Chapter 722 337: Abundance Agenda

Leo needed to use this process to firmly establish his dominance over the Progressives.

"Another, sir?"

The bartender walked over and asked, looking at Leo's empty glass in obvious surprise.

"No, thank you. The check."

Leo placed a twenty-dollar bill on the bar, plus five dollars for a tip.

He walked out of the bar.

The Washington sun had softened.

A cold wind blew past, swirling a few fallen leaves by the roadside.

With several hours still to go before evening, the city continued to run at full tilt.

Leo strolled down the street, the spicy, strange taste of the custom martini still lingering in his mouth.

Right on cue, Roosevelt's voice echoed in his mind.

'How was the drink, Leo?'

'Unforgettable,' Leo answered silently. 'It reminds me that power isn't just about compromise, but also about imposing one's will on others.'

'Good. You've understood the test of obedience.' Roosevelt's tone grew deep.

'But imposing your will is just a means to an end. A true leader must see where this country is headed.'

Leo nodded to himself. As he ambled down Pennsylvania Avenue, the ubiquitous campaign atmosphere made his heart burn with ambition.

'Mr. President.'

Leo began in his mind.

'That vice-presidential nomination that never materialized... it got me thinking a lot.'

'For a few nights there, I even dreamed I was sitting behind the Resolute Desk.'

'I want to ask you—what would you think if I solidified my position in Pennsylvania, then came to Washington and sought the position of Secretary of State?'

Leo's line of thought was clear.

'The current international political situation is more complex than ever. The Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Asia-Pacific... they're all powder kegs. The United States needs a strong hand at the helm of its diplomacy.'

'If I can achieve results in that position and build up enough prestige, then I'll have the capital I need for the next presidential election, or the one after that.'

Roosevelt was silent for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle.

'Secretary of State?'

'Leo, you didn't pay enough attention in your history class.'

'Not since James Buchanan in 1856 has the United States had a Secretary of State go directly to the presidency.'

'That position is a political graveyard. You'll exhaust your energy in endless diplomatic wrangling and get torn to shreds in Congressional hearings for every minor diplomatic blunder.'

'Besides, voters don't care what treaty you sign in Geneva. They only care what roads you build in Ohio.'

'I know it's dangerous,' Leo retorted. 'But I don't want to just bide my time in Washington. I don't want to go to the Senate and be nothing more than a voting machine.'

'I want to become President as quickly as possible.'

'Only a position like Secretary of State—one that faces immense challenges and deals with crises daily—can allow me to quickly build that sense of leadership.'

'You're wrong.'

Roosevelt's voice turned serious.

'You've already done more than enough in Pennsylvania. You've rebuilt its industry, reformed healthcare, and you even created a new monetary system.'

'Your prestige now far exceeds that of governors who do nothing but read scripts on television.'

'Instead of taking the long way around and getting yourself bogged down in the State Department...'

Roosevelt paused.

'Why not go straight for the top?'

Leo was stunned.

'You mean...'

'I mean the presidency,'

Roosevelt said.

'Not in ten years, not in twenty.'

'The next one.'

Leo suddenly felt like the air around him was growing thin.

The entire world seemed to shift, just slightly, in that instant.

The surrounding noise faded away, leaving him standing there all alone.

If any ordinary political consultant had told him that a Mayor of Pittsburgh could run directly for President, he would have dismissed it as a joke.

But the person saying it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The giant who had served four terms, pulled the United States out of the abyss, and reshaped the world order.

Leo's heart began to pound, hammering against his ribs.

The searing sensation of ignited ambition shot up his spine to the crown of his head.

'Since you're so determined,'

Roosevelt didn't give Leo much time to get excited, quickly pulling the conversation back to reality.

'Then, first, open your eyes and look.'

'Look at this election that's currently brewing. What do you see?'

Leo knew this was a test from Roosevelt.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the wild excitement inside him and refocusing his gaze.

He looked down the street, his gaze passing over the hurrying politicians and lobbyists.

'I see anxiety.'

Leo began.

'Both parties are desperately searching for ways to shore up their base. They're afraid of the unemployment rate, afraid of inflation, afraid of the voters' fury.'

'Correct. But that's just the surface,' Roosevelt interjected. 'The anxiety you see stems from the failure of the core logic of American politics over the past few decades.'

'In the past, the core of this nation's politics was distribution. The Democratic Party discussed how to raise taxes, issue subsidies, and expand welfare; the Republican Party discussed how to cut taxes and slash spending. Everyone was fighting over how to slice the existing pie.'

'But now, this battle over distribution has hit a dead end. Inflation is high, and growth has stagnated.'

'When the pie stops growing, any distribution plan becomes a zero-sum game, and class conflicts become irreconcilable.'

Roosevelt's voice rose slightly.

'Leo, you must understand the core logic that is quietly emerging in Washington now and will guide this country's future—the Abundance Agenda.'