WENDELL BRODSKY LOOKS ABOUT SEVENTEEN but is probably in his early twenties. He has that semi-distracted manner Erica notices in a lot of people his age—they never fully engage because they never fully disengage from their phones, pads, apps, and laptops. They may be talking to you, but you sense you’re just an interruption from their real lives, which are lived online. Even their experiences—climbing mountains, eating at quirky restaurants, chasing tornados, lolling at exotic beaches—become secondary to the documenting and instantly sharing of the experience. Life isn’t meant to be lived, it’s meant to be recorded. Where will it all end?
Wendell stands there, awkward, not making eye contact, shuffling a little.
“This young man is a genius,” Sturges says, patting him on the back. “He’s tracking every voter in the state.”
“We’re putting together the most comprehensive database ever constructed. By the use of extensive online and phone polling, and Internet data-sweeping that mines their interests and previous votes, we are able to determine who will . . .” Wendell looks at Mary Bellamy. “Am I allowed?”
“Erica and Gloria know about the recall. Off the record.”
“Do you think it will pass?” Erica asks.
“Gubernatorial recalls are notoriously difficult. There have only been two successful ones in American history. Oddly, the first one was right here in North Dakota in 1921; the second was in 2003 when California voters recalled Gray Davis,” Wendell says. “It’s going to be tough. The numbers are against us at the moment. This is a traditional state. Convincing its citizens to embrace radical change is going to take some doing.”
“So, will you be able to pull it off?” Gloria asks.
There’s a pause. Both Sturges and Wendell look to Mary Bellamy. She smiles coyly. “We have a secret weapon.”
“Which is?” Erica asks.
“Now, if I told you it wouldn’t be secret, would it?” Mary says. “However, I will reveal it during our interview on Spotlight.”