"See Darling, I told you that wouldn’t be so bad."
"You were right, it wasn’t. In fact, I’m still kind of in awe of the whole thing. I can’t believe that I am running for governor of California. What am I thinking? I can’t do this!" Jonathan and Jennifer were having dinner out on the patio of their house, he had hoped the ocean breeze would calm her down after today’s press conference.
"You can do this, and you will do this. You’ve always been interested in politics and you have what it takes to pull this off. Did you mean what you said about making California better? All that stuff about helping the animals?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then here is your chance. I’ve got faith in you, and so do a lot of other people."
"Like who?"
"A lot of those papers that came out today had quotes from very influential people who supported you. CJ and Toby support you and they’ve worked for the President for that last eight years."
"They support me because you pay them an extraordinary amount of money to. "
"They support you because they believe in your platform, Jed told me that they never would have agreed to come out here otherwise. This isn’t like you; you are most confident person I know. You know that I will be right behind you every step of the way on this one."
"Thank you Darling, yes I know. Did you see the schedule CJ has set up for me? I don’t have one moment to myself this week."
"She has to get started right away. She said that she and Toby were going through your opposing candidates tonight and tomorrow to see what you’re up against."
"God, I’m awful, I don’t even know who my opponents are."
"Well, from the Republican Party you have Thomas Dodd, from the Independent Party Jeffery Martin, and running against you as a another Democrat is Laurence Chase."
"I’ve never heard of Jeffery Martin, we have some mutual friends with Thomas Dodd, don’t we?"
"He was at the party we went to last week."
"Oh, right, he got extremely drunk and became loud and obnoxious. I felt sorry for his wife."
"That’s him."
"I wonder if CJ and Toby know he’s an alcoholic?"
"Those two had crates full of stuff on all three of them. You know who Laurence Chase is, right?"
"Yep. I voted for him for state senate."
"Oh, maybe we should tell CJ and Toby that too."
"They said they were going to look in to our past as well."
"Well, the more they know about us the better they can represent you. It’s not like we have any thing to hide."
"We’ve been arrested a few times."
"I don’t think being arrested in Mexico counts."
"I was detained during that incident at the night club. Oh and Darling, remember you were arrested in New York, when I was working on the play."
"We’ve never been convicted or even tried for anything. We have no major skeletons in our closets."
"Well, there was that one weekend before we were married, oh, never mind."
"You are never going to tell me what happened then, are you?"
"It was nothing." She smiled and then gave him a kiss. "Tomorrow you have a full board meeting, you should really get some sleep."
"May I remind you that you’re on the board too"
"Yes, but all I have to is sit there and pretend like I’m listening to what’s going on."
"You listen when I talk, don’t you?"
"Of course Darling."
"Why don’t I believe you?"
"Come on, let’s go to bed."
"I’m not tired."
"Who said anything about sleeping?"
"You did a few seconds ago."
"I lied."
"Toby, have you got Chase’s voting records in your box?"
"No, I think they’re in the one by the closet. " The Zieglers were sitting on the bed in their newly rented apartment. It was covered with papers and articles on the other candidates. They were trying to devise profiles on each of them so they could get a better handle on how to proceed with Jennifer’s campaign. "You know what? We need a secretary. I’m sure the Harts wouldn’t mind if we hired one."
"Do you really want to train another secretary? Look how long it took get Carol, Bonnie, and Ginger to get used to us."
"So, what are they doing right now?"
"Toby, I don’t think Ginger or Bonnie would move clear across the country just for the chance to work with you again."
"You make that sound like working with me is a bad thing."
"I didn’t say that."
"Ok, fine, what about Carol, since you are boss of the year."
"I didn’t say that either. Stop being so defensive. Let’s stop for the night. Tomorrow morning Jennifer and I are going over how to deal with the press, then she and Jonathan have a Hart Industries board meeting, so we have all afternoon to do this. "
"What do you want to do now then?"
"You are going to take me out for dinner, and then we are going to come home and I am going to have my wicked way with you."
"I thought he was the one who was supposed to be running!"
"He was sir. This came out of nowhere."
"What do I pay you for if you can’t do your job?"
"We’re on this sir, I swear."
"We were all set to take him down. He was going to be our only major opposition."
"Well, now isn’t he out of the way?"
"Don’t let your sexist mind dismiss Jennifer Hart as some kind of a feather weight. I’ve read a lot about a her, she’ll put up a good fight, and she has Ziegler and Cregg."
"So fight back."
"I don’t want a fight I want a sure thing."
"I didn’t say anything about fighting fair."
"Good." The man laughed. "I suppose you can keep your job for now, but I want you to know everything about Jennifer Hart. I want you to know where she’s going and who with, and I want you find the best way to get rid of her, as soon as possible."
