American History 1988
Chapter 217 - 211 My Idol

Chapter 217: Chapter 211 My Idol

The luxurious suite at the Fairmont Hotel was bustling as the Clintons, having traveled from afar, warmly shook hands and greeted every person in the room.

They knew that Arkansas was too far from the West Coast, and that most of the people here had likely never been there.

So the couple brought their sincerity to the table, humbly and kindly offering courtesy to everyone present.

Of course, Larry Stone, acting as the intermediary, was also introducing them to the guests of the evening.

"Dave Packard, the CEO of Hewlett-Packard," Larry stood between the two, making introductions.

"Actually, I’m about to head over to Apple," Baram said bluntly, scrutinizing the Democratic governor with an assessing gaze.

"The ’Apple Act’ was a remarkably correct decision; it allowed America’s children to master advanced technology at an early age."

Clinton smiled and shook hands with Baram, not minding the other’s subtle scrutiny and aloofness.

This gesture successfully made Baram take a second look at him; the governor apparently was not clueless about Silicon Valley.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Clinton."

Baram’s scrutinizing look slowly softened as he smiled and extended his own hand.

All right, just a greeting managed to make Baram feel acknowledged, a treatment he had not enjoyed from other politicians.

Especially the reference to the "Apple Act," it shifted the perspective of several people nearby towards the Governor of Arkansas.

The full name of the act was the "Technology Education Act of ’82," aimed at allowing the federal government to provide more funding to high schools and universities nationwide to promote computer education.

The proponent of this act was Jobs, whose motive was straightforward — to have schools in various states purchase more of Apple’s computers.

Therefore, among industry insiders, the act was also called the "Apple Act."

Although the act wasn’t ultimately implemented, its impact was profound.

In the nearly ten years that followed, over 55% of the computers purchased by schools across states were from Apple.

In addition, America’s tax system granted significant deductions to those companies that donated computers to higher education institutions.

The "Apple Act" might have failed, but the name was spot on; it laid a solid foundation for Apple’s monopoly in the education market.

Now Clinton’s use of this term at least showed he took this Silicon Valley visit very seriously, having done his homework beforehand.

This surprised those in Silicon Valley who typically stayed away from politics, and it also earned the Governor of Arkansas some goodwill.

Keenly sensing the room’s atmosphere was becoming more relaxed, our esteemed governor took the opportunity to deliver a brief speech.

Clinton smiled, sweeping his gaze across the room, "Coming to visit Silicon Valley is the most exciting thing for me recently.

Here, we have the smartest group of people in the world, who are not just changing lives, but also making immense contributions to the progress of this country.

This is why I’m here. I want to talk in person with these lovely people and hear their suggestions about technological development.

Now that I’m here, I can feel their kindness and their relentless pursuit of technology."

Wow—applause erupted, and each person offered their own enthusiasm.

They felt the sincerity of the Governor of Arkansas, who had a special gift.

Clinton could make the people he spoke with feel like the most important in the universe, even if just for a fleeting moment. This ability hit the bullseye in Silicon Valley.

The introductions continued, and by now, people were noticeably warmer toward the Clintons.

"Dean Price, the most charming entrepreneur in Silicon Valley." Larry Stone winked at everyone, smiling, "When I say charming, I don’t mean in terms of looks."

"Larry, actually, you didn’t need to explain so clearly; at least that way I can harbor some illusions," Dean responded humorously, eliciting more laughter from the room.

"Dean, may I call you that? It’s a pleasure to meet you," Clinton said, draping an arm over his shoulder, "Anthony told me you’re incredibly talented, and now I think you’re also humorously witty."

"Of course," Dean responded eagerly, "Mr. Kennedy is always so humble; it’s from him that I’ve truly benefitted."

"We’ve all been taken care of by him, and we’ll continue to help each other out in the future, right?" Clinton said in an easygoing tone.

"Yes," Dean silently raised an eyebrow, "we will support our own."

"Good, combined, we are strong," Clinton said, his smile easing slightly.

Seeing her husband getting along so well with Dean, Hillary was not only more amiable but even took the initiative to give Dean a friendly cheek-kiss.

The couple from Arkansas, now only a governor and spouse, was ready to seize any leverage to realize their dream of the White House.

Standing to the side, Larry Stone’s eyes brightened; he realized there seemed to be some common ground between them.

"Dean represents the new generation of Silicon Valley icons, reminding me of Jobs from the past.

And Bill is the Democratic Party’s most charismatic and potential contender. I’m sure you’ll enjoy fruitful exchanges," Stone said.

One moment he was lamenting his baseball tickets, but now he could sincerely admire Clinton’s excellence.

As a political broker, changing directions with the wind was his forte.

"OK, let’s talk more later. Maybe now, Bill, you’d like to share a few words with us; we are all eager to hear your political views," Stone suggested.

