#44
After Buckley is shot.
The next few days are a bad time in America, worse than anything since the riots of the late 1960s. The news cameras hardly know where to point.
The nightly news is staccato:
In a banquet hall in Asheville, people hit the floor.
In a park in San Diego, people hit the floor.
In a hotel lobby in St. Louis, people hit the floor.
In a mall in Oklahoma City, people hit the floor.
And that's just where the cameras are.
---
After a few seconds struggle, Jim’s face slams into the hood of the Crown Vic.
“Gah! Jesus Tom, what the fuck!?”
“You gonna struggle, we’re gonna tussle. I told you, I’m taking you in.”
“For a cross?! Since when are you gonna turn on me for that?”
“Since you dumbasses decided to burn one on the mayor’s lawn. You’re the only one that got away, everyone else was arrested on-scene.”
“Oh and you thought you’d just turn me in for brownie points?”
“No, idiot. You think I want anyone knowing I know you? One of your pals gave you up. And quick. I just volunteered to be the arresting officer so you wouldn’t do anything stupid and wind up dead when they came for you.”
“That mayor had it comin’ Tom.”
“I don’t give a shit. Get in the car.”
“You know what he’s gonna do to this town. Republican Party abandoned us!”
“Fine. Watch your head.”
----
“Please turn your car around, this street is closed.”
“Officer, there’s a riot behind me. Skinheads in the park.”
“Well there’s a riot in front of you, too. Pinkos are blocking all the intersections around city hall. But you can’t go north, either. Hippies are having a sit-in in front of the armory. At least they have a permit. City asked them to call it off, but you can bet some fools are showing up.”
“So what do you suggest I do?”
“If it were me? Go south, head for the bridge out of town, and pray that it’s not being occupied by a militant wing of the Rotary Club.”
----
“Right, okay people! Let’s gather. As you know there’s been a lot of harassment out there the last few days. And after what happened to Jen, I think we’re all a little on edge. I got a call from state headquarters last night and we’ve got some new policies starting today and for the rest of the campaign.
“First off, anyone uncomfortable canvassing, please let us know. This is your campaign as well and you’ve all done so much already. We want you to feel safe and comfortable and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with hanging back and working the phones this week.
“Second. Those who do decide to go out there, we’ll be going in pairs. No exceptions.
“Also, we’re also putting group captains on bicycles. Or I think a couple of you asked about mopeds? That’s fine. They’re not canvassing at all anymore. They’ll be shadowing their teams’ routes the whole time, with the goal of checking in with each of you at least once an hour.
“If you feel threatened at any time, stop and think: what’s the last house where I felt welcomed? Think about going back to it if it’s not far. Otherwise, you’re looking for more populated streets, you’re looking for cops, you’re looking for stores or churches, anywhere there’s people. Use your heads.
“DO NOT try to confront anyone. This is not the time. This is not the way. We stay peaceful, we stay on message, we stay safe. You might think you can handle yourself, I get it. But ask yourself this: are my actions going to make the environment out there less safe for my fellow campaigners? Just be smart.
“Okay, Stacey’s got the docket. She’ll be up here in a minute, but let’s give everyone a chance to digest all this and make up their minds. We love you guys. No matter what. We’re doing great things and we’re gonna keep doing great things. Peace.”
----
October 31st, 1984
The White House. Private office of President Anderson. He refuses to conduct campaign business in the Oval. These days everything feels like a campaign issue. Chief of Staff Bill Milliken and campaign manager David Garth are with him. Anderson and Milliken are talking.
“It’s a state of emergency. We can still hold elections under a state of emergency.”
“I’m telling you it’ll look like a coup.”
“I will not endanger people for the sake of optics, there are real threats out there, Bill.”
“What’s going to be the effect on turnout if there are soldiers in the streets?”
“What’s going to be the effect on turnout if polling places are bombed or stormed by rioters? You’ve read the same reports as me. It’s been four days and we’ve had over a hundred acts of terror and violence since Buckley was shot. Thirty firebombings, harassment of campaign workers rampant, dozens in the hospital, three dead. Twenty nine credible threats on candidates’ lives as of this morning. Nine actual attempts. For God’s sake, Dick Gephardt is dead. I served with him in the House, Bill.”
“...I know you’re right. Just help me think for a minute. Is there a way we can make this look less unilateral? Invite the other candidates to the stage when you make the announcement?”
Garth speaks up.
“You’re asking the president of the United States to share the stage during an official executive action. No. The presidency is the biggest advantage we have, we’re not giving that up. You act decisively, you be presidential. If that’s not enough to sell it to the people, well then we’ve got bigger problems on our hands than the optics of one news cycle.”
“There it is then. Bill, get the usual suspects in the Oval asap. We’re pulling the trigger.”
----
Dick Lamm speaks to the press.
“Of course I’m concerned, but at the end of the day I have to stand behind the president on this one. I may disagree with the man’s politics, but I honestly don’t think he’s capable of a coup. No, this is about protecting the sanctity of the ballot box and not letting a bunch of thuggish terrorists try to intimidate the American people from their sacred right to vote. Democrats and Republicans stand together here, we are the American people and we will not be silenced.”
Lamm’s campaign manager, under his breath nearby:
“And Conservatives...And Conservatives...don’t forget to say...oh for fuck’s sake.”
----
James Buckley speaks to the press.
“This declaration of martial law is nothing short of a direct attack on the American Conservative Party. A few bad apples carrying false flags try to tarnish the ACP’s reputation and Democrats and Republicans both gleefully jump at the chance to send out armed soldiers in an attempt to suppress turnout among true Americans? I say it’s disgusting. Let’s not forget, I am the only presidential candidate who’s actually been attacked. But to my opponents in the other two parties- if we can even really call them two distinct parties at this point- this state of affairs is somehow the fault of Conservatives. I urge my fellow true Americans to stand up to this statist bullying. We will show them our mettle on election day!”
----
November 3rd, 1984
The numbers boys at NBC are looking over the last full polls before the election. They’ll be in charge of giving the go-ahead to call states on election night.
“I honestly don’t know what to make of these numbers. I’ve never seen such a high degree of uncertainty going into the last days of an election.”
“This is like a school board election, we have no idea what’s gonna happen.”
“Are you seeing this trend under likely voters?”
“Yes. Enthusiasm is off the charts. The Conservatives are whipping people up in places we haven’t seen before. Lamm’s turn to the left, I mean have you seen these rallies? It’s like like those old Workers of the World newsreels, and in what we thought were becoming stodgy Republican parts of the country.”
“Still. All this talk of change isn’t hurting the president’s numbers, either. People cling to what they know sometimes.”
“I don’t know if previous trends are even predictive this cycle. We could see a major spike in turnout. New voters means new patterns.”
“So our modeling might be completely off?”
“You starting to see why I’m worried now?”
“It’s...troubling.”
“And we haven’t even started on these state polls. Look at this: Almost 12% undecided in Pennsylvania. 12% undecided in Texas. 15% undecided in Missouri! And it’s...everywhere.”
“What’s the bottom line again? 30-30-30?”
“Basically. 30.6% Anderson, 30.4% Buckley, 30% Lamm, and 8% undecided.”
“8%?”
“8%.”
“And it’s Saturday?”
“Yep.”
“Welp. It’s gonna be an interesting Tuesday.”
“How the hell are we gonna call this?”