“I’m not surprised,” she replied. “Tomorrow, as I’ve said before, all hell breaks loose. I’ve got a meeting at eight A.M. where Kate’s campaign schedule will be finalized, barring last-minute changes, then we look at our first television ads, which were shot in New York yesterday and today. I’m very nervous about those.”

“The camera loves Kate, too,” Stone said.

“The TV campaign will break the day after the Republican convention ends. If Henry Carson gets the nomination, as seems fairly certain, he won’t have had time to get his TV campaign together, so we’ll have several days for our ads to run unopposed, as it were. Also, Kate is doing two of the network morning shows tomorrow and two the day after, then she goes quiet with the beginning of the Republican convention until the ad campaign breaks.”

“Sounds like you have everything under control,” Stone said.

“It may sound that way, but things can change in an hour, sometimes in a minute, so I will always be reorganizing.”

“No one does it better,” Stone said.

She turned and reached for him again. “That’s what I was just thinking about you.”

Chapter 49

Stone had an early breakfast at seven with Ann, who then dressed quickly and left for the campaign office. He read the Times and did the crossword, then dressed and got downstairs just in time to greet the 60 Minutes crew. He showed them around the house while the Eagles and their party had breakfast in the kitchen, and the director chose Stone’s study as his set for taping the interview.

He stopped by the kitchen before going to his office. “Everybody sleep well?” he asked.

There was a chorus of positive answers.

“They said they’d be ready for you, Ed, at eleven sharp in my study. Knock it out of the park.”

“I’ll do my best,” Eagle said.

Stone went to his office and began returning phone calls and answering correspondence. Joan came in and turned on his TV. “Kate Lee’s commercial was on just a minute ago,” she said. “She’s on Morning Joe right now, so I’ll run it down for you.” She went into the DVR and rewound. “Here we go.”

Kate came on-screen in what appeared to be the study at the Carlyle apartment. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Kate Lee, and you may have heard that I’m the Democratic nominee for president.”

She continued talking conversationally, directing the viewer to her website for detailed policy information, while never breaking eye contact with the camera and not reading from a teleprompter. It was over in thirty seconds, leaving an impression of freshness, intelligence, and personal warmth.

“I’m convinced,” Stone said. “She’s got my vote.”

“Yeah, but you’re a pushover.”

“How about you?”

“Well, I’m a pushover, too, I guess. And if I weren’t, that ad would do it for me.”