novelnext Chapter 78 is not just about eloquence.
Chapter 78 is not just about eloquence.
Chapter 78: More Than Just Eloquence (Total 41300 words published)
The studio lights were all on.
At this level of brightness, every pore on a face and every wrinkle on a suit would be captured by the camera and magnified onto the television screens of thousands of homes.
The host sat behind a table between the two and read his opening remarks into the camera.
"Now, let the debate begin."
Leo and Cartwright stood behind their respective lecterns.
The two nodded politely to each other, a few meters apart.
Cartwright stood there, his hands resting naturally on the edge of the podium.
His posture was very relaxed, with his shoulders down and his center of gravity shifted backward.
This is a sense of relaxation unique to those who have held power for a long time.
He looked at Leo with the tolerance of an elder looking at a younger person, but behind this tolerance lay deep arrogance and self-confidence.
He believed he didn't need any fancy skills; he just needed to act like a "mayor" to make the young man across from him feel ashamed.
The topic of the first round is the one that every Pittsburgh resident cares about most: the economy and employment.
This is Cartwright's home court.
The host handed the floor to the incumbent mayor.
Cartwright smiled and looked at the camera.
"On this issue, the data speaks for itself."
Cartwright's voice was steady and magnetic.
"Over the past eight years, Pittsburgh has successfully transformed from a declining industrial city into Pennsylvania's technology hub."
""
He began listing the data.
"We've brought in Google, Uber, and dozens of self-driving technology companies."
"We have established a brand-new business incubation center in the East District, creating more than 5,000 high-tech jobs."
"The vacancy rate for commercial real estate in the city center has decreased by 15 percent, and our tax revenue has increased for three consecutive years."
Every number he mentioned was carefully selected and embellished.
Then, he turned his head and his gaze fell on Leo.
The offensive has begun.
"Governing a city is not like performing magic tricks on the streets, Mr. Wallace."
"It requires patience, foresight, and the creation of a long-term, stable business environment for enterprises."
"I've seen your 'Pittsburgh Revitalization Plan'."
Cartwright shook his head, a look of regret on his face.
"The initial intention was good, and very passionate. However, the kind of artificial jobs that rely entirely on federal funding from Washington and on increased corporate taxes are an unsustainable bubble."
"It's good that you're sending workers to repair roads and paint walls."
"But what if the road is finished? What if the walls are painted? What if all the money is spent?"
"They will still lose their jobs."
"I'm generating blood for Pittsburgh, building a healthy circulatory system. And you're just giving the city a blood transfusion—and your blood bank will run dry sooner or later."
This is a very powerful attack.
It hits the most vulnerable point of the Leo solution: sustainability.
Cartwright portrayed himself as a rational economic builder, while depicting Leo as a spendthrift who only knew how to spend money and make a fuss.
A low murmur rippled through the audience in the studio.
Many people were nodding.
The camera cuts to Leo.
Karen clenched her fists nervously backstage.
Leo looked at Cartwright, then turned to the camera and smiled.
"The mayor is right, self-sufficiency is indeed very important."
Leo spoke, his pace slow and his enunciation clear.
"No one denies the value of Google and Uber, and no one rejects high-tech companies."
"But the question is, where does all this blood you've produced actually go?"
Leo stretched out his hand and pointed in the direction outside the window.
"They flowed into those glass-walled buildings in the city center, into the bank accounts of those senior engineers earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and into the financial statements of those tax-exempt multinational corporations."
"But they never flowed into the veins of the steelworkers in the South District."
"For an unemployed welder who has lived in the South Side for thirty years, Uber's self-driving cars have brought him no benefit except that they nearly hit him on the road. He still can't afford medicine, and he still can't afford rent."
Leo's voice rose a few decibels.
"As for what you said about artificial jobs and bubbles?"
Leo laughed out loud.
"If patching the potholes under our feet is just a bubble."
"If renovating those schools that leave children freezing in the winter is a bubble."
"It's a bubble to think that a father can support his family through his own hard work."
"Then I think Franklin Roosevelt must be the greatest foam maker in human history."
He directly invoked Roosevelt's name.
"The New Deal back then saved America by creating jobs, just like you mentioned."
"Mr. Mayor, it would be a sin to care about people's livelihoods and to want every ordinary person to benefit from the city's development."
Leo looked Cartwright straight in the eye.
"Then I plead guilty."
A burst of applause erupted from the audience.
Cartwright's expression darkened slightly.
