Chapter 24 Chapter 5 The Road to the White House
It is often said that American society is a kaleidoscope, and American politics is the most exciting chapter in this kaleidoscope.Even if you watch it outside, it can make you look drunk and dreamy, and you can't help laughing.But you're only scratching the surface.If you want the most enjoyable part of the content, it's best to watch along with a politician's activities and experiences, which is an excellent and smart choice.
The reason why Li Wanruo is known as an evergreen tree in the American political arena is directly related to her special interest in politics and good personal qualities, and her concern and enthusiasm for society and people, especially the rights and interests of Chinese Americans, decided to Her never-ending pursuit and fighting spirit.Her outstanding speech ability and abundant energy have given her an inexhaustible motivation for her interest in politics and concern for people.The Martin Luther King-style American dream further sublimated and boiled this motivation perfectly in her soul and blood.
Interestingly, because of her purely personal reasons, she also brought a person who has no interest in politics into politics, and followed her political fate with ups and downs, unable to stop together, joy and sorrow together, glory and shame together .This person is her husband, Mr. Chen Baohe.Chen Baohe is a typical technical intellectual. His major is aircraft design and he has high attainments. He was a doctoral student in a famous American university in the early 1960s, and he usually doesn't even say a word that is unnecessary.But ever since the car accident with Li Wanruo on the way to Seattle, he felt that his fate was closely tied to this woman who was particularly sensitive and talented in politics, and it was impossible to separate him.Chen Baohe still thinks that if this woman hadn't been by his side in that car accident, maybe he would have been embraced by death.He also believed that it was the car accident that made him and her, two men and women with completely different personalities and different ambitions, live together in harmony and happiness for life, honor and disgrace together.
However, readers must not think that Chen Baohe lost himself due to the influence of his wife Li Wanruo.Not at all.Li Wanruo is a senior member of the Democratic Party and a well-known representative of Asian descent in the Democratic Party. He was one of the 18 members of the drafting committee for revision of the party program and the chairman of the foreign affairs and national defense committee of the party congress.
The Republican and Democratic parties in the United States are both veteran political parties in the history of the world.Simply put, the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States represent two political parties with different ideas. The Republican Party can be called the party of the aristocracy and the propertied class, while the Democratic Party is the party representing the lower classes and workers.The former hold high the banner of principles and are relatively well-organized.The latter, on the contrary, is so loose that it seems to be a bit inconsistent with the basic rules of the political party, but it is precisely because of this philosophical realm of tolerance that the party is full of vitality.
The self-governing work of the American political parties makes people laugh out loud.According to Li Wanruo, their party basically has no organization. There is only a Democratic party headquarters in Washington, and there are almost no full-time members in the local branches, because even the party chairman is a part-timer.The main task of the party department is only one: to serve the next presidential campaign and the election of members of Congress and state representatives.Regardless of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, the central task and sole task of the entire party is also for the next presidential election and congressional election.In fact, the election has no direct interest to the party, because it is the basic right of every citizen to run for president and congressman. within the party.If you run as the party's candidate, you have to get the party's nomination first, and both the president and congressional and state congressional candidates have to go this step.Of course, you can run for president and congressman as a free person without party affiliation, but then your chance of winning is very small, because in the United States, it is very partisan and party interests, and among American citizens, Democrats and Republicans account for About 70% of voting citizens, only one-third of voters are independents, so it is much more difficult for a purely independent or middle-of-the-road person to become president or congressman and state representative than a candidate supported by partisanship.The reason why Bush Jr. won this time is that at the most critical moment, the Florida Republicans, whose younger brother Bush Jr. was the speaker, finally got 25 more votes.Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore and the entire Democratic party could only stare blankly and lose the election of the century. In fact, Gore won a lot more votes than Bush Jr.
Joining any political party in the United States does not require any complicated procedures, and it is easier than joining a club if you want to.To join the club, you have to look at your ID card, fill in a form, and pay money. It will take you at least half an hour.It only takes a minute or two to enter the party in the United States.The general situation is this: usually no one will ask you or care what party you are or whether you have joined any party.Just like asking about a person's age and wealth, inquiring about a person's party membership in the United States is also considered impolite and annoying.The concept of a party is brought up only at election time.For example, every time the general election starts, many people on the street will ask you with a voter registration form in their hands. Usually, this is the procedure: Excuse me, I want to ask you if you have registered as a voter? (Native American citizens have a strong sense of voter registration, and usually register as formal voters after they become adults, but the Chinese are particularly unaware of this. Many people have become American citizens, but they have never registered to vote in their entire lives. Of course you If you don’t want to do it, and you don’t want to participate in voting, no one will take care of you. Most of the Chinese are in this situation, so the problem of Chinese participation in politics also lies in this.)
