{"id":263,"date":"2026-04-21T23:03:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T23:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/?page_id=263"},"modified":"2026-04-21T23:22:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T23:22:50","slug":"hoopla","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/fiction\/hoopla\/","title":{"rendered":"Hoopla"},"content":{"rendered":"

T.R. Healy<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201csee how he runs\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was election night and, as usual, the weather was cold, damp, and dreary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Arlin Freer sat in a corner of the nearly empty waterfront diner not more than six feet away from the television mounted on the wall behind the bar.\u00a0 Briefly he glanced up at the screen as the results began to come in from some of the outlying districts.\u00a0 They were too few to indicate what the outcome would be tonight, however, so he looked away and took another sip of coffee.\u00a0 In another minute, he heard several raucous voices outside and saw four men in straw boaters shuffle by the window.\u00a0 He doubted if they were coming in here but, most likely, were on their way to the campaign headquarters of some candidate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMay I freshen your cup, Mr. Mayor?\u201d Darlene, the lone waitress, asked as she approached his table with a carafe of coffee cradled in her left arm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease,\u201d he said, fiddling with the loop of his familiar red, white, and blue-striped bow tie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Slowly she filled the cup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not very busy tonight.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe never are on election nights,\u201d she said, resting the carafe on her right hip.\u00a0 \u2018The folks who are out are going to some bar or ballroom their candidates have reserved for the evening.\u00a0 You should know that better than anyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

i\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Freer felt a tap on his left shoulder and immediately opened his eyes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time, Arlin,\u201d Kyle, one of his teammates, informed him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlready?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kyle nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s a flashlight.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still half asleep, he climbed out of the van and stood on the corner of the pitch dark street.\u00a0 Soon he saw another one of his teammates running toward him down the middle of the empty street.\u00a0 It was Marty who also was carrying a flashlight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d he said, handing Freer the red baton all runners were required to carry during their runs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou see any other runners?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot a one.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEither we\u2019re way ahead or way behind.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI prefer to believe we\u2019re ahead,\u201d he chortled.\u00a0 \u201cYou watch your step now.\u00a0 There are plenty of potholes in the street.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the current administration.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou take care.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do my best,\u201d he said, also charging down the middle of the street with the baton tucked inside the waist band of his shorts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This was the third summer Freer had participated in the \u201cReach the Beach Relay Race.\u201d\u00a0 Extending from the slopes of Mount Henry to the shores of Sunset Beach, the course was nearly 200 miles in length with all kinds of twists and turns.\u00a0 Teams of a dozen runners participated in the event with each person expected to run three legs of the race.\u00a0 A real estate broker, Freer worked for the Summit Equity Group which every year entered a team in the competition.\u00a0 All the entrants were brokers and appraisers with the firm.\u00a0 He was not the strongest runner, that was Kyle, but he was one of the better ones who always could be counted on to run a decent leg.\u00a0 Until he was recruited to the team by Marty, he hadn\u2019t run in a competitive race since he was in high school and had surprised himself that he was still a pretty fair runner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDamn,\u201d he groaned, narrowly avoiding a deep pothole that well might have fractured his ankle.<\/span><\/p>\n

On this, his second leg, he was required to run through the heart of downtown which was not a place he cared to be anymore, especially at night.\u00a0 For more than thirty years, the main office of Summit Equity was located in a high rise office building half a block from City Hall.\u00a0 But, not quite two years ago, the firm moved to a strip mall on the other side of the river.\u00a0 Not only was the lease more accommodating but the area was a great deal safer.\u00a0 Until a few years ago, he always looked forward to going downtown, not only to dine at restaurants and attend concerts, but just to walk around and visit the many eclectic shops and boutiques.\u00a0 Therse days they were nearly all shuttered up or out of business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Downtown was in shambles, inhabited by people out to do themselves and others serious harm.\u00a0 The streets were littered with vials and syringes, shattered glass was everywhere.\u00a0 Cherished statues were smashed or defiled, windows broken, angry signs posted on doors and utility poles.\u00a0 Many businesses were torched and those that weren\u2019t were covered in vulgar graffiti.\u00a0 Tents were set up on nearly every sidewalk with pit bulls chained outside them for protection.