wildfire rumors flared through the convention-hartmann was pulling out ; hartmann had decided to take the vp spot behind dukakis or jackson or even barnett ; hartmann had actually been the intended victim of nur terrorists ; a simultaneous attempt had been made on the lives of all the candidates ; a joker was somehow involved in ellen 's fall ; no , the baby had been a joker ; carnifex had pushed ellen or he 'd just watched her fall without moving ; barnett was calling it the hand of god ; barnett had called hartmann and they had prayed together .