影片讲述了一个政党内的混乱局面。党内五人竞争总统选举的提名,在第一次投票过后,五人选票接近,没有一个人有绝对的领先优势,在这时候,领先者们开始表现他们对“这份工作”的渴望。Intellectual William Russell and down-to-earth Joe Cantwell are front runners for a party nomination that will almost certainly mean the Presidency. Cantwell is prepared to use anything to achieve his goal while Russell sees himself as a man of principle - though his philandering means he is relieved his wife is prepared to appear alongside him. Both men crucially need the support of the ailing President, and as the stakes become higher each team has to decide how dirty they are prepared to get.