The Precedent of the United States: 2052 Election RP [IC]

[New Cobastheia]

Guess knew this could be his last chance to bring the nation to his side. He knew he was debating against Egilson, not Wright, yet he felt the need to channel Victoria, yet keeping his signature firebrandism intact. He needed to attack, defend, kept himself alive above all else privately, and put the people above all else publically. He was calm, he was excited, he was prepared. For all Guess knew this could be the battle of his life, and he was going to win above all else. Again, just like in the first debate, he wanted to appear, at least subconsciously, the dominant of the two, making sure he was the first to speak once again, he started with a clear and powerful voice.

"My ticket held a lead in the polls because we're offering the American people a better deal. Single-payer healthcare, government-funded college, a clean environment, energy independence with green energy, government and electoral reform that the people have wanted for decades and is badly needed, common sense gun reform; just to name a few examples. Both myself and Gov. Randolph have the experience to bring these policies into reality as well as a massive, decade-spanning history of doing just that.

I don't think we'll regain the whole lead by the election, but, I do think that the American people are smart enough to see that I had nothing to do with the impeachment scandal in the House. After the fallout of their action's passes, the American people will remember that I am the candidate with the plan that will bring us back to greatness, a plan we know will work wonders for our country because it has already brought wonders to our allies across the world!

As for if I am inaugurated with a Republican controlled congress, or a Congress with one chamber lead by the Democrats and one by the Republicans, my Administration will work to seek out which Republicans would be willing to work with us on certain issues we want to tackle.

Will we be able to pass everything we want to pass so the American people will be better off in the first two years of my term? Probably not, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't use every trick we know to give every citizen we can a better life. And again, I think the American people are smart enough to see which party is holding them back from greatness. And as such, I wouldn't be surprised if the Democrats or a Democratic-lead Coalition would be put into power after 2054, if they don't win the chambers this year of course."

[Zjaum]

This was hardly like the town-halls Egilson had in Red Bluff, but it was good to stretch out his legs and debate his foe on the stage. They were within spitting distance of each other, walking around, in an informal setting. They'd never debated like this before; they usually preferred to cry out from behind the lines. Now, Benjamin was ready for this great philosophical battle.

"With this sudden change in the playing field, what are your, the candidates', thoughts?"

Well, not exactly his favorite starter, but fine.

"Well, I agree with my colleague that we should keep this battle to a battle of ideals. The Democratic senators in Washington tried shady tactics, and I believe they will get their just rewards in the upcoming election. While I could question the premier's ability to coordinate with his own party, I do not believe that I would do better. I've seen compromise in all aspects of politics, where one part of government conspires with another part of government, oblivious to the desires of their constituents. I plan to stick to my principles and my policies, regardless of who's in the Capitol building. If the legislative believes that my pro-business, pro-innovation agenda is against the will of the people, they should fight against it post-haste. It is not only their right but their constitutional duty. I firmly believe in the ethics for which I stand, though, and I will do everything in my power to bring a better future for the United States.

"You know, I question the 'better deal' offered by my opponent. There is stability in his plan, sure, but there is no opportunity. College doesn't mean a job, healthcare doesn't mean fulfillment, and gun control doesn't mean safety. By nature, those latter qualities must be pursued with vigor. I've seen hundreds fail in that pursuit, yes, but hundreds have also succeeded, turned around, and helped the disenfranchised into their rightful place. What I offer is not a better deal for all. It's a chance to be greater. Venture capital support. Internet access. A space program. I'd love to go deeper, but I'm sure we're running out of time."

[New Cobastheia]

Even though Guess knew that time was running out, he couldn't help but but-in one last time before Mrs. Jones continued the debate.

"While going to College doesn't guarantee that your going to get a job, it gives you the knowledge for what you want to do with your life. Both Rep. Egilson and I want to increase automation, which will lead to less and less jobs for people who only have a high school diploma. Which means that whenever either of us leaves the office, most entry-level jobs are going to require a college education. Millions of Americans can't afford college, forcing them to stay poor for most of their life. And it's even worst for people who afford college through loans, they are stuck paying off hundreds of thousands of dollars each. That's money they could be using to stimulate the economy with, but instead, it's just lost. In a new automated world, my plan gives people the education they need to have excess to the job market. Meanwhile, Egilson's tell the nation that we will automate and make it even harder than it is now for the people to find a good paying and meaningful job!