The next few weeks were spent forming platforms, getting ideas out there and generally forming the basis of Jennifer’s campaign. An office was set up as base to run things and even a few volunteers had started to come forward. After many sessions preparing with CJ and Toby, Jennifer was ready to start fighting for the votes.
"CJ I’m nervous."
"Mrs. Hart you have no reason to be. Just stick to what Toby wrote and you’ll be fine." The two women were in a car being driven to a democratic rally in which Jennifer was to be the key speaker. Toby was spending the afternoon with Jonathan at Hart Industries.
"That’s not what I’m worried about. It’s the questions afterwards."
"We went over all your answers. You have them down pat."
"What if they ask me something I’m unprepared for, and I blow it?"
"Mrs. Hart you’re a very intelligent woman, and you know a lot of the people who will be there, I have no doubts that you can handle yourself just fine. You need to stop worrying and have some fun with this campaign. Relax and it will be a whole lot easier for you."
"Thanks CJ, I’ll try and take your advice. I have to ask you kind of a personal question though."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Well, does Toby like me?"
"What?"
"It’s just that he never seems in a good mood, he’s always quiet unless he’s arguing about something, and, oh I don’t know, it’s just something about him."
"That’s Toby for you. Toby does like you, he just has a funny way of showing it. He more then likes you, he believes in you. I know he hides it well, but he’s like that with everyone."
"Except you."
"Yeah, except me. I get to see a side of him that everyone else rarely gets to see. You husband is one of the most dashing men I have ever met, and I know it’s hard to believe this, but Toby can be that way too, it’s just that he’s only that way with me. It’s part of why I love him, and why he makes me feel sometimes like nothing else matters but me. Just wait until election night and your named the next governor of California. I promise Toby will not only smile, but he might even laugh." She smiled and Jennifer smiled back. "I mean what I’m saying. He wouldn’t be here other wise, and neither would I."
"That’s what Jonathan said. I have one more question. Why do the both of you constantly ask Jonathan and I not to change any of the speeches Toby writes?"
"He does it because President Barlet has never once stuck straight to what Toby wrote. It drives Toby crazy. I do it because I hate to hear Toby complain."
"Oh, I see. I’ll remember that for future reference." They both smiled again. "CJ, why did you and Toby leave Washington to come all the way out here?"
"A lot of stuff figured in to that. I’m from California. I love it here. We needed to get back in to the sing of things and this was by far the best offer."
"You had other offers you turned down?"
"Yes."
"Can I ask who?"
"Sure, it was mostly just other campaigns, and Hoynes."
"You turned down the chance to work at the White House for another four years? Why?"
"Well, I told you we have to both believe in the candidate, and we didn’t believe in him. I won’t say that I don’t miss it, because I do, both of us do, but it wouldn’t have been the same. Most of our friends left at the same time, and we knew that if we both wanted to keep enjoying what we do, we had to get out of there before we lost our drive."
"I admire you for that."
"Thank you. Hey who knows, maybe in a few years we’ll be in the White House again under the Hart administration."
"Oh, God, CJ, no! I am not that ambitious."
"I know, It’s just nice to be working for someone who doesn’t conform their values so they can win an election."
"Bartlet did that?"
"No, but Hoynes did, as will most of the other campaigns we were offered. It’s refreshing to lobby for someone who isn’t a career politician. I’m not going to lie and say this will be a total piece of cake, but it sure is going to be one hell of a good campaign."
"Thank you CJ, I needed that. I think I’ll be a lot calmer from now on."
"Come on Mrs. Hart It’s time to go wow the crowd with your morals and style."
"Lead the way."
"… So that’s why I feel it is so important that every child gets an equal chance at a good education," Jennifer said a half-hour later. Education was one of the platforms that the she had worked extensively on with CJ and Toby, and the focus of today’s speech. "Is there any questions or anything I need to be clearer on?"
"Mrs. Hart, Mrs. Hart." Several members of the audience had questions for her. CJ knew that some of them were reporters and prayed that she had worked with Jennifer on her answers enough. This was one of the first times Jennifer would get her voice heard, and CJ wanted it to be flawless.
"Mrs. Hart do you believe that children should have to give up their native language to learn English?"
"Of course not. I think that being bilingual is a wonder asset, more people should learn a second language."
"Do you speak a second language?"
"I speak several languages fluently."
"Do you believe in school uniforms?"
"Only if they are affordable by everyone who attends the school." CJ was pleased with how effortless Jennifer looked out there; she didn’t seem fazed by a single question.
It was just about time to wrap things up. Everything had gone wonderful. It was afternoon for them to be proud of. A quick smile from CJ to Jennifer told her that the rally had been a success. Both women glanced at the clock at the same time. Hopefully Jonathan and Toby would be waiting for them back at campaign headquarters. They had smiles on their faces and their last thoughts were of their husbands as shots rang out.
