Washington (US Political RP; 2016 ; IC ; OPEN!)

[Prolieum]

Conference Room 101, American Dream HQ, Baltimore, Maryland

"Legislative experience?"

[Tallahassee News Station]

[Tallahassee News Station]

[The Great Devourer of All]

Columbus, Ohio

The cobalt-grey sky had threatened to rain for hours now, but the streets were as dry as a bone as Andrew Sloan's black stretch limo approached its destination. Passers-by, already intrigued by the obvious wealth of the vehicle's passenger, grew more so as they noticed the campaign sign shrink-wrapped onto the sides of the car. Next to Sloan, a bald man in a collared white shirt talked worriedly, making frantic gestures with his hands.

"Mr. Sloan, since the 2009 video has resurfaced, whatever fraction of the Jewish vote you might have gotten in November has disappeared."

"I don't care." Replied Sloan in an almost bored manner as he looked out the tinted window at pedestrians hurrying by. "How well am I polling among whites in Ohio?"

"Uh, just under three percent of males say they would vote for you, with less than two percent of females saying the same. About twelve percent of voters overall say they recognize your name. However, among those earning less than $40,000 a year-"

"Hold that thought, Mr. Richards." Andrew cut off his analyst and removed his platinum-colored smartphone from his suit pocket. The caller ID on the 'call waiting' screen showed the name of Sloan's corporate second-in-command. "What is it, Todd?"

"Sir, the launch here in Colorado is scheduled to begin in ten minutes. Do you want me to send you live feed?"

"Of course not. In ten minutes I'll be lying to a thousand people to get them to like me." As Sloan responded, Richard began to drum his fingers on his briefcase nervously. A single glare from his boss put a stop to that.

"But sir, as you know, this is our first launch of a single-stage manned orbital craft. It's an historic moment. If all goes as planned, we might get contracts with NASA, ESA, and the Japanese. Hell, even Musk and Bezos might be willing to strike a deal with us after this."

"If you think it's absolutely necessary, record the launch and send the feed to my jet. I'll watch it on the flight back to New York."

"Yes, sir."

"And another thing, Todd- tell the workers in Pennsylvania that they are highly encouraged to vote for me in November."

"Sir, I'm not sure it's entirely legal for me to-"

"Did I say it was? Anyway, I have a rally to attend."

"Yes, sir." With that, Sloan terminated the call just in time for his limousine to pull to a stop behind a stage.

"This is it, sir." Said Richards. "Online news reports are saying there are nearly twice as many people here as we expected." Sloan sat silently for a moment, as if strategizing, before he nodded and stepped out of the limo to the murmurs of a crowd of more than two thousand people. Slowly, he ascended the stairs on the side of the stage, opened a door that led to stage right, and walked out. He was greeted by the sound of a thunderous round of applause so loud it reminded him of the rockets he had heard launch the last time he had visited his testing facility in Colorado.

[Argentarino]

Senator Conti's Facebook Post
Morning After Debate

This morning, I want to apologize, to my country and to my Party. I did not perform as well as I should have, and that responsibility falls on me, as a presidential candidate, to ensure that there is a genuine discussion on policy and aspirations for our country. I will not make excuses for my debate performance, that would be irresponsible of me. The truth of the matter is that I fumbled, I screwed up. For the moment, I will not withdraw from the race. I owe it to my supporters, to the Democratic Party, and to the American people to rectify my mishaps and mistakes. It is my sincere hope to earn your support, and I will not shirk from the challenge that is in front of us. I will, however, focus on ensuring that the AUMF against ISIS is pushed through the Senate, and that LGBT equality is enshrined in law through the passage of the Equality and Nondiscrimination Act in the coming days. I thank all of you for your support, and will make a statement in the near future concerning my hopes for my campaign. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

[The Portland Territory]

Norfolk, Virginia

The man panicked, until Bell's voice barked in his ear.

"Horton, grab him!"

A man leapt forward, reaching for Ibrahima's prone form-then fell backwards, blood spurting.

"Taking fire, taking fire!"

The first trooper fired off a scattered rifle burst in that direction, while Bell switched over.

"Beta, in, now."

A cloud of dust rose up as the krumpf of explosives went off, and the second team moved in, half-blind.

