Chicago 1990

"You went to Springfield City? What do you think?"

Song Ya then temporarily changed her itinerary and rushed back to Michelle’s affirmative organization office in Chicago. She had promised long ago that she had to support her husband’s campaign this year. There was no way. 1996 was the election year, so she had to spend a lot of money .

"What do you think?"

Song Ya didn't understand what Michelle was suggesting, "Yes, the office is very beautiful, we talked about employment issues..."

"Everyone around Peter has good positions, right? Eli is the chief of staff, former assistant, director, personal lawyer, and legal counsel in the governor’s office. He used to be an old subordinate of the Cook County State Attorney’s Office. What’s his name? What? It was actually inserted into the state ethics committee..."

Isn't it just that one person has the right to ascend to heaven? It's normal, Peter shit, of course, he must build a political firewall, and he must use his own people for key positions.Song Ya shrugged, "Peter is a very powerful politician..."

Michelle smiled and didn't continue the topic, she had never liked Peter Flock, even the Underwood couple.After many years of business in Chicago politics, she has her own contacts.For example, she was an assistant to the Mayor of Chicago, Jr. Daly, and managed several charity and rights organizations that demonstrated a very strong ability to raise funds and obtain government funding.Last year, she helped her husband win the title of chairman of a Chicago public school reconstruction project. That project alone can use about $50 million in municipal funds, plus private donations.

After five years, my wealth has been advancing rapidly, but others will not stand still, and Michelle is far from comparable to when I first met her in 90 years.

"Is there anything wrong with finding me in such a hurry?"

A buffet party is being held here. They are all well-dressed upper-class people. Many people are familiar but can't name them. Some people will say hello with a smile from afar, and some will take the initiative to introduce themselves. Song Ya feels a little quick. Can't handle it.

"Wait a minute, I will introduce you to a few people first..."

Michelle rushed to Nunu, an old black man who was facing diagonally in the distance, "Milton Davis, chairman of South Bank Bank, this bank is the largest and oldest community development bank. They did a good job in Chicago. At the beginning, I also cooperated with the current chief in Arkansas to provide micro-credit for poor residents in the community to brush their political achievements and votes."

"I have heard of him."

Milton Davis is a rare black banker with wealth...Anyway, I never saw him on the US Rich List last year, because the nature of South Bank Bank is a bit similar to the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, with poor operating conditions but great political influence. , You can also get preferential treatment policies from the local government from time to time, and then back-feed politicians votes by subsidizing black neighborhood people and small and medium-sized enterprises

Milton Davis is currently much more prestigious than Sutton and his sons, because he has a good relationship with the Donkey Party, such as Little Daly, and the current chief.

"The white man over there is Mikwa, the former White House legal counsel of the current chief, and he is also a Jewish faculty member at the University of Chicago Law School."

"And Axelrod, you must have heard of it."

"of course."

Song Ya looked at Michelle in surprise. He didn’t expect that today’s buffet would be a hidden dragon and crouching tiger. Axelrod was the driving force behind many black politicians in Chicago. He once helped the first black mayor Harold Washington to be elected successfully. He is considered to be the campaign adviser best at selling black politicians to white voters.He is Jewish, like Mikwa, and is the top campaign promoter for politicians, especially black politicians.

These guys have a very strong influence on Chicago politics and the media. They can gather this kind of super lineup. Michelle’s husband is basically elected this year. It can also be seen that Daley’s support is very strong, and Michelle is indispensable. Your needle and thread.

Of course, these veterans of the campaign will not see rabbits or scatter eagles, and they will not come to support politicians with no future.Song Ya looked at the husband of Michelle who was laughing heartily under the influence of a few black and white aunts. This guy is indeed very friendly. With a white tooth, he is both shy and free to say something. He was amused in a few words, and he started to get started!

It seems that they are not ordinary aunts. They are all well-known female parliamentarians in nearby electoral districts. Usually, they are definitely not so unreserved.

It seems like a sledgehammer?"Wow, it seems that you don't need me, Michelle." It seems that I underestimated Michelle's political energy. This team is even one or two higher than the Eli and the others around Peter Flock. A rank, but the stronger the ally, the better, Song Ya joked with her.

