Chapter 39
"Food! I require some sort of sustenance." Julie called from the
back of the van.
"We ate, like, 3 hours ago." Brian noted.
"That was before 2 campaign stops and I don't know how many
handshakes/autographs/picture takers later. I need food. Or at least
some caffeine and sugar." Julie countered.
"I have a candy bar in my bag." Mary offered.
"Sold. You are a lifesaver, Mary." Julie gushed as Mary handed
over the valuable piece of chocolate. "And not just because of the
candy bar either. The organization of the volunteers at these things has
been amazing."
"Thanks!" Mary said sincerely. "I really enjoy this part of
the job."
"If only I could hire you to do this job in D.C." Julie joked.
The `insurmountable' lead that Butler had garnered had turned
into a series of running jokes in the Peterson campaign. In one respect,
Julie was sad that she didn't have a real chance in this race
anymore, but on the other hand it was a bit freeing. She didn't have
to watch what she did or said so very carefully in the hope of catching
up to Butler.
"Well I don't know about that." Mary smiled. "The people
I've been talking to are pretty ticked at this whole Franklin story.
And the money is still coming in. That's a good sign isn't
it?" Mary asked Brian.
"Money coming in is never a bad sign." Brian acknowledged.
"And we're using it for a full court ad blitz from now until
D-day, but to change minds at this late date would be pretty
difficult."
"What do you mean?" Mary inquired.
"There were only about 4% undecided before the Star Tribune packed
up their polling people and went home. That's a very small number at
this point in the election cycle. Then, if as last reported, Butler has
53% and Julie has 44% that means we need to not only get all the
undecideds to swing our way, but we also have to convince about 5% of
the Butler people to jump ship and vote for Julie."
"That sounds kind of bad when you put it like that." Mary noted.
Julie laughed. "Yeah, it kind of does. Can't you make something
up that sounds better?" Julie demanded from Brian. "What the
hell am I paying you for?"
"My staying power?" Brian deadpanned. "If you're getting
this punchy maybe we should hit a drive through before we get to the
mall."
Julie leaned closer to Brian, heedless of the crowd in the van.
"Remember when it was just the two of us eating at a drive through
on the way to a campaign stop?" She nearly purred.
"Yeah, we're getting you some food." Brian ignored her
flirtations and directed the driver to the nearest McDonald's. Julie
just laughed. Brian sent her a worried look. She'd been dealing with
a lot of personal/emotional issues lately; maybe the stress was finally
getting to her.
"I'm not losing my marbles." She whispered to him and it
unsettled him how easily she read him. "I'm just relaxed and
coming to grips with my certain demise."
"Okey-doke." Brian replied.
He watched her carefully over the following week but he saw no signs of
cracking; just a bright energy that infected the whole team. Turn out at
their events was consistent and volunteers kept coming. Even better than
that…so did the money. Many of the checks were accompanied by notes
that communicated disgust for the way Julie was being lambasted for the
decision she'd made all those years ago. When there was an uptick in
fundraising just 3 days before the election, Brian's curiosity got
the better of him.
"Mr. Lyman! I need authorization for running an internal poll up
here." Brian greeted his boss on the phone.
"That's a pretty big expenditure just to get some bad news
early." Josh warned him.
"I know. The thing is, we've got enough cash on hand to afford
it right now without taking us into any kind of debt."
"Why aren't you pouring it into ad buys instead of running a
poll?" Josh asked.
"We've got enough ads running and our volunteers are covering
the direct mail door to door instead of using the mail. And we're
still pulling money in; more this week than last week."
"Seriously?" Josh sat straight in his chair.
"This is what I'm saying!" Brian nearly shouted.
"We've got the cash and I have the feeling something is
happening over here."
"It goes against my better judgment, but okay." Josh agreed.
"Work with Mandy on the questions, run your numbers, and send me a
copy."
"Yes, sir." Brian replied.
"Yes, sir?" Josh repeated laughing.
"I'm brown-nosing. I heard there are some positions open a
little higher up the ladder so I figured I'd shoot for yours."
Brian joked.
"Very funny." Josh drawled.
"Seriously, congratulations on the position at American University.
Just think; a whole new generation to..." Brian searched for the
right word.
"Educate?" Josh filled in.
"I was going to say brainwash, but whatever." Brian laughed.