And Universal Healthcare isn't about fulfillment, it's about allowing the American people to go to the doctors and not worry about paying so much money they can't afford to live just because they were worried that they might have cancer. I'm living proof that it's an amazing program. After getting shot in high school, my insurance wouldn't cover the cost of the procedures and medication I needed. Luckily, the Cherokee Nation covers things that it's members aren't covered for by their insurance. If it wasn't for, an admittedly limited form of universal healthcare, my family would've been stuck in debt, I would've been stuck in debt, all for something I was the victim of. Only very few Americans have any access to anything like that. That is a terrible fact that we need to change as a nation. Why should anyone be forced into a financial death to stay alive?

As for the safety effects of common sense gun reform. Please tell the American people and I, Rep. Egilson, how background checks, mental health checks, required safety training classes, not allowing violent felons to have guns, a nationwide buyback and recycling program, an endorsement of smart guns by the national government, and punishing the illegal sale of gun to the utmost extent of the law wouldn't make our nation safer?"

[Vienna Eliot]

Jones looked at Guess tersely as he spoke.

"Thank you, Congressman, Premier. Let's remember the rules we've all agreed to for this debate. Now, our first question comes from Kenneth Diaz, a student at the Erica L. Castro Junior High School in San Antonio, Texas. Kenneth, take it away."

A child, no older than eleven, shuffled in place momentarily before bringing a microphone to his mouth and speaking. "Candidates, this year, my brother and more than five million other students graduated high school. But like 41% of other high school graduates, he will not be going to college, and there are almost no jobs he can get without a degree. What will you do for him, and if you're president, what will happen to me when I graduate high school in six years?"

[New Cobastheia]

Guess needed to sound like a human with empathy and a politician all at once. He loved it, after the scandal anything to show a more human side of him could only work in his favor. He felt that if he walked around and didn't look so stiff, it would help his perception, so that's just what he did.

"Now, I don't know the situation for your family specifically Kenneth, I don't know if your family just couldn't afford the cost or if your older brother didn't get into college or even applied.

If it's the cost, well that's exactly why I want to bring free education to our country. So many of our young and talented can't afford the education they need, we need to change this. We need to make sure that our people can continue their education so they can continue to bring our country to greatness and do the work they feel will make their life meaningful.

If he didn't get into any colleges, I'd suggest community college. It's cheap, he'll get an Associates, and your older brother would be able to continue to UT-Austin afterward to get his Bachelors.

If he wants to try a second time in applying, he can always take a gap year. Taking one myself, I can say it was one of my favorite experiences from when I was a young adult. Not to mention there are thousands of programs, most being relatively cheap for what they offer.

And if your older brother is willing to serve his nation in our armed forces, the GI Bill really helps out in continuing one's education.

As for you, a free education and universal healthcare will be my top two priorities if elected. And if I do make it to a second term in the office, I'd imagine we would've managed to set up a system of free education by then. And if we sadly haven't by that point in the future, well first, it'd be a great disappointment. But, luckily, all of the above options would still be viable.

I also, however, think we should have jobs opened up to people who don't want to go further after high school or dropout of school before getting their diploma. If Sen. Wright remains in the Senate while I'm President and he wants to take another swing at the AI-Human Partnership Bill again, I'd be more than willing to work with him depending on the content of the bill. I'd personally like it to focus safe, healthy, and relatively well-paid jobs for the undereducated.

I hope that answers your question Kenneth and I wish your Brother good luck on what his path may be." Guess finished his question looking directly at Kenneth. In fact, he did that whenever he brought up something that would only be focusing on his family. Meanwhile switching between focusing on Kenneth and the Audience-in-General when he got more into the policy and politics of his answer.

[Zjaum]

Oh boy, what a ploy. It was practically gift-wrapped to Guess, and he barely made it out of that question alive. Regardless, it was time to brave the question that might hurt him more. He was usually a little callous with his answers, but he'd do his best. Sugar-coating it wouldn't hurt.

"Well, first off, Kenneth, it's a very brave thing that you just did. Questioning and asking questions of your representatives is something that every American should do, and I hope you do that more in the future.

