But Payton needs more to actually believe there’s a reason to put himself on the line to run again. The last time he tried to win something, he covered up a girl’s domestic abuse, lost a lover (David Corenswet), got shot, and teetered on the edge of total emotionless sociopathy, which is something Payton repeatedly reckons with over “Vienna.” Why put all of his growth on the line only to be publicly humiliated again? This is where we realize the first 90% of The Politician was crafted as an elaborate lesson for Payton to learn before his true political future took off. He had to lose everything — and understand why he lost everything — before he could even try to be a true hero. Before he even deserved to be president.