Aimee is sitting in the living room staring at her phone.
Victoria: Aimee, aren’t you going to help us decorate the tree?
Dave: Yeah, babe, you always love putting ornaments on it.
Aimee: I think “love” is overselling it. I do it for the kids.
Victoria: Not for me?
Aimee: You, too… I guess.
Victoria: Thank you. Now get up and decorate!
Aimee: I’m just panicking right now.
Victoria: What are you panicking over? You’re not supposed to panic at Christmas!
Dave: I would push back on that. Panic and stress are deeply engrained in the fabric of Christmas.
Aimee: Especially for me! But I’m not panicking about Christmas. Tomorrow is the day the Republican conference is voting on whether or not they’ll remove me as chair.
Victoria: If they do it, I say you switch parties!
Aimee: Oh, do you? Good to know I’ve got my marching orders.
Victoria: I’m jut saying, you’re incredibly centrist, most Republicans don’t even see you as a Republican. The Republicans are a super-minority in the Senate right now, and they still don’t appreciate what they’ve got with you, and you’re probably not winning another term as a Republican. If they fully kick you to the curb, you shouldn’t offer them blind loyalty.
Aimee: Good advice… from a Democrat.
Victoria: The only agenda I have is wanting the best for my niece. I can’t stand to see these people mistreat you.
Dave: What’s on the phone? You keep staring at it.
Aimee: Denise is texting me updates on what to expect for tomorrow. So far, I know Janie Emmer is leading the charge to get me removed and Maurine Jordan, John Springer and Wilson DeFord are all siding with her. So that’s four votes to remove. There are thirty-nine votes in all. I need to get twenty senators on my side.
Victoria: They won’t do this to you so close to Christmas, will they?
Aimee: I don’t think they really care about ruining my Christmas. They don’t exactly like me. They don’t think I deserve my job.
Victoria: Well that is just rotten.
Aimee: Yeah. Yeah, it is.
The next day…
Denise: Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas, Aimee!
Aimee: It’s three weeks away, Denise.
Denise: But the tree is up! That means I’m in the spirit now.
Aimee: I wish I could be in the spirit. Unfortunately, I’m being censored or believe in freedom of speech, ironically enough.
Denise: From what I hear, it’s looking very good for you. The appetite isn’t there to replace a party leader and draw attention to party infighting.
Aimee: So I’m only staying because it’s inconvenient to oust me?
Denise: That’s just one reason. A lot of them agree with you, too. Not everyone is a complete /Delphy sycophant like Janie Emmer. Still, it’s close. Go in and make your case, and explain why you deserve your position - because you certainly do!
Aimee: I’m just confused, I guess. What did I even do to warrant this vote? Why is Greg letting it happen at all?
Denise: When a certain number of senators request an ouster of a party leader, it’s not optional for the vote to be brought up. Usually, they wait to ensure it’ll be successful, but these aren’t the brightest people.
Aimee: So who do I certainly have on my side?
Denise: Obviously Lynette and Alec. Harry, Olivia, Sharon, Persephone - all the more moderate members are with you. Geraldine seems to still be on your side.
Aimee: Seems?
Denise: She’s noncommittal. I think she wants to see where the caucus stands at-large before taking any side on the issue.
Aimee: A fair-weather friend, then?
Denise: She has a position of her own to protect. It’s not personal.
Aimee: The whole thing feels pretty personal!
Denise: It isn’t for her.
Aimee: So I have six guaranteed on my side. Plus myself is seven. One maybe I need a majority - twenty-one. Who else is there?
Denise: I forgot Liza! She’s with you.
Aimee: Thirteen away.
Denise: Look, you trusted me to give you an accurate look at how it’s gonna go over the weekend, and I’ve been following this much more closely than you. You have the votes. You’re going to be okay. There are only six confirmed votes against you - Emmer, Jordan, Springer, DeFord, Campbell and Barnum. Everyone else is up in the air, and that’s after a vigorous campaigning against you from Janie, who just desperately wants your job. The belief is that everyone that’s not a confirmed yes at this stage is a no.
Aimee: Hard to take much comfort in vague “beliefs.”
Denise: Can you at least take a bit of comfort in my festive holiday pin?
