PROLOGUE
The president was tired. He had been fighting for this nation for years, and he had no intention of giving up. But he was tired, he was ill, and he felt it. He knew the rest of the men in the room felt it too. It didn’t matter. He still had that sort of presence, one that commanded every room he was in, one that even unnerved the most powerful men in the party on their home turf. However, that only brought a brief pause in their plan.
“Mr. President, we need to talk about the Vice President. He’s simply too...”
“Nuts?”
“...eccentric, especially with the risk of... nevermind. Either way, we will not allow his renomination.”
“And who exactly do you have to replace him?”
“Byrnes.”
“James Byrnes? He’s going to reverse course should he take my office, you all know that. Are you so willing to end this progress in favor of a slightly better taste in your mouth?”
And as his glare bored holes into the Democratic bosses, Franklin Roosevelt said one brief thing, one of those responses that the future would turn on.
“Gentlemen, Henry Wallace stays, and I will endure this blatant coup against him. Fight if you will, but which of us do you expect to have more sway over this process?”
The president was tired. He had been fighting for this nation for years, and he had no intention of giving up. But he was tired, he was ill, and he felt it. He knew the rest of the men in the room felt it too. It didn’t matter. He still had that sort of presence, one that commanded every room he was in, one that even unnerved the most powerful men in the party on their home turf. However, that only brought a brief pause in their plan.
“Mr. President, we need to talk about the Vice President. He’s simply too...”
“Nuts?”
“...eccentric, especially with the risk of... nevermind. Either way, we will not allow his renomination.”
“And who exactly do you have to replace him?”
“Byrnes.”
“James Byrnes? He’s going to reverse course should he take my office, you all know that. Are you so willing to end this progress in favor of a slightly better taste in your mouth?”
And as his glare bored holes into the Democratic bosses, Franklin Roosevelt said one brief thing, one of those responses that the future would turn on.
“Gentlemen, Henry Wallace stays, and I will endure this blatant coup against him. Fight if you will, but which of us do you expect to have more sway over this process?”