North Mexico 2012 Presidential General Election and Debates

[North Mexico]

To Rick Perry and Mike Huckabee: You both mentioned spirituality as a role of government. Could you further explain your positions on the subject.

Perry and Huckabee looked at each other for a moment, confused. Perry yeilded to the former Baptist minister.
HUCKABEE REPLIES:
Our position on the subject? Uhh... Umm... Maintaining the moral and spiritual health of the Confederacy and keeping the nation on a righteous and Christian path is one of the fundamental duties of the government and of the office of the president. That's... I mean... that's just one of our basic duites. I... I... I don't know how else to answer your question.
PERRY REPLIES:
I agree with what my opponent says in general, but he and I do have some differences on how we interpret the scriptures, though.

[North Mexico]

To all candidates:

Would you agree to an international friendship with a liberal oriental nation if it benefited you greatly economically and security wise?

VUELTA de VILLA REPLIES:
(Through interpreter) When the National Liberation Party takes over North Mexico, North Mexico will be friendly to any nation that holds the rights of native self determination as dearly as we do, whether that nation is in Asia, Africa, the Americas or indeed even Europe.

PERRY REPLIES:
Frankly, I don't see how that's possible.

HUCKABEE REPLIES:
I agree with my opponent. I'd rather not answer hypothetical questions.

[Bythyrona]

While I won't disagree with your accusation of Vuelta de Villa's extreme leftist beliefs, Mr. Huckabee is anything but a "communist": he actually supports a free market, unlike Perry! Huckabee prefers a hamburger to a hammer and sickle and supports the right of all to make a living for themselves; I can't say the same for Rick and his big government interference with the economy so that the elite keep power. North Mexicans are not stupid- they will not stand idly by and be trampled on by the One Percent and their false accusations of honest politicians!

(OOC: What you two got going on here is great!
I'm flattered by your thorough knowledge of my canon!)

(OOC: No problem. I like the election concept.)

To Mr. Perry: how do you justify protectionism in spite of North Mexico's economic woes?

To Mr. Villa: how do you plan to bring "equality" to North Mexico? What is your plan to "dismantle" the power structure?

[South Kings]

To all candidates:

Would you agree to an international friendship with a liberal oriental nation if it benefited you greatly economically and security wise?

VUELTA de VILLA REPLIES:
(Through interpreter) When the National Liberation Party takes over North Mexico, North Mexico will be friendly to any nation that holds the rights of native self determination as dearly as we do, whether that nation is in Asia, Africa, the Americas or indeed even Europe.

PERRY REPLIES:
Frankly, I don't see how that's possible.

HUCKABEE REPLIES:
I agree with my opponent. I'd rather not answer hypothetical questions.

For the future Benefit of both nations, the South Kingsington government will support Villa in anyway possible including militarily in extreme circumstances.

[North Mexico]

To Mr. Perry: how do you justify protectionism in spite of North Mexico's economic woes?

Economic woes? What economic woes? Oh, you mean... Well, a lot of the "economic woes" of the previous decades were brought about by terrorist movements like Sr. Villa's. I think we can all agree that peace is better for the economy than war, and it was Sr. Villa's insistence on making war against the God-fearing white people of this nation that caused the "economic woes" that you're referring to. Sure, the foreign embargoes didn't help, but I have faith that the Confederacy could have among the highest standards of living in the world even without any foreign trade partners. It was the terrorists led by Sr. Villa and his peers that prevented the Confederacy from flourishing economically during President Thurmond's administration, not "protectionism."

To Mr. Villa: how do you plan to bring "equality" to North Mexico? What is your plan to "dismantle" the power structure?

