LANGLEY, VA - Derrick scanned the latest polling numbers for the candidates, mentally adjusting for the built-in bias he expected with anything coming from the press. The Director recognized who the contenders were, save one.
It became obvious to Derrick who the media was backing for the Republican candidate: Senator Daniel McRae. This was not all bad except the Republican had slim to no chance of winning the election. McRae was hawk when it came to Iraq but his problem among Republican voters was his history of siding with the Democrats on quite a few important issues.
Derrick looked at the numbers for the Democrat candidates and as expected, Senator Margaret Evenson held a comfortable lead. The Senator was a known quantity, a ‘big time’ Democrat believer who would create some genuine problems for his organization if voted into office. Easily controlled by the press, Derrick had found Senator Evenson like most Democrats, a coward when cornered and capable of lying on just about any pretense.
The candidate, Nathan Martinez, was running a close second. The Michigan Senator was a complete mystery. Derrick understood how to handle politicians like Evenson, but as for this Martinez character...he would need time to study him a bit more.
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WASHINGTON, DC - The problem for Nathan Martinez’s candidacy was keeping his secrets hidden from the public. It was like the time the Democrat candidate was caught on video speaking with a mechanic in Cleveland, where he mentioned there was a need to increase taxes, not something most voters wanted to hear during an election campaign. Then there was the time Martinez was caught on tape talking with a donor where he pontificated ad nauseam on the need for “government-run healthcare,” a grandiose socialist idea. These various and sundry faux pas would send Martinez’s handlers scrambling to cover up the gaffs. If it were not for the veil provided by the networks, Martinez’s campaign could have been on the rocks. The real problem for Nelson was his candidate was a full-blown anarchist and not something most Americans could identify with.
The issues surrounding Martinez were something Nelson Frank had effectively masked. The campaign manager made up for the candidate’s lack of real world experience and conditioning by permanently adding ‘teleprompters’ to his public speaking engagements. His campaign forced news personalities to stick to questions during interviews that were agreed upon beforehand and his political plants and their questions were imbedded in audiences where Q&A sessions were necessary.
There were also elements of his candidate that Nelson admired. For instance, Martinez could drone on for hours when answering questions, burning up the clock without saying anything. It was a technique used by lawyers and the Latino was a near expert at it. Most of the time the strategy worked, though sometimes it failed, causing one political handler to remark that, “If he didn’t know better, he'd swear Martinez looked like someone who was stumbling around looking for a cogent thought.” The person making the comment was, of course, fired when Nelson heard of it, but Nelson recognized the person's analysis was right.
It wasn’t that Martinez was a bumbling fool; it was that the guy did not in point of fact believe in what he was having to say. Lying was not the issue; Martinez had proven repeatedly that he was one of the best. No, it was having to appear to be something he wasn’t, someone who trusted in the greatness of the nation, someone who believed in capitalism and the free market system. All said and done, following the fine-tuning, the only real risk Martinez faced was his chief rival in the primaries, the female Senator, Margaret Evenson.
Political correctness in handling the ‘Race Card’ would play right into the hands of Martinez except for a very few occasions and Senator Margaret Evenson was one of those situations. For one, Evenson was not bound by the same restrictions that controlled the Republicans. The Senator also had her own card: feminism. The Senator could play, and had played, the feminism card expertly since time memoriam. Evenson’s political handlers would probably be aware of, if they weren’t already, Martinez’s target-rich past. Evenson’s camp might do something at any time to upset Martinez’s chances unless they could be persuaded not to take the gloves off.
Nelson had just seen the New York Senator during a media interview clearly sending a shot across the bow of his candidate’s campaign. Nelson picked up the phone and called the main Evenson’s campaign office.
A secretary picked up the phone, “Margaret Evenson for president. Are you calling to make a political contribution?”
Anger in his voice, Nelson responded, “No, I'm not! I want to speak with the Campaign Manager, Lanny Morris.”
“Who’s calling?”
“Who is this?” Nelson said, seething with anger.
“Mary Johns.”
“Well, pay attention to me Ms. Mary Jones.”
“It’s Johns.”
“If you don’t connect me with Lanny Morris’ office right now, you’re going to be out of a job in ten minutes.”
“Is this some kind of joke?”
“No joke, Ms. Jones. If you don’t pass me through to Morris’ office right now, you’re out. I can promise you that.”
“But, but...”
“Just do it?”
“Can I tell him who’s calling?”
“Nelson Frank!”
The line went silent only to be answered moments later by Evenson’s campaign manager.
“Nelson, what the heck are you doing threatening one of my employees?”
“Shut up, Lanny. Do you really want to start slinging mud?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Senator Evenson’s comments concerning American citizenship. That’s what I’m talking about, Lanny!”
“Pete, you knew this was going to come up, if not by Senator Evenson, then by the Republican candidate.”
“Yes, of course I understood it would come up! Now let me see...what about Senator Evenson’s involvement in the murder-suicide of the staffer she was having an affair with during her husband’s term in office. Is that fair game as well, Lanny?”
There was a long moment of silence on the line before Evenson’s Campaign Manager spoke.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“You do that.” Nelson slammed the phone down.
Nelson understood Martinez did not have the same problem with Republicans; broaching the question of his candidate’s citizenship would have been political suicide in these times of ‘political correctness.’ Fear would keep the Republicans’ mouths shut; his comrades in the media would see to that.