Exactly at the point when Florentyna relaxed and felt confident for the first time, the bombshell fell. Edward had just handed her yet another Perrier water when CBS flashed up on the screen “Newsbreak” and a camera went over to Dan Rather, who told a stunned audience only fifteen minutes before the roll call was due to start that he was about to interview Vice President Parkin on the reason for his secret meeting with Senator Kane. The CBS camera panned down on the florid face of the big Texan and to Florentyna’s horror the whole thing was going out live on the vast screen in the convention hall. She remembered that the Rules Committee had decided to allow anything to go up on the screen that might affect the delegates; this was meant to stop rumors spreading around the convention hall about what was really going on outside, to be sure that what had happened between Ford and Reagan in 1980 over the picking of a running mate could never happen again. It was the first time that the delegates in the hall had been unanimously silent.
The camera switched back to the CBS anchorman.
“Mr. Vice President, we know you had a meeting with Senator Kane today. Can you tell me the reason you asked to see her?”
“Certainly, Dan, it was first and foremost because I’m interested in the unity of my party and above all in beating the Republicans.”
Florentyna and her staff were mesmerized. She could see the delegates on the floor hanging on every word and she was helpless to do anything except listen.
“Can I ask what took place at that meeting?”
“I asked Senator Kane if she would be willing to serve as my Vice President and make up a Democratic team that would be unbeatable.”
“How did she reply to your suggestion?”
“She said she wanted to think the offer over. You see, Dan, I believe together we can lick the Republicans.”
“Ask him what my final answer was,” said Florentyna, but it was no use; the cameras were already switching to a half-crazed convention hall ready for the first vote. Edward phoned CBS and demanded equal time for Florentyna. Dan Rather agreed to interview Senator Kane immediately, but Florentyna knew that they were already too late. Once the voting had started the committee had agreed that nothing would go on that screen except the ballot tally. No doubt they would have to revise the rule by the next convention, but all Florentyna could think of was Miss Tredgold’s views on television: “Too many instant decisions will be made that will later be regretted.”
The chairman banged his gavel and called upon Alabama to begin the roll call and the Camellia State showed a two-vote switch to Parkin. When Florentyna lost one delegate from Alaska and two from Arizona she knew her only hope was another deadlock so that she could put her version of the meeting with Parkin on television before the next vote. She sat and watched herself lose one vote here and a couple there but when Illinois held firm she hoped the tide might turn. Edward and the team had been working the phones nonstop.
Then the next blow came.
Edward received a call from one of his campaign managers on the floor to say that Parkin staffers had started a rumor in the hall that Florentyna had accepted his offer. A rumor he knew Florentyna would never be able to trace back directly to Parkin or have time to rebut. Although as each state’s turn came to vote, Edward fought to stem the tide. When they reached West Virginia, Parkin needed only twenty-five more delegates to go over the top. They gave him twenty-one, so he needed four from the penultimate state, Wisconsin. Florentyna was confident that all three delegates from Wyoming, the final state to vote, would remain loyal to her.
“The great state of Wisconsin, mindful of its responsibility tonight”—once again the hall was totally silent—“and believing in the unity of the party above all personal considerations, gives all its eleven votes to the next President of the United States, Pete Parkin.”
The delegates went berserk. In Suite 2400 the result was met with stunned silence.
Florentyna had been beaten by a cheap but brilliant trick. And its true genius was that if she denied everything and gave her version of Parkin’s behavior, the Democrats might well lose the White House to the Republicans and she would be made the scapegoat.
Thirty minutes later Pete Parkin arrived at Joe Louis Arena amid cheers and the strains of “Happy Days Are Here Again.” He spent another twelve minutes waving to the delegates and when at last he managed to bring the hall to silence he said: “I hope to stand on this platform tomorrow night with the greatest lady in America and place before the nation a team that will whip the Republicans so that those elephants will never forget it.”
Once again the delegates roared their approval. During the next hour Florentyna’s staff crept back to their rooms until just Edward was left alone with her.
“Do I accept?”