"As for your brother and you, I don't think that college would help much. Automation has already taken a large portion of jobs, and soon even the college-educated jobs will mostly be automated. I personally would recommend looking through online tutorials and free coursework for certain skills. It's possible to get verified from institutions like the Microsoft Virtual Academy or the International Tech Library for little to no cost, and certifications in important software tools go a long way in getting that job.

"On my end, I want the government to direct fresh recruits towards the right way to go. There are thousands of good, low- or no-cost resources that can give you and your brother what you need to get going, and I believe we should have everyone on that level first before we start thinking about massive overhauls of our higher education systems. Next, I want to build up networking channels, where people can meet with future employers. I'd couple that with an apprenticeship system, so that people can have guaranteed work after their education. That's one of the overseas practices that actually does work. Finally, I'd open up a national investment center, so that we can pair small businesses with venture capitalists all over the country. That way, if you both choose to open up a business, he'll have all the assistance he could possibly use."

[New Cobastheia]

“I believe that Rep. Egilson is forgetting that AI can code just as well as humans, if not better, especially in the basic and tedious parts. If someone is going to look for a job dealing with software, they’re going to to need a lot more than a certificate that only shows that they know how to code. To get an entry level job in that field, your going to need to get at least a Bachelors. You’ll need to show to your employers that you can do what they need and the usually means focusing on the creative parts of coding while the functional parts are done by AI. Which means getting experience, and one of the few ways to get experience in that field without a degree is with internship, and the easier way to get internships is through your program at college.

As for education reform, I think that most Americans feel that the education system in this country isn’t as effective e as it could be. And as such, we should look to see what the Europeans and Asians are doing to have a more effective education system than us, and see if any of the thing they use can work in our nation.

And while I do think that an apprenticeship program is an amazing idea, I has one passive weakness, you only take them in fields that are already dominated by automation, physical labor. Things like electricians, carpenters, stonemasons, construction workers. These are all fields that are almost completely dominated by automation.”

[Zjaum]

At this Egilson laughed a little. His response needed to be brief but succinct. "Well, if computers are better than humans at coding, then no job is safe, college education or no! I'm simply offering a simple alternative to spending a hundred thousand dollars, or, worse yet, having someone else pay a hundred thousand dollars for practically no benefit. Unless you have a knack for insight and pattern recognition, which a college education might not give you but which I plan to encourage, automation is coming for you. You're trying to keep the boat from sinking, while I'm trying to get people off the boat safely. The internet is free, it's permanently accessible, and, in the right places, it's a reliable source of information. Apprenticeships are not just for specific crafts, but, if you don't like that, internships also work fine."

[New Cobastheia]

“Thank you for telling us all what your Presidency would look like for the workforce Rep. Egilson. You want to kept on expanding automation till it overshadows the human workforce more than it even does now. While we both agree that automation is an extremely powerful tool for the economy, what with it being the cheapest form of labor ever created. This is were we differ, while your plan can only lead us to that future, my plan makes it so no human will ever never have to go to work again and worry that this day is the last of their lives and that no family we have to end there day learning that someone they love was killed while making a living”

Knowing that the two of them where going way off topic and while he didn’t know if Egilson would continue the dabate, he wasn’t completely if Jones would force them into the next topic.

[Zjaum]

Brief. Calm. Quiet. "Look, if you're going to take what I say out of context and ignore completely the point of my side, then there's no point continuing this part of the discussion any further."

[New Cobastheia]

"Representative Egilson, by the by and by, your last statement was about how no jobs are safe. I was responding to that point. Using your metaphor, you think you're trying to get Americans off a sinking boat. I'm trying to slow a sinking boat because our nation doesn't have a rescue boat to rescue us. Besides working, there isn't any other way for the people to get money. We have no alternative, after this boat sinks, if there isn't a new boat for us to live on, our economy will tank. I'm trying to slow the sinking because no one really knows what that new boat is or isn't.

Under your plan, the boat sinks and there isn't anything. All the jobs are done by the robots, having skills won't be necessary anymore to get a job, because there will be no jobs left for humans. Your plan doesn't give a solution to the problem that is to come. Which to be kind of honest, I think your avoiding going down this route in the debate because you don't have an answer to this problem.

