Chapter 851 Michelle's Troubles and Nomads

"You went to Springfield? How did you feel?"

Song Ya then temporarily changed her itinerary and rushed back to Michelle's office of the equal rights organization in Chicago. She had promised to support her husband's election this year. There was no way. 1996 was the election year, and she had to spend a lot of money. .

"How do you feel? How do you say?"

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

"The people around Peter all have good positions, right? Eli is the chief of staff of the governor's office, a former assistant, director, private lawyer, and legal counsel. He used to be an old subordinate in the Cook County State Attorney's Office. What's his name? What's the matter? He was inserted into the State Ethics Committee in one step..."

Isn't it just that one person can ascend to heaven? It's normal. Peter is a shit. Of course, we have to build a political firewall, and we must use our own people for key positions. Song Ya shrugged, "Peter is a very powerful politician..."

Michelle smiled and didn't continue the topic. She has never liked Peter Flock, or even the Underwood couple. After years of operating in Chicago politics, she has her own network. For example, she worked as an assistant to Chicago Mayor Daly Jr. for a while, and managed several charitable and affirmative action organizations that demonstrated very strong fundraising and government appropriation capabilities. Last year, she helped her husband win the title of chairman of a Chicago public school renovation project. That project alone was able to use about $50 million in municipal funds, plus private donations.

It has been five years, and my wealth has grown rapidly, but others will not stand still, and Michelle is far from what I had when I first met her in the 1990s.

"What's the matter with calling me in such a hurry?"

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

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

Michelle rushed to an old black man who was talking to an old black man in the far corner, "Milton Davis, the chairman of South Shore Bank, this bank is the largest and oldest community development bank, they are doing a good job in Chicago, At the beginning, I also cooperated with the incumbent general in Arkansas to provide microfinance for poor residents in the community to brush up political achievements and votes."

"I've heard of him."

Milton Davis is a rare black banker, with a net worth... Anyway, I didn't see him on last year's rich list in the United States, because the nature of South Shore Bank is a bit similar to that of an inner city broadcasting company. Its operating conditions are poor, but its political influence is great. ,

It is also possible to get preferential treatment policies from the local government from time to time, and then feed back the votes of politicians by funding black neighborhood people and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

Milton Davis is currently much more popular than Sutton and his son, because he has a good relationship with the Donkey Party, such as Daley Jr., and the current commander-in-chief.

"The white man over there is Mikwa, the former White House legal adviser to the current commander-in-chief, who is also teaching at the University of Chicago Law School, and is of Jewish descent."

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

"certainly."

Song Ya glanced at Michelle in surprise. She didn't expect that today's cold meal would be hidden. Axelrod is the driving force behind many black politicians in Chicago. He once helped the first black mayor, Harold Washington, to be elected successfully. Considered the campaign consultant best at marketing black politicians to white voters. He is Jewish like Mikwa, and he is also 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 such a super lineup. Michelle’s husband is basically elected this year. It can also be seen that Daly’s support is very strong, and Michelle is indispensable. Er's needle thread.

Of course, these campaign veterans are not hawks, they will not come to support politicians with no future. Song Ya looked at Michelle's husband, who was being surrounded by several black and white aunts, who was laughing heartily. This guy was indeed very friendly. With his white teeth shining, he was shy and said something freely. The aunts were attracted He made the flowers tremble wildly with a few words, and he started to get started!

It seems that they are not ordinary aunts, they are all well-known female congressmen from nearby constituencies, and they are definitely not so unreserved.

It seems a bit like killing a chicken with a sledgehammer? "Wow, it looks like you don't need me, Michelle." It seems that I have underestimated Michelle's political power a little bit, this team is even one or two higher than Eli and the others beside Peter Flock A rank, but of course the stronger the allies, the better, Song Ya joked with her.

"No."

Having been friends for many years, Michelle pulled him to a place where he talked alone, and expressed his troubles in detail, with a very serious attitude.

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

Every seat of the donkey party black in the Federal House of Representatives is very precious. This vacancy cannot be missed by white people. The black political circle in Chicago immediately discussed the candidates for the seat. There are only two requirements, one must be black, and the chances of winning the election are high. One after another, she fell in love with Alice Palmer, a black female senator from the Illinois state government.

Faced with this kind of pie from heaven, Alice Palmer is of course willing to go one step further. She decided to change to Mel Reynolds' original constituency to run for the Federal House of Representatives this year.

In this way, there will be a chain reaction. After she leaves, there will be a vacancy for a senator from the Illinois state government (not a federal senator). The black political circle in Chicago needs to find a replacement. The vacant constituency below happens to include Hyde Park, where Michelle's husband is running for House of Representatives.

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

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

But the subsequent development of the matter changed. Song Ya's witness, black civil rights leader, and political crap Jesse Jackson suddenly pushed out his son Jesse Jackson Jr., and also aimed at the federal congressman left by Mel Reynolds Location.

And Alice Palmer couldn't beat Jesse Jackson Jr. Around the end of last year, she felt that the chances of victory were slim. In order to avoid losing both ends, she planned to break her promise and turn back as a senator from the Illinois State Government.

Now everyone is embarrassed, because Michelle's husband also can't go back, and the contest for the House of Representatives in the Hyde Park constituency has been thrown out early in exchange for benefits.

"Is that so? Even if Alice Palmer comes back to choose, our lineup can win, right?" Song Ya probably figured out the cause and effect, and said with a groping hand: "Could it be that the Chicago political circle wants to persuade you to obey the overall situation?"

