America 1982-Chapter 580 - 124: Shooting Oneself_3
It was this longstanding close friendship that led Hammer to make a promise to old Gore: he could support his son, young Gore, in a future Presidential campaign.
Moreover, besides Hammer, the Gore family had tight relations with the Rockefeller Family whose oil processing industry also had a part in Tennessee. When Gore attended Harvard University and Vanderbilt University, he was consistently supported by scholarships from the Rockefeller Family.
It could be said that even without Tommy’s support, if Gore really were to run for election, he wouldn’t lack financial backing. What he did lack was support from public opinion and media campaigns, which was a significant weakness.
Because of the numerous past scandals of Cordell Hurl and his father Gore, the current American environment would no longer accept the behaviors and statements of politicians from the World War II era. If it really came down to an election, one could use their buttocks to think and still know that the Republican opponents would dig up all that old dirt and freely educate the American public about it on television.
In the current situation where Jews occupied Wall Street and Hollywood, if old patriarch Hurl’s past bullying of Jews were to be publicly dredged up again, Gore felt that he might as well say goodbye to the path to the Presidency, just like his father did in the past, and spend the rest of his life holding onto Tennessee, placing his hopes in his son’s rise.
When Tommy, a brother from the SSD Fraternity, contacted him, he didn’t boast about his financial power but honestly discussed his prepared plans for computer and television networks with Gore, who was also interested in computer development, describing the impending internet era. This showed Al Gore the light. He had always been focused on computer networks because he longed for media influence, feeling that it would eventually become as widespread as television, and even surpass it. If he could seize the internet terrain, even if it just shared equal footing with traditional newspapers and television networks, his chances would greatly increase.
Moreover, Tommy Hawk, who proposed this idea, came from the same SSD Fraternity as he did.
Therefore, Al Gore had always helped Tommy promote some bills in Congress, even though it seemed Tommy was more supportive of Clinton. He never cared but seriously made a request to Tommy.
That was, he hoped Tommy, a brother within the Fraternity, could become the godfather to his son Albert III, who was born not long before the two first met.
Now, hearing Tommy’s teasing, Al Gore first signaled the caddy to help set up the ball, tried a swing himself, and after hitting the ball, turned and smiled at Tommy, "Of course, seeing that golf club, I couldn’t wait."
After sending the caddy off into the distance and ensuring no one else was nearby except for Page, Gore rested his hands on his club and looked toward Tommy, "You couldn’t have just called me out for a simple game of golf."
"The situation’s a bit delicate now. I’ve thrown out the bait, indeed some fools have jumped out claiming my TV station’s doing some damned McCarthy propaganda, but they’re all small fish. Have all high-profile politicians become so timid? Why can’t they be braver!" Tommy said, his tone tinged with irritation.
Gore twirled his club, "Could it be because they’re not fools, that they’ve become prominent figures?"
"I need a well-known Democratic figure to step forward, so I can land a solid punch on his face, but this person has yet to appear," Tommy looked toward Gore.
Gore nodded slightly, "So, you want to pick one yourself?"
"Our mayor of New York, Ed Koch from the Democratic Party, he’s been in office three terms, and his third term is coming to an end with low approval ratings. And..." Tommy began to share his thoughts but Gore decisively cut him off before he could finish, saying earnestly:
"No, he is my good friend. Do you know how hard he campaigned for me during my party’s nomination in New York? You shouldn’t pick him; instead, you should support his continued incumbency, Tommy!"
Tommy seemed to have anticipated Gore’s reaction, but he didn’t back down, "That guy’s a Republican in Democratic clothing, he has far more friends in the Republican Party than in the Democratic Party. And it was with Murdoch’s media support that he got the New York City mayor’s seat ten years ago. It’s only rational for him to step out and righteously criticize my actions, and then I can ruin his reputation and give the other Republicans a warning."
"He’s planning to run for re-election, he won’t stir any trouble, he’s a smart man. Even if you wanted, he wouldn’t come out now and point fingers at you," Gore said.
Tommy exhaled, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "That’s why I’m hoping you, one of his few good friends within the party, will persuade him to bravely stand up."
"What if he doesn’t agree?" Gore asked after a moment of silence.
Tommy waved to Page, who was not far away. Page walked over and handed him a document bag that Tommy then slapped onto Al Gore’s chest: "He’s a fag, and the kind you hate the most, the kind that gets screwed by other men."
"That’s fucking impossible!" Al Gore didn’t rush to open the document bag but glared at Tommy, lowering his voice, "Although he’s not married, I... I and him, along with some other gentlemen, we all had fun with many girls at a club in New York, he..."
"Deception. Just because he likes to bottom doesn’t mean his bat doesn’t work. Otherwise, what would he do? Come out as a fag during the AIDS panic? You know, he shut down all of New York’s gay clubs, bars, and retreats during his third term. If it gets out that he’s actually gay, guess how the people of New York would take it?" Tommy looked away, continuing to set up golf balls before swinging one away.
Gore lost the mood to play golf and interrogated Tommy, "How did you find all this out, Tommy? I mean, people have speculated about his bachelorhood before, but there was no evidence. How did you manage?"
"What should I say, do you find it more believable that I traveled to the future and learned of this secret hidden for decades from a bestselling book published by his nephew who followed him for years after his death in 2022, or that one of my gay men coincidentally shared a bat with none other than the Mayor of New York?" Tommy turned his head and looked at Gore casually, "I wouldn’t lie to you, Gore, he is indeed the kind of fag you detest."
Gore tapped the document bag in his hand, eyes locked on Tommy: "If it’s true, by exposing all this, he’d not only be unable to seek re-election, but he might also have to move out of New York, spending his remaining days avoiding the wrath of the New York gays."
"If he agrees to come out and help Murdoch attack me, then he just won’t be able to seek re-election, but he could still live in New York," Tommy said, returning Gore’s gaze.
"How do you plan to ruin his reputation, besides this, is there other negative information about him?" Gore pushed on.
Tommy shook his head slightly before looking off into the distance toward the green: "Who knows all the dirt on a person, of course, it’s the person himself. I’m a softhearted man, I like to give people options. It’s the same this time. He can choose to provide a piece of scandalous but dignified information himself, releasing it through my TV station and Ted’s newspapers via you, or he can opt for a more convenient method, by having me broadcast that document in your hands on TV and the internet."
"You want him to step forward and attack you, and after the attack, hand you the gun with the safety off. He can only choose between a dignified or a miserable end," Gore said, feeling a twitch in his brow, then decisively declared:
"I need to fly to New York."
"There’s a plane ticket to New York in the document bag. I knew you wouldn’t last three hours in Los Angeles," Tommy said with a smile to Gore, then pointed towards a group of figures slowly approaching: "So, to avoid boredom and waste of the green fee, I’ve also brought Delia and Susan with the girls who’ve been hassled by Fox to relax here."
Gore looked at Tommy, "You’re a cruel bastard, Tommy Hawk."
With his golf bag slung over his shoulder, Tommy walked towards the group, saying as he went, "I’ve still got a long way to go compared to the old patriarch of the Gore family, the grey cardinal of the SSD Mr. Cordell Hurl. But, I’m working hard to catch up. See you later."