If you are not registered, answer like this: No, I have not registered.
Well, I can register you now.If you agree.
I agree.Just sign up.
Okay, here is this form for you, you fill in your name and address.
Is the party affiliation column mandatory?
Yes, you'd better fill it out.
But I didn't join any party!
It doesn't matter, as long as you tick the xx party, it proves that you are a member of this party.
I don't know which party is good, so how do I fill it in?
Then you join our Democratic Party.Because the Democratic Party is most concerned about immigrants and minorities and the lower class, many bills to remove restrictions on immigration were proposed by the Democratic Party and passed.The Chinese join the Democratic Party the most, and the candidate of xx is you Chinese, and he is also the Democratic Party.You join our Democratic Party.That's right. (The Republican Party will also say this about how their party serves the public, and then pull you into his party.)
Well, I'll join your party.The person who filled out the form ticked the column of the Democratic Party lightly, and a glorious new member of the Democratic Party was born in this way.
But if you go to bed and decide that joining the Democratic Party is not your thing, you can still take a new form the next day and fill it out again, just change the name of the party.You can become a member of the glorious Republican Party or the Green Party or something.As for whether you have joined a certain party or whether you have done something for the party, no one will come to investigate you.This is the organizational procedure of American political parties. Isn't it simpler than joining a club?
But it is also very strange. Although this form of party organization has no organizational constraints, for most American citizens, their party spirit is no less than that of other countries' political parties.
Li Wanruo said that she joined the Democratic Party purely because of the influence of President Kennedy's personal charm and his egalitarian ideology.Because Kennedy was a Democrat, when he was running for the presidential election, countless people who admired him joined the Democratic Party because of his personal charm and his passionate political platform. It was at this time that Li Wanruo had a good impression of the Democratic Party’s ideas , so after she became a formal citizen of the United States, she joined the party without hesitation and dedicated her life to it.And most people join because they believe in a certain party's proposition. For example, the Democratic Party speaks for the lower class, so many people at the bottom think that joining the Democratic Party can gain rights and benefits.Some are on the contrary, such as Li Wanruo’s husband, Chen Baohe, who believes that the Democratic Party overemphasizes citizens’ dependence on social welfare, making welfare policy a breeding ground for some lazy people. The idea of creating wealth and happiness, so he joined the Republican Party.
This is how husband and wife are born.Li Wanruo and Chen Baohe were in love all their lives, and Chen Baohe relied on his wife for everything, even if he did not make any money, but spent a lot of family money to run for a city councilor, he firmly supported him. He believed that his wife was doing Fighting for the rights of the Chinese should be supported without hesitation.But on the issue of the party's ideals, Chen Baohe could not talk with his wife who was engaged in social welfare work.According to Li Wanruo, her husband had never blushed or quarreled with her over any other matter in decades.However, her husband, who doesn't care about politics, often quarrels with the politician's wife when he treats the party's ideas, and even has a hard time.This made me very strange, so I tried to please Mr. Chen Baohe's temper - in an interview in the Tianjin International Building Hotel, I asked the aircraft designer premeditatedly: I think Aunt Li's Democratic Party thinking is a bit The idea of serving the working people, you Republicans are not good at caring for the poor, and you have aristocratic consciousness.Aunt Li agrees with my words very much!I asked Mr. Chen Baohe this in front of Li Wanruo, and paid attention to the changes in his expression.
Chen Baohe first glanced at his wife who was sitting on the side, his face suddenly turned purple, and then he walked a few steps in the room before turning back: This was wrong.This idea of the Democratic Party is completely inconsistent with the basic law of human development towards higher goals and faster progress.In an advanced developed country like the United States, which embodies self-seeking and personal value orientation everywhere, everyone should try to obtain the happiness of life and the abundance of wealth through hard work and creation.This is the preciousness of our Republican Party, but if it is to be like the Democratic Party advocates, it will be a bad thing. Everyone does not work hard and just wants to reach out to the country and institutions for welfare and protection. Did the lazy take advantage of the loophole?Could it be that they are too lazy to be legal, reasonable, or enjoy the blessings?I am firmly against it!This is also contrary to the Confucian culture of our oriental people, and it is definitely not what a country should advocate...
What are you doing so far?The welfare policy of the United States is a socially balanced system formulated in response to the inevitable differences between people in rich countries. If there is no balance of this system, the rich people who create wealth can create peace of mind. More wealth?The poor rose up early to rebel and smashed your factories and banks, so what social progress do you have?The Democrat's politician's wife jumped up against me.
This... this is not such a problem at all.It is possible to balance and narrow the differences, but it is the correct idea to encourage and mobilize those lazy people to overcome their laziness and try to solve it by creating wealth!The husband who has always been warm and silent is uncharacteristically, which makes the politician's wife who always cares about face in front of outsiders unable to step down again.