My plan, on the other hands, is to slow the sinking boat so we have time to create a new system that will work. UBI is really the only thing we currently have that could even begin to be seen as a solution, but I have my own doubts about if that could work in a world where the only thing that is taxed are corporations, corporations which in the past have shown themselves to be quite willing to do anything to avoid losing money under any means. Under your plan, I wouldn't be surprised if the problem becomes reality while you're still in office. Under my plan, we'll have the time to find an answer and implement it.

You say we drown with the boat, I say build a new boat so we don't all die a terrifying and economic death."

Guess started out calm and collected in his statement, to direct and questioning in the second and third quarters of his statement, and once again, calm and collected in his final sentence.

[Vienna Eliot]

Jones looked on, in many ways unsure if she really had the prerogative to control the debate. She looked at Kenneth, who was sitting down, watching. She looked at her production manager longingly. He shrugged.

"Okay," she said. "Our next question is from Diane Becton, a neurologist at St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Diane, whenever you're ready."

The woman, donned not in a lab coat but a pantsuit, held the mic in her hands. "Candidates, I cast my first vote for Barack Obama in 2012, hoping for an America where healthcare would be accessible to all citizens. But now, the Affordable Care Act has failed. Most of the patients I see are unable to afford healthcare, but don't qualify for any government-subsidized insurance. Premiums for private insurance are too high for middle class Americans, and there are almost no options for working class people. As a doctor, I can see that it's only getting worse. What will you try to do, as President, to make healthcare once again affordable and accessible for all Americans?"

[Zjaum]

His lack of response showed restraint. Now, his initial response will show ambition. "I don't think everyone appreciated the private sector well enough. They don't trust that there are businessmen out there who want to make a profit and who can simultaneously give them the health insurance they need. I refuse utterly the zero-sum game. The private system wasn't perfect, but it was both cheaper and better quality than it is now. If people are skeptical, I am more than fine with a voucher system. We can give citizens a bonus voucher if they have a registered disability, because it's the charitable thing to do. Folks can have good healthcare, but it cannot be given to everyone while being weighed down by a bureaucracy.

"That said, health insurance firms have been struggling ever since we tried to bump them out of the market. Reinvigoration is necessary to kickstart that part of the economy again. We should start with cutting taxes almost entirely from that sector and drawing revenue from other sources, like transportation.

"Ultimately, no nation has ever had good-quality, cheap, omni-available healthcare, let alone a nation of our size. Folks thought it could be literally perfect, so they voted for Obama. You saw how that turned out. We should strive for the best realistic option, and I put my confidence in the American market and the American people."

[New Cobastheia]

Guess opened with his first sentence calm, and then opened up with a slight confused angry and firebrandism for the second part of his first paragraph. He continued to switch between all three of the emotions while adding in a tone of populism throughout his whole statement, "While I do agree that our nation’s health care has risen in quality compared to where we were four decades ago, it is by no means any cheaper. At all. It’s ridiculous that anyone can make that statement, especially after a member of the medical community just told us that it’s only getting more expensive.

I think the people have good reason to not trust the businessperson, especially with their healthcare. The number of times they have betrayed the American people with their care, putting the profits before the patients, has reached an uncountable number.

Think of all the times we’ve been outraged from a news story where a pharmaceutical company raises the price of a life-saving drug, a drug that only cost a few dollars to produce, a drug that millions of Americans need to take, through no fault of their own, or they’ll drop dead. The hospital conglomerates who run their hospitals like a business instead a facility to save lives, charging upwards to the 100,000’s to be put on a ventilator is just one example.

We need to repeal the laws that say we can’t negotiate with big pharma companies on the price of the drugs they create and start regulating these two fields to make sure they aren't overcharging. Doing these two things is making sure that the overall cost of medical care is lowered.

As for how bureaucratic a single-payer program can be, again, let me tell you. I go to the doctor's office, I give them my insurance cards, and I’ve practically never had to worry about how much it costs again. Now, I don't know about Rep. Egilson, but to me, that doesn't sound bureaucratic at all. And as a plus, we’d be cutting wasteful administrative costs as nearly a dozen or so programs will be transformed into one program.

Now, while I think Obamacare helped in bring insurance to more Americans and making it cheaper for a time. However, after the individual mandate was repealed it’s all gone downhill. By repealing the individual mandate, Republicans doomed the plan to fail. Without the mandate, there was no immediate financial incentive for Americans to buy insurance and without that, the plan couldn't keep insurance cheap. Without the mandate, Obamacare could no longer bring any kind of Universal Healthcare to our nation. Single-payer can, with every American enrolled in the program it will actually bring Universal Healthcare to our nation. It will bring in a new age in our country where nobody will have to worry about the cost of their health ever again!

