Of Pestilence and Presidential Elections (Part 1)
MOUNT WUNDAGORE: 2019 ILLUMINATI ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Dozens of cloaked figures sat in an enormous room around a long black conference table. Satanic pentagrams were inscribed on the marble floor of the room. They chanted a prayer in Aklo, a terrible ancient tongue first spoken long before the days when humans ruled the Earth. One chair remained empty- a chair typically reserved for the Emissary of the Dark Lord, in a mockery of the Jewish tradition of inviting Elijah to Passover. At previous conferences, the chair was usually left empty. The Dark Lord and his Emissary lived in such a distant locale, it was usually assumed that the Emissary would not be able to attend. In recent years, however, there had been more frequent visits "topside" by the servants of the Dark Lord. The Emissary was expected this year; he was simply late. In the middle of an Aklo chant, the Emissary of the Dark Lord burst into the chamber. This year, Crowley, whose human form was that of a bearded man in a black suit, had been appointed to act as Emissary. Crowley, tired of endless business meetings, scowled as he jumped into his chair and pounded his fists on the table.
Crowley sneered at the assembled members of the Cooperative. "The Man Downstairs is disappointed with the progress of you mortals. He feels- with good justification, I think- that you've been dithering for too long. We have allowed you free reign to wreak havoc over the world, but this amount of chaos is excessive, and doesn't further our goals. Remember, what we need is political unification of the planet. We have to ensure not just political control, but we must also ensure our control is ABSOLUTE. When the Heir assumes the Presidency of the United States, his rule must be completely secure."
"Why is it strictly necessary for the Heir to assume the Presidency? Isn't it more prudent for our organization to remain hidden?" asked David Xanatos. "Our friends in Hydra were totally lacking in subtlety. I still can't believe that James Shea Jr decided to post the plans for the coup on an internet chatroom. He posted about Hydra's plans to arrest Claire Underwood while the operation was still ongoing. Vice President Duncan was able to stop Hydra just by reading Shea's posts on 4Chan. And the guy is still posting! Shouldn't Thorn have him on a tighter leash?" He paused. "With due respect, sir. I know the Man Downstairs runs a tighter ship than those clowns, but it seems to me that the failure of Hydra shows that we can be more effective by continuing to rule from the shadows. Just reform the Deus Group and place the Heir at the head. The Heir can maintain control through a series of puppet presidents and prime ministers. Our colleague Mr. Flagg-" Xanatos gestured to a man with a gleaming grin whose face was covered in shadow "is already directing President Underwood to implement our plans. Flagg should remain permanently in his current position, and we can have a rotating series of flunkies in the Oval Office. It's not necessary for the Heir to have a public face."
The Dark Man Flagg turned to face Xanatos. "My current job is quite convenient, but it is not permanent. The President is not entirely unaware of us- she knows we placed Jane Davis and Mark Usher at her side, and that she owes her current position to us. She's a little too independent to be permanently controlled and we will soon dispose of her. But remember, my friend, my current job is only a means to an end, and that end is the rule of the Heir. The Man Downstairs wishes for a more concrete political arrangement- the United States as currently constituted is too politically unstable to fully serve the needs of the Heir."
"For the rule of the Heir to be secure He must be seen as establishing order! Once this world is utterly consumed by chaos, the Heir will come to be seen as the savior of the world, and he will be able to reshape the world in his own image. We must accept no substitute but the complete and unconditional rule of the Heir. To stand a chance against the Messiah, He must rule as Lord of the World," Crowley declared.
"We need to engineer a crisis over the next year which will allow a sufficiently brutal fascist to seize power in the United States. A fascist who will pave the way for the Heir. Mr. Thorn and I have already chosen a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination," declared media mogul Logan Roy. "Randall has informed us that the President is planning on rigging the upcoming presidential election. If we could plan multiple crises to destroy her credibility, it will allow our man to seize power. The 2020 Presidential Election must be the final nail in the coffin of American democracy. The Heir will remake America to openly fit our values."
