America 1982-Chapter 460 - 80: If You Really Like Martin

"We’re not here to tell them what shape the damn Earth is, Jeff! We’re here to get these old guys to support you, to donate their pension or retirement funds to your campaign, get it? You’ve got a lot more expenses to cover, and right now we can’t even come up with the basic funds to establish a political action committee for the election!" Tommy interrupted Jeff forcefully.

Jeff looked perplexed, "Besides campaign ads and printing flyers, what else is there to spend money on? Last year when Zack ran for office, he just aired a thirty-second TV spot and distributed flyers, it probably cost less than five hundred dollars."

"Do you think commercials are just about buying a thirty-second slot on TV for your family to sit in the living room and boast about being on television? No, unless you plan to lose the primary and withdraw your candidacy straightaway. As long as you’re still in the race, your TV campaign ads and local interview shows won’t stop. The cost isn’t calculated by seconds or time slots but by months. It takes at least one month for TV viewers to start recognizing your face, at least two months for them to be willing to listen to what you want to say, and at least three months for them to consider seriously whether you’re the person they need." Tommy poked Jeff’s chest forcefully with a finger:

"Then, all the large billboards in the district, every major newspaper and magazine must feature your photo. Meanwhile, you need a personal stylist to help you design hairstyles and clothes that appeal more to different voter groups. You need an etiquette assistant to remind you of the proper gestures during voter meetings, so you don’t come off as rude or give your opponents something to latch onto and slander you as an arrogant bastard. You need an administrative assistant to keep you on track with your schedule, and even the attire and social etiquette for your four children and wife attending various events. These expenses all need to be supported by donations."

Despite being a head taller than Tommy, Jeff found himself being pushed back step by step, "So, I’m supposed to let the veterans pay for all these bills? Even the expenses my wife and children incur?"

"Those veterans can’t afford to pay that much, but at least the amount should be enough for you to establish political action and campaign committees. Only by having your own political action committee can we go after more donations." Tommy took out a pack of cigarettes from Jeff’s breast pocket, shook one out, put it in his mouth, and said.

Jeff asked, confused, "Why do we need to establish this committee?"

"Because the Federal Election Campaign Act stipulates that the maximum donation from individuals and organizations to each candidate can’t exceed one thousand dollars. But if you have your own political action committee, this limit increases to five thousand dollars. This law makes it easier for big donors to use fewer proxies to send their money. For instance, if they want to donate a hundred thousand, they only need to find twenty reliable relatives to donate to your committee in their names instead of risking higher exposure by looking for a hundred potentially indiscreet employees to donate to you directly." Tommy lit the cigarette, and returned the pack and lighter to Jeff.

"Hold on, why would veterans want to donate to me?" Jeff pocketed the cigarettes and thought of another question.

Tommy exhaled a puff of smoke, "Because in this special election, the main competitors are playing the race card. Cuban immigrants in the Eighteenth District now account for 45% of the population. Do you know what that means? It means if the Cubans back a certain candidate, that candidate is pretty much guaranteed to win. But do you think veterans who’ve personally seen Cuban terrorists kill their comrades will have a soft spot for Cuban immigrants? Would they donate to a politician who supports those hijackers and forgets the military’s merit? Of course not. And the top three candidates right now are all women. The military believes in the survival of the fittest, and women, they have never had the experience of being strong in the military, only of being overpowered."

"But you’re different; your father was a soldier, you were a soldier. As long as we package your image correctly, convincing those rough, willing-to-accept-you-as-one-of-their-own old bastards to fork out some money to support you shouldn’t be a problem."

Jeff looked troubled as he glanced at Tommy, saying in a soft voice, "...I...I don’t want to cheat people out of their money, and I can’t...I mean I’ve never helped those veterans, I hadn’t even thought about telling them the truth about this world before."

"You can tell them what you can do for them after you are elected," Tommy said with a smile and gave Jeff a more gentle tone, "you can also ask what they need, like some veterans living in nursing homes will say, ’Jeff, I wish there were more young and beautiful female nurses here,’ or a drunk veteran will say, ’Jeff, I wish the bar would give us, who have bled for the country, a discount. All you have to do is tell them to support you with their money, and after you’re elected, you’ll send all the pretty Cuban girls to the nursing home for them to choose from, and you’ll persuade Congress to establish veteran’s bars and the like. That’s not cheating, Jeff, that’s a transaction, just like when you fix a customer’s pipes, they pay you and you repair their pipes, it’s fair." Tommy showed a smile and adopted a gentler tone with Jeff:

"You’re a good person, Jeff, after you’re elected, you can help countless people discover the truth. Before you stand before all those people, the rules of the game are such that you must accept donations to go further. If you feel embarrassed, just tell yourself you can try to repay those who’ve helped you after you’re elected."

Jeff looked at his two friends on the living room sofa, Zack and Allen, who had obviously heard his conversation with Tommy, and asked them, "What do you think I should do?"

"I think Tommy makes sense, I didn’t donate last year and...well, I failed, nobody even remembers my name," said Zack, who had run for office the previous year.

Allen, after some thought, cleverly offered a suggestion, "If you feel guilty, you could offer free plumbing services to the donors after the election is over. Plumbing work is expensive, right?"

"That’s right! I could give a free plumbing check to everyone who donates," Jeff said brightly, inspired by his friend’s words.

Tommy sighed, put his arm around Jeff’s shoulder, and in a lowered voice said, "That’s something to consider after you’re elected, you can set it aside for now. What do you think of Martin?"

"The kids love his jokes, I mean, he’s pretty good," Jeff turned to look toward the dining room, where Martin was telling jokes at the dining table, making the four children burst out laughing.

Tommy also looked toward Martin and, watching the heartwarming scene, murmured, "That’s great, if you really like him, remember what I’m about to say, that’s the only way Martin can continue to be your campaign manager. But if you mess up some critical issues, I guess he’ll blame the account of being gang-raped in the police station queue on you, it’s your choice."