The Heritage Paper

Chapter 25



Jim Kingston, the Democratic nominee for president, looked out of the tinted window of the limo and almost laughed at the scene taking place before his eyes. Limos carrying both candidates were jockeying for position outside of the Sterling Center. With one day to go, even parking spots were a fight to the death.

Kingston exited his vehicle and waited for Aligor Sterling to be helped out. Kingston considered him his secret weapon in this battle, and anyone who underestimated him based on his age or physical handicap, did so at their own peril. Aligor had more energy than men half his age, and even found time to attend a presentation this morning at a school to support an old friend.

He looked out to see Theodore Baer standing in the distance, along with his longtime henchman, Emil Leudke. Baer’s silver hair matched his silver tongue—the one he used as a weapon to spew his 500-watt personal attacks. He always looked so innocent—the cuddly Teddy Baer—but looks could be deceiving. And like Aligor, Leudke was still a worthy opponent, despite his advancing age. He was the one most responsible for Baer’s meteoric rise, and some would say that he was really the one running for president. Kingston always pictured Leudke talking into his protégé’s earpiece like a scene from the Manchurian Candidate.

When the two candidates shook hands a fireworks display of flashbulbs went off like it was the Fourth of July. It was like a duel from the Old West where two gunslingers were going to step paces at sunset and solve things the old-fashioned way.

Aligor was completely against what Kingston was about to do ... which was to stand side-by-side with his bitter rival and admit to the world that they were wrong to place that staffer in Baer’s camp to tape his off-the-record conversation, even if he technically knew nothing about it. He doubted any campaign manager in the world would think this was a good idea.

Kingston knew he could have taken the easy way out. The tape actually helped him—moving him five points closer in the latest polls. But then again, he could have taken the easy way out in the entire election. All he had to do was sidestep the war issue—say he didn’t deal in hypotheticals. That he would hope to broker peace, but would never rule out force if necessary. Political talk. Election speak.

In another time, Kingston might have taken that path. Throughout most of his youth he was rudderless. But when his father died at a young age and he was forced to be the “man of the house,” his perspective completely changed. Like turning on a light switch, he suddenly knew who he was and where he must go. And tomorrow he was confident that he would arrive there. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The four men moved into the high-rise that was the headquarters for Sterling Center. They emerged an hour later and Kingston stood before a microphone and apologized for his campaign’s behavior, taking full responsibility for what he called an “underhanded tactic.”

When asked by the media why he took this unprecedented step, which was likely to his detriment, Kingston looked into the camera with his honest, pale blue eyes and said, “This is an election about one issue—the future of America. Will it be a courageous leader in the world, or will it build fences and hide from it? The American people have the biggest decision of their lives tomorrow, so I think it’s important to move past this pettiness, and get to the important issues that face the voters … the future of the world is in their hands.”