Chapter 473: The Lame Duck

At this very moment, media outlets worldwide were on a frenzy, their front pages unanimously displaying the same phrase:
"The Red Tide!"
The Communist Party's victory wasn't a minor one, nor a narrow one; it was a crushing defeat!
As for the ruling Democratic Party?
They were utterly humiliated on their home turf, losing everything.
The entire party was in complete chaos, a veritable cacophony of blame-shifting among the top brass, reportedly audible even across the Pacific.
Fanghuan Investment, in the meeting room.
"Logically, in the US midterm elections, the Democratic Party usually has a better chance of winning, since they control the resources.
But this time, the opposition has launched a full-scale attack, leaving the Democratic Party utterly defeated. This kind of scene is rare, even after many years.
No wonder they're now like a swarm of bees, buzzing and scrambling in chaos."
"The main reason is that the Silicon Valley Bank bombshell; its power was just too overwhelming."
"Exactly! The opposition has struck gold this time, and they're like hungry wolves eyeing their prey, relentlessly pursuing it.
Add to that the 'Qatargate' scandal in Europe, and they've managed to pin the blame squarely on the Democratic Party, launching a textbook-perfect media campaign—a series of powerful moves that have proven remarkably effective."
Most fatally, the Democratic Party hasn't even had a chance to fight back.
With the election just around the corner, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, instantly wiping out countless fortunes and triggering a financial turmoil that affected countless people, leaving widespread devastation.
The Democratic Party had no choice but to bear the blame, whether it wanted to or not.
They could only watch helplessly as their approval ratings plummeted.
"So now... is the political landscape in the US about to change?"
"More than just a change! With this resounding victory for the Republicans, Eden's core government is essentially sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, not far from its end.
Don't be fooled by his two-year term; now the entire Capitol Hill, from top to bottom, is covered in Republican flags—it's become their backyard!
What can he possibly do?"
There's a term in political science called "lame duck."
It refers to a leader whose power is effectively usable near the end of their term, whose words are meaningless, whose policies are stagnant, and who has essentially entered a "garbage time."
In layman's terms from the East, he's like a retired senior official who, aside from attending meetings, drinking tea, and reading newspapers, can't do anything productive.
But the problem now is that President Eden's situation isn't just a "lame duck"—it's more like a "vegetable duck"!
"The political system in the US is all about the separation of powers, with the president and Congress checking and balancing each other.
But now, both the Senate and the House have been completely overthrown, swept aside by the Republicans.
That's it. From now on, the Democrats will have to consider their approval to pass any legislation; it's basically hopeless.
Of course, this election didn't completely wipe out the Democrats; at least some sparks remained.
But if those Republicans are determined to sabotage him, even if Eden is made of iron, how many nails can he crush?"
Listening to his research colleagues' analysis, the traders in the office erupted in a flurry of discussion.
"I remember those Communists have been eyeing Aiden for years, haven't they?"
"Absolutely! Especially that scumbag son of his, accusing him of using his father's presidential power to give special treatment to his own company.
The Communists are harping on it, threatening to impeach him."
"Wow, they can really impeach him?"
"Not really. The threshold for impeachment is ridiculously high; succeeding is harder than climbing to heaven.
But who can't be disgusting?
They could use 'impeachment' as a pretext to hold daily denunciation rallies on Capitol Hill, turning the entire political scene into a mess.
They could make sure President Aiden can't get anything done, becoming nothing more than a mascot!"
Su Hao listened quietly, inwardly marveling at how the waters of American politics were indeed deeper and filthier than the Mariana Trench.
For a company, especially one of Fanghuan Investment's size, to completely sever ties with politics is nothing short of delusional.
But he had always kept his distance from that bottomless murky water.
He'd rather create a massive upheaval in the capital markets than step into that cutthroat arena.
"Let them deal with that mess themselves," Su Hao waved his hand, steer the conversation back on track. "This shouldn't trigger another financial crisis, right?"
Liu Bo immediately chimed in:
"Probably not. While the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank dragged down a few smaller companies, it's nothing compared to the subprime crisis of yesteryear.
Besides, Chairman Su, you personally intervened, injecting massive amounts of bailout funds and effectively suppressing the crisis.
The Communist Party will probably owe us a debt of gratitude."
Su Hao nodded.
"Who cares who comes to power or who goes down, as long as they don't interfere with Fanghuan Investment's profits, even if there's a raging fire outside, it's none of his business."
"Alright, let's move on. Next topic."
"Yes, Chairman Su, the next one is the main event.
That radical fund manager known as the 'Wall Street Barbarian,' Nelson Peltz, has publicly announced his intention to intervene in the 'Disney's' ownership dispute."
"Disney?" Su Hao raised an eyebrow.
If you were to ask who the uncrowned king of the world's media and entertainment industry is today,
there's only one answer—Disney.
This behemoth, through a series of incredibly aggressive acquisitions, has practically seized control of Hollywood's box office revenue; it's no exaggeration to say it controls Hollywood's lifeline.
It also owns ABC, one of the three major broadcasting companies in the US, and ESPN, the absolute hegemon in sports broadcasting.
Of course, what resonates most deeply globally is Disneyland, hailed as "the happiest place on Earth."
“However, Disney hasn’t been having a good time lately,” Liu Bo continued, reporting.
“A few years ago, Disney’s market capitalization once broke through the $400 billion mark, enjoying immense success.
But look at it now, the stock price has plummeted, crashing to $160 billion—more than halved!”
In 2019, Disney reached its peak thanks to its superhero movies.
In 2021, riding the wave of the launch of its own streaming platform, Disney+, its market capitalization reached a ceiling of 400 billion.
However, reality delivered a resounding slap in the face.