\u00a0 It was very dark at night because nearly all the streetlights were smashed so all that could be seen were shadows scurrying out of doorways and around corners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As he raced around a fountain full of scraps of food, someone threw a wine bottle which landed just behind him.\u00a0 Startled, he picked up his pace, eager to get out of this vile place.\u00a0 Each time he drew a breath he could smell the decay and waste that had overtaken the downtown area so, as he ran, he tried to breathe only through his mouth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mainly because of the dreadful situation downtown Freer decided to enter the mayoral primary which already had six candidates, including the incumbent, Karl Gomburg.\u00a0 The city, like most big cities, was dominated by one party so whoever prevailed in the primary was assured of winning the general election.\u00a0 He knew he was unlikely to win, the longest of longshots to be sure, but he was determined to hold the current mayor accountable for the stunning deterioration of downtown that happened during his time in office.\u00a0 Gomburg, who had won three times, had become so complacent that he never believed anyone presented any kind of threat to his winning a fourth term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The only other time Freer was ever a candidate in an election was in high school when he ran for student body president.\u00a0 He knew he didn\u2019t have any chance of winning against the other two candidates who came from a grade school that in sheer numbers dominated the high school.\u00a0 And he was right, he didn\u2019t win, but he never regretted his decision to enter the race.\u00a0 Not only did it give him an opportunity to challenge the fatuous \u201cneed for more school spirit\u201d platforms of his opponents, but it showed others at the school that he was not just another timid soul sitting in the back of the classroom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Defeat was not the worst thing that could happen to a candidate, he discovered, so long as he ran with conviction and purpose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Freer really didn\u2019t have much money to finance his campaign but he didn\u2019t think he needed very much because Gomburg was so confident he would be re-elected he barely spent any money in advertising.\u00a0 There were a number of billboards with his round pitted face plastered on them above the claim \u201cThe City That Works.\u201d\u00a0 But he didn\u2019t purchase any radio or television spots and consented to only a few scripted interviews with reporters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the support of some other realtors in the firm, Freer waged a guerrilla-style campaign against the incumbent.\u00a0 As a broker, he was comfortable speaking with prospective buyers so he decided to sell himself as he did homes.\u00a0 He knocked on doors, in one neighborhood after another, asking people for their vote.\u00a0 He stood on streetcorners and handed out recipe-sized cards emblazoned with his American flag bow tie.\u00a0 He organized protests outside City Hall about the deterioration of downtown, led weekend marches through the devastated area.\u00a0 His campaign slogan, \u201cIt\u2019s Time to Pass the Baton,\u201d was posted throughout the city.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gomburg had a host of endorsements from other politicians but scarcely any of them actively campaigned for him.\u00a0 And the few who did didn\u2019t seem very enthusiastic.\u00a0 Still, after five weeks, the polls hardly changed, with Gomburg given a substantial lead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The polls changed significantly after the second and final debate, however, when Gomburg made a terrible gaffe.\u00a0 He was asked about the recent report that he had awarded his brother-in-law the contract for receipt paper inside parking meters even though the bids of two other contractors were lower.\u00a0 Vehemently he denied that his relative was given preferential consideration, insisting his company was the most qualified.\u00a0 Then, almost as an after thought, he cracked, \u201cIf you want clean hands, go work in a laundry.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That wisecrack turned out to be devastating because it confirmed the worst suspicions many voters had about his honesty.\u00a0 His staff recognized the damage the remark caused and immediately began to inundate television screens with ads promoting his integrity.\u00a0 It was too late, however, and despite all the odds against him, Freer won the primary by just a handful of votes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ii\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The morning after the general election, Freer didn\u2019t get out of bed until a little after nine, and after brewing a mug of Ethiopian coffee, he padded into his den where set up on a card table was a large array of Union and Confederate toy soldiers.\u00a0 Since he won the primary, almost five months ago, he had arranged the soldiers in the shape of a fishhook, which approximated the battle lines of the combatants at Gettysburg.\u00a0 Over the years he had arranged other battle lines but again and again he returned to the formation of troops at Gettysburg.\u00a0 He supposed because the three-day battle was the turning point in the war that eventually led to the preservation of the nation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As he stared at the miniature figures, he hoped that he had a tenth of the resolve they displayed during those three fierce days.\u00a0 He might be able to win an election but he didn\u2019t know if he could actually govern.\u00a0 Carefully he tightened up the lines of the Confederate soldiers along Seminary Ridge, recalling the first time he showed his collection to his last girlfriend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe you still have these toys,\u201d Tricia said in obvious amazement.