TLIAW: For Want Of A Challenger
- Thread starter Statesman
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Awesome update, and I see someone has been watching House of Cards.
So what happens next? Biden runs for Governor, Obama choses Cantor as VP for no reason, Obama than decides to go to Cuba on vacation, leading to a Cantor presidency.
Why not both?
Wait and see, I suppose.
I don't think there will be any plurality doctrine, but thank you for your interest. It means a lot coming from you, Nick.
Awesome update, and I see someone has been watching House of Cards.
Which part are you referring to? Or just the whole thing? But yes I have and am very excited for Season Three.
So what happens next? Biden runs for Governor, Obama choses Cantor as VP for no reason, Obama than decides to go to Cuba on vacation, leading to a Cantor presidency.
NOW I HAVE TO CHANGE THE WHOLE ENDING
On Another Note: A short update coming up soon, I think. Felt like expanding on one of the characters and throwing in a POV chapter for him/her. Might be able to get another one up later in the day, but no promises.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers was sitting in her D.C. Home with the news in the background. In front of her was a chess board – she was currently playing against herself with no clear winner.
“And a new poll,” she heard on the news, “Shows that Congress has seen a bump in approval ratings this week, after worries of another government shutdown were put to bed early on Tuesday when Congress passed a spending bill that will fund the government through next September.”
Maybe I shouldn't go through with this, she thought. Boehner's a good man. He picked me to give the response to the State of the Union this year. And if I told him what Cantor was planning, I could still become Majority Leader and, presumably, Speaker once Boehner decides to turn over his gavel.
A white knight captured a black pawn as Cathy considered her next move. But do I want to be Speaker?
What do I gain from being Majority Leader under Cantor? I would be able to move on to something else without ever being expected to become Speaker, but what would be the next best step? I could always still run for Senate in 2016. Or Governor. I could even make a play at President, couldn't I?
But I could do that with Boehner as Speaker, too. And I feel like if I came to him with this, he would back me for it, too. A man like Boehner is a powerful ally to have, but he represents an old way. At least Eric represents a new direction for the party. He's even said he's looking for a female Presidential candidate! And it seemed like he thought I'd be a good one.
Black puts white in check. What allies do I form beyond the Speaker, though? And what enemies?
She stood up to fetch herself a glass of water. If I go through with Eric's plan, I make an enemy out of Amash, for one. Does that even count? But also out of McCarthy. He actually wants to be Speaker, doesn't he? And I would have just cut him off. Quite a hard working relationship there.
If I turn them in and tell Boehner, I make Cantor and McCarthy both my enemies, but I shake them completely out of the Leadership so would it even matter? Maybe I could bring Kevin to tell on Cantor with me?
No, that's stupid. Cantor is ambitious enough to betray McCarthy, but not the other way around. Kevin wouldn't betray Cantor until he feels betrayed himself. He's got a lot of friends, too. Do I want to make him an enemy? I guess I'll have to either way...
And what about the third member of their little trio? Paul has got friends all over the party ever since 2012. Betray both of the other two and surely he becomes an enemy, too. And that becomes a massive web of enemies that could stop me moving forward.
She sat back down at the chess board and moved white out of check. But the Old Guard is still strong in Congress. Would Boehner be one to hold a grudge and act on it? Then again, there could be others that would be mad about his ousting that I don't even know about. It could take me entirely out of the establishment, even if I did become Majority Leader. That's a death sentence for me.
Several minutes later there were very few pieces on the board left and fewer consequences she hadn't considered concerning how to move forward. She'd be Majority Leader one way or another, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers knew which horse would be the best one to bet on.
I'm legimately not sure if your joking or being serious. But I'm going to assume you were joking. I just wanted to get inside the mind of McMorris Rodgers a bit quicker than originally planned is really the only reason for this update.
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Just thinking, if Amash runs for a Senate seat, could he even win? I mean, Michigan is a pretty heavily blue state, as demonstrated by Peters's 13-point victory over Land.
Apparently Land ran a very poor campaign. Furthermore, I think if any Republican were to win a Senate seat there, it would be someone like Amash. Young, a bit more forward thinking, etc. Plus, the GOP seems to have an advantage in off years anyways. He thinks he could possibly pull an upset.
Maybe, but he still probably can't beat Stabenow, who probably won't retire before 2018.
I'm legimately not sure if your joking or being serious. But I'm going to assume you were joking. I just wanted to get inside the mind of McMorris Rodgers a bit quicker than originally planned is really the only reason for this update.
No, honestly, I wasn't kidding. That was seriously one of the best updates I've ever read. I wish this was in person so you could know I wasn't being sarcastic. It was truly a brilliant update and that first line was incredible.
"Cathy McMorris Rodgers was sitting in her D.C. Home with the news in the background."
