Volume 4: White Devil Chapter 238 If You Really Like Martin
"We're not going to tell them what the damn earth is shaped like, Jeff! We want these old guys to support you and donate their pensions or retirement funds to you as campaign funds, understand? There are many other places where you need to spend money, but now we can't even come up with the basic expenses to set up an election political action committee!" Tommy interrupted Jeff.
Jeff looked puzzled. "Besides campaign ads and printing flyers, what else is there to spend money on? When Zack ran for election last year, he only ran a 30-second ad on TV and distributed campaign flyers, which probably cost less than $500."
"Do you think advertising means buying a 30-second spot on a TV station, letting your family sit in the living room and entertain themselves, bragging about being on TV? No, unless you can't even win the party primary and directly announce your withdrawal, otherwise as long as you are still in the election, your TV campaign ads and local talk shows will not stop. The cost is not calculated by seconds or time periods, but by months. It takes at least one month for voters watching TV to have some impression of your face, at least two months for them to be willing to listen to what you have to say, and at least three months for them to consider clearly whether you are the person they need." Tommy pointed his finger at Jeff's chest again and again:
"Then, your photo will appear on all the big billboards in this area, and in all the mainstream newspapers and magazines. At the same time, you will need a special stylist to help you design a hairstyle that is more approachable to different groups and to wear more suitable clothes when you are trying to win votes from different groups. You will need an etiquette assistant to remind you what to do when you meet with voters, so that they will not feel rude, or your opponents will find a flaw and slander you as an arrogant bastard. You will need an affairs assistant to remind you what to do today. Even your four children and your wife need to wear clothes when they accompany you to various occasions, and you need a social etiquette consultant, etc. All these expenses need to be supported by donations."
Jeff, who was clearly much taller than Tommy, was forced to retreat step by step by Tommy: "So, the veterans have to pay all these bills for me? Even the money spent by my wife and kids?"
"Those veterans can't afford so much money, but at least the amount should be enough for you to set up a political action committee and a campaign action committee. Only when we have your own political action committee can we attract more donations." Tommy took out a cigarette box from Jeff's shirt pocket, shook out a cigarette and put it in his mouth and said.
Jeff asked puzzledly, “Why set up this committee?”
"Because the U.S. Federal Election Act stipulates that individuals and organizations cannot donate more than one thousand dollars to each candidate. But if you have your own political action committee, the limit will be five thousand dollars. This law makes it easier for big donors to find fewer people to deliver money for them. For example, if he wants to donate one hundred thousand, he only needs to have twenty reliable relatives donate to your committee in their name, instead of taking a higher risk of leaks and finding a hundred employees who may leak information at any time to donate to you." Tommy lit a cigarette and returned the cigarette box and lighter to Jeff.
"Wait a minute, why is the veteran willing to donate money to me?" Jeff put away the cigarette and thought of another question.
Tommy blew out a puff of smoke. "Because in this special election, the main contestants are playing the race card. In the 18th District, Cuban immigrants already account for 45% of the total population. Do you know what that means? If Cubans support a candidate, that candidate is almost certain to win. But veterans don't like such people. In the 1960s and 1970s, Cubans often hijacked American passenger planes, and every rescue operation was carried out by soldiers. Do you think veterans who have seen Cuban terrorists kill their comrades will have a good impression of Cuban immigrants? Will they donate money to a politician who supports those hijackers and forgets the merits of the soldiers? Of course not. Moreover, the top three candidates for election are all women. The military believes that the strong are supreme, and women in the military have never had the experience of being strong, only the experience of being raped."
"But you're different. Your father was a soldier, and you were a soldier too. As long as you package your image well, it shouldn't be a problem to get those rude old bastards who are willing to treat you as one of their own to give you some money to support you."
Jeff looked at Tommy with embarrassment and said in a low voice, "...I...I don't want to cheat people out of their money, and I can't...I mean, I've never helped those veterans before, and I've never even thought of telling them the truth about this world."
"You can tell them what you can do for them after you are elected, or you can ask them what they need you to do. For example, some veterans living in nursing homes will say to you, Jeff, I hope there are more young and beautiful female nurses in the nursing home. There are also alcoholic veterans who say to you, Jeff, I hope the bar can give us who have shed blood for the country a discount. What you have to do is tell them to take out money to support you. After you are elected, send all the beautiful Cuban girls to the nursing homes for them to choose, and persuade the country in Congress to open veterans bars for veterans. This is not cheating, Jamie, this is a transaction, just like when you repair pipes for customers, they pay you money, and you repair the water pipes for them. This is fair." Tommy smiled and changed his tone to Jeff in a gentler way:
"You are a kind person, Jeff. After you are elected, you can help countless people find the truth. Before you go in front of countless people, the rules of the game are like this. You must accept donations from people to go further. If you feel embarrassed, tell yourself that you can work hard to repay those who have helped you after you are elected."
Jeff looked at his two friends, Zack and Alan, who were sitting on the sofa in the living room. They had obviously heard the conversation between him and Tommy. He asked them , "What do you think I should do?"
"I think what Tommy said makes sense. I didn't donate last year, so... I failed. No one even remembers my name." Zack, who registered to run for election last year, said.
Allen thought about it for a moment and cleverly gave an idea: "If you feel guilty, you can repair the pipes for free to those who donated money after the election. Repairing pipes is very expensive, right?"
"That's right! For everyone who donates, I can repair their pipes for free." Jeff's eyes lit up when he heard his friend's words and he said happily.
Tommy sighed, put his arm around Jeff's shoulders, and lowered his voice: "That's something we'll consider after we're elected. We can put it aside for now. What do you think of Martin?"
"The kids all love listening to his jokes. I mean, he's pretty good." Jeff turned his head and looked towards the restaurant. Martin was telling jokes at the dining table, making the four children laugh out loud.
Tommy also looked at Martin, looking at the warm scene and whispered, "Very good, if you really like him, you have to remember what I'm going to say next, so that Martin can continue to be your campaign manager. But if you get some key questions wrong, I guess he will blame you for the fact that he was raped in the police station. You can choose for yourself."
