America 1982-Chapter 452 - 75: Florida’s Outstanding People and Remarkable Land_2

Getting her hands on the Cuban woman who saw that bastard’s racist speech on television, she disclosed the details of Ross Right’s solicitation scandal in a fit of rage, under the name of the victim. It allowed the Republican’s opponent to seize the chance for ridicule, mocking him in the newspapers, "Ross Right, a politician who proclaims he wants to save jobs for Americans and resist Cuban immigration, prefers to give work to Cuban female immigrants at night rather than touch his own American-citizen wife."

Then, Ross Right, who was forced to withdraw from the race, became the mascot of the Democratic Party in the mouths of Cuban immigrants, frequently being dragged out for posthumous vilification. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

In Tommy’s view, such scandals were nothing too serious. Every man in Florida knew that the best value-for-money women were Cuban. Ross Right’s only fault was not realizing that the prostitute he sought leisure with even had a strong sense of kinship. Ross Right wasn’t truly opposed to Cubans, just as the Republicans in the state didn’t truly care about the life and death of Cuban immigrants. It was all business.

The Republican Party had held power in Florida for many years. Although the governor was a Democrat, out of the 19 Florida congressional seats, Republicans had firmly held 12 for nearly a decade. It was because the financial backers of these Republican congressmen were farm owners of the major citrus orchards or sugar companies in Florida. These financiers demanded cheaper labor costs, and the influx of a large number of legal or illegal Latin populations would ensure that the wages of Florida’s lower-tier workers remained low. That’s the fundamental reason Republicans in this state were tolerant of immigrants.

If tomorrow technology advanced and these large corporations could replace assembly line work with machines, Republicans who today affectionately call Cubans the backbone of Florida would join the Democrats the very next day in accusing Cubans of being brainwashed soldiers, even slandering that Cuban immigrants are concocting atomic bombs in the Everglades.

The boss went off to help Jeff print flyers, and as Jeff looked around, he noticed the camera beside Tommy. He paused for a moment and carefully approached Tommy, "Sir, may I ask if you are recording a segment for a TV news show?"

"Of course, do you need to place a campaign ad? You give me a thousand bucks, I’ll have this state-of-the-art American camera aimed at your face for a whole morning," Tommy said to the big guy without blinking.

He wouldn’t discriminate against someone because they were wearing a plumber’s uniform. Sometimes, candidates deliberately wear cheap attire or work clothes, not because they can’t afford suits, but to create a down-to-earth image. Moreover, they’re usually wealthy: even if they don’t have personal funds, they would have financial support from donors or election campaign contributions from voters.

"No, I can’t afford it. I called the TV station and asked about advertising rates; it’s too expensive. If I had the money for ads, I wouldn’t have to print these flyers and go door to door handing them out, trying to get people to know me this way," he said, grinning sheepishly at Tommy and casting an envious glance at the camera.

"It seems not to be an election date right now," Tommy casually remarked with a cigarette dangling from his lips, stretching his neck, "Is there another unlucky congressman who’s been busted for a scandal and resigned?"

Normally, congressional elections had already ended before the Presidential ones. Special elections usually occur when a vacancy opens up in a district and that district needs to prepare for a new election campaign.

"Democratic Party House of Representatives member Claude Pepper, Mr. Pepper has been admitted to the hospital for late-stage stomach cancer. His condition is quite grave; he is unconscious most of the time. When he’s lucid, he said that even if he got discharged, he would resign to spend his last days with his family. And so, his Eighteenth District House of Representatives seat in Florida needs to be re-elected," said Jeff, the burly man who seemed not very adept at small talk. Tommy would ask, and he would answer, then fall silent immediately afterward. Yet, he couldn’t resist slowly moving closer to the camera, seemingly eager to enter the frame and find an opportunity to appear onscreen for free.

Through their conversation, Tommy learned that this guy with a face suitable for playing a Florida mobster, yet speaking like a harmless white nerd, was thirty-one years old, a pipe repair worker with a steady income who volunteered at a church school as a part-time handyman in his spare time. He had also served in the military—a typical middle-class white family man from Florida, with one wife, two dogs, three cars, and four children.

"Seeing as I’m a Democratic supporter too, five hundred bucks, give me five hundred, and this camera will circle around you all morning. You can film whatever you want, and I can guarantee you’ll appear on TV," Tommy offered a friendly price, noticing the guy’s longing for the camera.

The man shook his head again and cautiously backed away, "I can’t afford it."

"You can’t even afford a TV ad? Didn’t your campaign action committee do any fundraising in advance?" Tommy asked with a look of disdain. "Don’t you have small cash donations sent by voters or large checks from companies or businesses in the district?"

The big man shook his head blankly, "I hosted a ’Say No to Atheists’ rally once. At the rally, everyone said I should run for office, so more people would hear my slogan, and so I registered. I’m currently preparing for the primary election within the party and haven’t gotten any donations yet."