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d have thought you or your mother would\u2019ve thrown them out years ago.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, she tried, all right, but I wouldn\u2019t let her.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy in the world not?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re something I enjoy fooling around with.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re too old to be playing with toys, Arlin.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAm I?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cYou most certainly are.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe he was too old but he had no intention of getting rid of them.\u00a0 They provided a comfort that few other things in his life did.\u00a0 Once she was out of his life he felt he could play with the soldiers without being ridiculed.\u00a0 Tricia was someone it was difficult to disagree with but when it came to his collection of soldiers he ignored her suggestion that he get rid of them and, instead, parted ways with her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Freer was not very sure of himself during his first few weeks in office.\u00a0 Tentative, not decisive, awkward, not smooth, he struggled to gain the cooperation of the other members of the City Council all of whom were seasoned politicians.\u00a0 He wanted police officers back patrolling the streets downtown, especially at night.\u00a0 He wanted to convert abandoned buildings into homeless shelters to get the tents off the sidewalks.\u00a0 But they were not at all interested in his recommendations, seemingly satisfied with the way things were in the city.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t, though, but he just couldn\u2019t persuade them of the need for change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Toward the end of his third month in office, he was informed that the members of the union of public transit workers had voted to go on strike for higher wages and expanded health benefits.\u00a0 He believed a strike was absolutely unacceptable, and though he knew he didn\u2019t have the authority to order the workers back to work, he could ask a judge to issue an injunction prohibiting them from going on strike.\u00a0 And so he did, without consulting the other members of the Council, and the injunction was granted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next day, Marty, who now was one of his closest advisors, stormed into his office, waving a folded sheet of paper above his head.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou did it, Arlin.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid what?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour approval rating has shot up nine points in the latest Andrews poll.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you serious?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He handed him the sheet of paper with the poll results.\u00a0 \u201cClearly a lot of folks agree with the way you dealt with the potential strike by the transit workers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

None of the other Council members agreed with his approach, however, but they were no longer willing to impede the implementation of some of his programs because of his increased popularity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, he began to enjoy serving as mayor.\u00a0 Not only did he start to see some real improvements in the conditions downtown, but he relished the prestige of his office.\u00a0 With pleasure, he signed autographs and let people take his picture with them and marched in one neighborhood parade after another and attended so many banquets that for the first time in his life he began to put on weight.\u00a0 And he shook so many hands that some evenings he had to soak his right hand in Epsom salts.\u00a0 It was the best job he ever had and he hoped to keep it for many years to come.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With two of his most energetic staffers, Hal and Emily, Freer stood in the lobby of the Skeffington Tower, the tallest building in the city.\u00a0 At the suggestion of the two staffers he agreed to run up the stairs of the building along with a couple hundred other runners.\u00a0 It was for a good cause:\u00a0 the entry fee for the race was to be used to help renovate a halfway house on the east side of the city.\u00a0 Throughout his term he had participated in dozens of races and, as was his custom, he wore a baggy pair of striped shorts and a cardinal red singlet with an image of his familiar bow tie printed on the front.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow many stairs did you say there were in this building?\u201d he asked Emily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAround eight hundred.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He groaned.\u00a0 \u201cI just hope I don\u2019t have a heart attack.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous, Arlin,\u00a0 You\u2019re in better shape than half the runners here, including me and Hal.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know about that,\u201d he said, grazing a hand across his belly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been eating a lot of potatoes at all those banquets you\u2019ve signed me up to attend.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll do just fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every couple of minutes another wave of runners was sent off by a race marshal who was so overweight Freer doubted if he could even walk up the stairs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou ready, Mayor?\u201d the marshal asked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs ready as I\u2019ll ever be.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The marshal looked at his watch then, after barely a second had passed, he sent Freer and his staffers off with the snap of his fingers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Determined to conserve his strength, Freer practically crept up the first three flights of stairs.