Meanwhile, Rep. Egilson's plan is nothing new while doing nothing to stop the problems that keep making healthcare in our nation more and more expensive for the everyday person.

And plenty of nations around the world have good-quality, cheap, omni-available healthcare. Ever hear of Canada and every, single, country in Europe. As for a nation of our size, I think that boils down more to how much we can spend on each person rather than our number of citizens. For instance, even though China currently has a larger GDP than us, we can still spend more per citizen. We can provide better healthcare for each and every American more than the Chinese Government could ever do for its citizens."

[Vienna Eliot]

Jones nodded, staring blankly at the candidates. "Okay. Our final question is from Mr. Kenneth Bone." She looked directly into the camera, as if to say yes, that Kenneth Bone.

Ken Bone stood, wearing an uncannily familiar outfit, and, smiling, spoke into the microphone.

"What steps will your foreign policy take to meet our dire international needs, while at the same time remaining responsible and minimizing economic trouble? Thank you."

[Zjaum]

"The United States historically has been a leader, not one-amongst-many. I'd like to keep that status. There are many nations who would love our patronage, often more than that of China. We should seek out and invest in these countries heavily. When they develop, we both profit. Now, that said, we need to keep our own ducks in order. If we have to take ownership of foreign and domestic affairs, our problems should, and will, always come first. That way, we remain safe when economic hardship rolls around. That said, greater responsibility on the world stage will open a lot more doors for our nation in the future.

"You know, I just traveled to the Baltic States, and my partner has traveled to South Korea. These are sovereignties who are eager to work with us over any other alternative. Putting American businesses on their soil and inviting their firms to work on our soil will bring jobs aplenty, and it will provide the right position we need to retake the Number One position again."

[New Cobastheia]

“Now that plan is great... If we could wait to try and save our economy. We need to help our economy survive right now, we don’t have time to wait. While I do think that should create ties to developing nations to help boost both their economy and ours, we should be focusing on developed nations to give our economy a much needed, quick boost. We should be focusing on the European Union and the Commonwealth.

The EU is made up of our allies and developed economies, if we can create a free trade agreement that allows us to keep American jobs American, we would be keeping our jobs and be getting a boost to our economy. I think we should do the same for the Commonwealth, it has all the benefits that I just listed and it gives us access to Africa, at this point most of the African nations are either loyal to either the Comminealfh or to China and they aren’t going to change their allengience. Or your South Africa and your allied with both.

And of course we should do the same with developing nations, we’d be doing that under a Guess Adminstration as well, but that shouldn’t be the focus becuase that won’t give the boost we need as soon as we need it.

For the Middle East, we should only be supporting nations that care about human rights. The Guess Adminstration would not support Saudi Arabia. We should support Kurdistan in its bids for the UN and NATO. At this point, it’s becoming more an more clear that a one state solution based on civil rights is the only options as more and more Israelis move into the West Bank.

As for the wasteful foreign wars that are killing our soldiers. Under a Guess Administration we shall not take any part in them. Are soldiers deserve better than be sent to far off land to be slaughtered! The only reason we’ll put boots on the ground is becuase our safety, our nation’s safety, and our peoples safety is threatened! Otherwise, if it’s a humanitarian crisis, we will support our allies and their people but we’ll only bring our soldiers lives into it if our people are threatened!

Both myself and Gov. Randolph have the expirence to do this, from our years in the Sentste and House representing our nation to others, to our time as the Heads of State of California and Georgia. We have the knowledge and expirence to bring the United States back into the world stage!”

[Zjaum]

Egilson straightened his tie. "I concur with the one-state solution and Kurdistan. I too want nations that are friendly with us because they share our values, not merely because they share our trade. I agree with forming trade agreements and, if the people want it, non-interventionism. I protest, however, the short-term solution. Some of the worst policies imaginable were done by people thinking that immediate action was necessary and that the short term must come before the long term. Prohibition and the drug war, social security, the TSA, and gut-reaction wars are just a few. I would hate to see reactionary economic policies and defeatism applied to our economic attitude. We can win nations back, as we have across Europe, Asia, and South America. All it takes is time and effort. We have a number-two economy right now, but we aren't dead. Invest in the future, and she will yield good returns."

