Patrick brings up something that has been portrayed in excellent hardboiled and noir books, namely, how people climb up the ladder politically. The Manchurian Candidate is a great example. The late George Higgins dealt with it at various levels, as did Ross Thomas and James Ellroy. The cynicism is total... And yes, it's about being known, no matter for what. The spirit of Edward Bernays, the evil genius, lives on... In practical terms, Bernays was bigger than his uncle Freud.
I expect that quite a few crime writers are busy right now collecting info for novels on the disaster. Political figures will certainly be part of this new wave... how could they not be? Fertile ground for great characters, I would say.
Known for being known, that's what we have! Leaders out of noise and hot air.
Best,
mrt
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