[ WP ] A lifetime to build , yet a moment to destroy it all .

It was a shoo-in. I had a plan to stabilize the economy, create jobs, and save the environment, and according to my staff, Congress was likely to back it. My name was spoken in households all over the country with reverence and hope, a sign that things would get better soon, and according to the polls, I was leading by at least 28 %. 
 
 My competitor, a scrawny old man whose glaringly obvious devotion to his Wall Street campaign backers was matched only by the air of stubbornness and complacence designed to mask his obvious lack of qualifications, stood on a podium on the far side of the stage. 
 
 He turned to me as I was introduced by the debate moderator, the stage lights highlighting his overdone makeup. Behind his fake smile, a glimmer of fear surfaced in his eyes. With confidence and ease, I stepped out from the backstage, waving to the crowd. 
 
 This was going to be a cakewalk. I repeated the strategy in my head - attack his strategies and point out the flaws and hypocrisies of his false accusations, and I would n't even have to talk about the scandals his campaign tried so hard to hide. 
 
 Two steps from the podium, I started my usual greeting: `` Hello, Las Ve-'' 
 
 I felt my foot slip out from under me - apparently some janitor did n't do his job correctly. I spent an eternity with that falling sensation, watching the floor rise up. Then my face hit the floor hard, and I felt blood flowing from my nose. 
 
 *** 
 
 I watched the clip of me falling after the debate. Objectively, it was actually pretty comical - my eyes bulge out as I flail my arms helplessly, then my face is squashed against the floor. Unfortunately, it was everywhere now. 
 
 Facebook's trending section. **Marcus McKinley: ** Presidential candidate breaks nose after tripping at CNN debate 
 
 Youtube parodies. The McKinley Fall in slow motion. McKinley falling looped for 1 hour. McKinley fall remix. 
 
 Reddit posts. r/pics: a close up picture of the exact moment my face hit the floor ( I still have no idea how they took it. ) r/funny: a photoshopped gif of Leonidas spartan kicking me down, shouting THIS! IS! MURICAAAA! r/jokes: Apparently McKinley was arrested for drug charges. *The police said he was tripping in public. * Even r/writingprompts: You decide to sabotage your opponent by waxing the floor in front of his podium. 
 
 No one even cared how I did in the debate. ( if you were wondering at all, after I got my nose cleaned up, I destroyed him. ) It's silly how fragile a political career is - it's not about your policy or your leadership. It's a goddamn reality show, and the best way to put someone out is to humiliate them. 
 
 My ratings dropped overnight, and my hopes were dashed. I was n't a front runner anymore - I was a meme.
