Free Sons Of Fortune by Jeffrey Archer

campaign manager who lies in bed all morning.’
    ‘Was it something my father said?’
    ‘Indirectly.’ He paused. ‘So who do you think will be my main rival?’
    ‘Steve Rodgers,’ said Jimmy without hesitation.
    ‘Why Steve?’
    ‘He’s a three-letter man, so they’ll try to run him as the popular jock up against the austere academic. You know, Kennedy against Stevenson.’
    ‘I had no idea you knew what the word austere meant.’
    ‘No more jokes, Fletcher,’ said Jimmy as he rolled off the bed. ‘If you’re going to beat Rodgers, you’ll have to be prepared for anything and everything they throw at you. I think we ought to begin by having a breakfast meeting with Dad; he always has breakfast meetings before he starts a campaign.’

    ‘Will anyone bother to stand against you?’ asked Diane Coulter.
    ‘No one I can’t beat.’
    ‘What about Nat Cartwright?’
    ‘Not while it’s known that he’s the principal’s favourite, and if elected will simply carry out his wishes; at least that’s what my supporters are telling everyone.’
    ‘And don’t let’s forget the way he treated my sister.’
    ‘I thought it was you who dumped him? I didn’t even realize he knew Tricia.’
    ‘He didn’t, but that didn’t stop him trying to make a move on her when he came round to the house to see me.’
    ‘Does anyone else know about this?’
    ‘Yes, my brother Dan. He caught him in the kitchen with his hand up her skirt. My sister complained bitterly that she just couldn’t stop him.’
    ‘Did she?’ He paused. ‘Do you think your brother would be willing to back me for president?’
    ‘Yes, but there’s not much he can do while he’s at Princeton.’
    ‘Oh yes there is,’ said Elliot. ‘To start with …’

    ‘Who’s my main rival?’ asked Nat.
    ‘Ralph Elliot, who else?’ said Tom. ‘He’s been working on his campaign since the beginning of last term.’
    ‘But that’s against the rules.’
    ‘I don’t think Elliot has ever cared much about rules, and as he knows you’re far more popular than he is, we can look forward to a dirty campaign.’
    ‘But I’m not going down that road …’
    ‘So we’ll have to take the Kennedy route.’
    ‘What do you have in mind?’
    ‘You should open your campaign by challenging Elliot to a debate.’
    ‘He’ll never accept.’
    ‘Then you win either way. If he does accept, you’ll wipe the floor with him. If he doesn’t, we can play the “he flunked it” card.’
    ‘So how would you set up such a challenge?’
    ‘Send him a letter, a copy of which I’ll post on the bulletin board.’
    ‘But you’re not allowed to post notices without the principal’s permission.’
    ‘By the time they take it down, most people will have read it, and those that haven’t will want to know what it said.’
    ‘And by then I’ll have been disqualified.’
    ‘Not while the principal thinks Elliot might win.’

    ‘I lost my first campaign,’ said Senator Gates, when he heard Fletcher’s news, ‘so let’s be sure that you don’t make the same mistakes. For a start, who’s your campaign manager?’
    ‘Jimmy, of course.’
    ‘Never “of course”; only select someone who you are convinced can do the job, even if you’re not close friends.’
    ‘I’m convinced he can do the job,’ said Fletcher.
    ‘Good. Now, Jimmy, you will be of no value to the candidate’ - it was the first time Fletcher thought of himself as the candidate - ‘unless you’re always open and frank with Fletcher, however unpleasant it might be.’ Jimmy nodded. ‘Who’s your main rival?’
    ‘Steve Rodgers.’
    ‘What do we know about him?’
    ‘A nice enough guy, but not a lot between his ears,’ said Jimmy.
    ‘Except a good-looking face,’ said Fletcher.
    ‘And several touchdowns last season, if I remember correctly,’ added the senator. ‘So now we know who the enemy is, let’s start working on our friends. First, you must pick an inner circle - six,