The Land Of The Free: An American Political Roleplay (OOC)

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Ahh, so I could do a sort of technocrat character, one with a background in STEM?

I would do that, but it just feels like a Vohoffsky rehash.

Non-establishment centrists are hard, hmmm...

No?

Bill Walker was a lawyer and mayor

Oh whoops, I clicked on the Scottish MSP. I see...

[Meelducan]

Bill Walker is my hero

[Velahor]

If commonwealth wasn’t big, how did a random 20 year old make it big by simply snapping his fingers?

If he is “essentially a lobbyist defending establishment interests” why is he in the Reform Party

I think there is room for interesting third party or independent candidates, but hotshot businessman who turns his uncles company into a Fortune 500 multinational inexplicably is not that interesting or realistic.

And most successful third party candidates don’t fit that background.

Like, look at the WV gubernatorial race. A former state legislator ran on the Green Party state equivalent ticket and got 6% of the vote.

Or look at Eliot Cutler in Maine, he was just a prolific lawyer.

I like that you’re doing a third party guy and I think it’s interesting, I just dislike the hotshot businessman trope and I also don’t think it fits the Reform Party.

My two cents:

This guy is three separate characters merged into one. There’s the Kentucky Reform Party business leader running for Governor, there’s the family-wealth deep state insider independent presidential candidate Bloomberg/Rockefeller mashup, and there’s the establishment lobbyist insider Clifford backer who might be a good character to have as a Senator in a safe blue state. I’d say choose one of those three.

I’m not trying to tear your app apart, but these apps occasionally come in where a character is a mix of too many things, and they’re really hard to resolve into a realistic character.

[Sanabel]

If commonwealth wasn’t big, how did a random 20 year old make it big by simply snapping his fingers?

If he is “essentially a lobbyist defending establishment interests” why is he in the Reform Party

I think there is room for interesting third party or independent candidates, but hotshot businessman who turns his uncles company into a Fortune 500 multinational inexplicably is not that interesting or realistic.

And most successful third party candidates don’t fit that background.

Like, look at the WV gubernatorial race. A former state legislator ran on the Green Party state equivalent ticket and got 6% of the vote.

Or look at Eliot Cutler in Maine, he was just a prolific lawyer.

I like that you’re doing a third party guy and I think it’s interesting, I just dislike the hotshot businessman trope and I also don’t think it fits the Reform Party.

My two cents:

This guy is three separate characters merged into one. There’s the Kentucky Reform Party business leader running for Governor, there’s the family-wealth deep state insider independent presidential candidate Bloomberg/Rockefeller mashup, and there’s the establishment lobbyist insider Clifford backer who might be a good character to have as a Senator in a safe blue state. I’d say choose one of those three.

I’m not trying to tear your app apart, but these apps occasionally come in where a character is a mix of too many things, and they’re really hard to resolve into a realistic character.

Good point

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

The app is too much of a weird melting pot that I can't salvage anything without whatever I salvage hijacking the rest of it, so I'll probably just drop the concept entirely.

The sort of character I'm trying to make is a neoliberal archetype: one who supports globalisation, has benefited from it, and supports the "new world" of peace that it made.

I think such a character is better off in California or New York though, so...Can't think of a background though.

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

I'll think about it more when I wake up...

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

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Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Xath

Character Name: Bernard Prairie

Character Gender: Male

Character Age: 66

Character Height: 6'0''

Character Weight: 173

Character Position/Role/Job: State Senator of Idaho's 26th District (2008 - 2016, 2018 - Present), Mayor of Hailey, Idaho (1994 - 2002)

Appearance:

Character State of Origin: Idaho

Character State of Residence: Idaho

Character Party Affiliation: Independent (Caucuses with Democrats)

Main Strengths: Strong name recognition given historic 2016 U.S. Senate campaign, Strong base from leading his grassroots 'revolution'

Main Weaknesses: Disliked by the Idaho State Democratic Party, Limited fundraising base, Advocate for progressive ideas in a deeply red state

Biography: WIP

- Born in Idaho Falls, Father a scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory, Mother was a nurse and midwife