"For someone about to take a thumping, you sound like you're in
a pretty good mood over there." Josh noted.
"It's all in your perspective, boss." Brian replied.
"Not being expected to win has it's advantages."
"Maybe so, but I don't think we should adopt it as a general
election strategy." Josh drawled.
"Who knows? Maybe someday you'll be teaching the Peterson/Davis
campaign method." Brian quipped.
"Call Mandy and do some work." Josh advised as he hung up
laughing.
"Josh, call from Potus on line 2." Liz called to him urgently.
"Thanks Liz." Josh called back and hit the second line.
"Afternoon, Mr. President."
"What has happened to our friendship that I hear about AU from my
wife that hears it from your wife, a month after the fact?"
President Seaborn complained.
"We just announced it to the team. You're really not behind on
the information track." Josh assured him.
"Director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential
Studies?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well I'm okay with the Congressional part, but the Presidential
part gives me pause."
"You're not up to a graduate level review?" Josh teased.
"Maybe you could start with Republican Presidents. You know, work
your way around to the good guys?" Sam teased back.
"I don't have the stomach to stick with only Republicans."
"Speaking of which, how are you feeling? Ainsley said there might be
some problems with your meds?"
"I love how Donna feels comfortable with sharing the intimate
details of my medical history." Josh groused.
"All I heard was that the meds were upsetting your stomach and they
might have to try something new. It seems only natural you might have
problems given your delicate system." Sam said tongue in cheek.
"I can still knock you on your ass, you know, sir." Josh growled
a bit.
"You'd have to get through the Secret Service first. Give it
your best shot." Josh could hear the smile in Sam's voice.
"So what are your numbers looking like? How much of a majority in
Congress is Lyman and company going to deliver?"
"Sorry, sir, those numbers are proprietary." Josh smirked.
"Our clients pay big bucks for a peak at them."
"Come on, just a round figure." Sam cajoled. "I could call
Toby you know."
"Give it your best shot." Josh threw Sam's words back at
him. "Doesn't the DNC supply you numbers every day?"
"They're not as good as yours." Sam whined.
"Then the DNC should hire us to do that for them." Josh
suggested.
"The DNC is a little pissy about you lately. Can you think of any
reasons why that might be?"
"I've been my usual charming and diplomatic self." Josh
replied.
"Oh, God." Sam groaned.
"Let's see there was the scuffle in the Oregon 3rd, Texas 9th;
although to be completely fair that was more Lou than me, Virginia
senate race…oh, and the Minnesota 1st." Josh ticked them off as
he mentally tabulated a list.
"I heard there was some nasty stuff going on in Minnesota." Sam
noted.
"The fact that the President is paying any attention to the
Minnesota 1st, scares me a little bit." Josh admitted.
"Minnesota is a traditionally blue state and it could make a
difference in our margin in the house." Sam rationalized.
"Keep on telling yourself that." Josh joked.
"Seriously, you're doing okay over there? This move isn't
because of health reasons?" Sam's tone grew quiet and intense.
"It's really not." Josh replied in kind. "But this whole
thing made me re-evaluate things. This is going to give me a chance to
spend more time with my family, and less time running around the country
pissing off the DNC. You should be thrilled about that."
"If it's what you want, then I AM thrilled about it. But it will
be a loss to the party; without you in the field." Sam noted.
"The party will survive, Mr. President. It's time to hand off
the baton." Josh sighed.
"Who are you passing it off to?" Sam asked.
"Haven't decided yet." Josh answered quickly.
"Uh-huh." Sam's reply showed his doubt in Josh's answer.
"Is this another one I'm going to hear from Ainsley via
Donna?"
"We haven't decided yet, sir." Josh repeated.
"Okay." Sam realized it was company business and that even
President's didn't get to know everything. "But when you
have decided I'd like to hear it from you, deal?"
"Is this your way of saying `you never call anymore' Mom?"
Josh teased.
"Yes, and your father and I worry." Sam responded.
"Deal. I'll call when we decide, sir." Josh promised.
"Take care, Josh." Sam ended the call.
"Thank you, Mr. President." Josh smiled and hung up the phone.
**************************************************
"What's this kiddo?" Josh asked Ben.
"It's a check for a plane ticket to Minnesota."
"Uh-huh. And your mom just wrote this out for you?" Josh's
eyebrows rose.