The wife retorted without hesitation: Your point of view is not comprehensive. The gap between the rich and the poor already exists in the United States. This relationship between the rich and the poor cannot be reversed by encouraging the poor to work hard a few times.One-seventh of the rich hold 75% of the wealth in the United States. If you don’t rely on the country to pass a strong and complete welfare system, those poor and disabled people may not even have a meal even if they work hard and work hard all their lives. I can't even afford to live in a hospital!
You can't say that...
I saw that the old couple, who were usually close and close, had been trapped in the war I deliberately provoked, and I hurriedly came forward to make a rescue. After the rescue, Li Wanruo and I laughed and leaned back and forth.You've seen it all, as soon as he talked about the affairs of the party, Chen Baohe Ke always confronted me like this.Li Wanruo smiled and wiped away tears, pointing to the dead old man who was still standing silently and said to me like this.
I can really appreciate the party spirit of the American party members.
The party spirit of Americans is very strong.Don't think that everyone just ticks off when they join a party, but once they agree with their own party's philosophy, it is difficult for anyone to change it.Especially those senior party members who are getting older, they often fight for the party's ideals all their lives.My husband and I have been together for decades, and we can agree on everything. The only thing we have is the idea of party spirit.In American families, it is very common for husband and wife to share the same bed with different parties.The intellectual discussion brought about by this kind of ideological dispute between the parties is very beneficial to the family. This may be why the Republican and Democratic parties have been able to create a world in just two or three hundred years. The most powerful empire and the reason why it has been able to maintain its vigorous life.Li Wanruo saw that I had a strong interest in the phenomenon of married couples living in the same bed in the United States, so she told me a story about it: the story was about a couple of Asian descent who lived in the same bed, and the woman was Chinese. Li Wanruo's good friend is Ms. Zhang Zhixiang who was the first Chinese female ambassador in the United States mentioned above.Zhang is a Republican, her husband is Jewish, and more than 70% of Jews are Democrats.Zhang Zhixiang's husband is a party member who is very popular among the leaders of the Democratic Party.This pair of bedfellows have different beliefs, but they can both work hard for each other's political future through their respective influences in the party.For example, when Zhang Zhixiang was nominated by President Bush to be the ambassador to Nepal, he had to be approved by both houses of Congress by a show of hands.At this time, which party opposes it is difficult to become a reality.Zhang Zhixiang's husband Bugke played a role at this time, and he has many friends among the Democratic congressmen.Your Excellency, the candidate nominated by the President to be the ambassador of Nepal is my wife, do you have to raise your hand in favor?What, Zhang is your wife?Oh, such a good candidate, we have no reason to refuse!There was a lot of laughter and jokes between Zhang's husband and the Democratic congressmen, so in the solemn atmosphere of Congress in the future, Zhang's appointment was approved by the majority votes of both houses.
Li Wanruo and Baohe adopted the principle of staying out of the way of their children's political party choice.The daughter is a Democrat, and the son is a non-affiliate. No one knows what will happen to them in the future.
In fact, in the United States, the first-generation immigrants do not have a clear political party orientation. The Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and the independent party account for one third of the world.But Japanese and native Asians are different. Most of them are Democrats; other minorities and African Americans, Latinos, and Jews have absolute majority of Democrats; All Democrats.In the United States, joining a party is a very personal and easy matter.Joining the party does not require an oath, no party dues, and no recommendation from others.If you want to join a party, or want to change parties, you only need to mark the party selection column on the form when registering as a voter, and you can change your choice in the next election.
Of course, there are exceptions to political job-hopping incidents.The most notable job-hopping incident in the Chinese political circle was Kuang Jieling, the son of former California Secretary of State Yu Jiang Yuegui.Yu Jiang Yuegui is a loyal member of the Democratic Party. Kwong Jieling has campaigned for his mother since he was a child, posting stamps and sending leaflets, and he also joined the Democratic Party under his influence.When I met Kwong Jieling, he had just debuted in his 20s, taking on the important role of campaign manager for his mother's re-election.However, during his service in the Air Force, he gradually discovered that the Republican Party's idea of building a strong country by building an army was more in line with his own ideas.After demobilization, he realized that the Republican Party was more conducive to the development of private entrepreneurs when he was operating international trade with a small capital.After a battle between heaven and man, Kuang Jieling decided to defect to the enemy camp.His mother was furious when he heard the news, and the mother and son started a half-year argument since then, and they had been puzzled for many years.