*about 6 of the attendants were armed, all of which were firing into the dust cloud aimlessly. many were hit, most could not see. as for Ibrahima, he remained silent, seemingly paralyzed on the ground while laying next to the body of a fallen soldier*

[Tallahassee News Station]

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RESULTS, ULTIMATE TUESDAY

North Dakota Democratic Primary Results

Danders-46%-11 Delegates
Kuznetsov-24%-5 Delegates
Beaumont-22%-5 Delegates
Carrollton-7%-2 Delegates
Conti-1%-0 Delegates

[Tallahassee News Station]

South Dakota Democratic Primary Results

Danders-36%-9 Delegates
Kuznetsov-32%-8 Delegates
Beaumont-16%-4 Delegates
Carrollton-14%-3 Delegates
Conti-2%-1 Delegate

[Tallahassee News Station]

Montana Democratic Primary Results

Danders-38%-10 Delegates
Kuznetsov-29%-8 Delegates
Carrollton-15%-4 Delegates
Conti-14%-4 Delegates
Beaumont-4%-1 Delegate

[Tallahassee News Station]

New Mexico Democratic Primary Results

Carrollton-46%-20 Delegates
Kuznetsov-27%-12 Delegates
Danders-23%-10 Delegates
Conti-2%-1 Delegate
Beaumont-2%-0 Delegates

[Tallahassee News Station]

New Jersey Democratic Primary Results

Kuznetsov-52%-74 Delegates
Danders-26%-37 Delegates
Carrollton-11%-16 Delegates
Conti-7%-10 Delegates
Beaumont-4%-5 Delegates

[Tallahassee News Station]

California Democratic Primary Results

Kuznetsov-39%-213 Delegates
Danders-32%-175 Delegates
Carrollton-17%-93 Delegates
Conti-9%-49 Delegates
Beaumont-3%-16 Delegates

[Argentarino]

Washington, DC
Two Days After Ultra Tuesday

Conti felt a little better. On Ultra Tuesday, he beat himself up pretty hard, attributing his poor performance in California to his just as poor debate performance. But now, he was in friendly territory: Washington, DC. A liberal haven, he knew he had a step up here due to the growing LGBT community, as well as the fact that the District was strongly pro-choice, something that would hurt Kuznetsov and Carrollton in a city that had been vctimized by Congressional legislation targeting its women's health clinics for decades. And he knew exactly what these folks wanted to hear. After wrapping up a mundane day in the Senate, he held a rally at the Verizon Center in DC's Chinatown neighborhood, waving to a sizable crowd of supporters.

"Thank you, thank you all for being here! It is so good to be back! Now, before we begin, I just want to say that we have a long road ahead of us. But when have you ever shrunk away from a challenge? Did you stand down when Congress decided to target your needle exchange program?" "NO!" "Did you hide when Congress attempted to cut the District's public education funding?" "NO!" "That's right! The District has suffered for far too long under the leadership of a conservative Congress, that cares little for the needs of the people who call our nation's capital home! Instead, they treat you like a bargaining chip. They don't care about what you want or how you vote. That is why we need a new Congress, a Democratic Congress, that will guarantee that the needs of the District of Columbia are taken care of!" Conti paused for applause. "But that doesn't go far enough, does it? No, a Democratic Congress can only do so much to make sure that you can implement the policies that the District of Columbia wants and needs. No, what you need is statehood! Full representation in Congress! The ability to pass your own laws and budgets without Congressional approval! You deserve to be treated with dignity!"

"Now, I don't know about you, but two of our party's candidates don't agree with the District's desire to be a liberal, progressive bastion. Both of them do not support a woman's right to choose, and one of them has no respect for the LGBT community. A true ally would not stoop so low as to imply that LGBT people lack a moral compass on national television. But, but...we have a chance. We have a chance to make a statement, to stand against bigotry, as DC has done so many times. I've always admired the resilience of the District, and it is in that spirit of resilience that I ask all of you to support me in the upcoming primary, and show the American people that the proud residents of the District, home of Frederick Douglass, have a voice that demands to be heard! Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America!"

[The Great Devourer of All]

Columbus, Ohio

By this point, the applause had mostly given way to bursts of cheering between Sloan's fiery, divisive words. Attendees, mostly white men, waved campaign banners and American flags as Andrew spouted semi-fascist rhetoric.

