Perrando Blog Two

          Willie Talos, governor of a still unnamed Southern state in the novel, All the King's Men, is not a Machiavellian figure.  Sure, he is a very devious and cunning man, one who would do anything, ranging from disguising his persona life as perfect to blackmailing those who mean to impeach him, in order to obtain his power.  Willie, however, is quite the opposite to Niccolo Machiavelli, the namesake of the word.  Willie is his own man, a person who doesn't like to be controlled by an outside force.  After finding out that his running was a scheme to detract votes from another candidate, Willie decided to take himself out of the runnings, and to support his previous political rival, in order to savage his self-respect and honor.  ""I'm resigning in favor of MacMurfee.  By God, everything I've said about MacMurfee stands and I'll say it again, but I'm going to stump this state for him.  Me and the other hicks, we are going to kill Joe Harrison so dead he'll never even run for dog-catcher in this State..."" (131).  This speech could have spelled the end to Willie's political career.  Not only was he removing himself from the ballot, but he was making jests at the expense of the other two candidates, creating a very unceremonious exit.  This act certainly didn't make Willie any friends, and it was through sheer luck- and the inability of MacMurfee to lead - that the opportunity arose for him to run for governor again.  Had Machiavelli been faced with a similar situation, the outcome would have been much different.  Chances are, Machiavelli would have accepted his role as an expendable hick, and carried on in the race as he had been doing.  After his inevitable demise, he would take the pity position as a member of the state cabinet, or maybe run for a position in the state senate, maintaining some power.  Machiavelli made sure never to anger anybody, but would silently concoct ways to upgrade his status.

          The only person in the novel so far that could be considered Machiavellian is Tiny Duffy.  He has managed to stay in power under two different candidates, and it doesn't look like he has any plans to stop.  He will suck up to anybody in order to even taste some trickled down power.  "The Boss must have taken a kind of pride in the fact that he could make Tiny Duffy a success.  He had busted Tiny Duffy an then he had picked up the pieces and put him back together again as his own creation." (137).  The constant abuse that Tiny Duffy suffers is akin to what Machiavelli received when he was alive, but is the reason he is still around.   For the same reason I hang around my friends does Willie hold onto Tiny Duffy.  He is able to take everything that is thrown at him, but will never reciprocate, making him an invaluable punching-bag.  Despite his easygoing nature, chances are Tiny Duffy is plotting the moment he is able to overthrow Willie as the Boss, just like I assume my friends are of me.