He hadn't expected Leo to so cleverly transform the accusation of "wasting money" into a question of "class position."
The host had to raise his voice to interrupt the applause.
"Alright, next topic."
The host flipped over the card in his hand, his expression turning serious.
"The clashes that took place in front of City Hall this week shocked the entire city, and former Police Chief Dave Miller was dismissed and is under investigation as a result."
This is an extremely sensitive topic.
It was also Cartwright's prepared assassin's chamber.
"Mayor Cartwright, as the city's administrator, you bear undeniable responsibility for this incident," the host asked. "How would you assess what happened that day?"
Cartwright immediately picked up the conversation.
A look of deep anguish quickly appeared on his face.
He had rehearsed that expression once before at a previous press conference, and now he was very familiar with it.
"That was a tragedy."
Cartwright's voice was deep and full of emotion.
"My heart broke when I saw Ms. Margaret fall to the ground that day."
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"I dealt with Chief Miller immediately. Whoever breaks the law or uses excessive force must pay the price. That's my principle."
He absolved himself of all responsibility, thus establishing his image as someone who would sacrifice family for the greater good.
Then, he revealed his true intentions.
"but."
Cartwright looked up, his gaze sharpening as he pointed directly at Leo.
"While punishing those who enforced the rules, we must seriously ask a fundamental question: Who brought chaos to the doorstep of City Hall?"
"Who disregarded city regulations and illegally constructed office space on a public lawn?"
"Who incited those emotionally charged workers to storm the government office building?"
Cartwright pressed on relentlessly, his presence imposing.
"Mr. Wallace, you are treating this confrontational protest as a way of governing the city."
"You treat inciting public sentiment as a means of communication."
"You can camp on the lawn of City Hall today, but if you become mayor tomorrow and the council doesn't approve your budget, are you going to lead a group to set the council building on fire?"
Cartwright tapped the podium with his hand, making a "thump-thump" sound.
"What Pittsburgh needs is order, the rule of law, and rational dialogue."
"Instead of a circus where farces are performed every day."
The word "circus" is extremely offensive.
It reduced all of Leo's previous efforts to a farcical performance.
This is a huge trap.
If Leo tries to deny inciting violence, he will find himself mired in proving his innocence.
If Leo attacks police violence, Cartwright will say he is "anti-law enforcement," which would offend centrist voters.
Ethan and Karen, backstage, held their breath.
This is a dead end.
Leo stood behind the podium.
He listened to Cartwright's accusations, looking at the man's righteous and awe-inspiring face.
He recalled Roosevelt's words: "Don't be afraid of him, look down on him."
Leo simply sighed softly and shook his head.
"Mr. Mayor."
Leo began, "You call the demands of hundreds of workers for unpaid wages a circus?"
"You call the cries of citizens for survival a farce?"
This only proves one thing.
"You've been sitting in that luxurious office with triple-glazed windows for too long."
"So long that you can no longer hear the sounds of the real world."
Leo leaned forward, placing his hands on the podium.
"You ask who caused the chaos?"
"I'd also like to ask you, why did my team and I have to brave the freezing cold and move to the lawn to work?"
"Is it because someone thinks our office is too crowded? Or is it because we like camping?"
"No."
"It's because someone used their power to lock our office doors without any reason, cut off our water and electricity, and even freeze the federal government's accounts for paying workers' wages."
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"You talk about order."
Leo gave a cold laugh.
What is order?
"Can a mayor arbitrarily use administrative means to suppress his political opponents?"
"Would a police chief use pepper spray on an unarmed elderly person just to curry favor with his superior?"
True order is built on fairness and justice.
"Instead of being built on the shields of riot police and tear gas."
"When those who hold power are the first to break the rules and trample on fairness."
"When the people stand up and resist, that's not chaos."
1
"That's called praising the wrong person."
As Leo finished speaking, the entire studio fell into a brief silence.
Immediately, thunderous applause erupted.
This time, even some media reporters who were originally neutral sitting in the back row couldn't help but applaud.
This is a logical victory.
Leo didn't dwell on the detail of "whether there was violence," but instead raised the issue to the level of "causality" and "power ethics."
He stripped away Cartwright's cloak of "order," revealing the "hegemonic" essence within.
Cartwright stood opposite him, his facial muscles twitching slightly.
He sensed it.
The aura reversal that had occurred in the corridor reappeared.
"Very good." Roosevelt's voice echoed in Leo's mind. "You hit him in the chin. Now, don't give him a chance to breathe."
The debate has only just begun.
The best is yet to come.