- A schoolteacher by trade, taught mathematics and history at local high school, married veterinarian

- Moved to Hailey, Idaho...eventually ran for Mayor after deciding to get involved in politics

- Took a break once they had four children, eventually returned to run for state Senator at the encouragement of locals

- Won with a powerful grassroots base, strongly supported by Hailey and other smaller towns

- Has been an independent though caucuses with Democrats, supporting several entitlement programs but also staunchly pro-gun and very moderately pro-choice

- Ran in 2016 for U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary as an independent, defeating two traditional party members in a major upset

- Moved on to face incumbent Sen. Myles L. Burckhalter, the then Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Was largely ignored given Burckhalter's major advantages and undefeated streak

- Race grew competitive largely due to Sen. Baginiski who raised the profile of Prairie, leading to the Idaho Seat being labeled a likely Republican, something that had not happened in over a decade...heading into the fall, the race was subsequently relabeled a lean Republican and by some pollsters' standards, only a tilt R

- Led to a competitive race and Burckhalter, who had naturally underestimated an independent challenge, increased his traditionally laid back campaign to confront him

- Come election day, while Burckhalter won, Prairie won 46% of the vote, being the first opponent to a Republican to break 45% in a Senate election in Idaho since 1986

- Since he could not stand for his traditional state Senator seat, a political ally backed by Prairie won his seat. In 2018, his friend stepped down allowing for Prairie to win his seat once again

- Has a strong political base and grassroots ''revolution" still in place, largely suspected to stage a comeback in 2020 as close allies believe it will be his final major campaign before retiring from politics

Beliefs: Pro-Medicaid expansion and has expressed support for M4A, Supports stronger programs for the elderly, Favors more investment in education, Supports greater farm subsidies and breaking up agribusiness, Believes in a major tax cut for middle-class and working-class at the expense of higher taxes on the rich, Against automation and free trade, Protectionist views, Pro-gun and only a moderate pro-choice supporter and against federal funding for abortions, Major conservationist, Against mass surveillance and foreign interventions

Other Info: Made national headlines again following Sen. Westra's plagiarism of his speech

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Xathuecia

Do Not Remove: 84721

[Sanabel]

The app is too much of a weird melting pot that I can't salvage anything without whatever I salvage hijacking the rest of it, so I'll probably just drop the concept entirely.

The sort of character I'm trying to make is a neoliberal archetype: one who supports globalisation, has benefited from it, and supports the "new world" of peace that it made.

I think such a character is better off in California or New York though, so...Can't think of a background though.

Neoliberal and third party just doesn’t make sense though

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

The app is too much of a weird melting pot that I can't salvage anything without whatever I salvage hijacking the rest of it, so I'll probably just drop the concept entirely.

The sort of character I'm trying to make is a neoliberal archetype: one who supports globalisation, has benefited from it, and supports the "new world" of peace that it made.

I think such a character is better off in California or New York though, so...Can't think of a background though.

Neoliberal and third party just doesn’t make sense though

Yeah, that's fair.

I'm trying to think of other types of centrist independents. Maybe one that's like "break the system" and "bipartisanship", but that's too broad a background. Upper-middle-class, coastal...

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Neoliberal and third party just doesn’t make sense though

Yeah, that's fair.

I'm trying to think of other types of centrist independents. Maybe one that's like "break the system" and "bipartisanship", but that's too broad a background. Upper-middle-class, coastal...

If I can give you any massive piece of advice politically, it's that way more people are at peace with the political establishment than you think.

[Sanabel]

(Image)

---

Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Xath

Character Name: Bernard Prairie

Character Gender: Male

Character Age: 66

Character Height: 6'0''

Character Weight: 173

Character Position/Role/Job: State Senator of Idaho's 26th District (2008 - 2016, 2018 - Present), Mayor of Hailey, Idaho (1994 - 2002)

Appearance: (Image)

Character State of Origin: Idaho

Character State of Residence: Idaho

Character Party Affiliation: Independent (Caucuses with Democrats)

Main Strengths: Strong name recognition given historic 2016 U.S. Senate campaign, Strong base from leading his grassroots 'revolution' (Can be strong, won’t be big in Idaho, and it’s canon that he’s not that famous outside of his home state)

