Obama's campaign staff had always been curious about how Martin had managed to persuade those stubborn Alaskan officials to turn on Sarah Palin.
But Martin never told them. With no other choice, they buried their curiosity and moved on.
Meanwhile, even after her political backyard caught fire, Sarah Palin wasn't defeated—instead, she doubled down.
"I don't know why they're saying all this. Maybe it's because I'm a woman—and in their eyes, that makes me unworthy of such achievements?"
With just one sentence, she dispelled doubts from many women and drew even more support. After all, women are often emotional voters—easily swayed when a message resonates with their sense of shared experience.
At a campaign event for the Republican base, Palin wore a flowing black dress with minimal makeup. The outfit struck a balance between nurturing mother and professional woman—and she still had the charm of a beautiful, mature woman. She easily captured the audience's attention.
By contrast, Biden—too proud and too traditional—came off as a relic of the old establishment.
During her speech, Palin carefully avoided specifics about the "Bridge to Nowhere" controversy, repeating only: "I don't know why they're saying all this. Maybe it's because I'm a woman—and in their eyes, that makes me unworthy of such achievements."
She smoothly pivoted the narrative to one of gender conflict.
Then she launched into a long and passionate speech about collective responsibility and national unity. At one point, she even pretended to struggle with symptoms of her son's Down syndrome—portraying herself as a loving, self-sacrificing mother.
The performance was nothing short of masterful.
McCain's approval rating surged past Obama's once again.
Even Martin, watching the broadcast live from his home in Los Angeles, couldn't help but comment, "Damn, that woman is good."
"She's not old at all—Palin's only 43. She's amazing!" chimed in Lindsay her eyes glowing as she stared at the TV.
Not just Lindsay—Scarlett, Natalie, Jessica, Megan—all of them were just as captivated.
Clearly, Palin had massive appeal among women.
Obama still had a long and difficult road to the presidency.
…
But Obama's team wasn't going down without a fight.
The day after the McCain-Palin rally, a Swedish news outlet suddenly released a rare, never-before-seen video.
The footage, just 39 seconds long, showed Republican nominee John McCain during the Vietnam War, after being captured and later released as a POW.
In the video, McCain limped as he stepped off a bus alongside other prisoners. Though limping, he wasn't using a cane.
Later, the group lined up, and when McCain's name was called, he took a step forward, saluted a U.S. officer, and raised his fist.
The final scene showed an American jet speeding down a runway.
This video had cost Obama's team a fortune to obtain—it had come from a military museum in Vietnam. The one who found it? Martin—through a budget channeled via Angelina Jolie's team.
Angelina was still on her saintly streak, having adopted a Vietnamese child. During one of her visits, her team stumbled across the footage in a museum archive.
Fate, it seemed, had a sense of timing.
In the original timeline, Obama's team had also acquired this footage—but through a retired war journalist named Erik Erickson.
As for why it aired in Sweden? That was deliberate—to avoid suspicion.
Politics is built on illusion.
Sometimes, the more you deny something, the more people believe it's true. Just like Bill Clinton and the "Epstein Island" scandal—everyone knew he did it, but since he never admitted anything and no one had hard proof, what could they do?
…
"Sir, we found this in the office."
An agent handed Obama a small metallic object shaped like a button. It had been discovered inside the campaign headquarters.
Obama glanced at it. His expression darkened.
"This... a bug?"
"Yes, sir. It's a listening device."
"Goddammit. McCain's crossed the line—what a bastard!"
Obama flew into a rage. Gone was his usual warm and composed public persona.
Later that evening, Obama revealed the bugging incident to the press.
McCain's camp, of course, vehemently denied everything.
"This is slander!" McCain declared. "Neither I nor my team would ever do such a thing—not in the past, not now, not ever! That son of a bitch Obama is throwing dirt on my name!"
And thus, the mudslinging escalated.
Watching McCain's reaction on live TV from Los Angeles, Martin frowned.
With his devilish intuition for reading emotions, he couldn't help but think—This guy doesn't seem like he's lying...
…
Washington, D.C.
A stately mansion stood quietly on Hawthorne Street.
It was just three kilometers from the White House, nestled near the famed "Embassy Row" along Massachusetts Avenue.
The mansion, spanning over 5,500 square feet, was an impressive property in the heart of the capital's political district.
This was where Bill and Hillary Clinton lived.
Unlike most former presidents who left D.C. after their term, the Clintons had kept a permanent residence in the city—convenient for Hillary, since Bill's political career was long over.
They bought the house in 2000 for $2.85 million—a significant sum back then.
At the time, Hillary had explained, "When I was elected Senator in 2000, I knew we'd still need a place to live in D.C.—something discreet. So I started looking and found this home."
To her, this was a low-profile residence.
Compared to the White House, maybe...
Today, both Bill and Hillary were home.
Bill was swirling red wine in his glass. "What do you think of my idea? Everyone's so focused on Obama and McCain tearing each other apart, no one's paying attention to our daughter's connection to the Epstein Island scandal."
"That has nothing to do with me," Hillary replied coldly. "I wasn't involved. I didn't even know about it."
"Oh wow. That's our daughter you're talking about. You really are cold."
"Fuck off. I've done more than enough. I even let people spread rumors about me and Leonardo DiCaprio."
Hearing that, Bill burst into laughter.
"Shut up, you bastard," Hillary snapped.
Still chuckling, Bill said, "Oh my God—who in your team came up with that brilliant idea? You and Leonardo? Hahaha!"
"What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm not good enough for him?"
"No, no, darling—Leonardo's not good enough for you. Hahaha!"
"Fuck you!"
"OK!" Bill grinned.