"She took me to the bank and they added up all the money in my jar.
Then I gave it to her and she wrote me a check for it. She said you have
to okay the ticket though, cause it's so much money." Ben stood
straight in front of his dad and looked him right in the eye, daring him
to say `no'.
"It is pretty expensive, Ben."
"I know that."
Josh blew out a deep breath. "I guess what I'm trying to ask
you, is do you want to spend that kind of money when…"
"When she's going to lose?" Ben finished the question and
Josh's lip twitched.
"Yes, that's what I'm asking." Josh agreed. "Julie
and Brian will be coming here after the election either way. Why not
wait to see them then?"
"She's my guy and I want to be there with her on election
night."
"Let's get online and book some tickets then." Josh swiveled
his chair around and started typing away.
"Tickets? More than just mine?"
"You didn't honestly think I was going to send you alone, did
you? Last time I did that somebody ended up in jail." Josh
didn't turn around, but could hear his son's involuntary
chuckle. "When you're right, you're right; Julie's our
guy. If we go down, we go down together."
"Dad…one of the articles said that Lyman Consulting made a
mistake backing Julie."
"Is that what you think?"
"NO!"
"Me neither, so what do we care what some gomer thinks?"
"But it's your reputation. And if she loses…"
Josh swiveled back to see his son. "Good people lose all the time
Ben. If that's the litmus test for whether we made a mistake backing
a candidate, we should call it quits right now. That's also the
attitude that gets people into trouble. When people believe that the win
is the only important thing, then they'll do anything to win.
We're not like that. At the end of the day I want to feel proud of
the candidate I backed regardless of the outcome. I want to be able to
look myself in the mirror and know that a campaign I ran didn't do
anything I'd be ashamed to tell my father about. Got it?"
"Yeah…is that what you're gonna teach them at AU?" Ben
smirked.
"I'm going to try, Benjamin." Josh returned to his task of
finding tickets to Minnesota.
"What's the verdict?" Donna asked as she came into
Josh's office.
"We're going to Minnesota to see our guy through election night.
Want to come?"
"Hmmm…freezing cold weather and 4 crabby children on a plane
missing school? I think I'll pass." Donna quipped.
"That's right. I forgot about you missing school." Josh
turned a concerned look at Ben.
"It's just for one day and I'll get my work ahead of time.
I'll do it on the plane." Ben promised, alarmed that this plan
may be falling through.
"Good enough for me." Josh decided. "Donna, what's my
frequent flyer number again?"
"Move over, I'll do it." She groaned.
Josh got up from the computer and high five'd Ben.
"You really need to learn to do this yourself. I'm sure I put
all your numbers on a card for you somewhere." Donna complained.
"I'm sure you did." Josh acknowledged contritely.
"I don't know how you always get me to do this stuff for
you."
"Because you love me unconditionally." Josh explained and he
planted a kiss near her ear and whispered, "And I know how to push
your buttons too." He smirked.
Donna turned an angry face toward him but melted when he kissed her
soundly until she forget why she'd been angry in the first place.
"Groooossssss." Ben sang from behind them.
"Watch it or I'll send Tori along with you to report on
everything you say, do, and eat while you're gone." Donna
threatened.
"Right. We're out of here." Josh stated pulling Ben out of
the room with him.
*****************************************
"It's Election Day. Why aren't you a nervous wreck?"
Holly asked Julie. "I don't think I've ever been with a
candidate on Election Day who wasn't a nervous wreck."
"The die is cast, the work is done. I did my voting photo op and now
I can lounge in my sweats, drink my coffee, take a nap, and watch some
movies until tonight." Julie put her feet up on the table to
emphasize her point.
"That's just wrong." Holly pointed out.
"It is now officially out of my hands, Holly. I have my concession
speech ready and I have absolutely nothing to do or worry about until
the polls close tonight."
"Morning, Holly. Nice job with the photo op, Jules." Brian
kissed her perfunctorily before dropping a file on the table.
"It was very difficult. I had to, you know, vote." Julie
explained.
"Uh-huh." Brian helped himself to some of the freshly brewed
coffee. "The candidate plays while the Manager works."
"Works? Doing what?" Julie teased.
"Looking over the numbers Mandy sent me." Brian opened the file
and passed it to Holly.
"You did internal polling? 2 days before the election. What the hell
for?" Holly demanded.