"We are going to make our country greater than it has ever been! Greater than Reagan made it! Greater than Eisenhower made it! Greater than Washington made it! Together, we will make the American economy the strongest, most productive, most self-sufficient one on Earth! No longer will we be slaves of the Chinese, the Europeans, and our partners in NAFTA! No longer will we look at every item in our homes to see which foreign nation it was produced in! NO LONGER!" Sloan took a breath and allowed for another roar of applause.

"Not only that, but our military will be the most powerful force the world has ever seen! Terrorists in the Islamic world will cower in their caves and whisper to each other about what happened the last time our planes appeared on the horizon! The Chinese will back off the moment they glimpse an American ship patrolling in the Pacific! Our enemies all around the world will be forced to kneel before us! THEY WILL KNEEL!" Sloan paused again before continuing.

"And at home, to, we will ascend to new heights. Every illegal immigrant, every felon, every unpatriotic citizen will be hunted down and punished severely! The flags of a greater America will hang from every window and adorn every street! Every man, woman, and child of our newly-perfected country will walk with their heads held high, because they will know that NO ONE WILL EVER CHALLENGE US AGAIN! NO ONE!"

"We will shut down the Mosques! We will put policemen on every street of Chicago! We will organize militias of good American men to eradicate those who would wish true Americans anything but UTTER GLORY! WE WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE! WE WILL BE IMMORTALIZED BY GENERATIONS OF HISTORIANS! WE WILL BE GODS!" Sloan looked around. Everyone at his rally was cheering, clapping, and yelling various ultranationalist political war cries. Some of the policemen on the edge of the crowd were clapping as well, but most of them looked worried- no, scared.

The police are scared of me. Andrew thought. Excellent. As he thought this, a chant started rippling through the crowd.

"THEY WILL KNEEL! THEY WILL KNEEL! THEY WILL KNEEL!"

Star Horizon Testing Center, Colorado

The sound of rockets broke the cool, crisp stillness of the Colorado air as Star Horizon's newest plane-shaped spacecraft, the Archangel, entered the Troposphere and began closing in on its landing strip. The four crewmen aboard it had just spent forty-five minutes in orbit around the Earth, and their precious spaceplane had performed miraculously. The Archangel rocked viscously as it touched down on the runway, gravel spraying out behind it like water from beneath a truck's wheels. Waiting for it at the end of the landing strip was a group of fifty ground crew personnel and three workers, the latter of which attached harnesses to the vehicle and began towing it back to the hanger for an inspection as soon as the astronauts hit the ground. As the ground crew slapped the backs of the four pioneers and congratulated them on making history, a man in a grey suit approached the crowd and waved to get the attention of Ethan Young, the commander of the mission. Ethan excused himself and walked over to the man, who introduced himself as Todd Sanderson.

"Right, you're Mr. Sloan's right-hand man. What do you need, sir?"

"Mr. Sloan wants to talk with you."

[Tallahassee News Station]

FINAL REPUBLICAN PRIMARY RESULTS

Montana Republican Primary Results

Calvin Reed-94%-27 Delegates
Troy Wilson-4%-0 Delegates
Matteos Egazarian-1%-0 Delegates
Eric Gonzalez-1%-0 Delegates

South Dakota Republican Primary Results

Calvin Reed-84%-29 Delegates
Troy Wilson-12%-0 Delegates
Eric Gonzalez-2%-0 Delegates
Matteos Egazarian-2%-0 Delegates

New Mexico Republican Primary Results

Calvin Reed-77%-24 Delegates
Troy Wilson-11%-0 Delegates
Eric Gonzalez-7%-0 Delegates
Matteos Egazarian-5%-0 Delegates

New Jersey Republican Primary Results

Calvin Reed-87%-51 Delegates
Mattoes Egazarian-5%-0 Delegates
Troy Wilson-4%-0 Delegates
Eric Gonzalez-4%-0 Delegates

California Republican Primary Results

Calvin Reed-79%-172 Delegates
Eric Gonzalez-16%-0 Delegates
Troy Wilson-3%-0 Delegates
Matteos Egazarain-2%-0 Delegates

[Argentarino]

Columbus, Ohio

By this point, the applause had mostly given way to bursts of cheering between Sloan's fiery, divisive words. Attendees, mostly white men, waved campaign banners and American flags as Andrew spouted semi-fascist rhetoric.

