undecideds,’ said the President. ‘Now read your poll of the California State Senate and Assembly.’
Steedman nodded, shuffling his papers, and held up a new printout. ‘This one was less satisfactory. The legislators are obviously being cautious, waiting to hear from their constituents. Here we have 40 per cent who were undecided or refused to express any opinion at all. Then, of the 60 per cent of the legislators who did express an opinion, 52 per cent favored passage, 48 per cent were against passage.’
The President shook his head glumly. ‘Too many fence-sitters. I don’t like that.’
Tynan spoke up. ‘Mr President, it’s our job to get them off that fence and down on the right side.’
‘That’s why I wanted you here, Vernon. I wanted to discuss strategy…. Thank you, Ronald. When do I see you again?’
Steedman stood up. ‘Per your instructions, Mr President, we’re running a new poll in California every week now. I should have this week’s results for you next Monday.’
‘Call Miss Ledger and make an appointment the minute you have something.’
After collecting his papers, Steedman departed, and the President and Tynan were alone in the Oval Office.
‘Well, there you have it, Vernon,’ the President said. ‘Our fate is entirely in the hands of people who haven’t made up their minds. So we know what has to be done. We have to instigate every stratagem, exert every possible pressure, to make them see things our way - for their own good. The life of our one last hope is at stake, Vernon.’
‘I’m confident it’ll work our way, Mr President.’
The President was less confident. ‘We can’t leave it to chance. The future depends upon our actions.’
‘You’re right, of course,’ agreed Tynan. ‘I’ve already undertaken several moves. I’m speeding up the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports. I’ve notified all local police officials in California to teletype their latest crime statistics every week instead of every month. We’ll now be releasing the Reports every Saturday for media coverage on Sundays. We’ll saturate California with the rise in its crime rate.’
‘Excellent,’ said the President. ‘The problem there is that people become inured to the repetition of mere figures. Statistics simply do not dramatize the gravity of the situation.’ He reached across the green blotter to his scratch pad on which he’d scribbled some notes. ‘Often, a well-worded speech can dramatize the situation far better. And get more coverage. I was thinking of scheduling a number of Administration people - members of the Cabinet, department heads - to speak at conventions or meetings already scheduled in California’s major cities. I’ve been listing some names here. It’s difficult, however, to know who would be most effective.’
Tynan pushed forward in his chair. “There’s only one person who could be really effective.’ He pointed his finger. ‘You, Mr President. You could rally the people around the 35th, and implore them, for their own future security, to put pressure on their state representatives in Sacramento.’
President Wadsworth considered this, but only briefly. He shook his head. ‘No, Vernon, I’m afraid that wouldn’t do. In fact, it might have just the opposite effect - a negative effect. You’re not a politician, Vernon, so you may not understand. You have no idea how jealously the individual states guard their states’ rights. The legislators and citizens alike might look upon an address from me - a speech devoted to a decision that belongs to them - as Federal interference. They could resent a President’s telling them what to do. I’m afraid we have to be more subtle than that.’
‘Well, then,’ said Tynan, ‘what about me? I could go to California and scare the bejesus out of them so they’ll support the 35th.’
‘No. You’re too obviously a lawman. You would not be regarded as objective and reasonable. Everyone would say you have an ax to
Steedman nodded, shuffling his papers, and held up a new printout. ‘This one was less satisfactory. The legislators are obviously being cautious, waiting to hear from their constituents. Here we have 40 per cent who were undecided or refused to express any opinion at all. Then, of the 60 per cent of the legislators who did express an opinion, 52 per cent favored passage, 48 per cent were against passage.’
The President shook his head glumly. ‘Too many fence-sitters. I don’t like that.’
Tynan spoke up. ‘Mr President, it’s our job to get them off that fence and down on the right side.’
‘That’s why I wanted you here, Vernon. I wanted to discuss strategy…. Thank you, Ronald. When do I see you again?’
Steedman stood up. ‘Per your instructions, Mr President, we’re running a new poll in California every week now. I should have this week’s results for you next Monday.’
‘Call Miss Ledger and make an appointment the minute you have something.’
After collecting his papers, Steedman departed, and the President and Tynan were alone in the Oval Office.
‘Well, there you have it, Vernon,’ the President said. ‘Our fate is entirely in the hands of people who haven’t made up their minds. So we know what has to be done. We have to instigate every stratagem, exert every possible pressure, to make them see things our way - for their own good. The life of our one last hope is at stake, Vernon.’
‘I’m confident it’ll work our way, Mr President.’
The President was less confident. ‘We can’t leave it to chance. The future depends upon our actions.’
‘You’re right, of course,’ agreed Tynan. ‘I’ve already undertaken several moves. I’m speeding up the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports. I’ve notified all local police officials in California to teletype their latest crime statistics every week instead of every month. We’ll now be releasing the Reports every Saturday for media coverage on Sundays. We’ll saturate California with the rise in its crime rate.’
‘Excellent,’ said the President. ‘The problem there is that people become inured to the repetition of mere figures. Statistics simply do not dramatize the gravity of the situation.’ He reached across the green blotter to his scratch pad on which he’d scribbled some notes. ‘Often, a well-worded speech can dramatize the situation far better. And get more coverage. I was thinking of scheduling a number of Administration people - members of the Cabinet, department heads - to speak at conventions or meetings already scheduled in California’s major cities. I’ve been listing some names here. It’s difficult, however, to know who would be most effective.’
Tynan pushed forward in his chair. “There’s only one person who could be really effective.’ He pointed his finger. ‘You, Mr President. You could rally the people around the 35th, and implore them, for their own future security, to put pressure on their state representatives in Sacramento.’
President Wadsworth considered this, but only briefly. He shook his head. ‘No, Vernon, I’m afraid that wouldn’t do. In fact, it might have just the opposite effect - a negative effect. You’re not a politician, Vernon, so you may not understand. You have no idea how jealously the individual states guard their states’ rights. The legislators and citizens alike might look upon an address from me - a speech devoted to a decision that belongs to them - as Federal interference. They could resent a President’s telling them what to do. I’m afraid we have to be more subtle than that.’
‘Well, then,’ said Tynan, ‘what about me? I could go to California and scare the bejesus out of them so they’ll support the 35th.’
‘No. You’re too obviously a lawman. You would not be regarded as objective and reasonable. Everyone would say you have an ax to
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