Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [2329]

I AM MUCH EXCITED, despite my better judgment. We are in Exhibition Hall. On the platform sit various party leaders. None of the candidates is visible. Apparently, they never are during a convention. They stay at home, awaiting the people’s summons. — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 2329

Note

The imagery of the candidate’s absence creates a sense of anticipation and irony in the political atmosphere, engaging the reader’s curiosity about what is to come.