"Do not."

After years of friendship, Michelle dragged him to a place where he was speaking alone, and expressed his troubles with a serious attitude.

The matter should start in the second half of last year. A black politician in Chicago, Congressman Mel Reynolds slept with an underage volunteer in his campaign office. After the scandal was exposed, he naturally had to resign.

Every seat of the donkey black in the House of Representatives is precious. This vacancy cannot be missed by the whites. The black political circle in Chicago immediately discussed candidates for the seat.There are only two requirements, and they must be black, and the election has a good chance of winning. One and two are the black female senator Alice Palmer of the Illinois state government.

Faced with this kind of heavenly pie, Alice Palmer is of course willing to go further. She decided to change to Mel Reynolds's original electoral district this year to run for the Federal House of Representatives.

As a result, there was a chain reaction. After she left, she left a vacancy for a senator from the Illinois state government (not a federal senator). The black political circle in Chicago needed to find a substitute. The senator had a larger constituency than the congressman, so she stay The vacant constituency just includes Hyde Park where Michelle's husband is running for the House of Representatives.

After urgent consultation with the campaign team, Michelle and her husband decided to seize this rare opportunity to abandon the election of the House of Representatives and directly run for the Senate of the Illinois State Government.

Alice Palmer also recognized Michelle husband. In order to gain mutual support, she publicly recommended Michelle husband to voters in the original constituency, calling on everyone to transfer their support to him.

But the subsequent development of things changed. Song Ya’s witness, the black civil rights leader, and the political shit stick Jesse Jackson suddenly pushed out his son Jesse Jackson Jr., and also targeted the U.S. Congressman left by Mel Reynolds. position.

And Alice Palmer couldn't beat Jesse Jackson. At about the end of last year, she felt that the chance of victory was slim. In order to avoid losing both ends, she planned to break her promise and eat the Illinois state senator.

Now everyone is embarrassed, because Michelle’s husband can’t go back, too, and the congressmen of Hyde Park constituency have also thrown out early to exchange interests.

"That's it? Even if Alice Palmer comes back to pick, our lineup can win?" Song Ya probably understood the cause and effect, and said, "Does Chicago politics want to persuade you to obey the overall situation?"

"It's not."

Michelle said: "It's a moral dilemma. Alice Palmer surrendered from the electoral district. Now she wants to come back. If we don't give in, we will be criticized by voters. And her practice of supporting us first and then breaking our words is also very inappropriate. No matter who wins in this competition, both of us will be greatly reduced from the voters. This may be cheaper for the third party in the Donkey Party, or the opponents of the Elephant Party in the future."

This is the case. 1996 has just begun, and the Donkey Party primaries are still early.

"Then what are you going to do?" Song Ya asked.

It seems that this is not enough to spend money alone. In the final analysis, the Michelle and his wife are a bit greedy. They were not grasped by the sudden temptation. They changed their goals temporarily during the first election and jumped from the State House of Representatives to the Senate. Level.

With larger constituencies and greater power, competition is naturally more intense, and unexpected situations and more campaign funds are needed.

"Alice Palmer must quit, otherwise it will kill us all."

Unknowingly, Milton Davis, Mikwa, and Axelrod came closer, "We will definitely win the election, but it will be very detrimental to the subsequent political image of Michelle's husband."

Alice Palmer gave up the constituency and expressed her support. Originally hello and me, everyone’s good deeds, but now you suddenly decided not to give up and come back to continue the election. What should I do?If you tear it up, everyone has your own reason, but Michelle’s husband fell into tears with black female politicians in the first election. It did a great deal of damage to the political image. You must know that the black aunt is really tearing up, but the combat effectiveness is very explosive. of.

"Hello, aplus."

"Hello, hello." Song Ya and the three shook hands. A top black banker, a former White House legal adviser, and a top Chicago campaign trader. His political energy was flat, and even if he turned to compete with Jesse Jackson for the Federal House of Representatives, Jesse Jackson would have to give in three points.

"This matter is not about winning or losing, but about protecting Michelle's husband."