"We are going to make our country greater than it has ever been! Greater than Reagan made it! Greater than Eisenhower made it! Greater than Washington made it! Together, we will make the American economy the strongest, most productive, most self-sufficient one on Earth! No longer will we be slaves of the Chinese, the Europeans, and our partners in NAFTA! No longer will we look at every item in our homes to see which foreign nation it was produced in! NO LONGER!" Sloan took a breath and allowed for another roar of applause.

"Not only that, but our military will be the most powerful force the world has ever seen! Terrorists in the Islamic world will cower in their caves and whisper to each other about what happened the last time our planes appeared on the horizon! The Chinese will back off the moment they glimpse an American ship patrolling in the Pacific! Our enemies all around the world will be forced to kneel before us! THEY WILL KNEEL!" Sloan paused again before continuing.

"And at home, to, we will ascend to new heights. Every illegal immigrant, every felon, every unpatriotic citizen will be hunted down and punished severely! The flags of a greater America will hang from every window and adorn every street! Every man, woman, and child of our newly-perfected country will walk with their heads held high, because they will know that NO ONE WILL EVER CHALLENGE US AGAIN! NO ONE!"

"We will shut down the Mosques! We will put policemen on every street of Chicago! We will organize militias of good American men to eradicate those who would wish true Americans anything but UTTER GLORY! WE WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE! WE WILL BE IMMORTALIZED BY GENERATIONS OF HISTORIANS! WE WILL BE GODS!" Sloan looked around. Everyone at his rally was cheering, clapping, and yelling various ultranationalist political war cries. Some of the policemen on the edge of the crowd were clapping as well, but most of them looked worried- no, scared.

The police are scared of me. Andrew thought. Excellent. As he thought this, a chant started rippling through the crowd.

"THEY WILL KNEEL! THEY WILL KNEEL! THEY WILL KNEEL!"

Facebook Post from Senator Conti

The reports from Ohio concerning Andrew Sloan should be concerning to all Americans, whether they are progressive, conservative, or something in between. Our country was founded on numerous premises, including the freedom to worship, as is evident in the migration of peoples of various religions in the earliest days of our Republic. Even Thomas Jefferson wrote in support of guaranteeing freedom of religion for Muslims, with some of the first Muslims being slaves who were brought against their will from the African continent. Other foundations of our Republic is the guarantee of freedom of political association, speech, press, peaceful assembly, and the right to fair and speedy trials. Mr. Sloan seems to praise the Founders one minute, only to spit on what they stand for the next. We as a nation, as a diverse group of peoples who call this nation home, must reject violence, hatred, and tyranny wherever we see it. Furthermore, we already possess the mightiest Armed Forces in the world, not only because of Congress's repeated dedication to the Armed Forces, but also due to the spirit and sheer force of will that our service members possess. We must continue to reject those who would bring violence and unconstitutional rule into government, and ensure that the American Dream is always free and available to all who desire it.

[The Great Devourer of All]

@AndrewSloan

Looks like Senator Conti supports unpatriotic ideals. People like this will be the first to be locked up when I win.

#ContiInCuffs #TheyWillKneel #Traitor

[Tumblrena]

[Great Franconia and Verana]

[Tumblrena]

[Alozia]

[Great Franconia and Verana]

[The Great Devourer of All]

Andrew Sloan
@AndrewSloan

@RealRay.Ramirez Gays are a tiny part of America. If they can't give birth to new workers and soldiers, what purpose do their marriages serve?

#TheyWillKneel

Andrew Sloan
@AndrewSloan

@MayorWalton for years, so-called 'progressives' like those in the Green Party have held our nation back from greatness. Liberals should be silenced.

#TheyWillKneel

[Tallahassee News Station]

TNS HEADLINE NEWS

Reed Sweeps
-Republic frontrunner wins all delegates in final primaries to end Republican session.

Great Debate, But Hate?
-Stellar Kuznetsov performance marred by controversy over statement.

California Wakin'
-Hopes of decisive victory dashed as divided California primary throws Democratic race to a contested convention

Rejected PARAMAters
-Senate Dems shoot down infrastructure and manufacturing bill

[The Great Devourer of All]

Andrew Sloan
@AndrewSloan

The upcoming contested convention proves that the liberals are becoming more disorderly with each year. Hopefully these un-American terrorist sympathizers have seen their last election cycle as part of a major political party.

#NoMoreDems