“Blank slate. Brainstorm some ideas but do it fast. Send me something by noon tomorrow?”
“You got it.” Fletcher said that he’d side-text Dot.
“We’re on it,” Dot said, the gears of her mind already turning.
They ended the videoconference and immediately Dot’s phone rang. It was Fletcher.
“Okay, here’s what I’m thinking,” he said. “What about a video of all the scandalous headlines from Republicans in the last twenty years. Try to make this look like no big deal compared to their haul of junk.”
Dot didn’t like that approach. It was too obvious a response, and the DNC would do that anyway. That was their go-to move. They needed to be more creative and to think of something that would get people’s attention.
“Let me think. I may have an idea,” she said, which was Dot’s polite way of saying “Your idea is not going to work.”
She hung up and put the kettle on.
It was going to be a long night.
AROUND MIDNIGHT, MARYcame down to the kitchen to find Dot still there in the dark, the only light coming from her laptop.
“Can’t sleep?” Dot asked.
“I was doing some proofreading for this brief the firm has to file tomorrow in Manhattan. The partners are still up working, so I thought I’d stay up with them.”
“They’re so lucky to have you,” Dot said.
“I’m just a first-year associate. Nothing special.” Mary waved away the flattery. “How’s the brainstorming going?”
“I finally told Fletcher to call it a night. His ideas were too bro for me.”
“What’s your gut telling you?”
“Okay. Good question.”
Dot put two hands around her big ceramic mug and took a sip of hot peppermint tea.
“Well, here’s what I really think. Since she’s a state senator and only recently in national politics, there’s a sense that no one reallyknowsher. She’s overly protective of her privacy. I mean, I get it. But it’s too much. I think it’s held her back. People want to get to know her. Therealher.”
“You mean she needs to show a little more leg?”
“Something like that. But no, not likethat.” Dot imagined their candidate wowing everyone with her beauty and nice figure. That wasn’t exactly what they were going for here. “We might need to save that move for the weekend before the election though.” She laughed a little at the thought.
“It might make my dad take a second look at her.”
“Yeah, but he still wouldn’t vote for her.”
“True. Okay, go on.”
“I think she needs to let her guard down, let people hear from her in her own words what she’s like beyond what they see on the screen. They know she’s tough and beautiful and intelligent, even funny. They know her dad was in the military. They like her two dogs. And Democrats know her platform—that she’s for bringing back jobs, helping regular folks afford to live the American dream, and making sure kids are learning to read and write so they can have a fighting chance in an increasingly competitive world job market.”
Mary leaned in for more.
“But if we’re thinking of independent voters, like some of our neighbors here, they barely know her name. And if the GOP is going to flood the airwaves with a bunch of lies about her personal life and make it sound like she’s weird or a... a... a slut or whatever—well, that’s going to stick in their minds. And in their algorithms.”
“I’m with you so far,” Mary said. “So, what can you do?”
“I have an idea, but I don’t know if anyone will go for it.”
“I’m listening.”