These past three months had been utterly brutal for Hillary.
Early nationwide polls showed Hillary Clinton's support rate far surpassing Donald Trump's 54% to 41%. She held clear advantages among women, Latino, African-American, and younger voters, and her negative ratings were significantly lower than Trump's.
But after the Email leak erupted, the situation took a sharp turn.
According to a May survey by Quinnipiac University in Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio, the two candidates were neck and neck.
By June, in Florida and Pennsylvania, Hillary led by only a single percentage point 43% to 42%.
By August, in Ohio, she was trailing by 4 points 39% to 43%.
The competitive pressure was immense. Under such strain, it wouldn't be surprising if Hillary truly became a crazy pervert.
Many wealthy people in the US were mentally unstable, often due to extreme material satisfaction leading to profound spiritual emptiness. Indeed, there existed a small subculture that found pleasure in cannibalism.
Don't think it's all just fiction from Hollywood movies; many plotlines are pieced together from snippets overheard at certain gatherings, containing elements of truth.
...
"Mother Fucker!" Bill Clinton cursed in his office.
His assistant had handed him a report. The data indicated that to completely turn the tide for Hillary, an estimated $1 billion in funding was needed.
Facing an unusual situation, for Hillary to win, she needed to campaign in more places, give more speeches, lobby for more media support... which all required more money. This was especially true for the Rust Belt states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Declining manufacturing there had bred a working-class white demographic extremely dissatisfied with the status quo, among whom Trump held significant appeal.
Although Hillary's Democratic Party had secured the "Rust Belt" in several previous elections, singing a victory song there this year wasn't impossible, but it would undoubtedly require spending considerable effort and money to smooth things over.
Clinton felt a pang of heartache, which led to a headache. He pressed his temples, frowning. "This is a fucking huge amount of money."
Just then, a pair of soft hands began massaging his temples. He looked up to see his assistant's bright face.
Motherfucker, these depressing matters can wait. Let me relieve some stress first.
The atmosphere in the office immediately shifted.
...
Lack of money wasn't just a problem for Hillary's team. Trump was also short on funds. During the primaries, he could largely self-fund his campaign, boasting of his independence from special interests.
But after entering the general election, he couldn't sustain it alone. He began fundraising through the Republican National Committee, and supporters established a "Super PAC" in his name to aid his campaign.
The guy even set his sights on Martin.
"Heh, Martin, my dear son-in-law, how have you been lately?"
"Wait, since when did I become your son-in-law?"
"Don't be like that. You and my daughter aren't married yet, but in my heart, I already consider you my son-in-law."
"Stop. What do you want? Spit it out."
"Hehehe, my son-in-law knows me well. I need some money!"
"Some? How much is 'some'?"
"$200 million? No, $300 million... or maybe $400 million?"
"Are you joking?"
"HAHAHA, how about $200 million then?"
"Are you joking?"
"$100 million?"
"Donald, I will host a fundraiser for you in Los Angeles. How much you can get depends on your skill. Personally, I'll contribute $5 million. And you'll owe me a favor."
"Deal! When is the dinner? I'll make those Hollywood stars cough up the cash!"
"When are you free?"
"This weekend?"
"Then this weekend it is."
...
Martin's fundraiser for Trump was a great success. The man's pockets were lined again, and his speaking demeanor was revitalized.
"I've made billions in business. I don't need money. Now, I want to make our country wealthy again." That's what Donald J. Trump said during his speech officially accepting the Republican presidential nomination on the evening of July 25th, US time.
Simultaneously, that major power in the distant, cold North decided to add fuel to Trump's campaign fire. There were things Trump found hard to say himself, but he could have others say them for him!
Thus, guided by certain interested parties, 27 economists from US polling agencies and universities, belonging to the Austrian School of economics, jointly wrote an open letter to Trump, urging a rebirth of free-market capitalism in the US.
The Austrian School is a branch of liberal economics, adhering to free-market competition principles, emphasizing that the best social order is a spontaneous one, and opposing interventionism. Leading figures in the Austrian School include Mises and Hayek.
This open letter carried a clear Austrian School stance. It explained the US economic stagnation over the past 20 years, attributing it to heavy government regulation stifling innovation. It listed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), federal marijuana prohibition, and the Federal Reserve's low-interest-rate monetary policy as "harmful economic policies."
In the letter, the 27 economists outlined seven proposals they believed Trump could adopt:
Completely repeal the Affordable Care Act. As you pointed out, any regulations hindering competition in the health insurance industry should be entirely abolished. Healthcare and insurance should be left to the market.
Replace lengthy, tiresome new international trade agreements with a simple, clear statement: Allow US companies (or consumers) to trade with any company (or consumer) anywhere in the world based on mutually agreeable terms.
You or Congress should immediately rescind marijuana's current federal Schedule I prohibited status. Policies regarding drugs and narcotics should be entirely left to the states. Ideally, the entire "War on Drugs" should be abolished, and the production and consumption of any "narcotic" by adults should be legalized.
Permanently fix the federal minimum wage at its current level or lower. Statutory minimum wages should be entirely determined by the states.
Reduce US corporate tax rates, making them the lowest among global industries. Ideally, corporate taxes should be completely abolished, as they constitute double taxation for corporate shareholders—who also pay taxes on dividends.
Use legislation to require the Federal Reserve to end all forms of quantitative easing and interest rate manipulation, currently primarily conducted through open market operations. Savings and investment interest rates should be determined by the market. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve's budget should be determined by congressional appropriation, like other federal departments or agencies.
Finally, as a solution to the financial crises and long-term economic stagnation we frequently encounter, a monetary system like the gold standard—providing a sound, market-based commodity currency to replace the current inflationary paper money—deserves serious consideration.
When the Ludwig von Mises Institute website published this open letter, it referred to these seven proposals as "The 7 Things Trump Must Do."