Taft 2012 - Jason Heller [76]
“And now—my friends!—do not let us minimize the task before us. We Americans are a good people—a very, very good people—but one of our weaknesses is an assumption, justified by a good many miracles that have saved us from egregious mistakes in the past, that we should always expect America to be healthy and strong on its own, because we believe that God looks after children, drunken men, and the United States! We must get beyond that assumption. I do not know how we will do so. But I know we must.
“It has been,” Taft concluded, “an honor and a privilege, albeit an unexpected one, to carry your banner thus far. I cannot continue waving it at your vanguard, but you have my promise that I shall always offer you whatever small good my quiet, humble contributions may possibly be worth in the future.” And then he bowed at the waist and walked down the steps at the side of the stage, where Rachel and Susan embraced him. The applause was loud, though possibly not as loud as before.
“That,” said Rachel, “was some speech.”
“That?” said Taft. “Pshaw! I have delivered longer.” He thought for a moment. “Though not, I will grant you, without writing them down first.”
THIRTY
“Hereby do I, William Howard Taft, solemnly affirm that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as a justice of the Supreme Court under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.”
—William Howard Taft, speaking the traditional oath at his swearing-in ceremony as justice of the Supreme Court, as administered by President Rachel Taft, March 2021
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not exist without the aid of numerous research texts, but two in particular: The William Howard Taft Presidency by Lewis L. Gould (which taught me what kind of president Taft was) and William Howard Taft: An Intimate History by Judith Icke Anderson (which taught me what kind of man Taft was). That said, any distortion of Taft’s character or accomplishments is wholly mine. And probably on purpose.
As for a bottomless well (pit?) of inspiration, I owe everything to our collective benefactor, bogeyman, savior, and specter: the American two-party political system. Long may she waver.
Mostly, though, I’d like to express my everlasting gratitude to my editor, Stephen H. Segal. Taft 2012 was his mad idea, and his patience, passion, and inspired input made it all possible. Thanks, Stephen, for letting me babysit your brainchild. This book is as much yours as it is mine.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JASON HELLER is a journalist, author, and editor whose work has appeared frequently in The A.V. Club, Alternative Press, Weird Tales, Fantasy Magazine, Clarkesworld, Tor.com, and numerous papers in the Village Voice Media chain. He is the author of The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook (2011) and a contributor to the A.V. Club book Inventory (2009). Taft 2012 is his first novel. He lives in Denver, Colorado.
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