"It's not."

Michelle said: "It's a moral dilemma. Alice Palmer gave up the constituency. Now she wants to come back. If we don't back down, we will be criticized by voters. It is also inappropriate for her to support us first and then break her promise. No matter who wins this competition, both of us will be greatly reduced by the voters, which may be cheaper for the third party within the Donkey Party, or the opponents of the Elephant Party in the future.”

That's right, 1996 has just begun, and the donkey party's primary election is still early.

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

It seems that it is not enough to spend money in this busy time. In the final analysis, Michelle and his wife were a little greedy. They were not able to grasp the sudden temptation. In the first election, they temporarily changed their goals and jumped from the state house of representatives to the senator. hierarchy.

Bigger constituencies, more power, naturally more competition, more contingencies and more campaign money needed.

"Alice Palmer has to quit or it will kill us all."

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

Alice Palmer gave up the constituency and expressed her support. It was originally a matter of hello, me, everyone, but now you suddenly decided not to let it go. Come back and continue to vote. What should I do? Everyone has their own reasons for tearing it up, but Michelle’s husband fell into mutual tearing with black female politicians in the first election, which did a great damage to the political image. You must know that the black aunt’s fighting power is very explosive. of.

"Hello, aplus."

"Hello, hello." Song Ya shook hands with the three respectively, one of the 300th richest people in the United States, a top black banker, a former White House legal adviser, and a top Chicago campaign trader. This lineup and Its political energy is evenly pushed out. Even if he turns to compete with Jesse Jackson Jr. for the Federal House of Representatives, Jesse Jackson will have to retreat by three points.

"The key to this matter is not winning or losing, but that we must protect Michelle's husband."

Milton Davis looked appreciatively at the man in the distance. He was socializing with a team of voter representatives. Everyone could shake hands and chat for a few words to ensure that the other party would be happy. Very promising, it’s like an innate talent aplus that no one else can learn.”

"yes."

Song Ya nodded, Michelle's husband's mother is Jewish, and he was able to gather an elite Jewish campaign team around the first election, which was beyond his reach. Others... Heh, am I not likable? Really.

"Alice Palmer must take the initiative to withdraw. This is good for all of us. I will give her back in the future, but not this year. This year we must help Michelle's husband be selected." Axelrod said: "I will Send her a message through a private channel, so we need you, aplus, to stand with us today and make a public statement to create maximum pressure on her. Can you?"

"Of course, of course, Michelle and I have known each other since the '90s, when I was a poor kid from the South Side wearing second-hand clothes, and her husband was my recommender for the University of Chicago."

No matter who Alice Palmer is, of course she is helping her own people. Michelle is still a witness of her own will. She has used her energy many times to make people use anti-discrimination. Song Ya has nothing to think about of.

"Very good, very good." His statement made everyone happy. Isn't it good that billionaires support him?

"Thank you, aplus."

Michelle was also quite moved. After all, it was her husband's first election. Even with such a strong behind-the-scenes lineup, it was impossible for her not to panic completely. Besides, she encountered such a bad thing again.

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

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

"Okay, then let's act now, let's take a photo first." Mikva and Axelrod, two Jews, hugged him affectionately from left to right and led the way, "I heard that you want to go to the Law school? Come and register for my class at that time." Mikwa laughed.

Song Ya replied truthfully: "Yes, probably next year, I often miss classes in my undergraduate course, and I am too busy."

"It's understandable."

All successful campaigners are experts in communication. Mikva and Axelrod quickly became close to Song Ya like brothers who had been separated for many years.

Song Ya knew that they were observing and spying on him, and he was spying on them at the same time. The group of campaign promoters is an indispensable arm of politicians. The positions of campaign managers, media consultants, legal advisers, etc. are almost all the real personal and secret groups closest to politicians. In the United States, this group is mixed, and they are somewhat similar to nomads. of all kinds,

There are expert legal elites like Mikva, and there are so-called policy consulting companies and public relations companies like Axelrod and Eli, who are well-versed in the local political arena and are between campaign managers, businessmen and brokers. Local snake.

There is also another rude man like Russell, who is competing for the seat of the Federal House of Representatives, who focuses on dealing with trade unions. Behind the trade unions often means the existence of underworld forces, and the guy who can roll in dirty water all year round is himself It won't be that clean.

Song Ya doesn't know how many such nomads there are in the United States, and it is conceivable that they are a very large group of people. For politicians, this is even a labor market that can be selected, and it is up to people to be rich and thrifty.

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

Or senior politicians like Peter, who don't value the abilities of this group of people, and prefer to use Eli's reassuring privacy.

And those unknown politicians may only have money to hire a low-level pusher who is carrying a travel bag and chasing water plants like migratory birds. Go ahead...

Their futures and personal choices are also very different. There are those like Mikva and Eli who are willing to follow their "masters" and turn into the White House legal counsel and the chief of staff of the governor's office to eat public meals, and there are companies like Axelrod. To promote business in the local area, to promote a politician, and to expand the "business" to the whole country and even other English-speaking countries.

Take the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada as an example. Because of the transnational existence of these nomads and their connections, the political allies of many politicians are actually transnational, and because they and politicians With extremely close personal relationships, the decisions made by politicians may even deviate from the national interests and help distant allies.

The water in this industry is very deep. Song Ya is currently accumulating knowledge. As a person who pays money, he must spend money clearly.