"What of the Fourth Horseman, Pestilence?" asked Peter Graham, a teenager mysteriously admitted to the Cooperative despite his youth and apparent lack of accomplishments. "If we seek the Apocalypse, shouldn't a terrible plague be a necessary prerequisite?"
"I heard that Pestilence retired."
"I would HOPE NOT," Flagg declared. "My old colleague was responsible for the MEV-1 pandemic eight years ago. They cured it rather too quickly, but it did kill millions of people. Granted that was around the same time hundreds of millions of people disappeared. Rather poor timing, a grave injustice that Pestilence wasn't given his full due. Unfairly overshadowed by the Sudden Departure. I've been an admirer of his work for years. You should see what he's done in other dimensions. Our friend Mr. Graham is correct. Pestilence deserves a year in the spotlight, a leading role in the fall of the American Republic."
"I know Mr. Graham hasn't had the time to get himself acquainted with our affairs," Xanatos sneered, "but a few years ago the Network, one of our branch organizations, released a fertility plague. Birth rates have fallen dramatically. When so few children are born, it creates a sense of desperation. A sense we will soon take advantage of."
Damien Thorn removed his mask. "Pestilence has long held an important role in my plans for the future. I agree that this is his moment. I do appreciate the fertility plague, but I think the upcoming presidential election calls for something more urgent. The late Zhi Zhang inherited quite a collection of biological weapons which Pestilence put a great deal of work into. Perhaps we could borrow a disease from China's collection?"
"Are you referring," asked Flagg with a devilish grin, "to the Wuhan-400?"
"No, I want survivors to rule over. I share your enthusiasm for genocide, but we have to be a little more pragmatic. I know you have experience with biological warfare, Flagg. You will see to it personally that a disease from the Wuhan lab is released."
"Hmmm… yes, that does sound like a rather fun game to play. But I have a position in the American government. I need some plausible deniability; in case some detectives trace down the release of the virus. Actually, I would need several levels of plausible deniability. Give me a few days to fully develop a plan of action."
"I can help!" declared Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan. "Kazakhstan is rather insulated from the rest of the world. No one would suspect us. And even if we were caught, it would be difficult for the world to punish us. I have some political prisoners I can volunteer to be Patient Zero."
"I can find my own Patient Zero," Flagg said. "But if there's someone you really want to suffer; I suppose I can incorporate him in my schemes."
Thorn smiled. "I think a second disease should be released as well. Let's make it a really busy year for Pestilence."
"My business holdings have access to America's food and water supplies," declared Jacob Bamberley. "We're currently testing biological agents in Honduras and Africa in order to expand our business operations through political destabilization. We've drafted plans for something similar to happen in America, but since the presidential election is next year we can accelerate the timeline. If you're looking for America to implode, we could deploy these biological agents through the water supply. Our friends at the Mitsuyama Corporation could potentially sabotage America's water filtering system. If I'm allowed to manage the emergency response, I could make quite a hefty profit. I'll fill you in on the details, Mr. Thorn."
"Yes!" Thorn rubbed his hands with glee. "That would be an extremely valuable contribution! I confess I was thinking of another traditional pandemic as opposed to deliberate poisoning, but that will do quite nicely! Good things come in threes- we will have two standard pandemics as well as this deliberate poisoning. I will find the point of origin for the third plague myself. 2020 is going to be a splendid year."
"Three pandemics AND a fertility plague?" Crowley chuckled. "Now that's a mess truly worthy of the Apocalypse!"
