Four Votes — Leo Goes It Alone to Richardson
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Josh interrupts with news of securing four votes and insists on involving Vice President Hoynes for Tillinghouse, but Leo refuses and plans to approach Richardson alone.
Leo calls Margaret to arrange a meeting with Richardson, emphasizing the need for discretion and urgency.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Measured and pragmatic — inclined toward the high-visibility solution but deferent to Leo's authority in the moment.
C.J. endorses Josh's solution with a quick affirmative, signaling agreement from communications and aligning publicly with a high-profile fix, but she yields to Leo's refusal — a brief institutional voice in the room.
- • Protect the administration's messaging by supporting an effective, rapid fix.
- • Avoid internal conflict that could derail communications strategy.
- • High-profile intervention by the Vice President is an effective communications and persuasion tool.
- • Consensus among senior staff helps smooth the public narrative.
Controlled and resolute with a streak of personal stubbornness — calm on the surface while staking his authority and personal credibility.
Leo hears Josh's report, refuses the obvious institutional move to involve the Vice President, proposes a personal intervention with Richardson, and immediately orders Margaret to fetch him — taking ownership and isolating the negotiation.
- • Prevent institutional escalation that could inflame the caucus or damage internal relationships.
- • Use a private, personal appeal to secure Richardson's cooperation and preserve the administration's standing.
- • Direct, personal persuasion (from him) is more likely to succeed with Richardson than public or high-profile pressure.
- • Involving Hoynes risks political optics and could worsen caucus relations.
Apprehensive and mildly exasperated — worried about repeating a past mistake and the potential fallout.
Mandy questions the wisdom of Leo returning to Richardson, invoking past trouble and skepticism about repeating the approach — serving as the skeptical, optics-minded staffer cautioning against personnel decisions that might backfire.
- • Prevent a political misstep that could anger the caucus further.
- • Ensure the administration uses the most effective, least risky method to secure the vote.
- • Past confrontations with Richardson were costly and repeating them risks more damage.
- • Optics and caucus sentiment matter as much as the raw vote count.
Professional neutrality; promptly responsive and focused on fulfilling Leo's request without commentary.
Margaret responds to Leo's summons, enters briefly to receive an instruction to fetch Mark Richardson out of the office, and departs to execute the order — functioning as the backstage logistics executor who translates Leo's decision into action.
- • Locate and bring Mark Richardson to Leo as requested.
- • Execute the order quickly and quietly to preserve discretion.
- • Leo's directives require immediate and precise administrative action.
- • Maintaining discretion in political interventions is necessary for staff effectiveness.
Frustrated urgency masking a tactical calm — clearly under pressure but determined to secure the pragmatic fix he believes necessary.
Josh enters abruptly, delivers the critical information about vote totals, advocates immediately for Vice Presidential involvement, presses timing urgency, and departs after insisting on a callback — acting as the urgent political messenger and pressure valve.
- • Secure Tillinghouse's vote by getting the Vice President involved.
- • Move the vote tally from precarious to secure as quickly as possible.
- • Hoynes, as a Texan and high-profile figure, can persuade Tillinghouse more effectively than others.
- • Time is critical; delay increases the risk of losing the bill.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Leo's private office functions as the cradle of both intimacy and command: staff gather for light banter over a pearl choker, and the same space immediately compresses into a tactical command node where Leo issues orders, summons Margaret, and converts social energy into political action.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"JOSH: "Leo, I got four out of five. I'm absolutely convinced we need the Vice President to get Tillinghouse.""
"LEO: "No.""
"LEO: "I go to Richardson.""