With the support of the Republican leaders, Kuang Jieling has risen to the sky.After he was elected as the treasurer of Shangzhou, outsiders were glad that Yu Jiang Yuegui had a successor, but she was still unmoved.It wasn't until Kwong Jieling won the primary election in 1998 that Yu Jiangyuegui, who was in a semi-retired state, came forward to support her political traitor.This family grievance caused by politics finally ended with a happy ending.
Kwong Jieling's election for the U.S. Senate can be said to have posed a problem for every Chinese-American Democrat.Do not support him, he is Chinese, blood is thicker than water.Support him, but his ideas are so different.His rival is a veteran incumbent California Senator Barbara.Ordinarily, I should support the old Democratic candidate.After repeated consideration, I finally voted for Kwong Jieling across parties.In fact, although the ideas and styles of the two parties in the United States are different, and there are endless tricks in the campaign, when it comes to national interests, they absolutely put the interests of the United States first.Therefore, when the interests of the ethnic group in the United States conflict with the interests of the party, it is only natural that the interests of the ethnic group should be put first.Later, this became the consensus of the vast majority of Chinese Americans.
After Bush Jr.'s Republican government came to power, the Republican Party not only has the majority in the House of Representatives, but also leads the Democrats in the Senate by one seat.In this situation where the Republican Party dominates the world, it is difficult for the Democratic Party to exert a check and balance on the president.However, no one would have thought that Jeffrey, the Republican senator representing Vermont, ignored the pleas and persuasion of President Bush and Republican members of the Senate and House of Representatives. In the spring of 2001, he resolutely announced his separation from the Republican Party. Becoming an independent member with no party or affiliation actually changed the Democratic Party from a minority party to a majority party with 60 votes in the Senate. The Democratic Party's Dai Shaw thus became the speaker of the Senate, and the chairmen of each subcommittee were all replaced by Democrats.This kind of party change event, which reversed the balance of power between the two parties in the Senate overnight, shocked the entire United States. It has never happened in the history of the US Congress.In order to reverse this situation, it is estimated that the Republican Party will do everything possible to compete for senator seats in an attempt to regain the country.
In 1988, Li Wan, who had regained his vitality in the political arena, received important news that Martinez, a Latin Democrat and Congressman in the Mongolian constituency, lacked experience in education, legislation and administration, especially in terms of personal conduct. Very bad, for example, he opened an office in Washington and brought in a female secretary of his own, and ended up paying the good female secretary two salaries and other scandals that left a very bad influence on the public. "California Monthly" ranked Martinez last in a survey devoted to the performance of elected officials.At this time, a Jew who had worked with Ma Shi for several years was really dissatisfied with his boss's bad habits of drinking and driving, so he took the initiative to find Li Wanruo.
Lily, I've reached the point where I can't tolerate someone like Martinez being a congressman. It's not only a mockery of the United States, but also a disgrace to our city that such an American official remains in Congress.People in other cities think that we can only vote for other good politicians in Montenegro, and they think that only people with bad records like Ma can be elected as members of Congress.No, our city is a great modern new city, and a remarkable woman who played a historic role in building this great new city has brought honor to Montenegro and to all of America.Why didn't we choose her?Let her come out to replace the notorious Martinez? Lily, I so sincerely want you to run against Masinitz - only you can!The Jewish friend excitedly came to encourage Li Wanruo.
Running for Congress?I?Li Wanruo launched a fierce ideological struggle against this reminder from his friend.She immediately asked someone to do a search on the previous members of the U.S. Congress, but found no Chinese who had served as a member of Congress, only two Japanese who had served as members of the House of Representatives and one Japanese who was serving as a senator.Compared with the Japanese, the history and number of the Chinese in the United States are superior, but the Chinese are blank in the highest authority of the American regime.Li Wanruo, who had always attached great importance to the rights of the Chinese in the United States, could not remain calm.
I'm running for Congress.Once again she made an important political choice after weighing it.
However, a member of Congress is far more complicated and difficult than running for the mayor of Montreal, because the power and influence of a member of Congress will have a decisive effect on the entire American regime, and one vote in Congress often determines a major political strategy in the United States.So Americans regard running for Congress as equally important as running for president.The election of members of Congress in the United States is a bit different from the presidential election in that it must be elected according to the number of places in the region.For example, in the whole of California, more than 50 members of Congress are allocated according to the population, and then several electoral districts are divided in California, and each electoral district produces several congressmen.Li Wanruo's city of Montenegro and a large Latino community are listed as California's 30th constituency, and Martinez, a Democrat, is the member of Congress elected in this constituency.If Li Wan wanted to become a member of the National Assembly, she would be competing for this seat.Another difference in the election of members of Congress is that its candidates must first be selected among the parties, which is the same as the presidential election.Another feature is that its constituency is larger, surpassing the urban area of Montreal.The difficulties Li Wanruo faced in the election were not small at the time. First, her political sphere of influence was mainly in Mengcheng, or the Chinese community here was relatively favorable to her. But in comparison, even in Yangzhou, the number of Latins There are more Asians than Asians, and several times more than Chinese.And the Thirty Constituency happens to be where the Latino community is in the majority.Another unfavorable factor for Li Wanruo is that incumbent members of Congress can usually use their positions to write three letters from the Congress funds to list their political achievements to the majority of voters in order to get voters to vote for him.
