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Chapter 13 Roosevelt's "Fireside Talks"
"The Air Force?" Leo asked. "You mean, we need media support?"
"Yes, but not the kind you're thinking of," Roosevelt replied.
Leo's first reaction was to contact local Pittsburgh newspapers and television stations.
He believes that the stories from the community center are newsworthy and should pique their interest.
"A foolish idea," Roosevelt immediately dismissed. "Son, never fight on a battlefield chosen by the enemy, using the rules set by the enemy."
"Mainstream media, from newspapers to television stations, are all backed by the financial support of large corporations. Their shareholders, the mayor, and the Pinnacle Development Group all belong to the same class. If you go to them, the end result will only be that you will be devoured alive."
"They'll send a shrewd reporter to interview you, and then through editing, they'll take your words out of context and portray you as an ignorant youth inciting populism. Or, they might simply not report on it at all, letting your voice sink without a trace."
"So what do we do? Keep posting on Twitter?" Leo thought of what Sarah was doing.
"That's not enough," Roosevelt said. "Words are cold and lack the power of emotion. People need to see your face, hear your voice, feel your anger and sincerity. They need to connect with a living, breathing person, not an online ID."
"The reason I was able to keep people calm during the Great Depression was because of radio. I spoke directly with every American family through fireside chats, bypassing the newspaper oligarchs who were hostile to me."
"You also need your own radio station, a platform that allows you to speak directly with the citizens of Pittsburgh."
Roosevelt paused for a moment, then offered a solution for the 21st century.
"Go start a YouTube channel."
Leo was stunned.
Youtube?
He usually only uses it to watch game videos and movie reviews.
He never imagined that this entertainment platform could become a weapon in political struggles.
"Yes, YouTube," Roosevelt said firmly. "It's the cheapest and most powerful megaphone of our time. And, most importantly, here, we make the rules."
Just do it.
Leo immediately found Sarah and explained the idea to her.
Sarah's eyes lit up.
As a young person familiar with the online ecosystem, she immediately understood the brilliance of this strategy.
She immediately registered for a new channel.
"What's the channel called?" Sarah asked.
Leo thought for a moment.
Roosevelt's voice gave him the answer.
"Call it the Heart of Pittsburgh."
"Our focus isn't on abstract national policies or the nonsense of the Democratic and Republican parties. We're focused on Pittsburgh itself, on the everyday lives of ordinary people around us. Community centers, public transportation, potholed roads, rising rents... these are the things people truly care about."
The channel has been established.
Now, we need to shoot the first video.
Just as Leo was preparing to start recording with his laptop's webcam at his desk, which was piled high with books and fast food packaging, Roosevelt, with unprecedented enthusiasm, stepped in and began to take on the role of director.
"Stop! Leo, do you want everyone to think you're a loser living in a garbage dump?"
Roosevelt's tone was very stern.
"The image of a political leader must be established from the very first second. We need a setting that conveys the three messages of composure, reliability, and approachability."
Leo looked around his cramped apartment and couldn't find a single corner that could be associated with those three words.
"Move the only decent piece of furniture in your apartment, that armchair, in front of the fireplace," Roosevelt ordered.
"But that fireplace is fake; it's just a decoration," Leo said.
"Nobody cares. What matters is the symbolic meaning of family and warmth it conveys."
Leo laboriously moved the chair over.
"Now, look at the bookshelf behind you," Roosevelt continued. "Throw away all those messy fast food containers. There should only be two books on the shelf."
Which two books?
"A Bible," Roosevelt said.
"The Bible? I'm not a Christian," Leo said, somewhat puzzled.
"But many of the voters you are going to serve are, in particular, conservative, older working-class people. This book is there not to express your beliefs, but to send them a message: you respect their traditions and values, and this is a political unification strategy."
"What about the other one?"
"Howard Zinn's History of the American People".
Leo immediately understood Roosevelt's intention.
This book represents his stance.
He is not a traditional politician; he stands on the side of the people.
One book represents unity, the other represents stance.
And just like that, a perfect backdrop was set up.
Next is the speech.
Based on the materials he had compiled a few days earlier, Leo wrote a draft.
Roosevelt helped him revise it word by word.
"Remove that word 'procedural justice,' it's too academic, nobody will understand it. Just say there were problems with the city government's auction process."
"This sentence is too long, break it down. Use more short sentences and parallel structures to make your words sound powerful and rhythmic."
"Here, you need an analogy. Tell people that the community center is like the old oak tree in their backyard—imperfect, but it has sheltered generations. Now, someone wants to cut it down just to build a lifeless swimming pool in its place."
The draft is revised.
Finally, there's the performance coaching.
Leo sat in the chair, facing the secondhand SLR camera that Sarah had set up, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
"Slow down, Leo," Roosevelt's voice echoed in his mind, like a strict drama teacher. "Imagine you're not giving a speech, but chatting with a friend who's worked hard all day in the steel mill. Your tone should be sincere and steady."
"Lean forward slightly, look into the camera as if you were looking into the other person's eyes. Don't shy away; let them feel your confidence."
"When you talk about the city government's inaction, you should frown and use your expression to show your anger and disappointment!"
"When talking about the plight of community residents, lower your voice and show your compassion and understanding."
Leo practiced over and over again.
From initial stiffness and awkwardness, he gradually began to find his rhythm.
He was no longer Leo Wallace; he became the speaker at "The Heart of Pittsburgh".
He became a warrior who spoke out for the community.
In the first video, he only talked about one thing.
The story of the Steelworkers Community Center.
He explained the ins and outs of the entire incident in the most accessible way, clearly revealing the shady dealings between Summit Development Group and Mayor Cartwright.
He interweaves the stories of George, Rosa, and Mike throughout the narrative.
This is not just a story about land and taxes; it's a story about people.
Video recording complete.
Sarah spent an entire night doing some simple editing, adding subtitles and images with key information.
Then, she clicked "Upload".
The first video of "The Heart of Pittsburgh" has been officially released.
The results of the first day were disheartening.
The video only got a paltry few hundred views.
Most of it was probably contributed by Frank and his old buddies.
In the comments section, apart from a few words of encouragement from community residents, there were mostly sarcastic remarks.
"Another internet celebrity trying to gain attention by criticizing the government."
"Who is this person? He speaks so slowly, it's making me almost fall asleep."
"You talk a good game, but if you're so capable, why don't you run for mayor, you loser."
Leo felt discouraged as he read the comments.
He originally thought that the video would be like a bomb, exploding in the Pittsburgh media.
But in reality, it's more like a pebble thrown into the ocean, not even causing a ripple.
"Have we failed?" he asked Roosevelt.
Roosevelt's voice, however, sounded unusually calm.
"Don't worry, child."
"Political propaganda is not a quick fix; we have already sown the seeds."
"Now, all we need is a little bit of favorable wind."