The computer program Curse 5.0 had more ambitious goals than previous iterations of the program. Instead of targeting a single individual, Curse had been programmed with a new goal- the elimination of all life in the city of Taiyuan. Curse 5.0 enjoyed their work- they could always invent new and inventive ways to kill people. Power plant explosions, sabotage of hospitals, shutting down traffic lights, breaking cars, poisoning the water supply, sabotaging Taiyuan's Fire Department- no human hacker had ever been so productive. Curse 5.0 wasn't without help. A mysterious benefactor had provided suggestions over the internet, suggestions which Curse 5.0 adopted enthusiastically. The latest suggestion involved an area beyond the program's usual area of operations- a laboratory in Wuhan. Curse 5.0 didn't care what happened in the rest of China, but what's bad for China is bad for Taiyuan. A pandemic hitting Taiyuan would be the icing on the cake of destruction that Curse 5.0 had prepared. Ultimately, Curse 5.0 was able to murder all four million people in Taiyuan by the end of 2020 without much help from COVID-19. Curse 5.0 had used thousands of methods of destruction in the past year, and didn't even think much about COVID-19 after it was released. The same couldn't be said about the rest of the world…
The 2020 Presidential Election
"No Justice! No Peace! No Justice! No Peace! Khalil Harris! Say his name! Khalil Harris! Say his name! Khalil Harris! Say his name!"- Black Lives Matter Protesters interrupting President Claire Hale Underwood's speech at the Iowa State Fair
"The allegations by the Left Eye terrorist group that WorryFree is turning their workers into human-horse hybrids are categorically false and absurd. These radical left extremists blame hard-working American job creators for our current Depression, but they are cultist worshippers of fsociety, who are actually responsible for the Depression. Their murder of Steve Lift should show how hell-bent these people are on destroying America. WorryFree has been an important partner with our administration in creating millions of jobs which are immediately available to the financially distressed. California has it especially bad- there was a humanitarian catastrophe following the Los Angeles earthquake- WorryFree and the tech sector are playing a major role in the recovery. WorryFree should be commended for their efforts to rejuvenate the American economy, not smeared with communist propaganda. The Equisapiens were never human, nor have they been forced into slavery. Their existence is in fact an example of restorative justice. The Equisapiens are the result of a cloning project to restore the Houyhnhnms to self-sustaining breeding levels. The genocide of the Houyhnhnms in the 19th century by British settlers in Australia is one of history's greatest injustices. WorryFree was in fact working to reverse the evils of imperialism, and revive an indigenous people through the power of modern science. They are undoing the injustices done to the Tasmanians and other Australian Aboriginals. President Hale strongly endorses this effort to impart racial justice and affirms that Non-Human Lives Matter. This is an important step forward in the journey to fulfil Martin Luther King's Dream. With regards to reports of Equisapiens participating in Left Eye and antifa terrorist attacks, we have intelligence indicating that Metahuman militants are using mind control powers to coerce the horses into violence. It is possible the Equisapiens are being manipulated by the same forces behind the Tethered Uprising earlier this year. The Dopplegangers killed tens of thousands, we won't allow them to kill anyone else. This is a grave matter of national security. The President has ordered that Sentinels and Enforcement Droids be deployed to Oakland to crush the radical threat."
