Forging America: My Campaign Manager is Roosevelt-Chapter 46 - 37: The Philadelphia Dinner

"We don’t have any state-level resources," Leo said to Roosevelt in his mind. "How are we supposed to ask the state for help?"

Roosevelt reminded him.

"Think about it. Who gave you the opportunity to stand on this construction site? And what promises did he make to you?"

Leo understood at once.

He found a quiet corner and dialed John Murphy’s number.

He laid out his entire predicament.

"Representative Murphy, Carter Wright is using all his executive power to try and kill my project in the cradle," Leo said. "I need someone who can put him in his place, a voice he absolutely cannot ignore. You promised you would introduce me to Senator Daniel Sanders."

Representative Murphy’s voice on the other end of the line sounded extremely grave.

"I know the situation is urgent, Leo. That idiot Carter Wright is digging his own grave. He thinks he’s coming after you, but he’s actually attacking the federal project I fought so hard to secure. This is a slap in my face."

"As it happens, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party is holding an important charity fundraising dinner in Philadelphia tomorrow night. Senator Sanders is the guest of honor. Get over here, and I’ll arrange for you two to meet."

On the afternoon he was to leave for Philadelphia, Leo prepared to change into his only respectable outfit.

He took the suit he’d picked up from a thrift store out of his closet. It had given him confidence at the city hall hearing.

Just as he was about to put it on, Roosevelt’s voice echoed in his mind.

"Stop, kid."

Leo froze.

"You can’t wear that suit," Roosevelt’s tone was firm.

"At the community center, in front of the workers, that old suit is your badge of honor. It proves you stand with them, that you’re one of them."

"But in tonight’s banquet hall, in front of those sharks who judge a man’s worth by his clothes and titles, this suit will only be a weakness. It will make you look cheap, unworthy of being taken seriously—more like a nuisance come to beg than an ally come to negotiate."

"Remember, politics is an endless stage play. You must choose the right costume for each scene."

Leo looked at the slightly worn suit in his hands and understood Roosevelt’s point.

He thought for a moment, then dialed Frank’s number.

An hour later, Frank pulled up in his old pickup truck and delivered a suit in a garment bag.

"This is the most expensive piece of clothing I’ve ever bought," Frank said, handing the suit to Leo. "I wore it for my daughter’s wedding. Only worn it once. You’re built like I was when I was young, kid. It should fit."

Leo changed into the suit.

It was a dark gray suit, made of fine material and perfectly tailored.

Though the style wasn’t the most modern, it gave Leo a completely new look.

He stood before the mirror. The young man in the reflection stood tall, his gaze firm.

The collegiate air and shabbiness of the old suit were swept away.

Roosevelt’s voice held the hint of a satisfied smile.

"Excellent. Clothes make the man. Now you look like someone they’ll be willing to sit down and talk with."

Leo adjusted his tie and set off for Philadelphia.

He stood at the entrance to the banquet hall of a five-star hotel in Philadelphia. Representative Murphy’s assistant, Kevin, was there to greet him.

Kevin led Leo into the grand banquet hall, a swirl of elegant fashion and clinking glasses.

The power elite from across Pennsylvania, and even from Washington, were gathered here.

The governor, state legislators, Congressmen, CEOs of major corporations, partners from top law firms...

They were dressed in expensive evening wear, holding champagne flutes and chatting animatedly.

Leo felt a touch of awkwardness and anxiety.

"Relax, kid," Roosevelt chuckled in his mind. "Just imagine they’re a flock of turkeys in tuxedos, waiting to be served on Thanksgiving."

"You’re not here today to beg for their pity. You’re here to show them your value."

Representative Murphy was talking with a few major donors.

He saw Leo come in and gave him a nod, signaling for him to wait a moment.

A few minutes later, Murphy broke away from the donors and walked over to Leo.

"Come with me," he said.

He led Leo through the bustling hall to a secluded terrace.

A man nearing seventy, with salt-and-pepper hair, was standing there alone, looking out at the night skyline.

He wore a simple dark suit and had the mixed air of an idealistic scholar and a battle-hardened politician.

He was Senator Daniel Sanders.

"Daniel," Murphy said, walking up and greeting him warmly. "Let me introduce you. This is the young man I’ve told you about several times, Leo Wallace."

Senator Sanders turned around, his eyes sizing Leo up.

"So you’re the young man who’s been making waves in Pittsburgh?" Sanders said. "John has told me about you. Good work."

"So, tell me. What kind of trouble are you in, and what do you need my help with?"

Leo took a deep breath, preparing to explain the predicament he was facing.

But Roosevelt’s voice immediately stopped him.

"Never complain to a powerful man the first time you meet him. It only makes you look weak, incompetent, and not worth investing in." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"You need to talk about the big picture, about ideals, about your shared goals."

Leo immediately changed his approach.

"Senator, I didn’t come here today to complain about my own little problems," Leo said. "I came to talk to you about Pittsburgh, about the future of the entire Rust Belt."

"Those of us living in these forgotten corners are tired of empty promises. We’re tired of politicians who use us as pawns in their elections. What we need is real change—the kind of change that lets us get our jobs and our dignity back."

"And for decades, you have been our voice. You are someone we can trust."

At these words, Senator Sanders’s expression softened slightly.

"Find your common enemy. Establish your common goal," Roosevelt’s voice instructed. "A Progressive like Sanders despises the incompetent members of the Democratic Party’s Establishment Faction, people like Carter Wright, more than anyone. You have to make him believe that helping you is helping him clean house and purify the party’s ranks."

Leo continued.

"But right here in Pittsburgh, within our own Democratic Party, there are still politicians like Mayor Carter Wright who collude with real estate developers and sell out the working class. They are the biggest stumbling block to achieving our progressive ideals."

"This is the root of all the trouble I’m facing today. I’m trying to use the federal funds we fought so hard to secure to do something tangible for Pittsburgh’s working-class communities."

"But Mayor Carter Wright is trying everything he can to obstruct us, because our success would only highlight his own incompetence and corruption over the past several years."

Roosevelt’s voice continued, "Show him your value as an investment. Tell him why you deserve his help. It’s because you can accomplish what he can’t on his own. You must prove to him that you are his sharpest sword in the Rust Belt."

"Senator, I know you’ve been working hard to push a national Green New Deal bill, hoping to revitalize Rust Belt regions like ours through large-scale infrastructure investment," Leo said.

"And what we are doing in Pittsburgh right now is a successful microcosm of your grand vision in practice. We’ve proven that the work-for-relief model is viable. With the right leadership, federal funds can be used effectively to improve people’s lives."

"I need your help to eliminate Mayor Carter Wright’s interference. In return, I, and the working class of Pittsburgh behind me, will become your staunchest allies in Pennsylvania. We can turn Pittsburgh into the nation’s first showcase for your Green New Deal ideals."

After hearing Leo’s presentation, Senator Sanders fell into a long silence.

He looked at the young man before him, his gaze sharp and scrutinizing.

Finally, he posed an extremely pointed question.

"Young man, your plan sounds good, and you’re very eloquent."

"But Pittsburgh’s problems are deep-rooted and complex. You take down one Carter Wright, and another one might just pop up."

"What kind of fundamental change can you—truly—bring to this city, and to those of us willing to support you?"

The question cut to the heart of the matter.

Leo knew his answer would determine not only his success or failure tonight, but also the course of his entire future.