In the glare of the overhead lights, Carolyn could barely make out Matt Carson and Ernie Weiland, Warner’s political consultants, standing at the back of the hall. Both were engaged in conversations with members of the press corps. Spinning the message. Carolyn thought with satisfaction.
She turned her attention back to Warner. His powerful stage presence still startled her. Intuitively, he built enthusiasm to a crescendo. Carolyn watched, yet again, the transformation of the faces in the audience. Of course, many in attendance were already sold on the Lane agenda, and made their excitement known at the outset. But others initially appeared reticent and wary. Then, as Warner spoke, furrowed brows relaxed, narrowed gazes widened, and silent voices began to cheer.
Warner’s skill as an orator didn’t necessarily come from his word choice. Carolyn knew – after all, these were her words – but from that elusive quality that Hollywood producers referred to as “star power.” He had that unexplainable magnetism that caused crowds to follow. Warner not only possessed it, he knew how to exploit it.
He turned toward Carolyn. “Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce to you my partner, my teammate, and the woman I love, Carolyn Alden Lane.” He took a few steps toward her, clasped her left hand and kissed her cheek.
The crowd surged to their feet with another roar.
This was not part of the script. Shocked, Carolyn veiled her surprise She smiled and waved to the audience.
Warner waited for his supporters in the hall to quiet and retake their seats. “As many of you already know, this dynamic woman wages our most effective war on drugs – single-handedly. In the courtrooms of Missouri, she has sent more drug dealers to prison than any other prosecutor in the state.”
“It is time for all of us to fight for tougher drug laws, and changes in the social services system that will protect our children and take our nation forward. Carolyn Alden Lane is already fighting those battles. She is my partner, and I say we join her. Together, we can rebuild America. Together, we can overcome the plague of drugs, hunger, homelessness, and hardship. Together, we can again become the greatest nation on earth.”
The crowd cheered and clapped their hands high in the air. A group began chanting, “Warner, Warner…”
Warner held out his hand to stop the applause. “But tonight I come to you for a special purpose, because I truly need your help. I need your permission to pursue this office. I gave you my word that I would finish my term as senator before running for the presidency. So I come to you now and ask that I be relieved from that commitment. If you say no, I will respect your wishes. If you say yes, then it’s on to the White House.”
The crowd roared. “Lane for President. Lane for President…”
Warner flashed a big neon grin. Strobes exploded. Carolyn walked forward with Warner. They raised their clasped hands high in the air. The audience surged to their feet, again, clearly enthralled. Together they stood on the edge of the stage beaming, pointing and waving to familiar faces below in the crowd. They had their answer.
Pleased with the successful launch of Warner’s candidacy, Carolyn called a meeting the next day to discuss strategy for grooming their candidate for the primaries. Matt and Ernie, who clearly understood that Carolyn was the guiding force behind the man employing them, addressed Warner’s image.
Ernie began. “We feel the best angle for Warner is the ‘hometown boy done good.’ Warner’s humility and vulnerability are quite endearing and we want to capitalize on those traits. Our polls show that these qualities make women swoon and men trust him.”
“Warner’s got this image nailed in Missouri and the southern states, but we’ve got to translate it across all regions of the U.S.,” Matt said. “So, we need to work hard on your diction and communication skills.”
Ernie met Warner’s gaze. “Your accent needs to be toned down. In effect, your voice inflection needs to be homogenized so as not to ring any discordant bells with voters from other states.”
Like a tag team, Matt continued where Ernie left off. “The northern states will notice any type of southern accent. Everywhere Warner goes, we want him to appear to be the boy next door. We want people to relate to him. The best way to do that is to have him look and sound like one of them, or more to the point, who they’d like to be if given the chance. So, I’ve taken the liberty of hiring a voice trainer.”
Ernie took up the strategy. “there’s an interpersonal communication technique called ‘matching’ that we’ll key in on. It’s effective in all types of interpersonal interaction, but especially politics. Often, a politician will use region-specific jargon or a mannerism common to the group he’s addressing. This works on the subconscious, although people rarely realize why they feel so comfortable. Simply put, people like what’s familiar to them.”