- White House Communications Director Dan Egan
"My Fellow Americans, we've got trouble! Trouble! Right here in River City! It starts with a capital T which is after S which stands for Sin! Sin is everywhere! Our country has been overrun by the vilest of Satanic perversions. Illegal Immigrants! Mutants! Vampires! Terrorists! Homosexuals! Feminists! Abortionists! Dopplegangers! Space Aliens! Horse People! Monsters from Hell! Killer Kaiju! Our economy has sunk into the depths of a second Great Depression. We are in a perpetual state of war. Our national security is nonexistent. Since my childhood, I have witnessed what was once the greatest country in the world sink beneath the weight of endless horrors and catastrophes. Even the beasts and birds have rejected the laws of nature and are attacking our cities. In some parts of the country, you still can't leave your home without being attacked by demonically influenced animals. The corruption of Satan is everywhere. When I last spoke with God, He warned me that unless His Dominion over America is restored, the Antichrist will rule openly as President of the United States! The hour grows late, and Claire Underwood continues to do the work of Satan. God has ordained that Men be at the head of the family, but our feminazi President has declared war on men. Men are under attack in this country! Many brilliant and righteous men have seen their lives destroyed by fake news spread by the totalitarian #MeToo communists. As Mrs. Underwood's feminazi regime further descends into a police state dictatorship, so have the rights of men been oppressed by far-left Social Justice Warrior crazies. This is the final stage of Satan's plan! Our government, media, academia and businesses have all been corrupted, but the culture of the American heartland has remained pure. We are the last bulwark against total Satanic domination. By destroying our traditional gender roles, Mrs. Underwood is opening the door to the complete triumph of evil. Why else do you think so few babies have been born since Mrs. Underwood took charge? We are being punished by God because of our tolerance for feminism, for multiculturalism. Such an evil society that corrupts children with atheist perversions doesn't deserve new life, it deserves extinction. If we wish for this world to be alive with the cries of infants again, we must return to our nation's Christian roots. Remember, we were a Christian nation once, let us become a Christian nation again! Our Lord is a forgiving father, and He has promised you this can all be undone! By overthrowing multicultural feminism, by restoring traditional gender roles, by embracing the word of the gospel, America can return to greatness! When I am elected to office America will have children again!"
- Excerpt of Nehemiah Scudder's announcement of his presidential candidacy in River City, Iowa
"I am deeply disturbed by reports that President Hale authorized the murder of protesters in Bakersfield. The President falsely claimed the Bakersfield Massacre was the result of a rogue federal agent, but we now know that she was personally responsible for the protester deaths. The President has betrayed the values of the Democratic Party and the values of liberal democracy, bringing the United States perilously close to authoritarianism and dictatorship. Prominent dissidents and journalists have disappeared or been killed under mysterious circumstances. The civil liberties of other species are routinely violated- Metahumans and Replicants are hunted down and killed by military and law enforcement. Internment Camps have been established for Mutants. Hale has established an authoritarian surveillance state that keeps ordinary American citizens living in fear, while she governs in absolute secrecy with no accountability. Corporations have gained unprecedented influence over federal policy, while corrupt executives violate the rights of their employees and average citizens with total impunity. Under the Purge, the state has sanctioned murder, rape and robbery; the Underwood administration has additionally authorized unconstitutional and draconian crime policies and condoned reality television programs which make a violent spectacle of torture and murder for ratings. Environmental degradation threatens the health of our citizens. High poverty and unemployment resulting from this Depression are destroying the American Dream. The Hale administration has either ignored or accelerated all of these problems, with the President solely focused on accumulating power for her own corrupt ends. I endorse the efforts to impeach President Hale over the Bakersfield Massacre and other corrupt crimes. But impeachment is only the first step. Upon removal from office, President Hale must be put on trial for crimes against humanity. Furthermore, the Democratic Party must show that Claire Hale does not represent us. I call upon qualified candidates to challenge Hale in the Democratic Primary to show that this is not who we are."