Main Weaknesses: Disliked by the Idaho State Democratic Party, Limited fundraising base, Advocate for progressive ideas in a deeply red state

Biography: WIP

- Born in Idaho Falls, Father a scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory, Mother was a nurse and midwife

- A schoolteacher by trade, taught mathematics and history at local high school, married veterinarian

- Moved to Hailey, Idaho...eventually ran for Mayor after deciding to get involved in politics

- Took a break once they had four children, eventually returned to run for state Senator at the encouragement of locals

- Won with a powerful grassroots base, strongly supported by Hailey and other smaller towns

- Has been an independent though caucuses with Democrats, supporting several entitlement programs but also staunchly pro-gun and very moderately pro-choice

- Ran in 2016 for U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary as an independent, defeating two traditional party members in a major upset

- Moved on to face incumbent Sen. Myles L. Burckhalter, the then Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Was largely ignored given Burckhalter's major advantages and undefeated streak

- Race grew competitive largely due to Sen. Baginiski who raised the profile of Prairie, leading to the Idaho Seat being labeled a likely Republican, something that had not happened in over a decade...heading into the fall, the race was subsequently relabeled a lean Republican and by some pollsters' standards, only a tilt R (This narrows it too much, the margin of the General is fine, but it should be a surprise. I don’t see him making Idaho a Tilt R in the media.)

- Led to a competitive race and Burckhalter, who had naturally underestimated an independent challenge, increased his traditionally laid back campaign to confront him

- Come election day, while Burckhalter won, Prairie won 46% of the vote, being the first opponent to a Republican to break 45% in a Senate election in Idaho since 1986

- Since he could not stand for his traditional state Senator seat, a political ally backed by Prairie won his seat. In 2018, his friend stepped down allowing for Prairie to win his seat once again

- Has a strong political base and grassroots ''revolution" still in place, largely suspected to stage a comeback in 2020 as close allies believe it will be his final major campaign before retiring from politics

Beliefs: Pro-Medicaid expansion and has expressed support for M4A, Supports stronger programs for the elderly, Favors more investment in education, Supports greater farm subsidies and breaking up agribusiness, Believes in a major tax cut for middle-class and working-class at the expense of higher taxes on the rich, Against automation and free trade, Protectionist views, Pro-gun and only a moderate pro-choice supporter and against federal funding for abortions, Major conservationist, Against mass surveillance and foreign interventions

Other Info: Made national headlines again following Sen. Westra's plagiarism of his speech

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Xathuecia

Do Not Remove: 84721

Looks pretty good so far, some points in bold. I like the character idea!

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Yeah, that's fair.

I'm trying to think of other types of centrist independents. Maybe one that's like "break the system" and "bipartisanship", but that's too broad a background. Upper-middle-class, coastal...

If I can give you any massive piece of advice politically, it's that way more people are at peace with the political establishment than you think.

Yes, that's why my focus was a return-to-normalcy independent. A bipartisanship one, one that seeks to end the madness.

[Sarenium]

Yeah, that's fair.

I'm trying to think of other types of centrist independents. Maybe one that's like "break the system" and "bipartisanship", but that's too broad a background. Upper-middle-class, coastal...

If I can give you any massive piece of advice politically, it's that way more people are at peace with the political establishment than you think.

Bring out the Guillotines x

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

(Image)

---

Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Xath

Character Name: Bernard Prairie

Character Gender: Male

Character Age: 66

Character Height: 6'0''

Character Weight: 173

Character Position/Role/Job: State Senator of Idaho's 26th District (2008 - 2016, 2018 - Present), Mayor of Hailey, Idaho (1994 - 2002)

Appearance: (Image)

Character State of Origin: Idaho

Character State of Residence: Idaho

Character Party Affiliation: Independent (Caucuses with Democrats)

Main Strengths: Strong name recognition given historic 2016 U.S. Senate campaign, Strong base from leading his grassroots 'revolution' (Can be strong, won’t be big in Idaho, and it’s canon that he’s not that famous outside of his home state)