If Martinez wins without a fight, he will be able to surpass Li Wanruo's advantages in the above major aspects.We all know that the political elections in the United States are made of money. The money spent in the 2000 US presidential election can save refugees in several African countries. According to the campaign experience of successive members of Congress, it is best not to step on this minefield without $1 million in campaign funds.
In Chinese terms, she, Li Wanruo, came from a working-class family, but she didn’t believe in it. She gritted her teeth and wanted to fight Martinez—in fact, knocking down Martinez was not Li Wanruo’s ultimate goal. To realize the dream of running for Congress is to fight for greater honor and rights for the Chinese.This is also the lofty pursuit that generations of Chinese-American politicians in the United States have been hoping for but no one has practiced—advance to the highest authority in the United States.
Politics is itself a risk.Li Wanruo is not even sure of the risks she faces this time. If the Chinese want to realize their dream of being the real masters in the United States, someone must use their own flesh and blood to lay the foundation for future generations.When Li Wanruo discussed her plan to run for Congress with her husband, she said these rather impassioned words.
I stand by you, even if we lose everything again.As long as you think that we Chinese need to work hard, I firmly support you.Husband Chen Baohe, who lost his job last time when he ran for his wife's re-election and now has a stable job, gestured to his wife with his powerful fist.
Thank you, thank you my wonderful husband.Li Wanruo once again embraced her husband who knew and loved each other from the bottom of her heart.Because Li Wanruo, who has experienced the success or failure of several election campaigns, knows in her heart that no matter what the result of each campaign is, for her family, the loss is definitely not only a few months of unimaginable hardship and suffering, but also a financial loss for the family. It brings huge consumption, even a devastating consumption.I remember that when Li Wanruo failed to be re-elected as a councilor and mayor of Montenegro, not only did she return to the Social Welfare Department without receiving her salary for several months, she also lost the opportunity for promotion.And her husband, Chen Baohe, was suddenly dismissed from his original company, and even his job was ruined.As a working class, because of a failed election, they have to face such a double blow. Only Li Wanruo and her husband know the bitterness and bitterness of this.
At that time, I couldn't ignore the financial burden on my family caused by my career in politics.My husband still has a solution. He is the breadwinner of the family. He used his wisdom and hard work to eliminate my panic.Li Wanruo still remembers a family economic crisis in the past.
Therefore, she needs her husband to make a family economic and psychological guarantee for her congressional election.
In fact, Li Wanruo does not understand that the campaign fund of 1 million is definitely not a joke. Without the support of consortiums and families, it is not a big deal to rely on donations alone to make up for this astronomical campaign fund for the working class. Easy to do.At the beginning, if Li Wan ran for a Mongolian city councilor, the 100,000 to 200,000 campaign funds would be enough to meet her needs, but the envoy's 200,000 yuan cost her a lot of talk and face.Where does the basic campaign fund of 1 million yuan come from?Can't raise donations by then and fill it in by yourself?How can you, Li Wanruo and Chen Baohe, scrape together so much cash without eating or drinking for a few years?Is it to stop the child's tuition?Or mortgage the house at home?Even if it is really necessary to use this method for emergency rescue, once someone spreads the news, doesn't it mean that your campaign is at the end of its rope?Political enemies will take the opportunity to make things worse for you and completely kill you.
This is American politics.
This is American politics that will make your heart skip a beat.
This is the price a Chinese politician of civilian origin needs to pay to participate in politics in the United States.
In order to gain support and donations from all walks of life, Li Wanruo launched the biggest political lobbying after she entered politics for more than ten years.According to the U.S. Constitution, members of Congress are elected only in their own constituencies, but political donations are not restricted by constituencies, and all full-fledged U.S. citizens can solicit donations from candidates.Li Wanruo's political election manifesto has a very popular slogan, which is to gain the right to speak for the Chinese in the US Congress.This is an encouragement to Chinese people in the United States. For more than two hundred years, Chinese people have suffered from the extreme right forces to exclude China from generation to generation. The most direct reason is that every Chinese exclusion law was passed in Congress. The voice of the Chinese people Always overwhelmed by anti-China forces.If we now have our own representatives of Chinese descent in Congress, isn't that the greatest wish of all Chinese Americans?So when Li Wanruo of Southern California spread the news of running for Congress, Chinese organizations and friendly people from all over the country expressed their full support.And Li Huruo also seized the opportunity and went to various places to launch campaign warm-up activities.This kind of talk has two direct purposes, one is to publicize the importance and necessity of Chinese participation in politics, and the other is to raise campaign funds.
