Nair set the general direction for Wilkie: maintain a limited distance from the Republican Party. In these two years, when the Republican Party is widely despised, Wilkie shouldn't publicly engage in Republican matters or think about jumping into politics immediately. These two years should be used to build a good reputation and earn the support and recognition of the voters.
It was akin to the modern strategy of "build high walls, store grain, and delay claiming the throne."
So, for any political office, Wilkie had no plans for the time being. This was mainly to ensure that he remained clean and unscathed, so that his political opponents couldn't use anything against him when it came time for the election.
As for other Republicans running for mayor of New York, Wilkie didn't care about that at all. Their goals were different, and Wilkie didn't even want to be the mayor of New York. He had his eyes on a much bigger position—the presidency. New York City mayor wasn't even in the running.
"Could Mr. Fiorello be a potential ally?" Nair had some ideas. If Wilkie could help Fiorello in his bid for New York City mayor, then when Wilkie ran for president, Fiorello would be obliged to return the favor, right?
Nair mainly remembered that this future head of the UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration had served as mayor of New York for twelve years, spanning the entire duration of World War II. With his help, campaigning in New York in the future would be much easier.
"Well... I've only met him a few times at industry association dinners, just a casual acquaintance, and I didn't even get his phone number," Wilkie said, although he wasn't sure why Nair was asking about him, he answered truthfully.
Fiorello was also a lawyer, but not specializing in taxes and contracts, so Wilkie wasn't particularly familiar with him. Their interactions had been few, and he probably couldn't even recall what he looked like.
"Since Mr. Fiorello is interested in running for New York City mayor, why not do him a favor and assist a little? If he wins, it'll only benefit you. Even if he doesn't win, it's still a good opportunity to understand the electoral situation and see how the voters in New York are distributed."
"I'll think about it..." Wilkie nodded.
He wasn't rejecting Nair's suggestion, but he realized that he didn't know Fiorello well at all. If he suddenly approached him with an offer to help him run for mayor, Fiorello would just be suspicious. Even if they were both Republicans, it wouldn't be enough. He needed a middleman.
The ideal middleman would be someone who had a strong reputation within the Republican Party, someone who could be accepted by all factions—left, center, and right. Like Hake from Yes, Minister, someone easygoing and likable, someone everyone would want to win over when it came time to form a new government.
"Do you know anyone who can introduce us?" Nair wasn't in a hurry. He wanted Wilkie to start using the political connections and resources he'd built up over the years.
"Got it!" Wilkie suddenly thought of someone.
"Who?"
"Taft!"
"Taft?"
Nair's mind immediately conjured the image of a 320-pound man who had fallen asleep during a speech as a Supreme Court Justice. This was the same guy who had been both president and chief justice, and who had probably passed away by now.
It was only last year that Nair had heard the sad news on the radio about the death of William Howard Taft (1857–1930), a beloved son of America. The newspapers even dedicated an entire page to it.
"It's his eldest son, Robert Alfonso Taft (1889–1953). He used to be a congressman from Ohio. He failed in his bid for the Senate last time and is now practicing law."
Wilkie briefly introduced Taft, explaining that since his father had passed away, they didn't need to refer to him as "young Taft" anymore. Robert had served three terms as a congressman in Ohio from 1920 to 1926 and was a Republican spokesman.
Because he had been a congressman, he knew Fiorello, who was also a congressman at the time. As relatively conservative and moderate politicians, they shared similar political views, both leaning toward the center-right. Before Pearl Harbor, they were both isolationists, opposed to entering the war.
Once Pearl Harbor happened, they both supported Roosevelt's decision to fight. Of course, as members of the opposing party, they had also blocked some of Roosevelt's New Deal proposals.
However, they supported Roosevelt's ideas on projects for low-income housing, increasing subsidies for public education, and ensuring funding for compulsory education. They weren't willing to oppose such initiatives simply because of party rivalry.
To be fair, when they agreed with something, they supported it, and when they disagreed, they had no problem publicly opposing Roosevelt. They were capable politicians. In a Republican Party filled with aging incompetents, these two weren't necessarily superstars, but they were definitely among the better talents.
"Are you familiar with Mr. Taft?" Nair was surprised by Wilkie's connection to such a high-profile figure.
"Pretty well. We met when he worked at the Food Administration. After I retired from the army and became a lawyer, I worked with him as a legal consultant," Wilkie said.
The two had shared some professional overlap, working together for a number of years. After Taft became a congressman, he was more focused on entering politics, and that's when they parted ways.
Now, Taft was in New York, working as a legal consultant after his defeat in the last mid-term election. He was both earning a living and raising funds for his next campaign.
Earlier, Wilkie had used Taft's influence in the judicial system to buy land at a low price. After all, his father, William Howard Taft, was a former chief justice, and his grandfather, Alfonso Taft, had been the 34th U.S. Secretary of War. The Taft family had significant influence in the legal world, and their connections were strong.
"If you can, arrange a dinner and just chat, get to know him," Nair said. There was no need to overcomplicate things. Wilkie's connections would make it easier.
Having Taft act as a middleman and inviting Fiorello for a meal would be a good first step. For now, they should just meet and see if they can get along. If they could, they might become good friends.