\u00a0 Soon other runners were passing him, sometimes taking two stairs at a time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Mayor?\u201d a red-headed runner asked as he charged past him.\u00a0 \u201cYou carrying a bag of ballots on your back?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He smiled, confident that eventually he would pass some of the runners now sprinting by him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you hear that?\u201d Hal asked as they approached the ninth flight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow could I not?\u201d Emily replied, already breathing heavily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a corner of the flight was a bag piper, dressed in a tartan kilt and a traditional Glengarry cap, playing his pipes.\u00a0 Freer recognized him from performing at other functions he had attended.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t know his name but he believed he was a retired firefighter and nodded as he ran past him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Already his face and arms were glazed with sweat but, surprisingly, his breathing was still pretty relaxed.\u00a0 He had little doubt he would make it to the top without having to walk but not nearly as quickly as he would have before he became mayor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou two go ahead,\u201d Emily sighed, after reaching the eighteenth flight where a belly dancer performed with a sparking tambourine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure?\u201d Freer asked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy left ankle is bothering me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can wait.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, go on,\u201d she insisted, watching the intricate rolls of the dancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three flights later, Hal also dropped out, rubbing his right hamstring muscle, but promised Freer he would soon catch up with him.\u00a0 The mayor thought that was unlikely and urged him not to aggravate the tender muscle.\u00a0 Three more speed demons then passed him but he didn\u2019t mind, having passed at least eight runners who earlier passed him and he would not be surprised if he passed these three too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy, Mayor,\u201d a bluegrass fiddler said as Freer reached the twenty-ninth floor.\u00a0 \u201cYou look like you can run all day.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI may look like it but I\u2019ll be happy just to finish.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou got my vote,\u201d the fiddler replied, swiping his bow above his head.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the next flight some high school cheerleaders chanted, \u201cGo, Mayor, go!\u00a0 Go, Mayor, go!\u201d and he raised a hand in appreciation of their support.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re looking good,\u201d another marshal encouraged him as he staggered toward the thirty-fourth floor.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re almost done.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Spent, he was tempted to walk the remaining flights but knew if he did he would be regarded as a quitter so he pressed on, breathing as hard as he had all morning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Mayor,\u201d a much younger runner urged, sprinting past him.\u00a0 \u201cYou can do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRun as if you\u2019re back on the campaign trail,\u201d another runner suggested.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With his head wagging from side to side, he finally reached the top of the building, which was packed with other finishers, and swallowed nearly half the bottle of water one of the marshals offered him.\u00a0 He was so tired he shuffled over to the back of the terrace and just hung his head over the brass railing.\u00a0 He could not help but smile when he saw all the bare sidewalks which, before his election, resembled an Indian encampment because of all the modern teepees scattered across them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Later that evening, just as Freer was about to take a shower, the telephone rang and he saw that it was Marty who probably wanted to know how he was feeling after the tower race.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m feeling fine, if that\u2019s why you\u2019re calling,\u201d he said before Marty uttered a word.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad to hear that.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, is that why you called?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t answer him but, instead, asked, \u201cDo you know someone by the name of Tommy Two-Pack?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His jaw tightened.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello, are you still there?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know this person?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marty sighed into his phone.\u00a0 \u201cJust minutes ago, I learned that a story was posted on the internet that a while back you made good on some pretty substantial gambling bets owed to this guy Two-Pack.\u00a0 That can\u2019t be, can it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s talk about this in the morning, Marty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat can\u2019t be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ll talk tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly he was short of breath, as if he had just run up some more stairs, and collapsed in the easy chair in his bedroom.\u00a0 Though the next election was not for another eight months, he was all but certain he would not be re-elected, not after being connected to a bookie.\u00a0 In all likelihood, his career in politics was finished.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Marty demanded as soon as Freer arrived at City Hall.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not a gambler, as far as I know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, why are you paying off debts to some bookie?