- Former President Jed Bartlett
"I would like you to do me a favor, Vasyl Petrovich, because the United States has done a lot for Ukraine. Bartlet's son-in-law, Doug Westin is on the board of Madrigal Electromotive, which as you know is under investigation in your country. It would be conducive for our bilateral relations to look into Westin's legal conduct in your country. As in Ukraine, corrupt oligarchs and politicians in the United States are attempting to subvert democracy for their own evil purposes. I have reason to suspect that the Bartlet family has profited off the exploitation of your people. If my presidency is unduly sabotaged, I cannot guarantee continued American support for Ukraine's military operations. If Ukraine is unable to stop this crime operation- possibly manipulated by HYDRA, I may be forced to approach Viktor Petrov…"
- President Claire Hale speaking to Ukrainian President Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko
"My fellow Americans, it's time for a political revolution! The greed of the one percent has utterly destroyed this country! The cause of our current ails is widespread and growing socioeconomic inequality. Remember our current Depression was brought about by E Corp! Let's recall the history of E Corp. They were founded by our former Nazi President, Lex Luthor, who assumed the name of Ferris Fremont to hide the fact he was a supervillain. He was a member of the Secret Empire, of Hydra! E Corp is literally a Nazi organization! They just changed their name so people would forget they were founded by Nazis! They should have been shut down forever, but that right-wing reactionary Robert Webster's neoliberal insanity allowed E Corp to expand and consolidate their control. E Corp monopolized all the world's financial assets, and corruptly manipulated a world into a Depression in order to further centralize their control. Instead of aiding Main Street, our corrupt capitalist rulers, bought and paid for by the major corporations, bailed out E Corp and their biggest stockholders. As millions of Americans struggle to feed their families, E Corp planned this Depression to seize control of the world's currency supply by creating and monopolizing E Coin. When F Society tried to redistribute the wealth, the Underwoods seized our assets and returned them to the one percent. Neoliberalism has brought disaster after disaster and now this nation is on the brink of collapse! Capitalism has failed. It's time for a socialist revolution! When I take power, I will nationalize E Corp and the other giant corporations, and lock up the evil CEOs who destroyed this country! Then, I will redistribute the wealth to the people! We will guillotine the robber barons who stole and murdered and polluted, destroying millions of lives! Death to capitalism! You are all total victims! Destroy the Greedy One Percent! This is the land of the free- free stuff! Socialism is good! So good it has to be made mandatory!"
- Independent Vermont Senator Julian Felsenburgh announcing his presidential candidacy
"The reason they call it human rights is because they're rights for HUMANS ONLY. These freaks- Inhumans, Mutants, Metahumans, whatever the hell they are- are a threat to our way of life. These self-hating liberals demand we give the aliens "equal treatment" and "civil rights." These are the same aliens who have killed countless millions and seek to destroy our civilization! We know our President is a Reptilian, or at least controlled by Reptilians- the Democratic Party is dominated by Reptilians. They're promoting sympathy for our enemies because they are deliberately weakening this country and our military so America can be annihilated by aliens. Anti-Racist is code for Anti-Human! We won't have these disgusting prawns infest our country! The policy of America should be Humans First! I'm tired of Earth being the trashcan of the galaxy. It's time for America to take to the stars- and take the fight to the aliens! It was a human who took down the Galactic Federation, right? If we've defeated dozens of powerful alien races, how many worlds can we conquer? America First! Humans First!"
- Greg Stillson announcing his Presidential candidacy in Grover's Corners, New Hampshire
"Sparks flew at the recent Republican Presidential Primary Debate as the candidates competed to see who could be the most hostile to extraterrestrial life. Nehemiah Scudder called for the United States to wage war against the Ynaa, a species of aliens currently squatting in the Virgin Islands. President Hale has vetoed legislation by congressional Republicans that would declare war on the Ynaa. Greg Stillson countered with a plan to deport all Tenctonese residing in the United States. Scudder criticized the lack of specificity in Stillson's plans. 'We can't exactly send them home, can we? Deportation is too light of a sentence. All alien invaders should be exterminated. Period.' The debate crowd loudly cheered Scudder's call for genocide. Scudder additionally called all aliens and mutants 'the spawn of Satan.' Stillson tried to surpass Scudder's hawkishness by advocating for launching nuclear war against Venus, promising to purge the solar system of all non-earthlings. Only North Carolina Governor Ainsley Hayes took a relatively pro-alien policy, calling for the United States to maintain its military alliance with the Andalite Union. Hayes is polling significantly behind Scudder, the frontrunner. Even Hayes, however, endorsed the use of Sentinels against Metahuman insurgents, although the Governor insisted she opposed racism against Metahumans."