Main Weaknesses: Disliked by the Idaho State Democratic Party, Limited fundraising base, Advocate for progressive ideas in a deeply red state

Biography: WIP

- Born in Idaho Falls, Father a scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory, Mother was a nurse and midwife

- A schoolteacher by trade, taught mathematics and history at local high school, married veterinarian

- Moved to Hailey, Idaho...eventually ran for Mayor after deciding to get involved in politics

- Took a break once they had four children, eventually returned to run for state Senator at the encouragement of locals

- Won with a powerful grassroots base, strongly supported by Hailey and other smaller towns

- Has been an independent though caucuses with Democrats, supporting several entitlement programs but also staunchly pro-gun and very moderately pro-choice

- Ran in 2016 for U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary as an independent, defeating two traditional party members in a major upset

- Moved on to face incumbent Sen. Myles L. Burckhalter, the then Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Was largely ignored given Burckhalter's major advantages and undefeated streak

- Race grew competitive largely due to Sen. Baginiski who raised the profile of Prairie, leading to the Idaho Seat being labeled a likely Republican, something that had not happened in over a decade...heading into the fall, the race was subsequently relabeled a lean Republican and by some pollsters' standards, only a tilt R (This narrows it too much, the margin of the General is fine, but it should be a surprise. I don’t see him making Idaho a Tilt R in the media.)

- Led to a competitive race and Burckhalter, who had naturally underestimated an independent challenge, increased his traditionally laid back campaign to confront him

- Come election day, while Burckhalter won, Prairie won 46% of the vote, being the first opponent to a Republican to break 45% in a Senate election in Idaho since 1986

- Since he could not stand for his traditional state Senator seat, a political ally backed by Prairie won his seat. In 2018, his friend stepped down allowing for Prairie to win his seat once again

- Has a strong political base and grassroots ''revolution" still in place, largely suspected to stage a comeback in 2020 as close allies believe it will be his final major campaign before retiring from politics

Beliefs: Pro-Medicaid expansion and has expressed support for M4A, Supports stronger programs for the elderly, Favors more investment in education, Supports greater farm subsidies and breaking up agribusiness, Believes in a major tax cut for middle-class and working-class at the expense of higher taxes on the rich, Against automation and free trade, Protectionist views, Pro-gun and only a moderate pro-choice supporter and against federal funding for abortions, Major conservationist, Against mass surveillance and foreign interventions

Other Info: Made national headlines again following Sen. Westra's plagiarism of his speech

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Xathuecia

Do Not Remove: 84721

Looks pretty good so far, some points in bold. I like the character idea!

Got it, thanks! And yeah, didn't really know how well-known he was known and stuff like that

Will probably keep working on it and only really get him up and going after I've finished Brookshire's and Spellman's campaigns

[Sanabel]

If I can give you any massive piece of advice politically, it's that way more people are at peace with the political establishment than you think.

Yes, that's why my focus was a return-to-normalcy independent. A bipartisanship one, one that seeks to end the madness.

Not sure a petroleum and heavy industries exec is the way to go.

What about an independent mayor of a small city

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

Yes, that's why my focus was a return-to-normalcy independent. A bipartisanship one, one that seeks to end the madness.

Not sure a petroleum and heavy industries exec is the way to go.

What about an independent mayor of a small city

Pete Buttigieg but make him slightly more popular and not a Democrat. A small town in Kentucky would really fit that, give him a strong case for running for Government.

And Pete would provide a good base for how to define him politically given his own Midwestern and centrist approaches.

Would also probably make him very competitive in KY given the two leading candidates are not really too down to earth.