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Silently he hung up his raincoat in the closet. \u201cTricia is the gambler, not me, and a while back when we were still seeing one another, she told me she owed this Tommy guy a hefty sum of money so I agreed to pay it off for her.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe has to be the source of this story.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI expect so,\u201d he said glumly.\u00a0 \u201cShe was pretty upset when I broke up with her and sent me some angry texts for a spell but I never dreamed she\u2019d go out of her way to do something that would sabotage my re-election.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marty, leaning against a file cabinet, folded his arms.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re adamant you never made a bet with this bookie?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNever.\u00a0 I swear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019ll put out a statement that clarifies your connection to him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can, of course, but I doubt if anyone is going to believe it.\u00a0 People always think the worst of politicians and often for good reason.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll make sure they believe you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can try, Marty, but you know, as well as I do, my opponents will not let this story go.\u00a0 They\u2019ll hang it around my neck like a noose throughout the campaign.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not fair, damn it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to give up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNeither am I even though I am pretty sure I know what the outcome is likely to be on election night.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s not but \u2018politics ain\u2019t beanbag,\u2019 as Mr. Dooley said long ago.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to give up.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNeither am I even though I am pretty sure I know what the outcome is likely to be on election night.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Occasionally, during the campaign, Freer would spend a few minutes in his den before retiring for the night and look at the toy soldiers he had arranged in formation at Gettysburg.\u00a0 In particular, he pictured in his mind Pickett\u2019s Charge, which occurred on the third day of the battle.\u00a0 Taking a grave risk, thousands of Confederate troops nearly breached the central Union position at Cemetery Ridge.\u00a0 It was a startling maneuver and might well have succeeded if Union reinforcements had not arrived to repel it.\u00a0 Repeatedly he attempted to launch some unexpected attack against his opponents with the help of Kyle, who was in charge of opposition research.\u00a0 Right away, Kyle discovered that two candidates were delinquent in their alimony payments and another twice was penalized for failing to pay his property tax on time.\u00a0 This candidate also was once arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and had his license suspended for six months.\u00a0 Kyle also found a photograph on the internet of another candidate watching someone burn an American Flag.\u00a0 None of these revelations resonated with the voters, however, and Freer continued to lose support and, as a result, failed in his bid for re-election.\u00a0\u00a0It was close, less than half a per centage point separated him from his nearest challenger, but that was small consolation.\u00a0 He lost the best job he ever had and likely would ever have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome more coffee?\u201d Darlene asked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 I\u2019m fine, thanks.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe election going about the way you figured it would?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPretty much.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She hesitated beside his table.\u00a0 \u201cYou ever think you might throw your hat in the ring again?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019ve thought about it, all right, but I had my opportunity and I don\u2019t think anything would be different from the last time I ran.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou never know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to be one of those perennial candidates who enter races they know full well they\u2019ll never win.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d have my vote.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate that, Darlene,\u201d he said, fingering the loop of his familiar bow tie.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few minutes later, just as he started to leave the diner, a loud explosion went off, followed by three less powerful explosions.\u00a0 He looked at his watch.\u00a0 The polls had closed less than an hour ago and already some candidate was told he had won.\u00a0 Soon there would be many more explosions and, as quickly as he could, he headed to his car, not wanting to hear them, not wanting to know others had prevailed when he couldn\u2019t however hard he tried.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

T.R. Healy \u201csee how he runs\u201d It was election night and, as usual, the weather was cold, damp, and dreary.\u00a0 Arlin Freer sat in a corner of the nearly empty waterfront diner not more than six feet away from the television mounted on the wall behind the bar.\u00a0 Briefly he glanced up at the screen… <\/p>\n

Read more Hoopla<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":0,"parent":17,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-263","page","type-page","status-publish","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/263\/revisions\/264"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/euphemism.illinoisstate.edu\/21-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}