After Chinese organizations in New York, New Jersey, Boston, North Carolina, Minnesota, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and other places learned of Li Wanruo's election, they took the initiative to launch fundraising meetings for her.The unforgettable scene for Li Wanruo was in Houston.The Chinese newspaper there published an open letter to the residents of the Chinese community specifically for her campaign, calling on the local Chinese to contribute their strength and money.Our ancestors contributed blood, sweat and lives to the construction and prosperity of the United States. The United States did not commemorate them, nor thanked them; similarly, the contributions made by the Chinese in the United States today are not recognized, but what they get is Discrimination, persecution and unfair treatment.You can oppose any politics and faction, but you should not oppose a Chinese congressman with a yellow face in Congress!We must have a representative speak for us!The open letter attracted the enthusiastic help of many Chinese compatriots. They generously donated money and carefully planned for Li Wanruo, who did not know each other. Lofty belief.
In election campaigns, votes are undoubtedly the key to victory or defeat.
Li Wanruo had to go back to her constituency to solicit votes after she had been busy soliciting donations all over the country.However, the election of members of Congress cannot be done by going to each house to ask for votes, especially the method of the intra-party recommendation system, which makes candidates first have to fight for the hurdle of nomination within the party. The U.S. electoral law before 1996 also restricted voters of different political parties from voting for candidates of another political party. That is to say, if Li Wan wanted to run for Congress, she would not be able to win the votes of Republican voters in the constituency.At that time, most of her iron votes were from the Chinese Du District in the urban area of Mengshi, but one-third of the residents in the Chinese community were Republicans, and one-third were non-partisan people. Party reasons also fell through.what to do?
I have a way.Husbands always make moves for their wives at the most critical moments.
Come on, what's the trick?Li Wanruo hurriedly asked.
It can start with me.I will change my Republican status to a Democrat, and then I will vote for your Democrats!
Her husband's words were exactly what Li Wanruo hoped for, and she found that her husband's heart was really made of gold.For many years, the husband in her mind was good at everything, but she couldn't get along with her, Li Wanruo, in the choice of political party and the party's philosophy.But now he is running for a member of Congress for his wife, and he is willing to give up the political party that has remained unchanged for decades, and change his family to vote for me!
OK, thank you in advance.Thank you for this trick too... A wife had tears in her eyes when she said this.
The next day, Chen Baohe really went out to the voter registration department to go through a new procedure, ticking off his political party status and putting it in the column of the Democratic Party.The community mobilized other Republicans to go to voter registration stations to re-tick like he did.However, things are not very ideal. The behavioral and ideological troubles brought about by such procedures make a considerable number of Chinese who are not very concerned about politics in the first place too lazy to make changes, because Chen Baohe himself is also like this. After his wife Li Wanruo finished voting, he hurriedly changed his temporary Democratic Party status back to his original Republican status.He can take so much trouble for his wife, but others are not so willing to take so much trouble like him. As a result, Li Wanruo lost more than half of his iron ticket, and lost an important base for her to compete for the election.
The most serious vital problem is not here yet.
Another important strategy in competing for members of Congress is to win the support of public figures and Du Tuan, which is an essential part.
In Li Wanruo's imagination, relying on the foundation she laid in Mengshi, work in this area should not be a problem.However, things are not that simple, especially the campaigns that have infiltrated party organizations. Those financial groups and associations are no longer considering whether you can be elected as a member of Congress, but the financial groups and associations often focus on the whole United States. Who among the political parties is on the higher level of how many seats in Congress can occupy.Assuming that California elects one more Republican member of Congress, which plays a key role in the final Republican Party's seats in Congress, then Congress will win a majority when passing bills that are beneficial to the Republican Party in the future.As for the number of congressional candidates in such areas, the Republican Party will go all out to obtain them.Another situation is that a certain person in a certain area is an influential figure, and the influence of one member of his Congress can be equivalent to the seats of three or five ordinary members of parliament. A character wins a local election and thus enters Congress.That is to say, if Li Wan wants to win the election, he will not only have pressure from the Republican Party, but also pressure from the Democratic Party itself.However, Li Wanruo's constituency is in a community with a majority of Latino voters. Like the Chinese community, when everyone votes for one person, ethnic interests often override party interests.Furthermore, although the incumbent Congressman Martinez has many personal bad deeds, he is a member of Congress after all. As long as he is on stage, he is a half-dead tiger. Local officials and groups were scared out of their wits.
