The Senator Was Indiscreet

Senator Melvin G. Ashton reveals his intent to run for President. His publicist Lew Gibson pushes for attention-grabbing stunts to boost his image. Upon arriving in New York City, Gibson pitches a publicity gambit involving membership in the Cherokee tribe.

Ashton eagerly agrees to join the Cherokee tribe for publicity. The move signals the campaign's cynical approach to fame over policy. Gibson orchestrates the publicity stunt to maximize headlines.

Fred Houlihan publicly pressures Ashton to step down as a candidate. Ashton refuses, delivering a long speech where he denies running for president. The scene underscores his stubborn nature and the campaign's volatility.

Valerie Shepherd arrives and decides to join Ashton's campaign. Lew Gibson becomes attracted to her, complicating the campaign dynamics. Her presence adds glamour and new complications to the race.

Appalled by Ashton's baffling incompetence, Poppy McNaughton ends her relationship with Lew Gibson. The breakup deepens the personal stakes surrounding the campaign. The media begin to more closely scrutinize the colorful cast of characters.

Articles about Ashton's path to the presidency appear, amplifying public attention. Houlihan continues to push Ashton to step down, while Ashton launches a cross-country tour to court voters. The tour helps him gain popularity with some voters.

Ashton returns to New York and speaks at Madison Square Garden, drawing a large crowd. The rally marks a peak in his campaign momentum, though it is tempered by ongoing chaos around his team. Valerie and Lew watch as the spectacle unfolds.

Ashton discovers his diary is missing, triggering a scramble to recover it. Karl, the hotel room service clerk, is suspected, while Lew suspects Poppy. The diary's absence threatens to derail the campaign's carefully built narrative.

Ashton's former secretary, Robert Oakes, is found with the diary but claims someone else stole it before he got hold of it. The mystery deepens as competing theories circulate through campaign circles. Lew also learns that Valerie's beau, Bill Fisher, is an enemy working to undermine Ashton.

From a trail of clues, Poppy deduces that Valerie stole the diary. The revelation reframes Valerie's role in the campaign and increases the pressure on all involved. The diary's theft becomes the fulcrum of the political turbulence surrounding Ashton.

Houlihan offers Ashton a way out: resign in exchange for a prestigious job as commissioner of a professional sports league, with double the pay of the presidency. Ashton hesitates, weighing personal safety and power against public duty. The offer crystallizes the campaign's underlying motive: money and security over reform.

Poppy manages to retrieve the diary from Valerie but loses it to Lew, who brings the good news to Ashton. The diary's fate now lies with Lew, who plays both ally and agent of truth. The tension mounts as the campaign careens toward its finale.

Lew decides that the truth must come out, and he returns the diary to Poppy. When the diary is published, Ashton and his bosses are forced to flee to a South Sea island. The dream of the White House collapses into farce as they escape the consequences of their actions.

On the island, Ashton becomes chief of the native population, a comically inverted ending for a politician who sought power at any cost. The film concludes by flipping expectations, leaving Ashton's ambitions in a farcical, island-bound form.