It's only an hour's drive from here to Washington D.C., yet far enough away from the never-ending political gossip swirl by the Potomac River.
The phone on the dressing table vibrated.
Hillary glanced at the screen.
It was a message from the campaign manager: "Latest polls show we're ahead by 3% in Pennsylvania, tied in Ohio, and trailing by 2% in Florida. Tonight's fundraising target: eight million."
Eight million.
Enough to run two weeks of TV ads in critical swing states or pay hundreds of on-the-ground organizers for a month.
Politics is an equivalent exchange of money, a fact she understood better than anyone.
From the Governor's Mansion in Arkansas to the West Wing of the White House, from the Senate to the State Department, forty years in politics taught her one thing — principles require the backing of power, and power requires the fuel of funding.
"Red." She finally made her choice.
Carolyn smiled with relief, hung the blue dress back in the wardrobe.
