Blood Fruit

Bailey Taylor is the best president the United States has ever had, and I know I have the favor of the American people. Tonight, I am announcing that I am running once again for the presidency.

At seven o'clock in the morning, I entered the peace room, where my two most trusted advisers were waiting. These advisers were Hilary Jensen, my Secretary of Homeland Security, and Stephen Hobbs, my Secretary of Labor. While there are other advisers, these two, along with myself, make a perfect team.

"Thank you for your patience," I told them, as I pulled my hair into a soft bun and put on my reading glasses to examine a brief that was placed in front of me.

Hilary praised me. "Madam President, you've been phenomenal in the eight years you've held office. If you turn to page fifty-six of your daily brief, you'll see the data from the top pollsters showing that your approval rating has increased every year since you were first elected. You started out with a forty-six percent approval rating, and now you're at over ninety percent."

I was proud in that moment, and I still am. "Ms. Jensen, it's amazing, isn't it? The American people doubted me at first, and truly, who can blame them? As a country, we endured years of polarization that led to extreme unrest. Violence and discord everywhere. It hadn’t been that bad since the 1860s. As Secretary of Homeland Security, you were instrumental in helping me bring peace stateside. We needed to turn down the temperature. After all, there's more that unites us than divides us."

"Of course, Madam President," Stephen agreed. "The American people fell in love with your policies. You brought them jobs. You brought them prosperity. And you brought them freedom. Freedom in safety, freedom in opportunity."

"Yes, Mr. Hobbs. You've performed impeccably as my Secretary of Labor. We're now loved by workers and corporations alike. At the end of the day, Americans just want a piece of the American dream. They just want to be happy, safe, and enjoy the fruits of their labor."

"Agreed. So, Madam President, it's an election year, and we want to be proactive. We don't want to leave anything to chance."