Running Mate by Matthew M. Anderson

Author:Matthew M. Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: election, president, United States, Republican, Democrat
Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press
Published: 2012-08-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

THE CALM BEFORE

On Monday, September 26, Kathleen Dorsey was sitting in her bathrobe, reading the morning paper, when a warm cinnamon bagel peeked over her right shoulder.

“Thought you’d forget about breakfast if I didn’t get you something.” Her husband, Rich, stood behind her with a patient smile, nodding with satisfaction as she snatched the small, warm plate from his outstretched hand. He placed a steaming cup of coffee on the table to her right and sat beside her on the green suede couch.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” she said with half a bagel in her mouth. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

“You can’t miss meals anymore.” Rich wagged a finger at his wife, pretending to sound angry. “You need your energy, especially with the big debate tonight.”

Dorsey sighed as if she wanted to think about anything else.

“Honey,” Rich said as he leaned forward, “how are you doing with all this?” After twenty-nine years of marriage, Rich knew when he needed to ask how his wife was doing, and she knew that he wouldn’t let her go without an honest answer.

She placed her plate on the coffee table and looked out the hotel room window. “I don’t know, Rich,” she muttered, shaking her head slowly. “Everything’s gotten so chaotic. This campaign is not what I expected. Everywhere I go, I have to talk about his foolish idea—or his invitation—or whatever you want to call it. He’s controlling the tone, and there’s nothing I can do about that right now.”

In the four weeks since Franklin’s August 27 convention speech, Dorsey had played every card she could think of to shift the momentum of the race. In campaign ads and stump speeches, she focused on her achievements in the Senate, questioned Franklin’s lack of experience in foreign policy, and highlighted her and Karim’s strong commitment to family values and faith. She forced her staff to work harder than they’d ever worked before, with many sleepless nights and long meetings to plan events, adapt strategy, and find ways to resonate with their major interest groups. But no matter what she tried, nothing seemed to stick. The nation had been so shocked and intrigued by Franklin’s invitation that everything else seemed like background noise.

Despite all this, Dorsey remained confident. The two were neck and neck in the polls with a higher-than-normal number of undecided voters. If they were undecided now, she imagined, they hadn’t been swayed by Franklin’s stunt. And that meant that they wouldn’t be satisfied with flashy antics and would wait for one of the candidates to speak to the kitchen-table issues that resonate with them. She had out-shown many would-be political superstars who faded into the night due to lack of patience and focus. Dorsey planned to outlast Franklin, and time was on her side.

Rich set down his coffee and knelt on the floor in front of his wife. Sensing that she was lost in thought, he scooped up her left hand and squeezed it softly. “Kathleen, you’ve been fantastic. I don’t know how you’ve managed to keep your composure, but you’ve been amazing.

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