush. However, on the way to the War Memorial in Nashville where Gore was to speak to his supporters, he made another call to Bush withdrawing his concession on the advice of his advisers. The final tallies showed that Bush had won by just over 900 votes which triggered an automatic recount in the state. Katherine Harris, the Florida Secretary of State, was put in charge of the recount despite her major role in the Bush campaign in Florida. The Democrat sent in Warren Christopher to represent Gore in the recount. He treated the controversy as a high-minded constitutional debate. James Baker was the official G.O.P representative and he was assisted by Roger Stone. First, Palm Beach County voters protested a confusing ballot where 19000 ballots were tossed out for double punches. On the butterfly ballot, Pat Buchanan's name was slightly above Al Gore's name which was claimed to cause confusion. Satisfied that efforts were satisfactory in that county. Stone headed to Miami Dade county. The voting machines in Miami Dade County were IBM punch card readers. If the machines were not properly cleaned, sometimes chads were not pushed through or hung on the ballot and were not counted. As the machine recounts proceed, Gore demands a manual recount of ballots which Bush rejects. Oddly, Miami-Dade County elections officials do not begin recounts when other counties do. Only when a board of local officials vote, a manual recount of ballots begins. The Bush campaign sues that the hand recount should be stopped. Republicans organize supporters on the street in front of the counting centers. They created slogans and t-shirts including the creative "Sore Loserman" placard as a play on words of Gore Lieberman yard sigh. The Gore campaign fought in the courts and at the counting centers but did not participate in the street battles and thus lost in the court of public opinion. On November 21, the courts allowed a five day deadline for recounts to conclude. Further they ruled the uncounted ballots should be considered. The Democrats won that that round of litigation. Approximately 10,700 ballots in Miami Dade County were set aside because the machines could not count them. Republican operatives lead by Roger Stone incited protesters to storm the counting center demanding to see the ballots. The Chairman of the Democratic party is accused of stealing a ballot and chased by protesters. Meanwhile, Mayor Alex Penelas was said to be meeting with republican leaders in Tallahassee bargaining to carve out a congressional district for his future run. This became know at the Brooks Brothers Brigade riot. Given the approaching deadline, the three-member canvassing board in Miami-Dade votes to stop the manual recount. Two of the three members of the canvassing board had been clients of Armando Gutierrez. The court battles continue. The 3rd District Appeals court does not require the recount to continue. Then the Florida Supreme Court orders all counties to hand count uncounted votes. Finally, the United States Supreme Court halts all recounts giving George W. Bush the win. Democrats claim the election was stolen. Gore makes a concession speech. Alex Penelas was scapegoated by Democrats because he did not control the Brooks Brothers uprising. Gore singles him out as dishonest and treacherous politician which effectively ends his political career. Questions persist how much might have changed if the Miami Dade votes had been counted and how different the world might be. The history of the United States may well be different in its progress on climate change, the wars it entered during the Bush administration, how the 911 tragedy might have been avoided. It was theorized that this election marked the large political divide that the United State experiences today