“You have no choice. If you don’t, and the Democrats lose, the blame will be placed at your door.”
“And if I tell the truth?”
“It will be misunderstood; they will say you’re a bad loser after your opponent had held out the olive branch of reconciliation. And don’t forget, President Ford predicted ten years ago that the first woman President would have to have been the Vice President before the American people would find the idea acceptable.”
“That might be true, but if Richard Nixon were here today,” said Florentyna bitterly, “he would be on the phone to Pete Parkin congratulating him on a trick far superior to any he pulled off against Muskie or Humphrey.” Florentyna yawned. “I’m going to bed, Edward. I will have made a decision by the morning.”
At eight-thirty Pete Parkin sent an emissary to ask if Florentyna had made up her mind. She replied that she wanted to see him again in private.
This time, Parkin arrived with three television companies in tow and as many reporters who could get hold of red press passes. When they were alone, Florentyna found it hard to control her temper even though she had decided not to remonstrate with Parkin but simply asked if he would confirm that he intended to serve one term.”
“Yes,” he said, looking Florentyna straight in the eye.
“And at the next election you’ll give me your full backing?”
“You have my word on that,” he said.
“On those terms I’m willing to serve as Vice President.”
When he had left the room, Edward listened to what had taken place and said, “We know exactly what his word is worth.”
As she entered the convention hall later that night, Florentyna was greeted by a cascade of noise. Pete Parkin held her hand up high and the delegates once more roared their approval. Only Ralph Brooks looked sour.
Florentyna felt her acceptance speech as Vice Presidential candidate was below her best, but they cheered her just the same. However, the biggest cheer of the evening was raised for Pete Parkin when he addressed the delegates; he had been introduced as their new hero, the man who had brought honest unity to the party.
Florentyna flew to Boston and retreated to Cape Cod the next morning after a nauseating press conference with the Democratic Presidential candidate, who kept referring to her as “that great little lady from Illinois.”
When they parted, in full view of the press, he kissed her on the cheek. She felt like a prostitute who had accepted his money and found it was too late to change her mind about going to bed.
Chapter
Thirty-Six
Taking advantage of the fact that the campaign did not start until after Labor Day, Florentyna returned to Washington to catch up on her n
eglected senatorial duties. She even found time to visit Chicago.
She spoke to Pete Parkin on the phone every day and certainly he could not have been more friendly and cooperative about fitting in with her arrangements. They agreed to meet at his White House office to discuss the final plan for the campaign. Florentyna tried to fulfill all her other commitments before the meeting so she could devote herself entirely to electioneering during the last nine weeks.
On September 2, accompanied by Edward and Janet, Florentyna arrived at the west wing of the White House to be greeted by Ralph Brooks, who clearly remained a trusted lieutenant of the candidate. She was determined not to be the cause of any friction between herself and Brooks so near the election, especially because she knew that Brooks had expected to be the Vice Presidential candidate himself. Senator Brooks took them from the reception area through to Pete Parkin’s office. It was the first time Florentyna had seen the room she might occupy in a few weeks and she was surprised by the warmth, with its yellow walls and ivory molding. Fresh flowers sat on Parkin’s mahogany desk, and the walls were hung with Remington oil paintings. Parkin’s love of the West, Florentyna thought. The late summer sun flooded in through the south-facing windows.
Pete Parkin jumped up from behind his desk and came over to greet her, just a little too effusively. Then they all sat around a table in the center of the room.
“I think you all know Ralph,” said Pete Parkin with a slightly uncomfortable laugh. “He’s worked out a campaign strategy which I am sure you’ll find most impressive.”
Ralph Brooks unfolded a large map of the United States on the table in front of them. “I feel the main consideration to keep uppermost in our minds is that to capture the White House we must have two hundred and seventy electoral college votes. Although it is obviously important and satisfying to win the popular vote, as we all know it’s still the electoral college which selects the next President. For this reason, I have colored the states black that I feel we have least chance of winning, and white those that are traditionally safe in the Democrat column. That leaves the key swing states, which I’ve marked in red, which between them make up one hundred and seventy-one electoral college votes.