[Bruke]

(Image)

---

Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Xath

Character Name: Bernard Prairie

Character Gender: Male

Character Age: 66

Character Height: 6'0''

Character Weight: 173

Character Position/Role/Job: State Senator of Idaho's 26th District (2008 - 2016, 2018 - Present), Mayor of Hailey, Idaho (1994 - 2002)

Appearance: (Image)

Character State of Origin: Idaho

Character State of Residence: Idaho

Character Party Affiliation: Independent (Caucuses with Democrats)

Main Strengths: Strong name recognition given historic 2016 U.S. Senate campaign, Strong base from leading his grassroots 'revolution' (Can be strong, won’t be big in Idaho, and it’s canon that he’s not that famous outside of his home state)

Main Weaknesses: Disliked by the Idaho State Democratic Party, Limited fundraising base, Advocate for progressive ideas in a deeply red state

Biography: WIP

- Born in Idaho Falls, Father a scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory, Mother was a nurse and midwife

- A schoolteacher by trade, taught mathematics and history at local high school, married veterinarian

- Moved to Hailey, Idaho...eventually ran for Mayor after deciding to get involved in politics

- Took a break once they had four children, eventually returned to run for state Senator at the encouragement of locals

- Won with a powerful grassroots base, strongly supported by Hailey and other smaller towns

- Has been an independent though caucuses with Democrats, supporting several entitlement programs but also staunchly pro-gun and very moderately pro-choice

- Ran in 2016 for U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary as an independent, defeating two traditional party members in a major upset

- Moved on to face incumbent Sen. Myles L. Burckhalter, the then Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Was largely ignored given Burckhalter's major advantages and undefeated streak

- Race grew competitive largely due to Sen. Baginiski who raised the profile of Prairie, leading to the Idaho Seat being labeled a likely Republican, something that had not happened in over a decade...heading into the fall, the race was subsequently relabeled a lean Republican and by some pollsters' standards, only a tilt R (This narrows it too much, the margin of the General is fine, but it should be a surprise. I don’t see him making Idaho a Tilt R in the media.)

- Led to a competitive race and Burckhalter, who had naturally underestimated an independent challenge, increased his traditionally laid back campaign to confront him

- Come election day, while Burckhalter won, Prairie won 46% of the vote, being the first opponent to a Republican to break 45% in a Senate election in Idaho since 1986

- Since he could not stand for his traditional state Senator seat, a political ally backed by Prairie won his seat. In 2018, his friend stepped down allowing for Prairie to win his seat once again

- Has a strong political base and grassroots ''revolution" still in place, largely suspected to stage a comeback in 2020 as close allies believe it will be his final major campaign before retiring from politics

Beliefs: Pro-Medicaid expansion and has expressed support for M4A, Supports stronger programs for the elderly, Favors more investment in education, Supports greater farm subsidies and breaking up agribusiness, Believes in a major tax cut for middle-class and working-class at the expense of higher taxes on the rich, Against automation and free trade, Protectionist views, Pro-gun and only a moderate pro-choice supporter and against federal funding for abortions, Major conservationist, Against mass surveillance and foreign interventions

Other Info: Made national headlines again following Sen. Westra's plagiarism of his speech

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Xathuecia

Do Not Remove: 84721

Looks pretty good so far, some points in bold. I like the character idea!

He already exists, remember?

[Sanabel]

Not sure a petroleum and heavy industries exec is the way to go.

What about an independent mayor of a small city

Pete Buttigieg but make him slightly more popular and not a Democrat. A small town in Kentucky would really fit that, give him a strong case for running for Government.

And Pete would provide a good base for how to define him politically given his own Midwestern and centrist approaches.

Would also probably make him very competitive in KY given the two leading candidates are not really too down to earth.

You have a celebrity Democrat and a controversial Wolf acolyte

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

Shoot...that polling is not looking too good for Brooky.

[Bruke]

Shoot...that polling is not looking too good for Brooky.

She might have a friend soon to help her

[Sanabel]

Shoot...that polling is not looking too good for Brooky.

It's going to be really tight

De Lange is hurting her also

[Bruke]

Shoot...that polling is not looking too good for Brooky.

It's going to be really tight

De Lange is hurting her also

Cramp's the Tea Party favorite eh?