Milton Davis looked at the man in the distance appreciatively. He was socializing with representatives of the same team of voters. Everyone could hold hands and chat to make sure that the other party was happy. The crowd burst into laughter from time to time, and the host and the host were happy. It's very promising. It's like an innate talent aplus that others can't learn."

"Yes."

Song Ya nodded. Michelle’s husband’s mother is Jewish, and an elite Jewish campaign team can be gathered around the first election. This is incomparable to him. Others... hum, am I not likable?Really.

"Alice Palmer must take the initiative to quit. This is good for all of us, and I will return to her later, but this year will not work. This year we must help Michelle's husband choose." Axelrod said: "I will We communicate to her through private channels, so we need you, aplus, to stand with us today and make a public statement to create the greatest pressure on her. Is that okay?"

"Of course, of course, Michelle and I have known each other since 90 years, when I was a poor South City boy wearing second-hand clothes, and her husband was my recommendation to the University of Chicago."

Regardless of who Alice Palmer is, of course she is helping her. Michel is still her testament witness. She has used her energy for many times of anti-discrimination. Song Ya has nothing to consider. of.

"Very good, very good." He said that everyone was happy. Isn't the support of billionaires not good for him?

"Thank you, aplus."

Michelle was also very moved. After all, it was the first election for her husband. Even if such a strong back-stage lineup was called, it was impossible for him to not panic at all, let alone encounter such a bad thing.

"You're welcome Michelle, you also helped me a lot."

Song Ya raised her wrist and glanced at her watch, "But I'm going to MV tomorrow, and on the 9th I have to go to Washington to attend the hearing, so..."

"Okay, let's take action now. Let's take a photo together." The two Jews, Mikva and Axelrod, embraced his shoulder affectionately and led the way. "I heard you want to take a photo. Law school? Come report my class then." Mikwa laughed.

Song Ya answered truthfully: "Yes, probably next year, I will often miss classes for undergraduate, so I'm too busy."

"Understandable."

All the good candidates are good communication experts, and Mikva and Axelrod quickly became intimate with Song Ya like long-lost brothers.

Song Ya knew that they were observing and spying on themselves, and he was spying on them at the same time.Campaign promoters are the indispensable arms of politicians. Campaign managers, media consultants, legal advisers, and other positions are almost the true personal secrets closest to politicians. In the United States, this group is a mixture of dragons and snakes, and they are somewhat similar to nomads. Of all types and colors,

There are expert legal elites such as Mikva, as well as Axelrod and Eli, who run so-called policy consulting companies and public relations companies. They have long sleeves in the local political arena. They are between campaign managers, businessmen and brokers. Earth snake.

And for example, the rude guy around Russell, who is vying for the seat of the Federal House of Representatives, who focuses on dealing with unions. Behind the union often means the existence of underworld forces. The guy who can roll in the dirty water all year round also himself. It won't be much clean.

Song Ya doesn't know how many such nomads in the U.S., it can be imagined that they are a very large crowd.For politicians, this is even a manpower market that can be chosen.

Politicians choose them. They also choose politicians. Politicians with strong fundraising ability, high status or recognized potential new stars can gather a very large and professional team, such as the few people around Michelle's husband.

Or senior politicians like Peter, who don't value the abilities of this group of people, and are more willing to use Eli's kind of assured private.

And those unnamed politicians may only have money to invite a low-level pusher carrying a travel bag and chasing water plants like a migratory bird. If the election is successful, hello and me, everyone is a pauper if the election fails. Go ahead...

Their prospects and personal choices are also very different. There are companies like Mikwa and Eli who are willing to follow the "master" and turn into the White House legal counsel, the chief of staff in the governor's office, and companies like Axelrod. To promote business operations, one politician will be promoted locally, and the'business' will be expanded to all countries and even other English-speaking countries.

Take the analogy of the Five Eyes Alliance, which is basically the same language and culture as the United Kingdom, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Due to the transnational presence and needles of this group of nomads, many politicians’ political allies are actually transnational, and because they and politicians With extremely close personal relationships, the decisions made by politicians may even deviate from national interests to help distant allies.

The water in this business is very deep, Song Ya is currently accumulating knowledge, as a person who pays money, it is necessary to understand that money is spent.