Chapter 248: The State Dinner
Tony won that senate election. Marcella became more outgoing. Rather than hiding, she got herself photographed as she helped others. Every talk show host wanted to talk to her and she did as many interviews as possible.
The papers called her "beauty with a brain". She didn’t find that a compliment but they meant it as one. They also called her intelligent and thoughtful. Since more and more people called her that way and not just Tony, Marcella started to believe that she was intelligent.
They would call her to their shows with Tony and Tony didn’t have the time to spend time there. Also, he was not very receptive to the idea of getting his face made up for cameras. He always gave the excuse of looking after their children.
Just as Tony became a Senator, he started laying the groundwork for his presidential campaign. Not everyone in the party was welcoming of it and many wanted Tony to wait for the next election when the current president had served his two terms.
But Tony insisted he runs this year. Others formed groups against him, trying to exclude him for his ambitions. The incumbent president called Tony to visit him and expressed his displeasure in running against him when he could serve another term.
Tony stubbornly refused even when Marcella asked him to reconsider. He thought that now was the time. In the popularity polls, their popularity was equal to the stars and was definitely higher than the current president.
But will their popularity bring people out to vote for him? This was not a popularity contest but an election to choose the leader of the free world.
Marcella had her doubts but Tony was sure. Since Tony knew politics better than her, Marcella decided to go along with him and work as hard as she could as always to have him elected.
His decision and his "headstrong behavior" as the president put it, made some retract their support for him. Tony didn’t care.
They tried to reduce his popularity. The interview chances for Marcella were reduced. Still, her name would be on the papers for one reason or another. Even the scarf she wore for an outing with her children sold out within three days of a paper publishing her photograph. For some reason, she became a fashion icon and people started noticing her style.