Aimee: Not right now, no.
Denise: Maybe after you win the vote.
Aimee: Maybe.
Two hours later, at the Senate Republican Conference meeting…
Greg: We’re here today due to a petition started by Senator Emmer of Iowa that received the necessary number of co-signatories to force a vote of no confidence in our conference chair, Senator Ferrera Donahue of Washington. After giving the chair a chance to defend her position, we’ll open it up to general commentary from anyone that has something to add before we vote via secret ballot on whether or not to remove her from her position. Senator Ferrera Donahue?
Aimee: Look, I won’t beg. I think I’ve done nothing worthy of losing my position. I know several of you are of the belief I’m not conservative enough to be conference chair, or even to call myself a Republican, and nothing I can say now will change your minds. I will say, though, that I hope those of you not of that belief won’t enable the extremists seeking to further divide our party. I stood up for free speech and justice. The general public was on my side, they took the side of Eddie Marver, and he got his job back because of it. He only lost it due to threats from the President and the FCC chair, a clear infringement of free speech. We owe it to this country to stand up for free speech and tyranny, even when it’s coming from our own party. I don’t deserve to be ousted for fulfilling my moral duty to stand up for free speech. Ousting me would send this party down a dark path towards censorship and tyranny, and it would tarnish our long-held claim to being a party that believes in defending freedom and protecting free speech. I’m just one person, but this vote is about our party. Don’t vote to throw away decades of work in defense of free speech because one man told you to do it. I’ve said my peace, I’ll accept my fate regardless.
Greg: Would anyone else like to speak up?
Janie: I would!
Greg: Senator Emmer, of course. You’re free to share your view.
Janie: Senator Ferrera Donahue is not a Republican. She is not an advocate of conservative values. She is a Democrat Trojan horse, sent by the bluest of blue states to make this party more liberal. She stood up on the Seante floor under false pretenses to defend a man so liberal, he should be investigated to see if he’s on the DNC payroll. In doing so, she attacked our president and our party. She doesn’t represent our party, and she sure as heck doesn’t represent me. We can do better, and we’ll never regain our footing if we don’t try. That’s all I have to say.
Greg: Anyone else want to speak?
Geraldine: I would.
Greg: All right, our whip, senator McAllister.
Geraldine: I’ve been biting my tongue, because I think everyone’s got the right to feel how they want about how we run the conference, but I have to stick up for my friend here. Senator Ferrera Donahue is a loyal Republican, even if she does cross party lines often. She works to elect members of the party, she works to defend our values, and that’s what she did in making that speech. I watched her with pride as she stood up for my long-held belief that a government has no right to suppress anyone’s free speech. That anyone is trying to oust her from her position for believing in free speech is complete horse crap - pardon the language. I’ve never seen anything as ridiculous as this, and I’ve worked in politics for three decades. That’s all I have to say.
Greg: Anyone else care to speak?
One hour later…
Greg: All right, the votes are counted. We have thirty votes in favor of keeping Senator Ferrera Donahue in her position, nine votes against, and one abstention. She will remain chair.
Later that day…
Lynette: To Aimee!
Aimee: This is a wonderful Christmas present. I was sure I was toast.
Alec: Geraldine really went to bat for you. She seems quite fond of you.
Carolyn: I’m fond of you, too. Don’t forget I was fond of you before any of these other people!
Lynette: Is Carolyn jealous?
Alec: Reminder that no one did less to defend Aimee than Carolyn!
Carolyn: I’m not in the Senate.
Alec: That’s beside the point.
Gwen: I’m not a Republican, but I stood up for her. I went on The View to talk about how she was being mistreated.
Carolyn: I’m sure that’s what convinced everyone to let her stay conference chair.
Gwen: It couldn’t’ have hurt. I’m a very persuasive speaker.
Aimee: It really didn’t hit me until I lost it how much I love this job. I just feel so grateful. The Christmas spirit is flowing through my veins. God is so good!
Alec: Oh no, is this going to turn her into a holy roller?
Aimee: No! I love Jesus, but not like that. I go to mass on Easter and Christmas Eve and that’s good enough for me. I’m jut in a very, very good mood. It makes me want to do good for others.
