Hollywood starts with an agent

Chapter 691 Political Rewards
As the US presidential election enters its final sprint, the two candidates, Albert Gore and George W. Bush, are evenly matched in the televised debates.

One was exceptionally intelligent but lacked a sense of humor, while the other was approachable but often gave irrelevant answers.

Overall, Albert Gore's debating skills were certainly far superior to those of George W. Bush, but thankfully, these weren't the kinds of abilities the US president needed!
Democratic candidate Albert Gore is very confident in his base states: California, New York, and the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Republican George W. Bush had the votes in the southern states (except Tennessee and Arkansas) and most of the Midwestern states.

Tennessee is the home state of Democrat Albert Gore, and Arkansas is Clinton's home state, so they are definitely supportive of the Democrats!
Therefore, both sides have now identified the main battleground as those states that are still undecided: Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Missouri, West Virginia, and Florida, among others.

Florida, in particular, was supposed to be a Republican stronghold because its governor was Jeb Bush, the younger brother of George W. Bush.

But the landscape of the Florida election changed after Albert Gore appointed Jewish Joseph Lieberman as his running mate. Jewish and older voters in Florida rallied to support Gore, making the Bush team nervous.

Large states like Florida, New York, and California have more electoral votes than smaller states. After all, winning the popular vote doesn't make you the President of the United States; you need to win the electoral votes!
With Florida in dire straits, the Bush team immediately increased its advertising spending in Florida, while also launching a major offensive in the southern states of Tennessee and Arkansas, employing a "steal the home" strategy.

In West Hollywood, at the Angels Theater, in Jack Wells' office, Aaron leaned back in his chair, his feet propped up on the desk, smoking.

Jack Wells handed Aaron a glass of whiskey and leaned back in his chair. "Albert Gore's in California again?"

Aaron smiled. "There are less than 20 days until Election Day. Bush recently rallied in California, and his approval rating is only 5 percentage points lower than his."

“Albert Gore certainly deserves our attention. He’s been to California 17 times since his campaign, but his move in Florida was truly brilliant.”

If Bush loses Florida, it will be a real blow to morale!

"Previously, Bush's approval rating was higher than Gore's, but after they each selected their running mates, the approval ratings were tied."

Jack Wells sighed as he spoke, mainly because on the Democratic side, Albert Gore's running mate Joseph Lieberman was a plus, while George W. Bush's running mate Richard Cheney seemed to be a minus!

Joseph Lieberman was the first Democrat to stand up against Clinton during the Clinton-Lewinsky sex scandal, which could lessen some of the embarrassment the Clinton-Gore administration brought to the White House;

Richard Cheney, who served as Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, was criticized, like Bush, for representing the interests of big oil companies. At the same time, Cheney's conservative voting record on some sensitive issues (such as abortion) during his time as a U.S. Senator from Wyoming also became a focus of attacks from the Democrats.
Aaron waved his hand. "It doesn't matter. George W. Bush may be stupid, but at least he's genuinely approachable. Some talk shows on CBS and FOX have already arranged for him to participate."

"Compared to Albert Gore, the humorous George W. Bush was more likely to win over voters."

Jack Wells curled his lip. "George Bush Jr. has far more resources than Albert Gore."

"If he were even slightly more capable, this evenly matched situation wouldn't have happened!" The powerful financial groups behind them, the political influence of the Bush family—how could Gore possibly compare?
Moreover, as Clinton's vice president, the Clinton-Lewinsky sex scandal has etched the US president and the White House into the annals of shame.

In such an environment, George W. Bush was unable to maintain his advantage and could only fight to a standstill.

Aaron took a big gulp of whiskey. "Ha, this is the kind of president we like!"

No matter what slogans Bush shouts, he always represents the interests of oil conglomerates. You should know that Aaron is now one of ExxonMobil's shareholders and has joined the board of directors.
Who wouldn't like a Hollywood mogul with powerful media influence?

"California's two U.S. senators, Diana Feinstein and Barbara Berxer, will not run again until 04."

"From now on, there's nothing to worry about in California!"

Aaron stood up as he spoke, “However, we need to increase investment in the state legislators.”

Now, Aaron seems to spend a lot of money investing in politicians every year, but it's all worthwhile;
In the future, Aaron will gain access to a vast and powerful network of political resources and connections!

Not only that, Aaron also secretly arranged for Jack Wells to take care of many of his competitors, all of whom Aaron disliked.

Some small figures who haven't yet made it big will rise to prominence in the future, but because of Aaron's existence, they no longer have that opportunity.

“Well, providing some campaign funds is quite rewarding,” Jack Wells stretched. Now that Aaron controls CBS, having Aaron's support would be a huge advantage!
"By the way, you're planning to build a five-star hotel in Los Angeles?"

Aaron nodded. "The location is east of the Los Angeles Country Club, at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard."

"As you know, I acquired the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Hong Kong, and one is currently under construction in Manhattan, New York."

"Heh, it's similar to the Peninsula Hotel. There's a Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, isn't there?"

Aaron is now directly competing with the Peninsula Hotels Group, which has two locations in the United States, with the Peninsula Hotel in Manhattan, New York, opening in the late 1980s.
The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, opened in the early 1990s.

Jack Wells smiled. "Alright, Mandarin Oriental Hotel!"

He was completely baffled by Aaron Anderson's various investments, mainly because Aaron Anderson's investments were becoming increasingly numerous and diversified...

(End of this chapter)