"Just following up on a little hunch I had." Brian smirked.
"But these questions…" Holly was reading feverishly. Her
intensity caused Julie to get up and walk over to look over Holly's
shoulder.
"What questions? Why did you spend what had to be a great deal of
campaign money running numbers at this late date?" Julie asked
Brian.
"There's been a turn in the tide, Peterson. As of two days ago,
you closed the gap with or arch nemesis."
"You. Have got. To be. Kidding." Julie panted out and started
taking pages out of Holly's hands.
"Hey!" Holly protested.
Hey, yourself." Julie blew her off. "I'm not going to get my
clock cleaned?"
"It doesn't look like it." Brian agreed. "Mandy has you
within 3 points; that's the margin of error Ms. Peterson."
"Holy shit." Julie replied.
"I love me an eloquent candidate." Brian said to Holly who
nodded in amusement.
"It looks like there's two things going on." Brian
continued. "One, a backlash on the Butler camp for leaking the
Franklin story; turns out the voters don't need proof and they think
you as the villain in the story is a serious case of miscasting. Two,
they like the level of honesty from you. They feel that you're not
going to change your beliefs or opinions to suit whatever audience
you're in front of. You got an unprecedented 68% on the
honest/trustworthy scale compared to Butler's 49%."
"Not to burst your bubble there, Davis, but she comes out with a 51%
on the experience question compared to 59% for Butler." Holly noted.
"So they think I'm honest but inexperienced?" Julie asked.
"What does this mean?"
"It means that it's going to be a lot closer than previously
expected, Peterson." Brian explained. "I sent a copy to Josh.
Maybe when he lands he can give us his take on it."
"Josh? Lands? He's coming here?" Julie asked.
"Shit. It was supposed to be a surprise. Act surprised, okay?"
Brian requested.
"I would, but I don't want to lose my honest and trustworthy
numbers. I'll just have to tell them you blew it."
"Thanks." Brian groused. "So what are we up to over
here?"
"Movies, apparently." Holly motioned to Julie.
"Movies?" He repeated.
"Movies." Julie confirmed.
"Okay, movies it is." Brian agreed and took a seat next to his
fiancé and prepared for the long wait.
***********************************
"I see her. JULIE!" Ben shouted.
"Ben Lyman, you made it!" Julie shouted back and engulfed him in
a hug. "What a great surprise!"
"Dad came too." Ben told her and pointed behind him where Josh
was slowly catching up to them.
"Hi Josh!" Julie greeted him with a smile and a wave.
"Julie. My son made quite the case for coming to see you through
this in person."
"He's very persuasive." Julie agreed and squeezed Ben's
hand. "Hey, you've got to check this out. We ordered a chocolate
fountain and a bunch of stuff to dip in it. Come on, I'll show
you." Julie tugged Ben along as Brian joined Josh.
"Hey, where are they running off to?" Brian asked.
"A chocolate fountain was mentioned. Julie seems very upbeat."
Josh noted.
"She is. The numbers really gave her a boost today. She had been
resigned to getting knocked into next week. Now she feels like she's
going to make a respectable showing."
"Yeah, I was looking at the numbers you sent me on the plane.
She'll be able to hold her head up at the end of the night."
Josh looked up at the ceiling. "There were some very interesting
trends there."
"The news has really been blasting the Franklin story and it's
opened a whole new debate not only on abortion but also on sexual
assault and lack of enforcement with restraining orders. I thought we
had to change the conversation but it turns out we just had to dig
deeper into it."
"That's what I love about this business; it's pure
unpredictability." Josh smiled. He caught sight of his son and his
son's candidate with chocolate on their fingers and their faces
laughing at something only the two of them shared. "This may be a
long night."
Josh couldn't have been more correct. As the hours drew long the
lead kept see-sawing between Peterson and Butler, sometimes the change
in the lead was only 30 or 40 votes.
Ben had fallen asleep in the chair next to his father as Josh and Brian
gathered around a laptop where they could dig deeper into the returns as
they were reported as well as the returns of other key races. By 2am,
heads were struggling to stay upright and many of Julies' supporters
were more exhausted than excited at these razor thin results.
When Donna called for an update, Josh was unable to tell her anything
more than it was too close to call. After years in this business, he
still hated going through these nailbiter election nights.