Li Wanruo has worked in the Los Angeles County government for many years, and in the process of contacting government employees, everyone enthusiastically expressed their support for her election.Most of the union directors are also willing to vote for her, but the California union headquarters called the Los Angeles union, saying why don't you support the current congressman?This sentence has a background. The county government is led by the state government, and the state government is under the jurisdiction of the White House. The federal budget of the White House must pass Congress. In turn, the annual funding of California and county governments is directly related to the opinions of congressmen.这可是件含有大学问的事，也是与各州各郡每个政府机构和团体以及老百姓利益息息相关的大事，你想，谁为自己的州和郡政府美言几句，获得的利益可能就是几十个亿，甚至是几百个亿的联邦拨款呀！现任国会议员之所以得罪不起，道理之一就在于此。李琬若的竞选因此也遇到了许多不可逾越的难题。洛杉矶工会会员们在关键时刻不得不屈服于上面的压力而在投票时转向马丁尼兹。
全美社会工作人员协会是李琬若与其关系非同一般的社区，她当年因为自己是从事社会福利工作，二十多年里为了提高社会工作者的地位，她李琬若可谓尽全力为这个组织到处奔波呼吁，曾立下汗马功劳。而该协会也鼓励它的成员参与政治活动。但当李琬若回娘家恳求支持她竞选国会议员时，该会以同样不敢得罪现任议员为由拒绝了她。
另一种简称PAC组织是美国竞选活动中候选人往往通过它的运作而获得大量经费的重要途径，它的全称为政治行动委员会。在美国，很多利益团体都有自己的政治行动委员会，因为由这个组织募捐到的钱不管多少均视为合法，而这个组织就可以将这些钱来决定支持谁当选他们的代言人。政治行动委员会不是把钱随便投给任何一个候选人，他们往往把政治捐款看做是一种投资行为，而且通常采取实用主义来支持在任官员。当李琬若来到这个组织登门造访时，该组织负责人很友好却又很无奈地朝李琬若耸耸肩，说：我们承认马丁尼兹很不理想，但我们眼下还是得罪不起他。
面对政治圈内的冷酷无情，李琬若深深感受到了参政的残酷现实。但她投有因此气馁，反而更想通过自己的成功证明这些不支持她的团体的判断错误。于是，李琬若竞选班子利用向选民们直接寄发揭露马丁尼兹劣迹的文宣材料和召开记者招待会等活动，向政治对手发起了一轮又一轮的进攻。一时间，马丁尼兹议员的一件件丑闻在全国性媒体上纷纷曝光。他一看苗头不对，急求在加州有着巨大政治影响与社会背景的柏曼政治组织。
Bennan Machine——柏曼政治组织，是一个由犹太裔国会议员柏曼为首的政治团体。柏曼在担任加州州议员时，曾为争取西裔盟友特意将蒙市一带的选区划为西裔选区。在他任国会议员后，又成立了柏曼基金，汇集了大笔来自犹太人的资金，以扶植自己的政治势力。马丁尼兹便是柏曼组织一手培养起来的这么一个人物，也因此成了柏曼组织最忠诚的马前卒。马丁尼兹在国会的投票总是听任柏曼的眼色，这种政治交易在美国国会里习以为常，见怪不怪。由于柏曼在加州的政治势力不算小，李琬若明知这是政敌的阵营，她也想直接与柏曼当面陈述为什么想取代马丁尼兹。但柏曼是什么人他傲慢地拒绝接见。可后来一看他的小兄弟被华裔小女子的李琬若痛击得无处可藏时，便只好亲自出面调停。
只要你不再给马丁尼兹我麻烦，或者最好的一招是你不再与他竞争国会议员，退出选举，我就可以负责为你安排一个联邦级官员。柏曼不愧是位老政治家，见面后就如此直截了当地与李琬若谈起了政治交易。
Why?李琬若强压心头之火，反问道。