[Sanabel]

Louisiana will have to be separate

[Puertollano]

(Image)

---

Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Xath

Character Name: Bernard Prairie

Character Gender: Male

Character Age: 66

Character Height: 6'0''

Character Weight: 173

Character Position/Role/Job: State Senator of Idaho's 26th District (2008 - 2016, 2018 - Present), Mayor of Hailey, Idaho (1994 - 2002)

Appearance: (Image)

Character State of Origin: Idaho

Character State of Residence: Idaho

Character Party Affiliation: Independent (Caucuses with Democrats)

Main Strengths: Strong name recognition given historic 2016 U.S. Senate campaign, Strong base from leading his grassroots 'revolution'

Main Weaknesses: Disliked by the Idaho State Democratic Party, Limited fundraising base, Advocate for progressive ideas in a deeply red state

Biography: WIP

- Born in Idaho Falls, Father a scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory, Mother was a nurse and midwife

- A schoolteacher by trade, taught mathematics and history at local high school, married veterinarian

- Moved to Hailey, Idaho...eventually ran for Mayor after deciding to get involved in politics

- Took a break once they had four children, eventually returned to run for state Senator at the encouragement of locals

- Won with a powerful grassroots base, strongly supported by Hailey and other smaller towns

- Has been an independent though caucuses with Democrats, supporting several entitlement programs but also staunchly pro-gun and very moderately pro-choice

- Ran in 2016 for U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary as an independent, defeating two traditional party members in a major upset

- Moved on to face incumbent Sen. Myles L. Burckhalter, the then Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Was largely ignored given Burckhalter's major advantages and undefeated streak

- Race grew competitive largely due to Sen. Baginiski who raised the profile of Prairie, leading to the Idaho Seat being labeled a likely Republican, something that had not happened in over a decade...heading into the fall, the race was subsequently relabeled a lean Republican and by some pollsters' standards, only a tilt R

- Led to a competitive race and Burckhalter, who had naturally underestimated an independent challenge, increased his traditionally laid back campaign to confront him

- Come election day, while Burckhalter won, Prairie won 46% of the vote, being the first opponent to a Republican to break 45% in a Senate election in Idaho since 1986

- Since he could not stand for his traditional state Senator seat, a political ally backed by Prairie won his seat. In 2018, his friend stepped down allowing for Prairie to win his seat once again

- Has a strong political base and grassroots ''revolution" still in place, largely suspected to stage a comeback in 2020 as close allies believe it will be his final major campaign before retiring from politics

Beliefs: Pro-Medicaid expansion and has expressed support for M4A, Supports stronger programs for the elderly, Favors more investment in education, Supports greater farm subsidies and breaking up agribusiness, Believes in a major tax cut for middle-class and working-class at the expense of higher taxes on the rich, Against automation and free trade, Protectionist views, Pro-gun and only a moderate pro-choice supporter and against federal funding for abortions, Major conservationist, Against mass surveillance and foreign interventions

Other Info: Made national headlines again following Sen. Westra's plagiarism of his speech

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Xathuecia

Do Not Remove: 84721

You're already endorsed by Levi Murphy

[Velahor]

This is my final character. I’m not making more, I’m booked up, but I want a Senate campaign for 2020. And nobody has made a character whose main issue is drug policy and the drug war.

(Image)

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Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Velahor
Character Name: Brenton Wallace Butts
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 47
Character Height: 5’11
Character Weight: 158
Character Position/Role/Job: Mayor of Beaverton, Oregon, 2018-present
Founder and shareholder of Oregon THC Holdings (GreenTaxi Weed Delivery, Oregon Trail Farms Cannabis Products, Davy’s Farm Medicinals), 2010-present

City Councilman, Beaverton, Oregon, 2012-2016
Board member of Oregon THC Holdings 2010-2016
Guitarist & Vocalist 1982-present (all touring suspended for his political career)

Appearance:

(Image)

Character State of Origin: Washington
Character State of Residence: Oregon
Character Party Affiliation: Running in Republican Senate Primary in Oregon
Independent 2016-present
Libertarian Party: 2004-2016
Green Party: 1992-2004

Main Strengths: famous and beloved guitarist and vocalist in two genres, people find him extremely intelligent, marketing genius, has done a surprisingly good job as mayor of Beaverton, has solid libertarian support due to a protest he was involved in, team player and deal-maker, has a really important story to tell regarding the drug war, basically the Pacific Northwest’s Willie Nelson, close with Nike’s money as he’s the mayor of Beaverton and Vohoffsky’s money due to business connections

