Джеффри Арчер - The Prodigal Daughter

The President described Florentyna as the woman who had given him more problems than his wife and now he heard she wanted to sleep in his bed at the White House. When the laughter died down, he added, ‘And if she does aspire to that great office, America could not be better served.’

The next day the press suggested that the statement was a direct snub to Pete Parkin and that Florentyna would have the backing of the President if she decided to run. The President denied this interpretation of what he had said, but from that moment on Florentyna was placed in the unfortunate position of being the front-runner for 1992. When the results of her Senate race came in, even Florentyna was surprised by the size of her victory, as most Democratic senators had lost ground in the usual midterm election swing against the White House. Florentyna’s overwhelming victory confirmed the party’s view that it had found not only a standard-bearer but something far more important: a winner.

The week of the first session of the 102nd Congress opened with Florentyna’s picture on the cover of Time . Full profiles of her life, giving the details of her playing Saint Joan at Girls Latin and winning the Woolson Scholarship to Radcliffe, were meticulously chronicled. They even explained why her late husband had called her Jessie. She had become the best-known woman in America. ‘This charming 57-year-old woman,’ said Time in its summation, ‘is both intelligent and witty. Only beware when you see her hand clench into a tight fist because it’s then she becomes a heavyweight.’

During the new session, Florentyna tried to carry out the normal duties of a senator but she was daily being asked by colleagues, friends and the press when she would be making a statement about her intentions to run or not to run for the White House. She tried to sidetrack them by taking more interest in the major issues of the day. At the time Quebec elected a left-wing government she flew to Canada to participate in exploratory talks with British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba about federation with America. The press followed her and after she returned to Washington, the media no longer described her as a politician but as America’s first stateswoman.

Pete Parkin was already informing anyone and everyone who wanted to listen that he intended to run and an official announcement was considered imminent. The Vice President was five years older than Florentyna and she knew this would be his last opportunity to hear ‘Hail to the Chief’ played for him. Florentyna felt it might be her only chance. She remembered that Margaret Thatcher had told her when she became Prime Minister, ‘The only difference between the leader of a party’s being a man or a woman is that if a woman loses, the men won’t give you a second chance.’

Florentyna had no doubt what Bob Buchanan would have advised had he still been alive. Read Julius Caesar , my dear, but this time Brutus and not Mark Antony.

She and Edward spent a quiet weekend together at Cape Cod, and while he lost yet another golf match, they discussed the tide in the affairs of one woman, the flood and the possible fortune.

By the time that Edward returned to New York and Florentyna to Washington, the decision had finally been made.

‘...and to that end I declare my candidacy for the office of President of the United States.’

Florentyna gazed into the Senate Caucus Room at the 350 applauding members of the audience, which occupied a space that the sergeant-at-arms insisted should only hold 300. Television camera crews and press photographers shoved and dodged to prevent their frames from being filled with the backs of anonymous heads. Florentyna remained seated during the prolonged applause that followed her announcement. When the noise had finally ebbed, Edward stepped up to face the battery of microphones at the podium.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he said. ‘I know the candidate will be delighted to answer your questions.’

Half the people in the room started to speak at once and Edward nodded to a man in the third row to indicate that he could ask the first question.

‘Albert Hunt of The Wall Street Journal ,’ he said. ‘Senator Kane, who do you think will be your toughest opponent?’

‘The Republican candidate,’ she said without hesitation. There was a ripple of laughter and some applause. Edward smiled and called for the next question.

‘Senator Kane, is this really a bid to be Pete Parkin’s running mate?’

‘No, I am not interested in the office of Vice President,’ replied Florentyna. ‘At best it’s a period of stagnation while you wait around in the hope of doing the real job. At worst I am reminded of Nelson Rockefeller’s words: “Don’t take the number two spot unless you’re up for a four-year advanced seminar in political science and a lot of state funerals.” I’m not in the mood for either.’

‘Do you feel America is ready for a woman President?’

‘Yes, I do, otherwise I would not be willing to run for the office, but I will be in a better position to answer that question on November third.’

‘Do you think the Republicans might select a woman?’

‘No, they don’t have the courage for such a bold move. They’ll watch the Democrats make a success of the idea and copy it when the next election comes around.’

‘Do you feel you have enough experience to hold this office?’

‘I have been a wife, a mother, the chairman of a multimillion-dollar corporation, a member of the House for eight years and a senator for seven. In the public career I’ve chosen, the Presidency is the number one spot. So yes, I believe I am now qualified for that job.’

‘Do you expect the success of your Welfare Act to help you with the votes of the poor and black communities?’

‘I hope the act will bring me support from every sector. My main intent with that piece of legislation was to ensure that both those who contribute to welfare through taxation and those who benefit from the legislation will feel that the provisions made are just and humane in a modern society.’

‘After the Russian invasion of Yugoslavia, would your administration take a harder line with the Kremlin?’

‘After Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Poland and now Yugoslavia, the latest Soviet offensive on the Pakistan border reinforces my long-standing conviction that we must remain vigilant in the defense of our people. We must always remember that the fact that the two biggest oceans on earth have protected us in the past is no guarantee of our safety in the future.’

‘The President has described you as a hawk in dove’s clothing.’

‘I’m not sure if that’s a comment on my dress or my looks, but I suspect that the combination of those two birds looks not unlike the American eagle.’

‘Do you feel we can keep a special relationship with Europe after the election results in France and Britain?’

‘The decision of the French to return to a Gaullist government while the British voted for a new Labor administration does not greatly concern me. Michel Chirac and Roy Hattersley have both proved to be good friends of America in the past and I see no reason why that should change in the future.’

‘Do you expect Ralph Brooks’s support for your campaign?’

It was the first question that took Florentyna by surprise. ‘Perhaps you should ask him. But I naturally hope that Senator Brooks will feel pleased by my decision.’ She could think of nothing else to add.

‘Senator Kane, do you approve of the current primary system?’

‘No. Although I’m not a supporter of a national primary, the present system is by any standards archaic. America seems to have developed a process for the selection of a President that is more responsive to the demands of the network news programs than it is to the needs of modern government. It also encourages dilettante candidates. Today, you have a better chance of becoming President if you are temporarily out of work, having been left several million by your grandmother. You then have four years off to devote to running around the country collecting delegates, while the people best qualified for the job are probably doing a full day’s work elsewhere. If I became President, I would seek to send a bill to the Congress which would not handicap anyone from running for the Presidency through lack of time or money. We must reinstate the age-old precept that anyone born in this country, with both the desire to serve and the ability to do the job, will not find themselves disqualified before the first voter goes to the polls.’