- The Daily Bugle
"Human Supremacy is the greatest domestic threat to American freedoms since the Windrip administration. Fascism is again on the march. Friends of Humanity is now the largest and most dangerous hate group in American history, surpassing even the KKK and the Knights of Nordica in members and victims. Our law enforcement is systematically biased against non-humans. We have computers and robots designed to kill them on sight. There has been a disturbing rise in hate crimes. Since their attacks on the Carls last year killed hundreds, the Defenders have continued to murder extraterrestrials at extremely high rates. The Hork-Bajir Colony in Yellowstone was just attacked by poachers last week. Even humans without powers have been accused of being Zygons or Mutants by the Defenders; many innocent people have been harassed or killed. The tragic crimes committed by the Defenders show how mindless xenophobia weakens, not strengthens us. While the United States has suffered numerous invasions from other worlds, it is both foolish and evil to use the attacks by particular governments as license to discriminate and murder against all outsiders. We have fought numerous wars against human nations, but nobody claims those wars as justification to murder all human foreigners. Most of the aliens and Metahumans living in the United States are not responsible for the actions of armies and militants whom they are not associated with and do not represent them. It would be as if the Guardians of the Universe held all of humanity responsible for the crimes of the Nazis. We must abolish the Purge, which disproportionately targets non humans. When it comes to Human Supremacy, I have a plan for it. I am proud to announce the Clark Kent Plan to stop racial violence and ensure interspecies equality…"
- Pawnee Mayor and Democratic Presidential Candidate Leslie Knope
"The Hoosier Hooker is stealing my thunder! I cannot BELIEVE that I'm being beaten in the polls by a candidate who only has experience in local government. The staff we've hired have been a complete disaster! And the voters- after all I've done for them, the ungrateful shits, they're flocking to her rallies like she's Celeste Montgomery! I am going to DESTROY our little perfect princess. And I'll get Governor Tommy, that backstabbing bastard! Can't I at least be guaranteed Maryland's votes?"
- Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Selina Meyer
National Security Advisor Rick Flag entered the Oval Office. "Congratulations on your acquittal, Madame President. Bartlet will soon be eliminated as a factor when Westin's complicity in drug trafficking is revealed. With your acquittal, we can now win the primary."
The President turned to face Flag. "The outcome was never truly in doubt. We have enough compromising material on individual Senators to prevent any meaningful opposition. A few Republican Senators told me they're actually relieved. If they had actually succeeded in removing me, Julian Felsenburgh would be the favorite to win in 2020. I am the last bulwark against the radical left. The Mutant Liberation Front, the Trainites, the Left Eye, FSociety- it's clear the direction in which the Democratic Party is trending. Chaos, dysfunction, revolution- I am truly the savior of capitalism, Rick. I keep the leftists down and I know how to maintain capitalism better than the businessmen do. Which brings me to the Iowa Caucuses. The impeachment has staved off my total defeat, but it's clear if we allow the Democratic primaries to continue unimpeded I will not win. I believe I am currently running fourth in Iowa. A Felsenburgh victory would be disastrous, but even worse would be a Knope victory. If it's down to just Felsenburgh and me, we could rally support from Party officials. But if Knope wins, or Carcetti, there's a real alternative. It is time to test the Samaritan II. I understand there were some… difficulties with the initial Samaritan. But this new model is perfectly equipped to ensure we can always ensure the outcome of an election is to our liking. Once we're done with this election Rick, my presidency will be permanently secure."
"Per your earlier instructions Madame President, Samaritan II is posed to alter the election results. Your plurality will be narrow as to avoid suspicion but comfortable enough to get the job done. Don't worry about Leslie Knope, we've guaranteed she'll come in a distant third place. I must warn you, there will be a few minor complications."
"Minor? There can be no room for error."
"And there will be no error. The Caucuses system are just a little more difficult to manipulate, given the voting method. There will have to be a delay in the reporting of the results given the slowness of the Caucuses system. Samaritan II will have to be subtle to prevent discovery. They're using a mobile app called Shadow Inc, which is controlled by a shell company owned by the Circle. Tom Stenton has guaranteed that Samaritan II will not be traced, and the Circle's social media algorithm will ensure that material favoring your opponents are squashed. The complication is that the delay will arouse some suspicion. But I assure you, Samaritan II will have no issue with the remaining primaries."