Main Weaknesses: unfortunate last name, cannabis job will make him unpopular with conservatives, not a dedicated Republican, very liberal socially and a pragmatic fiscal conservative with an environmentalist bent making him not the ideal Republican, past drug use, fits of rage in private settings, born introvert whose idealism makes him feel obliged into politics, tries to avoid ‘lazy stoner’ stereotypes but comes up short, not a very inspirational speaker, talks in very plain language, not necessarily single-issue but definitely niche as the ‘weed Republican’, not intimidating to anybody

Biography:

Brent Butts was born to hippie parents in The Dalles, Oregon and grew up on a small farm in the woods across the river near Dallesport, Washington. While his father ran a dairy farm with 100 cows nominally, their main source of income was from an illegal indoor cannabis grow operation he had started, the first of its kind and scale, inside an abandoned milking barn on the farm. When Brent was 13 in 1985, the operation was raided by DEA agents, making this one of the biggest drug busts in American history. His father, a peaceful pot-loving hippie, was put in prison for 35 years for running an illegal drug manufacturing operation. He was crushed, depressed, and needed an escape. He turned to music. He and his father would write each other frequently when his father was in prison, and in each letter, his dad would recommend another record from his big collection of records for Brent to listen too.

Brent Butts took in all of his dad’s old records, The Band, The Byrds, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and really absorbed the sounds. He would spend hours as a teenager locked up alone just listening to music and being completely still, taking it all in. He also got really into old country, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, artists of that sort.

It wasn’t long until Brent’s mother lost the farm, unable to sustain a dairy cow operation. The Butts family moved to Seattle, Washington. This exposed Brent to the early days of Seattle’s grunge scene in the late 1980’s. The DIY nature of early grunge music prompted Brent to pick up the guitar and learn vocals too.

In 1987, Brent started his first band, Butts & Company. A play off of his name, this raw punk-fueled grunge band gained a local following but was too loud and hardcore to gain radio traction. In 1989, Butts & Company broke up, and out of the remains of that band started Fleabag! (the exclamation point was soon dropped), a band named as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the way concertgoers yell “play Freebird!” at concerts as a way to heckle bands and a play on the word ‘fleabag’. While playing in Butts & Company, Brent also had the time to get his Bachelor’s in Business with a minor in Political Science at University of Washington.

Fleabag began to gain local and regional success throughout the Pacific Northwest, regular touring all the way from Santa Cruz to Vancouver, British Columbia. They soon added a second vocalist, Jack Hanson, to their lineup. They were unique among the grunge rock movement as their sound was definitively grunge, but also pulled in a lot of the jam band sounds of groups like the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band. In 1992, when Smells Like Teen Spirit blew up big for Nirvana, everything changed for Fleabag.

Fleabag was soon booked on national tours opening for The Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Neil Young. Their major-label debut “Fleabag” on hit number #3 on the Billboard Top 100. Their second album “Dave’s Farm” in 1993 charted even better, sitting at #1 for three weeks. The title track of “Dave’s Farm” is considered by some to be a national anthem of rural cannabis growers, a protest song at a big government squashing his father’s farm “like a truck over a bug.” (Similar in underground cult status to Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road”) These two albums were a big part of the grunge rock culture of youth in the 1990’s. Fleabag seemed to be on the way to superstardom similar to their contemporaries like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

But tragedy struck when one night after at a show in Los Angeles his bandmate Jack Hanson was found with a heroin needle in his arm dead in the back of their tour bus. Jack had received a tainted batch of heroin and experienced cardiac arrest upon injecting the substance. Butts found him dead, and called the rest of the tour off rather than “disrespecting his songs” by performing them himself. To this day, he still will not perform the songs that Jack wrote, saying “I will never do his writing justice.”

Dealing with the loss of his bandmate and best friend was hard, and Brent languished off of the funds from the first two albums for two years after Jack’s death before going to rehab in Portland, Oregon for alcohol use. To this day, he doesn’t drink. While in rehab, he only had an acoustic guitar, and recorded a low-fi solo folk album which earned critical acclaim and commercial success as a tribute to his late friend Jack. Upon leaving rehab in 1997, the music landscape in America had changed as grunge had been mostly replaced by nu-Metal and rap-rock. As opposed to going for trends, Brent took a different path.