The focus of tonight’s event was Clinton, and Stone had everything arranged.

After greeting Dean, the couple made their way to the center of the room.

While others were distracted by conversations, Clinton leaned down and whispered to his wife.

"Hillary, everyone in this room is richer than us.

If they open their wallets, we’ll be one step closer to Washington."

"Be quiet, William—go and win them over!"

Hillary was smiling and nodding at the people around her while she pinched her husband’s arm forcefully.

Clinton, with a beaming smile, let go of her hand and made his way into the middle of the crowd.

"I was born in Arkansas, and when I was three months old, I lost my father..."

Although there were fewer than twenty people in the room, Clinton’s speech was still full of enthusiasm.

His gaze caught every person watching him, and he was eager to engage with them.

From the interaction between both sides, it was apparent that Clinton knew very little about technology, but he was willing to learn.

Hearing unfamiliar technical terms, Clinton even took out a notebook in public to jot them down and humbly asked the audience for explanations.

The people in the room offered their various opinions excitedly yet modestly, tirelessly enjoying the exchange.

Although Clinton had not yet publicly announced his candidacy, everyone knew the purpose of his presence there today.

The people in Silicon Valley are proud and self-respecting, and they particularly care about whether others appreciate their moments of glory.

Clinton’s presence satisfied their vanity, and he was certainly not a candidate who couldn’t distinguish between "chip" and "chip."

So everyone changed their attitude, and indeed, Clinton’s performance exceeded everyone’s expectations.

"Today, I am delighted to have met many knowledgeable individuals here, and your suggestions have been incredibly beneficial to me.

Especially Dean Price!" Clinton said with a smile, directing everyone’s gaze toward Dean in the crowd.

"He is a cool person, my idol!

He built the Byte Company today entirely on his own!

From the countryside of Ohio to the dazzling Silicon Valley of today, it’s a legend!

This is a perfect example of an ordinary person who started from scratch and ultimately realized the American dream."

Wow~, warm applause broke out again, but this time it was for Dean.

"Thank you," Dean said with a smile, nodding to those around him, accepting the mutual business admiration with grace.

Actually, it wasn’t just Clinton paying lip service; he genuinely admired self-made individuals.

This might be related to his unfortunate childhood experiences; as a poor boy from Arkansas, he craved success.

Dean’s shining path excited Clinton, while also filled him with admiration.

The brief speech that lasted just over ten minutes ended, and Clinton was immediately surrounded by the enthusiastic crowd of Silicon Valley.

They were eager to share their views, and the awkward relationship between the Old George Government and Silicon Valley intensified this desire.

While Clinton was being thronged by people, his political aide Smith was also busily moving through the crowd.

Don’t forget, the theme of today’s event was fundraising, and Smith needed to remember the names of these people.

Especially their intentions to donate, with some people pulling out checks on the spot while others were still watching.

"William has been looking forward to meeting you. He says you are the living American dream."

As her husband was tied up, Hillary, as his wife and partner, personally came over to socialize with Dean.

The living American dream? Dean was startled—those weren’t the words you should be saying.

"He is very charming," Dean tilted his head and greeted her, "Everyone likes him a lot."

"Bill connects with everyone around him, and perhaps it’s because of his Irish blood.

You know, the Irish are enthusiastic and patriotic; it’s a very charming quality."

There was admiration and pride on Hillary’s face as she spoke; look, my husband is of Irish descent.

"That’s true," Dean replied oddly, "the Irish-American community has always been an important part of America, playing significant roles in various positions."

"Like in the federal government and the business world," Hillary said, her glance at Dean carrying a subtle nuance.

"Excuse me for interrupting," Dean called out to Smith, who was passing by.

"Mr. Price?" Craig Smith looked at them, not needing to take extra note of Dean’s name, as it was an important target specified by Clinton’s team.

"This is a little support for the Governor," Dean said as he pulled out a checkbook and swiftly wrote down a string of numbers.

Standing beside him, Hillary glanced over and thump! She could almost hear her own heartbeat!

Hiss~, the light check was torn off.

"Oh, my goodness~" Smith was so surprised he could barely speak.

He had been circulating through the crowd for half the day, but most of the checks he received were in the range of twenty thousand US dollars, with some even less, just a few thousand.

Yes, this was the norm for a fundraising event.

Those transactions worth hundreds or thousands of millions of dollars seen in movies simply don’t happen.

Clinton hadn’t even secured the nomination yet, and giving ten thousand dollars was already considered a sky-high amount.

At many politicians’ fundraising events, each attendee typically only writes a check for a few hundred dollars.

Compared to those, the people here in Silicon Valley were already very generous, but all paled in comparison to Dean’s single check.

Two hundred thousand US dollars! Hillary’s palms were sweaty with excitement.

Lord~, this was the largest donation they had received to date.

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