(Through interpreter) That's not an easy question to answer in this debate's format, so I'll just hit the major points.
First and foremost, we will have true law and order. I know that at this very moment, supporters of my opponents, especially those who support Mr. Perry, are intimidating my fellow Mestizos from their polling places, and the white policemen are doing nothing to stop them. (In fact, it's likely the white policemen are behind the intimidation.) That will not happen anymore once the National Liberation Party is in power.
And next, and just as important, is land redistribution. Every white citizen who owns more than one acre of land must surrender it, and that land will be redistributed to los campesinos Mestizos. This is not punishment, this is a correction of an injustice that happened 145 years ago, when the Confederates stole the land from our forefathers.
There are other points too, but I see I'm out of time. They can all be found at the National Liberation Party's website, www-dot--

Ding! Thank you, Sr. Villa. Your time has expired.
Next question?

[North Mexico]

We interrupt this debate to bring you a word from
our sponsor, the Rick Perry in 2012 Committee...

This election season, only one candidate stands
for the cornerstone values of the Confederacy...


GOVERNOR RICK PERRY

I'm Rick Perry, and I sure as heck approve of this message!

[Bythyrona]

Mr. Villa, how do reconcile your view on land "reappropriation" with the South African farm attacks and Mugabe's land redistribution? Don't you think that backlashes against market-dominant minorities produce more problems than they "fix"?

(OOC: If my rhetoric sounds familiar, it's from this.)

[Kuehenberg]

Sorry but only Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador con be supported.

[North Mexico]

Mr. Villa, how do reconcile your view on land "reappropriation" with the South African farm attacks and Mugabe's land redistribution? Don't you think that backlashes against market-dominant minorities produce more problems than they "fix"?

No. (Through interpreter.) Rich whites often try to compare me to people like Mugabe and Arafat in order to scare the poorer members of their own race. A National Liberation-led government will not take any land or property from whites who have no land or property to take - which is the very large majority of white people in this nation. Only those who've unjustly profiteered from this century and a half of Confederate occupation need worry. And for them, I have no sympathy. The others, National Liberation will not hold responsible for the atrocities of their ancestors.

[Welsh Cowboy]

OOC: Sorry if I confused you, your reply was fine

To all candidates: What is your stance on freedom of religion? I realize that Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Perry support keeping the nation on a Christian-path, but how tolerant are all the candidates of other faiths.

[Zokoria]

To all candidates: How are you going to handle communism, socialism, and any other threats to the Confederacy?

What are your opinions on the death penalty?

[North Mexico]

Sorry if I confused you, your reply was fine.

You didn't confuse me. I understood what you were asking just fine. The point I was making was that the idea of separation of church and state is so alien to the mainstream party candidates that the two of them were confused by your question. See?

To all candidates: What is your stance on freedom of religion? I realize that Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Perry support keeping the nation on a Christian-path, but how tolerant are all the candidates of other faiths.

RICK PERRY REPLIES:
There are many different paths to finding Christ. I have chosen the Evangelical path, my opponent Governor Huckabee has chosen the Baptist path. That's fine, both are valid. As for as the recently-legalized Catholic path, I'm against it. I do believe it's blasphemous. However, I "confess" that I'm not a professional theologian by trade, so I would be willing to listen to the opinions of scholars in that field about it...
Oh, non-Christian religions? They have no place in our nation. To allow them among us would be an affront to God and continue us on this path to damnation that the Liberal Party has set us on with their Civil Rights Act. I'm not a theologian, and even I can tell you that!

MIKE HUCKABEE REPLIES:
Well, Governor Perry, I am a theologian - former Pastor of the Immanuel Baptist Church of Chihuahua City - and I can tell you that the Catholic path is a perfectly-valid path to Christ.
Sorry, I should have made it clear - I'll listen to the opinions of theologians I trust.
Governor Perry, it's Governor Huckabee's turn to speak!
Thank you. As I was saying, the Catholic path is certainly valid. And while I do agree that the government should give no support to non-Christian religious organizations or charities nor give them tax exemptions, it would be a violation of the Civil Rights Act - which is the law of the land whether you like it or not - to outlaw their existence.