Many of his heroes of the late 1960’s era of rock were heavily influenced by country music, music now dubbed “roots rock”. His new band Lonesome & High fell throughly in this style, and it was quite similar to Drive-By Truckers, Lucero, Whiskeytown, and other alt-country bands of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. He married a girl named Jennifer Alston from Franklin, Tennesee who played fiddle for an opening act on his tour, and they settled in a house in Beaverton. Cleaned up (except for weed of course) and ready to take on the world, Butts was greatly successful, playing club and theater shows unlike the old Fleabag arena tours, but still making an honest living. Lonesome & High’s third album, Soldier in No Army, gained notoriety in the early 2000’s as an Iraq War protest album. He was politically active during this time, first a donor to the Green Party and later a donor to the Libertarian Party and to not-Ron Paul.

Lonesome & High received a big career resurgence in 2009 when they were featured in the lineup at Coachella, Pickathon, Bonnaroo, and other major festivals. But in early 2011, the band went on indefinite hiatus when Brent and Jen had their first son Jack. Around the same time, money made from the festivals helped Brent start his own medical cannabis company, Dave’s Farm Medicinals. He became highly active in the movement to legalize cannabis in Oregon, which became successful in 2014. That same year, he started a recreational weed company called Oregon Trail Farms Cannabis Company.

With legal weed in Oregon, his business boomed, making him a revenue of about $1-2 million every year since 2014. In 2016, he ran as an independent for city council in his liberal neighborhood of Beaverton, Oregon and won. He also in 2016 released a solo traditional/outlaw country album called Mountain Man. In 2017 he hired good lawyers to negotiate his father Dave’s release from prison. He then ran in the non-partisan mayor’s race in Beaverton, Oregon in 2018 and won.

During the Antifa protests in 2019 in Portland, libertarian activists circulated a joke petition to make Butts annex Portland into Beaverton in order to make him the mayor of Portland too. This joke circulated online and was originally picked up by national news networks like it was a serious petition before they found out that it was a hoax.

Butts is establishing an exploratory committee to enter the Oregon 2020 Senate race. In spring 2018, Oregon THC Holdings (which Butts still is a shareholder of) started the GreenTaxi cannabis delivery app with the tech side of the application developed by Vohoffsky’s companies. Through this connection, Vohoffsky has encouraged Butts to run for Senate.

Other Info:
-REFUSES to call cannabis “weed” or “marijuana”. It is always “cannabis” when referred to in business or politics. In music it’s fine because “you gotta make the words work, man.”
-Also, he doesn’t like being called Mr. Butts. He won’t say anything about it, but it angers him a bit every time he hears it. Say it enough times and he’ll have a meltdown.
-Plans to run as an independent if he doesn’t win the primary.

Views (not public unless otherwise stated):

Healthcare: For reform in general. Leans against single-payer.

Climate Change: Cap & trade, tax fuel rather than income, climate change is a real threat and government is failing to solve the problem, so we must take action ourselves

Abortion: pro-choice up to 5 months, then only in cases of disease, rape, or incest

Foreign Policy: mostly non-interventionist

Immigration: protect the border with military force, but open up immigration to all who apply if they already have gainful employment arranged in the US. Privately, he only wants border protections so cheap Mexican cannabis stays out of the American market.

Trade: free trade for all industries but agriculture; we need to protect farmers from fluctuations in other nations’ food markets

Gun Control: in favor of gun rights, basic background checks for gun sales okay

Education: universal school voucher system

Civil Liberties: gay marriage is a decided issue, was pro-gay marriage before that; world’s biggest advocate of legal weed; his second-favorite issue to talk about is eliminating the surveillance state; for legalizing other drugs as well; abolish the DEA and ICE

Taxation & Spending: lower taxes, shift taxes from income to taxes on consumption of environmentally-destructive goods, replace all welfare with a UBI “Liberty Dividend”

Any other beliefs can be considered unformed or non-existent.

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Velahor

Do Not Remove: 84721

In honor of 4/20, any feedback on Butts?