Lynette: Do you not generally want to do good for others?
Aimee: Yes, but this makes me want to go above and beyond to spread Christmas cheer.
Carolyn: Oh boy.
The next day…
Denise: Aimee, the office looks incredible! When did you decorate?
Aimee: I got in early this morning!
Denise: This is really something! You even decorated the tree!
Aimee: I felt the place needed some cheering-up!
Denise: Well, consider me cheered.
Aimee: Also, I brought fresh Christmas cookies for everyone!
Denise: Does that include me?
Aimee: I said everyone! Of course that includes you!
Denise: I prefer chocolate chip, but I do love a nice iced sugar cookie.
Aimee: Take your pick! I baked plenty for everyone! And I do mean everyone. There are five hundred cookies in here.
Denise: When did you find the time to do this? That is… so many cookies.
Aimee: Last night!
Denise: When last night?
Aimee: When I got home! I was in such a good mood, I had the energy to just get right to baking! I stopped for supplies after work! Aunt Victoria is already in a sugar coma. Now if you excuse me, I have to go deliver these cookies to my colleagues!
Aimee walks down the hallway handing out cookies to her colleagues.
Aimee: Mildred, care for a cookie?
Mildred: Did you make it?
Aimee: Yeah!
Mildred: I find’t know you baked!
Aimee: I don’t usually, but don’t let that dissuade you from trying them.
Mildred: No, I’ll definitely have one. They look great!
Alma: Can I have a cookie?
Aimee: Will she choke on them?
Mildred: She’ll be fine.
Aimee: You certainly can have one, alma! Merry Christmas!
Alma: Happy Easter, Virginia!
Aimee: Who is Virginia?
Mildred: Uh, her maid.
Aimee: I’m gonna go.
Mildred: I understand.
Aimee: Janie! Merry Christmas!
Janie: Don’t gloat.
Aimee: No gloating. I bring a peace offering.
Harry: Don’t mind if I do.
Aimee: Take all you want!
Janie: I’ll take them all, then. The can, too.
Aimee: Not that many.
Janie: So much for a peace offering.
Aimee: You are an absolute Scrooge, and I hope you can find happiness one day.
Persephone: You tell her, Aimee!
Janie: I prefer when you were too scared to talk!
Aimee: Merry Christmas, Persephone. You Greeks do celebrate Christmas, right?
Persephone: Of course. It’s our second-most-important holiday, after Zeus Day.
Aimee: Really? Never knew that!
Persephone: No, I’m just joking around.
Later that day…
Aimee: Dave, Vic, get in the car! We’re going to look at Christmas lights!
Victoria: Tonight? Wow, you’ve really been taken by the Christmas spirit.
Aimee: It comes just once a year. We best appreciate it.
Victoria: I agree. You just never have before!
Aimee: I think it’s important to just truly take in life’s moments. It goes by fast!
Dave: Honey, are you okay? You’re operating on like two hours of sleep after all the baking.
Aimee: I’m just infatuated with Christmas! I can’t help but go all-out.
Dave: This is like when someone has a near-death experience and then tries to life life to the fullest, except you only nearly lost your leadership position.
Aimee: It just makes you appreciate life more.
Dave: I’m sure it does;.
Three weeks later…
Cherie: Aimee! Merry Christmas!
Aimee: Merry Christmas, mom! I am so grateful for you, and I think my gifts this year will reflect that.
Cherie: What?
Aimee: You all deserve the absolute finest gifts. You are so special to me.
Kimmy: Thank you! I feel special.
Ernesto: I haven’t seen you enjoy Christmas like this in years
Aimee: Well, I’m a very grateful woman and my spirits are high.
Ernesto: I’m happy to see it, no explanation needed!
Kimmy: You got me a car?
Aimee: I sure did!
Kimmy: Oh my god. A car!
Cherie: Honey, she doesn’t have a drivers license.
Kimmy: That’s fine. I’ll learn now!
Cherie: Well, it’s a very merry Christmas indeed.
Dave: Trust me... it gets old after a while.
What did you think of this episode of Evergreen Aimee? Let us know in the comments and make sure to read a new episode next week!