VUELTA de VILLA REPLIES:
(Through interpreter) If you had seen what I have seen in my life, you would not believe in God. The way I see it, since the first Spaniards landed at Veracruz 500 years ago, religion in general and Christianity in particular has been used as a weapon against indigenous rights. However, I will concede that there is disagreement within the National Liberation Movement on this issue, and I would be willing to hear debate on issues of religious freedom or establishment of official status for Catholicism. These are all things we can discuss after National Liberation takes power.

[North Mexico]

To all candidates: How are you going to handle communism, socialism, and any other threats to the Confederacy?

VUELTA de VILLA REPLIES:
I will not dignify that with a response! (he said in English, too angry to wait for the interpreter.)

MIKE HUCKABEE REPLIES:
By carrying on the policies of President Bill Blythe. The Confederacy has a fine military that has proven itself again and again in battle against enemies both foreign and domestic, but the best weapons in any nation's arsenal - indeed any individual person's arsenal - are justice, truth and faith. Of course I believe in maintaining strong military and police forces, but In the opinion of this humble man of God, the best weapons we have against these threats are the tools of righteousness that President Blythe gave us when he signed the Civil Rights Act.

RICK PERRY REPLIES:
You've got to be kidding me. "Tools of righteousness?" More like tools of treason!
How are President Rick Perry and the Conservative Party going to handle the threat of socialism? (Perry looked over at Villa.) Well, first, by defeating them in this election! And second, by restoring the Confederacy to the righteous path we were on before Blythe's Great Betrayal of our cornerstone values, so coloreds like Sr. Villa go back on their proper places in the fields rather than sharing the stage with God-fearing white statesmen! Then, and only then, will the Confederacy be back in God's favor, and then, and only then, will we be able to defeat the socialist threats to our way of life.

What are your opinions on the death penalty?

PERRY REPLIES:
Look at the record. Since I've been governor, Sonora has put more prisoners to death than any other state in the Confederacy, even though we're the smallest state in population. Furthermore, my office has taken the lead in advocating for every attempt to expand the Lynch Law that has come to vote in congress as well as any state's legislature. I think my deeds speak louder than any words I can say here.

HUCKABEE REPLIES:
Well, I was the governor of the biggest state in terms of both population and land area, so I think Governor Perry's math might be a bit fuzzy. I think I've presided over the execution of just a few more prisoners than you have, both through official channels and through Lynch Law provisions. So I'll make the same statement, but it carries even more weight coming from a Chihuahuan than from a Sonoran - look at my record.

VILLA REPLIES:
(Throgh interpreter) Congratulations, Mr. Zokoria, I believe you have found the one issue where I agree with my gringo opponents - we all fully support the death penalty. The only exception is, one of the first acts of a National Liberation-led North Mexico will be to review every line of every provision for Lynching at every level of government to ensure that Lynching is only used to support the interests of the general public, not as the tool of race-based oppression that it all-too-often is.

[The Andromeda Islands]

To Governor Perry:

In recent days, anonymous sources have claimed that your grandfather was half black. They also claim that your strident support for segregationist policies reflect a deep desire to hide this unfortunate fact from your supporters. How do you feel about this?

[Welsh Cowboy]

To Governor Huckabee: Do you consider Governor Perry a racist?

[North Mexico]

To Governor Perry:
In recent days, anonymous sources have claimed that your grandfather was half black. They also claim that your strident support for segregationist policies reflect a deep desire to hide this unfortunate fact from your supporters. How do you feel about this?

I will not dignify that slander with any kind of response.

[North Mexico]

To Governor Huckabee: Do you consider Governor Perry a racist?

My... uhh... My fellow governor wears his heart on his sleeve, and I can't fault him for that. His views on race and race relations are different from mine, but he's a gentleman of integrity and conscience, and gentlemen of good conscience can disagree. Except to say that, I won't give any comments on Governor Perry's personal beliefs. After all, we're all patriots here.