[New Cobastheia]

"My plan isn't focusing on the short-term, it's doing the quickest and easiest thing now so we don't falter more than we already have in the long-term. Like I said, we need to do something now, if we wait or it takes a long time to see any benefits being brought to us, our economy will only suffer more than it already has. Rep. Egilson seems to forget that the boost that we'd get from restarting trade relations with our developed allies would last for as long as we have those trade relations. If you look at a chart of our economic history or any other nations for that matter, it shows that free trade will always give the economy a boost as long as it exists for the nation.

I agree that reactionary responses to issues have created some of the worst issues our nation has had to face. Needless wars clearly being the most prominent. While we both agree that the Drug War is a massive failure, Rep. Egilson hasn't stated what he would do to fix the problem, I have. Harm reduction and the pardoning of nonviolent drug offenders. Harm reduction has proven itself to be much more effective in countries around the world than punishment. It allows people to live and fix their lives while getting treatment. Our prisons are crowded with people who aren't a danger to society, the only crime millions of people have committed has been doing drugs. Drugs that don't harm anyone but the user, if the particular drug can even hurt the user. Most drugs are just used to make people feel good. Instead of punishing people for taking something that makes them feel good, and for some reason having a double standard for alcohol, we should be regulating the drug market. Meanwhile, as far as I can remember, you haven't even brought up the drug crisis until this very moment in the campaign.

As for Social Security, that program wasn't created for the short-term. That program was created to make sure that no American would ever have to live out their elderly years poor again. People in the 1930's had no way of knowing that life expectancy and the number of the elderly would increase to where it is now. And as I've stated numerous times, privatizing the system was not the way to go because the market can bust at any moment with very few Americans prepared. Imagine waking up to find out you could afford to live anymore. Your life would be destroyed. THat is the fear that every single elderly person has to live with. No one should ever have to live with that fear!"

[Zjaum]

Closing statement:

"I must apologize to the three of you Americans asking for little or no change. Both Guess and I present radical changes to our domestic and foreign policy that will usher in a new age of United States history and culture. We propose great risks which could fail spectacularly unless we as a people remain vigilant. However, my plan offers a solution that would let the best and brightest among us benefit the country and tow us to the top, and it will give everyone else an option to work hard and provide for their families. It's been what many have called the American Dream for over a century, and I have the experience and the know-how to make it function, where my predecessors have failed. Thank you for your time, and God bless America."

[New Cobastheia]

Closing Statement:

"If there is one thing I definitely agree with Rep. Egilson, is that regardless of who is elected President in a few weeks, either myself or Egilson will bring radical change to our nation. However, there is one major difference between the two of us. I will bring us policies that have shown that they would better than what we're doing right now in the United States in other countries around the world. My plan will give us an American where no one will have to worry about things they shouldn't be troubled with, affording to live all while opening up our countries democracy to give everyone the option to truthfully voice their opinion through their vote. And while Egilson only has a few years of being a Mayor and one-term of being a Representative to bring with him to the White House to bring his plan into power, I have been implementing my plan for all my years in government, from my time on the Cherokee National Council, to my time in the House, to my time in the Senate, to my time as Governor, and to my time in my current position, Premier. I have all the experience I'd ever need and more to implement my plan as President, and I plan to do just that as President. Thank you all very much for listening and watching tonight and I hope that I have gained your vote for President come November 5th!"

[Ascysia]

Official statement on the 2052 Presidential Election, by Governor Richard Faulkner

"As you all know, earlier this year I failed in obtaining the Democratic nomination for the presidency of the United States. As defeat became inevitable, I investigated the possibility of a third-party, or independent campaign, but with limited funds, I decided to put that ambition aside. I will not be disclosing who I vote for in this election, I will not be endorsing any candidate. As an American citizen however, I will be casting my vote, here in Oregon. I do formally endorse Mayor Carter to be re-elected as Mayor of Portland, and I am of course endorsing my close friend, Democratic incumbent Anthony Ward, for the position of Representative for Oregon's 2nd district, who I plan on voting for come election day. As American citizens, remember, we have a civic duty, to partake in the democratic process, voluntarily. I urge everyone who is unsure of who to vote for, and those who plan not to vote at all, to put some time aside, research the candidates, and please, vote. God knows how many brave men we have lost over the years, fighting in wars to maintain our God given right to freedom. Thank you all, and good luck to both Premier Guess & Governor Randolph, and to Representative Egilson and Senator Wright."

