(2003)
Based on a true story, Spinning Boris is about three American political consultants hired to turn tables for Boris Yeltsin's reelection campaign for the very first democratic election in Russia. Yeltsin's approval ratings were down to single digits and the task of the American consultants is to bring it up. They got confused on who really hired them since everyone that they met told them that they are hired conversation after conversation but they are very sure of one thing: they are hired to help Yeltsin in his reelection campaign. The three went to Russia and were confined to the President Hotel and were only allowed to leave the place as long as they are guarded by the security. Hired by a political elite, they were told not to disclose the identity of the person whom they're working for as well as to keep their own identity. Since Yeltsin would not want himself to personally meet the American consultants, they only get to consult with Tatiana, Yeltsin's daughter. They searched and studied the reasons on what brought down Yeltsin's numbers through various ways such as polls and focus group discussions in order for them to formulate specific courses of actions that would pull the numbers up. One of the things that the consultants did was to provide people who are part of the polling group a machine which determines their reactions and approval/disapproval of the things shown to them. Pictures and clips of Yeltsin while delivering speeches were shown to the group and results showed that people do not like it when Yeltsin is not smiling and when his speeches are long. Because of this, the three decided on coming up with new campaign materials where Yeltsin is smiling and he was told to smile more in front of the crowd. This greatly helped in pulling his approval ratings up so they continued with it. Results also showed that people liked seeing Yeltsin planting trees that's why they made planting trees as a part of his campaign which also helped in increasing his approval rating, climbing into double digits.
The film practically showed how one could actually win an election and how one could gain the support of people by knowing what the constituents want from their politician. The American consultants considered and applied the grassroots level approach since the public are the ones who would cast their votes during the election that is why there is a need to know on what they like on the politician that they want to vote. Politicians should not waste their money on campaign materials which are not appealing to the public, instead they should plan and design their campaign materials based on what the public like. Some people approve of Yeltsin only because they see it as an alternative to the Communists and not because they like Yeltsin. The consultants said that there is a need to "go negative" although Tatiana disapproved of it but afterwards, she saw the need for it and agreed to do it. Yeltsin's approval ratings increased gradually but before the elections it decreased again. But the result of the first ever democratic election in Russia made Yeltsin Russia's first President.
There were a lot of factors and hindrances toward attaining success in Yeltsin's campaign. Since English is not commonly spoken in Russia, the American consultants had a hard time talking, listening, and explaining to the Russians on what they wanted to do. There is always a need for a translator. There was a scene in the film where Tatiana asked them to explain some terms that they used. Another one is a time where they wanted to withdraw the candidacy yet the American consultants never gave up [although they almost gave up]. They did their job and they were successful in doing it.
Favorite/memorable lines:
"In the U.S., you'd advise a politician with those kinds of numbers to get another occupation."
- Dick Dresner
- Yeltsin's single digit approval ratings did not became a hindrance to the American consultants from doing their job. They believed that these numbers could still possibly go up but if they are in the United States of America, it would be impossible for them to pull the numbers up.
"One of your tasks is to advise us, a month from the election, about whether we should call it off if you determine that we're going to lose."
- Oleg Soskovets
- Determined to win, the American consultants continued playing the game and they were indeed successful in the end.
"The task was simple education, campaigning 101, stuff like the proper use of polling and the need to test via focus groups just about everything the campaign was doing, or thinking of doing."
- George Gorton
- The success of the campaign of politicians is most likely attributed to what the majority of the public wants.
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