betsy Hartmann

What if the current administration declared a state of emergency, creating a media news blackout and suspending the presidential election just to stay in power? Author Betsy Hartmann explores this possibility (don’t put it past the current administration) in her latest political thriller Deadly Election.  She sat down with Air America for an interview.

TIM EINENKEL: With the election less then a week away, how does Deadly Election figure now?

BETSY HARTMANN: Deadly Election is a political thriller about a right-wing administration in Washington that finally crosses the line between democracy and dictatorship and moves to suspend the presidential election.  I wrote the book out of very real fears that this could happen given the Bush administration’s concerted attacks on civil liberties and the separation of powers post 9/11.

TIM EINENKEL: Where did you get the idea for the book?

BETSY HARTMANN: My interest in this story was sparked by something I heard about five years ago.  A friend told me that he’d heard the Nixon administration held focus groups to assess how the public would react to the declaration of a state of emergency and the suspension of elections. I was never able to verify the truth of this story, but it gave me the idea for the book.  It didn’t seem so implausible given the way the Republicans stole the 2000 election and possibly the 2004 one as well.

TIM EINENKEL: Is there a reason you choose to have the fictional administration eligible for reelection as opposed to a lame duck administration?

BETSY HARTMANN: That’s an interesting question.  The plot would definitely have to be different.  Would the Republican presidential candidate be in cahoots with the lame duck administration or not?  There would probably be more focus on tensions within the Republican party.  One might develop a plot where the Republican candidate is trailing far behind in the polls and the lame duck administration realizes he/she is going to lose and they’re not willing to sacrifice their power base.  Or perhaps the Republican candidate is a reformer who is going to hold them accountable. I chose the other plot because I wanted to have the actual president as the candidate, to focus in on his relationship with his chief advisor.

TIM EINENKEL: Why did you choose to write a novel as opposed to
non-fiction?

BETSY HARTMANN: Aside from the political message I wanted to convey, I thought this would make a great story.  In a political thriller you can use your imagination to heighten reality, to present dangers to democracy in an entertainingly scary way that raises people’s consciousness. You can alert people to what could happen in a worst case scenario. 

I’ve also written another thriller, The Truth About Fire (Carroll & Graf 2002), about the threat posed by neo-Nazis and Christian Right extremists.  I like the vehicle of fiction because it allows you to explore the diverse motivations of your characters, to get inside their heads.  I enjoyed getting to know the main villain in “Deadly Election” and also the moderate Supreme Court justice who is one of the heroes of the book.  I like setting all the characters in motion and letting them develop the story as they interact.  In a sense I don’t control them, they control me. I write non-fiction too, but it’s a different process-- not nearly as much fun!

TIM EINENKEL: Do you think your book could become reality this year?

 BETSY HARTMANN: I am cautiously hopeful that the election will go well and Obama will win by a significant margin. But as they say, it’s not over ’til it’s over. I used to be worried that the Bush administration would attack Iran either to boost McCain’s numbers or as a rationale to declare an emergency and suspend elections.  I think the economic crisis has precluded that, although this Sunday’s incursion into Syria is very troubling and may signal that the administration has something up its sleeve. (In my novel the U.S. is occupying Syria). I also continue to worry about the very real prospect of a terrorist attack--after all, Bin Laden would benefit from a McCain victory--or an attempt on Obama’s life.  

Most likely, the Republicans will try to steal the election through voter fraud and intimidation as they have in the past--Obama needs to win big to prevent this from affecting the outcome. What we also need to remember is that even if we wake up on November 5 to a resounding Obama victory, the task remains to dismantle the police state architecture the Bush administration has put in place.  This includes the Patriot Act and the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive as well as the increasing role of the military in domestic law enforcement.  The recent news that a Brigade Combat Team returned from Iraq has joined the Northern Command to help with civil unrest and crowd control in the event of natural or manmade emergencies in the U.S. should send shivers down our collective spine.  Civil liberties haven’t been high on Obama’s list of priorities – sustained public political pressure will be needed to undo what Bush and Cheney have done.

TIM EINENKEL: What kind of story would a McCain/Palin administration inspire, do you think?

BETSY HARTMANN: Sarah Palin is a testament to the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction.  If you created her as a character, you would probably be criticized for being too far-fetched.  I suppose you could write a novel where a VP like her takes over after the president dies (perhaps she arranges his demise) and it’s the final death knell of the American empire. The story could employ dark humor – moose hunts and witch hunts as “spiritual warfare” spreads through the land.  A kind of Doctor Strangelove II, only this time it’s a woman’s finger on the nuclear button. 


TIM EINENKEL: If McCain wins, could there be a sequel to Deadly Election?

BETSY HARTMANN: I haven’t thought of writing a sequel and hope I don’t have to, but I could follow my character Lisa (a courageous young senatorial aide) into the next round of the political battle.

TIM EINENKEL: What else would you like to say about Deadly Election?

BETSY HARTMANN: I hope people buy and enjoy the book – I wrote it to be an exciting, quick read.  If all goes well on November 4, then people can also read it with relief – thank god this didn’t happen.  But it still could if we don’t restore civil liberties and the separation of powers. I hope the book serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of creeping authoritarianism and an imperial presidency.   Please pass the word.  It’s hard to get much notice for progressive books in the increasingly commercialized and controlled literary marketplace. If you want to find out more about me and the book, please visit my website at http://www.BetsyHartmann.com.

TIM EINENKEL: If you were writing the end of this election season as a
thriller, how would it go?

BETSY HARTMANN: I think I’m too on edge at this point to go there.  I don’t want to imagine the terrible things that could happen because there is still a chance that they will.  In the meantime it’s thrilling enough to imagine Obama winning by a landslide.  Let’s hope it comes true and work to make it happen.