Five Sentence Fiction – Candidate

This piece is inspired by some commentators saying that Hurricane Sandy would prove an inadvertant help to Obama’s campaign – he can appear presidential while all Romney can be is sympathetic. Some more cynical campaigners might exploit this kind of exposure. Or worse…
Thanks to Lillie for the prompt. All comments and criticisms welcome.

 

‘I pledge that I will do everything I can to help the victims of this awful fire,’ the President declared, holding aloft a small piece of paper, ‘and aswell as the $50 million dollars of government aid I have this morning assigned towards the costs of rebuilding this town, so cruelly decimated by the inferno, I am launching a disaster fund with this personal cheque for one million dollars.’

‘Your approval rating has risen seven points since you arrived Mr President,’ his chief aide said quietly once they were alone, hidden behind the closed doors of the local party office serving as his base while he visited the twisted, charred remnants of the destroyed community, ‘great timing I would say.’

‘Well I would not say,’ the President replied, shocked, ‘how is it ever perfect timing to lose your loved ones, your home, your hospital, your school to such a tragedy?’

‘Oh of course it’s a tragedy,’ the aide insisted, ‘but we can’t afford to forget there is an election in four days.’

‘And you need not be concerned,’ the aide said, his voice lowering as he leant forward, ‘the… individuals responsible for starting this fire can never be traced back to us.’