Anyways, sorry about no update today. My parents dragged me away from home and so I couldn't type one up. Hopefully one by Boxing Day (not that we celebrate that in America); I already know what it's about.
I meant the second sentence, haha - she's playing chess with herself and there's no clear winner. I love that.
Well, I was trying to figure out how I was going to characterize each character in a short phrase just so I could be sort of consistant while writing, and for her I came up with "Ambitious Chessmaster" and I wanted to get into her mind earlier than I had initially planned, so it just seemed like a natural fit.
But thank you
I initially envisioned her playing someone like Cantor as they discuss the plan and she weighs her options in her head, but figured such decision making would be better done alone. By then, I had already made the graphic! So I decided just have her play against herself to make the chessboard make sense. I guess my subconscious knew how to make it work, though. 
“We need to call this off. The numbers just aren't there,” Eric told him through the phone.
“What do you mean?” Kevin asked back. He was standing on the steps of the Capitol building taking in the fresh air before he was to leave back for California.
“Amash says he can deliver about 90 people with his caucus lobbying and calling in favors, and between you, me, Paul, and Cathy, we can deliver about thirty or forty more,” Eric told him, “That's a very shaky half of the Republican caucus, Kevin. Even if we get more defections during the voting, well... If it was more people and more certain, I'd say we go through with it, but we're still about a hundred people away from getting anywhere.”
As Kevin took this in, he saw an old friend of his off in the distance, but headed towards the Capitol. Maybe. Just Maybe. “Eric, I have an idea,” he said into his phone.
“You sound very sure of yourself,” Eric chuckled nervously, “What have you got, Kevin?”
“Hoyer and Pelosi,” Kevin told him.
“What about them?”
“We can't win on the first ballot. But if we get Hoyer and Pelosi to vote for us on the first ballot, then we should be able to garner plenty of defections on the second ballot from the Democrats!”
“Kevin,” Eric said plainly. Kevin could tell his friend was in shock. “You have literally gone insane.”
“You have thirty seconds to tell me if I should try it. I see Steny now.”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
“Eric?”
“Fine, do it,” Eric said. Kevin quickly hung up the phone.
“Kevin!” Hoyer said, coming up to his friend and fellow Whip.
“Steny, how are you doing? And Merry Christmas, by the way!”
“Merry Christmas to you, too! I'm fine, how are you?”
“Busy,” Kevin told him, getting down to business. “Steny, I need a favor. It's a big one.”
His friend looked at him strangely. “What?”
“We're trying to get rid of Boehner.”
“We?”
“The Illuminati,” he joked, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere that had appeared quickly around them. “I can't tell you who, but come January 3rd, we're trying to put in Cantor as Speaker.”
“What do you want me to do about it?”
“You and Nancy vote for Eric,” he told him. “No one will win on the first ballot, and on the second, you two should encourage the Democrats to vote for Cantor.”
Steny looked at him in shock. “That's never been done before,” was all he could manage.
“The country hates Boehner, especially with that CRomnibus shit he pulled. A bipartisan effort to sack him? That's something both of us can tout to the public.”
“I know Spacey talked to you to help develop his role, but I think you've gotten way to into House of Cards. What do we get in return?”
Kevin paused, thinking. I don't have to tell him the whole plan, do I? “Ask me after – once I've become Majority Leader,” he told him.
Steny considered the proposition for a moment before speaking, “I can promise you my vote, but Nancy is only a maybe.”
“I need more than that,” Kevin told him bluntly.
“Don't try to whip me, Kevin,” the two laughed.
“Just negotiating. I can't promise you anything if we don't make Cantor the Speaker,” he said with a smile.
“I'll see what I can do, Kevin. If you would excuse me, I have to run into my office for something,” Steny said, holding his hand out to shake Kevin's.
“Thank you so much. And Merry Christmas again, Steny!”
“And a Happy New Year, to you!”
As Kevin walked away from the Capitol building, he pulled out his phone and quickly sent a text to Eric: We're still on.
Time to make some history.
Awesome update, and I see someone has been watching House of Cards.
Apparently, so has Kevin McCarthy
Anyways, Merry Christmas to all! I hope you enjoy the new update.
Merry Christmas to you too Statesman! You are really beginning to fit into your name
Thank you! That was a big reason for the change. Show that my focus here is politics.
As I write this, I've been considering a sequel TLIA - D/W or a few to expand the universe and just cover other plots that happen from the butterflies of Cantor keeping his seat, but am not sure if I should do it. Any thoughts from you guys?
Thank you! That was a big reason for the change. Show that my focus here is politics.
As I write this, I've been considering a sequel TLIA - D/W or a few to expand the universe and just cover other plots that happen from the butterflies of Cantor keeping his seat, but am not sure if I should do it. Any thoughts from you guys?
Sure, after you finish this one.