[Zjaum]

Excerpt from speech at St. Petersburg, FL

"Hello, St. Petersburg! You know, we're nearing the end of the race. I kinda wanted to do something, if you'd let me. I don't know if you remember the escapades of Florida Man, who would do something so obscure and strange that it would boggle the collective minds of the rest of the nation. Some people might take that as an insult, but I think it's great. It gives you a state identity which makes you much more memorable than many of the others. So I wanted to show you what I brought along with me."

Egilson takes off his blazer to reveal an orange cape and red spandex shirt, with a big white "F" on the front of it. Egilson has a big, goofy grin on his face.

"I came here today as Florida Man! Yeah, I seriously think it's awesome! Local and state identity is one of the great things about this nation. We're all Americans, obviously, but we each come from different backgrounds. I can write you a full book on the history of the substate of Jefferson, and of the California Gold Rush that led to its prosperity, and you can tell me some of your city founders! That's what's beautiful about these United States: we each have a unique past, and we all have a joint future. As president, I would not want to change a single bit of that. And, if I don't win, at least I go down a living meme!"

[Helowi]

Wright Final Campaign Rally for Egilson in Ocala, Florida. Broadcast on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and C-SPAN
Wright was waiting in a small room with a couch and a TV. He was watching tv with his wife and his kids, aged 12 to 3. Wright was talking to his wife about the future of the family as he had seen his kidsrarely ever since the campaign began (he had spent the most time with them during the RNC)

“After the election season ends, win or lose, I can’t wait to spend more time with you and the kids.” Wright said to his wife Danielle. He had missed his kids throughout the campaign and cried when he saw them during the RNC.

“Don’t worry. We fought hard and we sacrificed a lot. It all comes down to who America believes is the person they want to lead them and the person they are comfortable taking over if that person can no longer leave. And if they see what I saw in you throughout this whole campaign. You’ll win all 538 of those electoral votes.” Danielle said, bringing hope to Wright as he was about to give the speech.

“Thanks hun.” Wright said as an aide signaled to him a 5. “We gotta get on.” Wright said as him and his wife went onstage. He decided just for fun to bring his youngest son Henry on as well, in a last attempt to show him as a family man.

Wright walked onstage at an excited crowd, chanting in support of the Egilson/Wright campaign. Wright smiled along with Danielle and Henry, who was extremely energetic. He walked up to the podium, while Danielle was sitting down in a chair, holding Henry to make sure he didn’t walk away.

Wright began speaking. “Good Afternoon, my fellow Americans. Over the last year, we have raged a campaign that fought for a better economy in the long run, that fought for prosperity and diplomacy with our friends outside our borders. We have fought and fought and fought on for the betterment of society. We have showed America that we are a campaign that cares about every person in America. We have showed everyone that we can be the great changers that will set the new precedent of what a president could be!” The audience roared with Applause as Wright smiled and Henry began squirming a bit more in Danielle’s hands.

“Now, the decision is up to America. My opposition went to the White house for a meeting of impeaching several Supreme Court justices. I have fought in the senate for the respect of the courts decisions and now people like this come in with little to no evidence of wrongdoing and impeach more Supreme Court justices than the amount of kids I have!”

The audience cheered at the remarks and roared in applause. When Henry broke out of Danielle’s hands and ran up to Wright. Wright smiled and picked Henry up. “And I need to ask my son a question for a second. Henry, who do you want to win this election? Do you want Egilson and Daddy to win this election, or do you want Guess and Randolph to go to the White House?” Henry stood silent for a second, a bit shy and then screamed. “You should win, Dad.” Wright smiled and the crowd began to cheer. “That’s Wright, Henry!” Wright said as he passed him back to Danielle. “I hope all of you out in America know this, but the Egilson Wright ticket is the best choice for all of you out there. Thank you all, and remember to get out there and vote!”

