Sons and Fathers by Daniel Goodwin
Author:Daniel Goodwin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Linda Leith Publishing
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00
ALLAN
Sixteen years after I was first elected, and the day after I won the leadership race, Eli came into my office and dropped a CD on my desk. We had both been in the office since 7 a.m., and he was interrupting my careful reading of the leadership transition briefing documents. Iâd only had about two hours sleep, but already the previous nightâs victory was a distant memory. I remembered a few things, like Katherine smiling and standing beside me and holding my hand as the final ballots were tallied in the convention centre, and Eli on the other side, arms pumping the air like a prizefighterâs ecstatic cornerman, and my father standing next to Eli. My father was clapping and fighting back the tears I had only ever seen in his eyes once before, when his mother died before her time. I was smiling and waving and looking good for the cameras, but all I could help thinking was that I somehow didnât deserve it, that I was too young. And although any normal human being would have been enjoying himself, relishing the moment, my Presbyterian genes were in complete control, and my thoughts were already focused on the next race.
Eli sat down across from me. âPlease watch this at home.â
He looked uncharacteristically nervous, so I glanced at the CD and returned to my reading. âWhat is it?â
âItâs the first cut of our first-ever assertive ads.â He was being clever with words and I wondered, for the first time ever, if Iâd misplaced my trust in him.
I put down the papers. âEli, years ago you and I decided weâd never run attack ads. This is anthrax. Why are you giving it to me?â I was speaking to him like my father used to talk to me when I was a boy and was being disobedient, and he was trying to sound caring and reasonable.
âI remember our position when we were starting off. Just hear me out. For the sake of argument.â
I signaled okay with a dip of my chin.
âYou agree that attack ads will be run against us?â
âYes.â
âDo you remember the Willie Horton ad?â
I nodded, but grudgingly.
âDo you remember the swiftboating of John Kerry?â
I nodded again.
âDo you agree that attack ads work?â
I didnât like being led to conclusions like a donkey to water. âIâll admit theyâve worked in the past. However, Iâd argue that in both those cases, the Democrats made the fatal error of not responding quickly enough and hard enough. They let the negative framing of their policies and character stand.â
âYouâre right, but no matter how quickly or effectively you respond, you are responding. Youâre going second. Youâre on the defensive. Youâre playing black in a chess game. Youâre working hard to tell people that you are not a crook. And once you are called a crook out loud, it never leaves the publicâs mind, no matter how hard, and sometimes because of how hard, you work to refute it.â Eliâs initial nervousness was gone. He was speaking passionately but logically, not trying too hard to sell.
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