[ WP ] '' If I am elected , I will not rest until I am impeached . ''

“ Sir, you can ’ t be serious. ” 
 
 Matt grabbed at his hair, trying to figure out if what I had just said was a momentary lapse in judgment or if months on the campaign trail had finally fried my brain, which was a possibility for sure. 
 
 “ I stand by what I just said. If I am elected, I will not rest until I am impeached, ” I replied, seeming only to exasperate him further. Matthew Kaine was a good friend and an even better campaign manager: tough, fair, and optimistic only when absolutely necessary. Yet he never was able to grasp the grand design of things, to play the long ball, or even to understand what I had just said. Then again, I doubt many people would. 
 
 “ Look, sir, I get it. I really do. But you can ’ t go around continuing to spew this nonsense. I understood when you wanted to ban all guns. That, at least, made sense to voters. Then, you decide to go all high and mighty on us, damn near preaching about how the president is supposed to act as instrument of justice for the people, and changing our primary message from helping out the average citizen to something you could find in the Old Testament, and not even the good part of the Old Testament, but the part that no one, not even the Evangelicals, reads. Now, with our polling at an all time low, you ’ re popping off to interns about how your goal as president is impeachment. If you get any crazier, we ’ re going to have to switch to the Republican ticket. ” 
 
 Ever since he was kid, Matt would do that, end a tirade with a joke just in case he went too far. But, now, I could tell he wasn ’ t afraid of offending me, but was just tired. Tired of running a multi-billion dollar campaign, tired of spinning every comment, or tired of trying to set a grieving man back on track, I wasn ’ t sure. 
 
 “ Sir, I know this has been extremely tough on you. I can only imagine how Meg ’ s death… ” 
 
 “ Murder, ” I interrupted softly. “ It was murder, Matt. She was shot in cold blood. And you know what, the next day all I saw on the news were pundits asking questions about how this would affect my positions or how many points I could expect to jump in the polls. No one cared, Matt. Everyone just moved on, maybe pausing for a moment to feel some fleeting glimpse of sympathy or posting a half-baked message on some stupid social media site before returning to their lives as if nothing had happened. As if there were no problems to solves. Nothing changed, Matt, and that ’ s the world we live in. 
 
 And if that ’ s our world, where apathy and fear of change rule as kings, what can one good go? What about a hundred, or even a thousand? At best, a great man might be able to only slow down the rate at which our world crumbles. So, I have decided to try a different tact. If I win this presidency, which is pretty likely considering how apt my opponents are to shoot themselves in the foot, it will be my solemn duty to be the worst possible leader, corrupt in every fashion. I intend to surround myself with sycophants and criminals, to use every debased method the system allows to further my own goals, to pass legislation that benefits only the few, if it benefits anyone at all. Maybe then, with the country on a fast track for ruin, people will finally start to see the filth that surrounds them. ” 
 
 “ Sir, you ’ re insane. ” 
 
 “ You ’ re probably right. But, doesn ’ t every story need a villain to bring out its hero? ” 