Wright went down into the audience with Danielle, but Henry was taken backstage due to safety concerns. Wright began shaking hands and thanking people for coming to the rally. He went backstage 15 minutes later in order to fly back to Minnesota to cast his vote tomorrow.

[New Cobastheia]

"Do you want every, single, American to have free and affordable healthcare?!" Yelled Guess at the Crowd.
"HELL YA!"

"Do you want to live in an American where everyone can afford to go to college?!" Yelled Randolph at the Crowd.
"HELL YA!"

"Who's on the ticket that will bring our country into greatness! Who's gonna do what the American people want!"
"Guess/Randolph! Guess/Randolph! Guess/Randolph!"

"So who are you gonna vote for tomorrow Gainesville?!" Yelled the two of them in unison, with Eric adding himself in.
"Guess/Randolph! Guess/Randolph! Guess/Randolph!"

The crowd chanted with Guess, Randolph, and Santiago. After the chanting, the two of them walked into the crowd to greet their now, semi-rabid, supporters.

---

The whole team had been doing rallies like this for the last three weeks all over the country in any state that had a chance to vote for Guess, hoping to sway the projected red states to Guess's side, while exciting and motivating their base everywhere they visited. New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Lousiana, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, and Washington. All the while local politicians supported them, Governor Santos of Texas, Senator El-Bacchus of Michigan, Senator Kohen of New York, Chairwoman English of Virginia, President Fischer, Executive Director Sani of Arizona to help with the Navajo Vote, and Governor Osbourne of Lousiana helped support them, firing up the base, exciting the voters.

All the while Guess was being publically affectionate with Eric at most rallies he helped with, it an effort Guess has hoped would help to show the voters how much in love the two of them were. Compared to Egilson and his wife, Theo and Eric have been much more willing to show their love for each other throughout the campaign. While also reminding the voter about how they can elect the first Bisexual to the Oval Office while not saying it out loud.

However, for the last week before the election, Guess and Randolph only focused on Arizona, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, and Florida for nearly non-stop rallies. The five States Guess needed to win to win the Presidency. Ever since the last debate ads have been appearing here non-stop, pro-Guess ads mainly, to fire up the base of course.

---

With the three of them now on a campaign bus, heading to the airport so Guess and Santiago could head to California to vote and so Randolph could do the same with Georgia while flying to California later in the day to meet up with Guess so the whole team can watch the election together. Eric, from the first moment he got on the bus, got onto this phone to call Ms. Park back home in California. He was none by the time the three of them had sat down and the bus was moving.

"Is the Bus Strategy a go?" Asked Theo.

"Ya, it cost the campaign most of our money but, we don't really need that money anymore so."

"So what cities do we have?" Asked Victoria.

"Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Phoneix, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. All busing the poor and minority voters to polling stations, just like the New York Primary."

"Good, good." Guess said, looking visibly relaxed, "Even if we don't win those states, hopefully, it will push us over in the popular vote."

"So whats the worst case scenario?" Asked Victoria.

"Egilson wins the popular vote and I win the electoral college. Accepting the win, well, of course, I'd still accept it, but, could you imagine the protesting from his side if that happened, especially because I want to get rid of the college. If he wins both, I can accept that, will I like it, no. But if he wins both, he wins. If I win the popular but not the college, we have a plan for that, which even if it isn't successful in getting me into the oval office, it just might give the nation the incentive to kill that godawful system. The best case would be for us to win the popular and the college, obviously." Stated Guess

---

Looking out the window of the campaign bus, the three of them saw that they had reached the airport. Theo and Victoria hugged one last time before each of them headed to their respective terminals. Theo and Eric, hand and hand walked off to their plane, only to nearly be late because a few supports spotted them and wanted a selfie.

Once on the plane though, Theo felt something he really hasn't felt all that much this year. The whole race so far had been like a marathon. An amazing marathon, full of ups and downs, full of excitement, but he could never really stop. Sure he loved it, but now he could see the finish line right in front of him, as well as his rival in the race right next to him. It felt so different now, it felt eerily clear and at the same time confusing. But, overwhelmingly, it felt like a calm before a storm, except no one knows the storm is coming even though there are thunderclouds above their heads. It was a wonderfully powerful yet completely terrifying feeling and for the time being, Guess was content. The one thing he was feeling, something he feels so rarely, was content. "How Strange" he thought, considering his whole life could change in a matter of hours.