He was defeated by then-Vice President Al Gore in his quest for the Democratic nomination.
At the event, he told stories about all of those who participated.
You want to work something up?
Bill BradleyMAX
Bradley memorized the material during long walks in Central Park, and the idea intrigued him.
Bradley rehearsed in the rec room of his apartment building, and people started showing up.
One was Frank Oz, who offered editing notes and other help.
Tollin directedRolling Alongand Lee and Oz are executive producers.
You tell the truth about who you are.
When he was playing for the New York Knicks, a woman he was dating became pregnant.
She opted for an abortion, which was then illegal.
The documentary is now onMax.
DEADLINE: What was driving you to do this?
Thats why I was so candid.
The accumulation of all of our stories is the American story.
DEADLINE: In developing it, did it surprise you how candid you ultimately got?
BRADLEY: Yes and no.
I wasnt surprised because it was very intentional.
And if youre going to do that, youre going to give people some resonance.
BRADLEY: Race is a very complicated subject in America.
She couldnt have a best friend who was African American, the wife of a local doctor.
BRADLEY: Its fairly fundamental for me in my life.
Ive always had curiosity about everybody.
At the end, I posit, Were living in these divided times.
Maybe what made the Knick team successful so many years ago [is] relevant.
Take responsibility for yourself.
Respect your fellow human being.
Disagree with them openly, honestly, civilly.
And then never look down on people you dont understand.
That that that sentence right there is the key in the movie.
DEADLINE: Has that been a problem for the Democrats, because they often get labeled as elitist.
I cant grow up in the family I had and not respect all people.
I want to broaden peoples horizons.
DEADLINE: Were in an election year now.
Both sides are casting it as kind of an existential moment once again.
BRADLEY: As you said, again.
I think that this is an important election, no question about it.
And my hope is that people will vote.
Thats the key thing.
You got to go out and vote.
DEADLINE: You mentioned you do say we are so divided in our country today.
But it strikes me that was being said even in the 90s when you left the Senate.
BRADLEY: Well, not as much as now because its personified by Trump.
The divisions of the past were kind of more generic.
[Growing up] the reality is that you learn… you congratulate the winner.
You do that in school elections or you do that in sports.
And people know that they should act out of out of honor not out of grievance.
And as a society as a whole, it is how we advance.
DEADLINE: You are almost the same age as Joe Biden.
BRADLEY: Ive known Joe for a long time.
In the summer of my first year he led a delegation to the then Soviet Union.
And I remember we were in the Kremlin meeting with [premier] Alexei Kosygin.
Just to give you an idea of that irrepressible Joe Biden: Going back and forth discussing issues.
Kosygin said something that was a little …
I dont know what it was.
Afterwards, I asked the interpreter, How did you interpret that little exchange?
He said, Not literally.
DEADLINE: Many families get into these arguments over Trump - things like how could you possibly support him?
BRADLEY: Everybodys gonna make their own decision.
Some people obviously will vote for Trump.
But the way I look at it, theyre still human beings, right?
you could disagree with them profoundly in politics, and state it.
Remember I said, Disagree with your opponent openly and civilly.
Then I think everythings going be fine.
Trump is activated by grievance and anger, not honor.
DEADLINE: Current polls show that one of the major misgivings people have with Joe Biden is his age.
How does he counter that, and how do you think hes done so far?
BRADLEY: Everybody keeps saying hes too old.
I mean, his mind is absolutely great.
… We know more about Joe Bidens health than we do about Donald Trumps.
Who the hell knows?
[Trump is] three years younger.
He could have an episode whatever, any time.
… Hes full of grievance and anger and and animus and narcissism.
So what can I say?
DEADLINE: One other moment that really stood out was when you were talking about abortion.
Was that difficult to share?
BRADLEY: Very difficult time.
Only time Ive ever done it.
And so yeah, it was it was difficult but I thought I had to do it.
BRADLEY: Its always its always been a big issue.
New Jersey was 40% Catholic, right.
What do you what do you think of what is happening now?
There has been this kind of reckoning after the killing of George Floyd.
But now we seem to be in this this kind of counter to so called woke-ism.
I saw the distrust in the faces of my African American teammates.
You gotta be humble.
You got to understand that limitation.
But we continue to make the progress.
And that means giving people the benefit of the doubt.
I love my aunt, even though she said racist things.
But that wasnt going to destroy the love.
So the key thing is to be able to understand what the situation is, articulate it.
One of the reasons I gave that speech was I thought it would change things, but it didnt.
These things still happen.
And we have to be constantly vigilant and move things forward.
DEADLINE: I was also really struck how adrift you felt after your loss in 2000.
BRADLEY: It was kind of the end of a long journey of a whole life on one level.
And you feel them trusting you, and you feel their connection with them.
And then you lose badly and its over.
And to me, thats the important thing.
That it does go on.
DEADLINE: Did you ever talk to Al Gore [his primary rival in 2000] about about that.
He went on to face a crushing loss as well.
BRADLEY: Ive never really had a long conversation with him.
But I didnt say, Gee, Al you lost just like me.
That would I thought have been inappropriate.
Do you think you could even do that in politics?
BRADLEY: Yes, I think you could.
Its the rare politician that can do that, but I do think its possible.
And I think that that is the most profound communication.
My former wife used to say Dont give him a script, lead, just talk.
And Ill always found I was better when I was just talking.
