I became a son-in-law in the United States

Chapter 103 A desperate battle

In terms of strength, even ten old Josephs couldn't defeat the Lowell family. After all, they are the kings of Boston, with generations of established connections and a complex web of relationships. It's not something that can be won in a short time.

But old Joseph was a stubborn and savage fellow who was willing to offer his loyalty in exchange for Lomasny's support.

With this key boss, the previously ambiguous situation on Old Joseph's side gradually became clear.

Currently, Lowell has basically secured control of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End, and parts of South Boston. These are traditional WASP enclaves, and also include many mid-level Onsa residents.

This segment of voters alone could account for about 30%-40% of the total electorate.

Joseph Sr. was not to be outdone. With the support of the mob, he quickly won over Dorchester, Roxbury, Dorchester and parts of East Boston. These voters were mostly middle-class and working-class, accounting for nearly 40% of the total.

In other words, both of them did their best to secure their own core support bases, resulting in a near tie in votes and making it difficult to determine a winner for the time being.

Therefore, the current situation is crystal clear: whoever wins those swing districts first will ultimately determine the outcome of this election.

In Boston, the traditional swing areas include parts of the southern end, South Boston, and the Jamaica Plain.

These areas have diverse communities, including Irish and other ethnic groups, and are key bargaining chips for both sides to win over.

Old Joseph had intended to talk to them one by one, perhaps visiting each household, but when he actually arrived at their door, he was surprised to find that Lowell had already come.

That evening, by the time old Joseph returned home, it was already late at night.

The butler was waiting early and served hot tea and snacks. Old Joseph didn't say a word and went straight to his study.

Mrs. Rose, seeing this, also came up in her nightgown. Seeing that her husband's complexion was not good, she couldn't help but worry.

"What's wrong, darling?" Mrs. Ross poured him a glass of whiskey and placed it in front of him. "How's the campaign going?"

As the daughter of the former mayor of Boston, Mrs. Rose knows all too well how elections work, especially grassroots elections, which are basically about forming cliques and promising benefits before anything else can be said.

She wasn't worried about her husband's finances; the Kennedy family had ample cash reserves. But she was concerned about Joseph's health; no one could sustain this for long.

Old Joseph put down his coffee, took a sip of whiskey, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said:

"The situation is not good. Lowell is moving quickly and has already secured support from Back Bay, Lighthouse Hill, and the South End, communities that have issued statements today."

"That's to be expected," Ross said, sitting down across from him and smiling as she analyzed the situation for her husband. "They've always been the people there; they've never supported us Irish."

"That's not all," old Joseph said, taking another sip of his drink before letting out a soft sigh.

"Several communities on the Italian side have also expressed their support for Lowell. In addition to these, there is a list of unions, and some members have switched sides in the past few days. I had just won over some swing districts, and the wind has changed again."

Hearing her husband say this, Mrs. Rose frowned slightly, and her skirt creased slightly.

She was familiar with the ways of politics and knew what the current situation meant; perhaps things were more cruel than her husband had described.

The continuous defection of people can only mean one thing: the Lowell family has promised even greater benefits.

The family's offensive, as precise as a set of gears, is gradually eroding old Joseph's advantage.

First, there's the war of public opinion.

Especially during this period, negative news about Joseph Sr. began to appear in the Boston Globe and the Christian Science Monitor.

All of these news reports focused on Joseph Sr.'s past scandals, from bootlegging during the old-school Turkey era to his own shady dealings in the stock market, all of which were thoroughly investigated.

These articles didn't directly insult anyone, but they conveyed one thing between the lines: Joseph Sr. was a bad person.

This is truly a malicious argument. Even if old Joseph did something dishonorable, it was definitely not as terrible as the newspapers made it out to be.

The most terrifying thing in this world is not lies, but nine parts truth and one part falsehood. But it is precisely that one part falsehood that is most deadly in the end.

Of course, the propaganda war is only the first step; the second step is to target Joseph's core support base.

Although he secured Lomasny's support, some other areas still showed signs of loosening.

Lowell has a powerful staff of highly efficient and swift individuals who visit business figures who are still hesitant.

Some were attempts to win them over, others were "reminds," but their underlying message was clear: who are the true protectors of Boston?

In this way, Lowell managed to scare away the centrists that old Joseph had worked so hard to win over with almost no effort.

Of course, the most lethal move by the opponent was the "joint statement" from the entire WASP community.

This statement was issued jointly by long-established clubs and community leaders with a history spanning over a century.

In this statement, the entire Boston WASP community clearly conveyed the message that we support Lowell!

The implication is that anyone who supports Joseph Sr. is openly going against the entire WASP community.

This is the most troublesome part.

Because these people don't give speeches or engage in street incitement, yet their influence can penetrate streets and walls, silently seeping into every corner of Boston.

One person nodded, and the others followed suit, as if the whole thing had been rehearsed long ago.

In Boston right now, no one dares to challenge the WASP, so it's understandable that Joseph Sr. can't win over these centrists.

"I also learned that Lowell privately promised to cut taxes for businesses, so they all support him."

"So this is the reason for the recent changes in the situation?"

"Pretty much," he said, then looked at his wife. "Ross, I have no way out. If I lose this election, our family is finished. The first thing that guy will do if he's elected is put me in jail..."

Mrs. Rose nodded; she too had sensed the urgency of the situation.

The balance that had been maintained suddenly turned one-sided; she had ultimately underestimated the power of the wealthy families.

After a moment, old Joseph put down his glass and sighed, "It seems we have to change our tactics."

Ross looked up at him: "What do you mean?"

Old Joseph was silent for a few seconds, then, remembering Luther's words, he finally made up his mind.

"The day after tomorrow," he said, "we'll have Gia take the stage."

Good morning, guys! It's Thursday, one more day off!