大人物以为东方面孔的李琬若已经被他的鱼饵所吸引，便仰在大沙发里伸着懒腰说道：我本来根本不想在第三十选区花钱的，都是因为你在挑战，害得我不得不花更多的钱去挽救马丁尼兹这个不争气的废物……哎哎，我还没有说完，你怎么就走了？
柏曼自以为是地在那儿大发感慨，结果发现眼前的这位东方女子噌地站立起来，头也不回地离他而去。不用说，柏曼这回是发誓要为马丁尼兹保住三十选区这个国会议员位子了，他想假如真有一天被刚才这位不屈不挠的东方女子夺走了这个国会议员席位，他柏曼怎么可能还能像搬动马丁尼兹这个小卒那么容易搬动这位东方女子手中的那一票嘛！
都是你的不检点，害得我要花出几倍的钱才有可能为你扫平道路！柏曼很生气地对俯首听命于他的马丁尼兹说。
柏曼的政治影响和金钱真的发生了作用，许多加州和蒙市的团体与社区本来支持李琬若的选民纷纷在最后时刻退缩了。而好事干不了坏水一肚子的马丁尼兹在使坏招方面却非常精通。有一天，一位拉丁族裔的人士主动找到李琬若的选务部志愿做义工，他态度诚恳，工作卖力的表现让人不能拒绝。可是这人加入义工阵营后，却迟迟不按李琬若竞选班子制定的计划实施。当李琬若他们还没有弄明白是怎么回事时，此人已经带着情报回到了马丁尼兹阵营。
可恶，原来他是个间谍呀！
卑鄙，我建议找个记者把此事登在报上。
李琬若的竞选同事愤愤不平地要求采取行动。
不行，这样做并不会有好的效果。应该要检查的是我们自己在用人七的不当。李琬若表示反对。她不想把事情弄复杂了，再说美国的政治竞选就是这般险恶，派间谍，搞阴谋，几乎是大家惯用的手段，你为人正直可以不去使用这类手段，但并不能阻止别人不采用呀！我们还是干我们的。
李琬若坚持自己心诚的原则，并期望以此让更多的选民们相信应当选一位好的国会议员才是真正的民意。她的努力并不是不起作用，尤其是在她竞选陪入低潮时，许多华人和友人义无反顾地替她挺身而出。像洛杉矶社会福利部和她多年共事的拉丁裔主管多兰等拉丁朋友冒着同族裔杜区的攻击，为李琬若在拉丁社区召开筹款会，当时到场的拉丁族人士多达150人。正直勇敢的拉丁裔民权领袖柴维斯等有影响的拉丁裔朋友都表示拥护李琬若做他们的国会议员。让李琬若一辈子尊为师长的有模范州长之称的前加州州长布朗先生不仅公开支持她，且亲自为选民写了不少推荐李琬若的信函。三十选区最大的日报《圣谷论坛》也发表社论支持李琬若参选。特别让李琬若感动的是以前她应邀做过报告的东洛杉矶学院的大学生们闻讯后也纷纷通过电话与文宣形式加入了她的竞选行列……
然而就在投票的最后两周，李璃若的竞选总部告急：所有竞选经费用完。
你估计还应当需要多少钱？李琬若急出一身冷汗。最后的两周是最最关键的时刻，而这时所要的竞选经费就等于像往马路上撤钱一样，有多少也不显。
我们总共筹集的80万已经花完，按照常规，至少还需三四十万元……竞选经理看看李琬若的脸色，不敢再多报。
李琬若听到还要三四十万时，两眼呆呆地看着竞选经理久久没有说话。
Lily，别着急，我想从朋友那儿再借些，等竞选完后我会想法尽快还人家的。What do you think?丈夫安慰道。
李琬若摇摇头，然后有气无力地问：家里钱你都拿出来了？
嗯……丈夫的声音说得很低。
能不能先拿出来用一下，好给帮助我们竞选的义工们发个交通费和吃个饭用？李琬若用乞求的眼光看着丈夫。
Ok.我就回去取。丈夫低着头，侧着身子从妻子身边走过。夫妻两人此时此刻不敢对视一眼。
竞选前的两周是冲刺的最重要关头，在这紧锣密鼓的时候，绝对不能松弛。李琬若抹了抹尚未从眼眶滴出的泪珠，强装欢颜地出现在她的选民面前。她知道事情已经做到这一步，是成是败都必须坚持到底，即使是身败名裂，也可为华人参政积累几分经验教训。
6月7日，国会议员的初选投票结果公开，李琬若没有得到足够的票因此失去了民主党的提名。这个结果她是预料到的，但历经数月间各种政治势力与美国政治现实的种神交易，使李琬若饱尝了各种滋味。这次失败的竞选，她和丈夫不仅耗尽了大量精力和时间，将过去所有的积蓄挥之一光，还因此亏空了二十多万美元。可她没有后悔，用她自己的话说是在此次失败中看到了美国政党内部的问题实质和美国政治的百疮千孔。
事隔几年，李琬若选择了一条迂回道路，推荐同拉丁族裔的好友、加州参议员的苏丽丝女士同政敌马丁尼兹再次决战一场，最后终于以绝对多数把政坛小丑马丁尼兹从国会里赶了出去。马丁尼兹果然品行极低劣，他一看所在的民主党内没人再理会他时，便摇身一变，到选民登记处重新画了个勾，将自己的身份改为共和党人。这样一位有九届国会议员资格的党员，一夜间因为自己的政治失势而公开出卖政党利益，投靠异党，也算是美国政坛的一幕滑稽戏吧。