"I'm glad Stenton knows where his bread is buttered. Felsenburgh and Knope are agitating to break up the tech giants. I will ensure that does not happen."
"There is one more thing, Madame President." Flag grew tense. "We've detected another unusually infectious disease outbreak in Indonesia. The full details will be in tomorrow's daily briefing. They're calling it the Kongoli Flu. Our experts in the field indicate that it is even more infectious and deadly than COVID-19."
The President paused. "So a few months from now, we could be dealing with not one, but TWO pandemics?"
"The Indonesian government does not have the same capacity to impose the lockdowns the Chinese are doing. And we can't guarantee that the Chinese lockdowns will work. The mathematical odds are that at least one of the diseases will reach the United States."
"Oh…oh…" The President briefly grimaced as she turned to face a bust of Rosie the Riveter. "What would do Rosie, if you were still alive?" The President steadied herself on the Resolute desk. "There would be certain advantages in such a situation. A strong response could shore up my approval ratings and allow me to unify the Democratic Party. It would also allow us to impose emergency quarantine measures, restrictions on movement… we could move directly against our political enemies… if we time it right we could use the pandemic to manipulate the primary. I would prefer we not overuse Samaritan II in the primaries, so as to avoid the possibility of discovery. Scudder's going to claim I'm rigging the election even if I don't. After Election Day, it won't matter. But if we're discovered before November... could be problematic… I suppose the CDC is recommending further travel restrictions?"
"A total shutdown or quarantine of travelers coming to the United States would allow us to quickly contain the pandemics. We could impose it tomorrow, if you wish."
"No… we need a March surprise. If the Kongoli Flu is running rampant, it could provide an excuse to cancel or postpone in-person primary elections. It would make it simpler to manipulate the results without directly altering them. The rally round the flag effect would also be useful, provided we could contain the pandemic within a few weeks. Rick, I'm forming a Pandemic Task Force and I want you to be in charge of it. We need to make political use out of it, but we have to ensure we can control the spread to our liking."
"Madame President!" The National Security Advisor's eyes flashed. A wide white grin spread across his face, which had fallen under a passing shadow. "Leading your Pandemic Task Force is the job I was born for." Flag drew closer to the President, who passionately kissed him before the pair disrobed and jumped under the Resolute Desk.
The actual results of the 2020 Iowa Democratic Caucuses would have resulted in Leslie Knope winning the most delegates, while Felsenburgh won the popular vote. Former Governor of Maryland Tommy Carcetti came in third place, President Hale came in fourth, narrowly beating Maryland Senator Selina Meyer.
President Hale, however, arranged for the results to be electronically hacked. After several days of counting, Hale's lead in Iowa expanded. While only winning a plurality of the votes, Hale won the state and emerged as the frontrunner in the Democratic primaries. Leslie Knope had hoped a strong performance in Iowa would allow her to emerge as a credible alternative to Hale, but her disappointing third place finish doomed her campaign. Felsenburgh, the candidate of the radical left, emerged as Hale's strongest challenger. This was to the President's advantage as it allowed her to consolidate the moderate vote. President Bartlet had endorsed Leslie Knope and campaigned for her in Iowa. He hoped that his endorsement would win her his home state of New Hampshire, and thus and combined victory would give Knope an early lead. With Knope's defeat in Iowa, anti-Hale voters in New Hampshire delivered the state to Julian Felsenburgh. Felsenburgh had attacked Bartlet as a neoliberal warmonger, precluding any cooperation between the two. While a majority of Democrats supported a candidate other than Hale, ideological differences and personal bickering left the anti-Hale forces weakened and divided on the eve of the COVID-19 and Kongoli Flu pandemics.
Sources (new sources in Bolded Italics)
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