[North Mexico]

We interrupt this debate to bring you a word from
our sponsor, the Rick Perry in 2012 Committee...


VOTE FOR RICK PERRY
AND CLEAN UP THE CONFEDERACY!
YEEEE-HAW!

I'm Rick Perry, and I sure-as-shootin' approve of this message!

[Arumdaum]

What is the Lynch Law?

What are candidates' views on it?

[North Mexico]

OOC: One more thing I want to say about this:

To Governor Perry:
In recent days, anonymous sources have claimed that your grandfather was half black. They also claim that your strident support for segregationist policies reflect a deep desire to hide this unfortunate fact from your supporters. How do you feel about this?

That would only be true in my canon if it were also true for the real-life Rick Perry, which I doubt it is, but if you can show me some sort of credible evidence of that applying to the real-life Perry, I'll consider it in my canon as well. I try to stay as close to real life as the allegory allows.

[North Mexico]

What is the Lynch Law?

What are candidates' views on it?

OOC:
I'll have to answer that OOCly, because it's something that would be common knowledge in the Confederacy. Asking one of these guys what the Lynch Law is would be like asking a US presidential candidate "what is habeus corpus?"
Anyway, it's based on this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynch_Law
Basically what it is is government authorization of vigilante justice. In the Confederacy, it is the prerogative of the ranking law enforcement or military officer present (or deputized civilian equivalent) to summarily execute a suspect on reasonable suspicion of a felony. (It's usually only supposed to be applied if proper holding facilities aren't available, but few juries would convict officers who authorize lynching.) I think I wrote somewhere once that every tree within half a mile of the Mexican border has lynched drug smugglers hanging from it.
However, the point they were trying to make is that there's no uniform application of the Lynch Law throughout the Confederacy - the specifics of the law vary by state and local jurisdiction.

As for each individual's view on it, I think they made that clear in my IC post above. The validity of the Lynch Law is a sacred cow that neither of the mainstream parties in the Confederacy question. Even Villa says he wouldn't repeal it, only use it in a different way.

Does that answer your question?

[North Mexico]

Does anybody have any questions for me?

[Zokoria]

VILLA REPLIES:
Congratulations, Mr. Zokoria

OOC: Zokoria is not a person. It is a country.

[North Mexico]

VILLA REPLIES:
Congratulations, Mr. Zokoria

OOC: Zokoria is not a person. It is a country.

Sorry. Didn't know what else to call you.

[North Mexico]

What is the Lynch Law?

What are candidates' views on it?

OOC:
I'll have to answer that OOCly, because it's something that would be common knowledge in the Confederacy. Asking one of these guys what the Lynch Law is would be like asking a US presidential candidate "what is habeus corpus?"
Anyway, it's based on this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynch_Law
Basically what it is is government authorization of vigilante justice. In the Confederacy, it is the prerogative of the ranking law enforcement or military officer present (or deputized civilian equivalent) to summarily execute a suspect on reasonable suspicion of a felony. (It's usually only supposed to be applied if proper holding facilities aren't available, but few juries would convict officers who authorize lynching.) I think I wrote somewhere once that every tree within half a mile of the Mexican border has lynched drug smugglers hanging from it.
However, the point they were trying to make is that there's no uniform application of the Lynch Law throughout the Confederacy - the specifics of the law vary by state and local jurisdiction.

As for each individual's view on it, I think they made that clear in my IC post above. The validity of the Lynch Law is a sacred cow that neither of the mainstream parties in the Confederacy question. Even Villa says he wouldn't repeal it, only use it in a different way.

Does that answer your question?

One more thing I want to add here. (A big "derp-dee-derp" for this not occurring to me sooner.)
Look at this:
http://www.nationstates.net/nation=north_mexico/detail=people
So, as you can see, a full 5 percent of all deaths in the Confederacy come from capitol punishment. That's a full one out of every 20 people you know will be either put to death by the state or lynched.
So... yeah.