Free Seduced By The Candidate (The Candidate, #1) by Beth Klein

given by THE President and this is why I have no intention of
merely stepping up to office and filling his shoes. While I have always thought
of them as being big shoes to fill, I fear now that they might just pinch a
little!
    “By electing me, you are electing a man that will make it his
sole purpose to bring this country back to the forefront of national and
international advancement. I have no interest in settling for safe, I want to
thrust this nation forward towards greatness once again. In a world as advanced
and developed as this one, standing still is no different from taking a step
backwards and I promise you now that we will not only take a step forward, we
will take a huge double footed leap.”
    As he warmed to his subject, Goulding looked out across the sea
of expectant faces and he knew that he had them. Every last man, woman and
child were hanging on his every word and the power he wielded over them was
palpable and intoxicating.
    He took a sip of water and continued.
    “My detractors have spoken publicly about the fact that I am
too young to lead this country and in response I say that these are merely the
words of old men, with old ideals that are scared of change and the man that is
willing to embrace it and bring it to the masses.
    The men in my old regiment followed me into the worst war zone
in modern times. How many of them said I was too young? Did Private Jessica
Lynch tell me I was too young when me and my men
rescued her? Did the happy voters who have consistently elected me to office in
every one of my positions over the last decade ever stop for once and tell me I
was too young to represent them effectively and efficiently? In every single
instance ladies and gentlemen, the answer is no, no and NO!
    The only people, who have ever said I was too young, were my
disgruntled opponents, desperately looking for a cheap and easy means of
derailing my campaign. Shall we look back and see where they are now? Where is
Harvey Huddlestone? Where is Senator Jimmy Steadman? Where is representative
Arnold Nailor?” Goulding glanced around the room, meeting the eyes of as much
of his audience as possible.
    “I’ll tell you where...they all disappeared into relative
obscurity as soon as the little man that was too young to beat them did just
that, and went on to lead his people with more competency than they could ever
have hoped to have achieve. Ask any of them now if I was too young and I bet
you get a very different answer to the tired debating points that they tried to
rely on back then.”
    Cheers and applause erupted again and it was several minutes
before Goulding could again be heard above the roar of the crowd.
    “I’m not your average politician, I never have been. For a
start, I tell the truth! I also refuse to resort to dirty, underhand tricks to
belittle my opponents. If what I stand for isn’t something you can embrace
fully, then I sincerely hope that when the time comes you vote for President
Morton. However, I’d be prepared to accept that it was a vote wasted if I was
you! If the current polls are anything to go by, President Morton could use all
the votes he can get...hell, I might even vote for him myself!”
    Chuckles and coughing laughter rippled through the room.
Goulding smiled   and nodded with them, sharing their mirth.
    “President Morton says I’m too young...I say that what I lack
in years, I make up for with a track record of success, support and a
willingness to change. I’ll hold my hands up and tell you now that I still have
a lot to learn and will probably make plenty of mistakes to make. But what
would you rather have, a President who’s willing to learn, adapt and change? Or
a President so stuck in his ways that he is too terrified to try anything new
and completely unwilling to accept change in any form?”
    Another pause. Murmurs moved briefly
through the crowd as they agreed with their candidate.
    “President Morton says I’m single and as such lack