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

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

"Ahh, Papaya Tropical Drink...I've never had it before, but I'm willing to try."

Volek retrieved a glass from a cabinet behind him so as to pour Goldman a refreshing Papaya Tropical Drink. "It's from Papaya King- the best hot dog joint in the Five Boroughs." One could see that his fridge that it was full of appropriately branded hot dogs and half-gallon jugs.

He poured the beverage and handed it over before returning to his desk and motioning Goldman to a chair on the other side of it. "Here you are. I'll get straight to it... I understand you're considering stepping down to focus on your campaign. But if you're thinking of leaving the Senate, you'll need a plan for who your successor will be."

"I'm up for election in 2022, so that's not too much of a concern for me. I'm considering dropping out of the presidential campaign more than leaving the Senate."

Goldman took some of the drink, confused.

[Velahor]

Representative Papazian

After kicking back at a nearby coffee shop with a book and dark roast, Papazian went to Representative Caroline Simone’s office, hoping to build some of the early connections of his Washington political career. This would be the beginning. He approached the secretary at Simone’s office, and entered.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Representative Papazian

After kicking back at a nearby coffee shop with a book and dark roast, Papazian went to Representative Caroline Simone’s office, hoping to build some of the early connections of his Washington political career. This would be the beginning. He approached the secretary at Simone’s office, and entered.

There was a frosty atmosphere in the office, and as Simone sat at her desk, she sipped idly at a glass bottle of water. The secretary would have kept Papazian in the anteroom for a good ten minutes, just long enough to provide a feeling that something was distinctly wrong, before he was admitted into the room. Caroline didn't rise, looking generally calm, idly leafing through some papers.

"Sit down, Congressman."

[Bruke]

Volek retrieved a glass from a cabinet behind him so as to pour Goldman a refreshing Papaya Tropical Drink. "It's from Papaya King- the best hot dog joint in the Five Boroughs." One could see that his fridge that it was full of appropriately branded hot dogs and half-gallon jugs.

He poured the beverage and handed it over before returning to his desk and motioning Goldman to a chair on the other side of it. "Here you are. I'll get straight to it... I understand you're considering stepping down to focus on your campaign. But if you're thinking of leaving the Senate, you'll need a plan for who your successor will be."

"I'm up for election in 2022, so that's not too much of a concern for me. I'm considering dropping out of the presidential campaign more than leaving the Senate."

Goldman took some of the drink, confused.

Volek paused for a moment. It seems his usual sources were off the mark. "My mistake." He awkwardly cleared his throat before continuing. "I don't believe we've had the chance to meet in person, but I've heard about you from friends in the City. Consider this an offer of uh... what you could call, camaraderie."

[Sanabel]

Wolf nodded. “Yes. Yes. That is fair. I respect your judgement, Congressman Volker, you are a smart guy. Real smart guy. What else did you want to discuss?”

“Well, Mr President. With regard to the Republican Primaries, Governor Richardson requested a meeting with me in which he asked for my advice with regard to his presidential campaign. My suggestion was at the Congressional Caucus thought that it wouldn’t be the best time for him to run currently and therefore advised he consider suspending his campaign in favour of someone more connected to the Wolf agenda. However, the Governor disagreed and argued that midterms were a landslide defeat for the administration.”

“They were a defeat. Not in the Senate. We won big in the senate. But they were a defeat in the House. They were, sadly- maybe the Democrats stole it, I don’t know. I don’t think so but I’ve heard that. I don’t know. But what is the issue?”

[Velahor]

Representative Papazian

After kicking back at a nearby coffee shop with a book and dark roast, Papazian went to Representative Caroline Simone’s office, hoping to build some of the early connections of his Washington political career. This would be the beginning. He approached the secretary at Simone’s office, and entered.

There was a frosty atmosphere in the office, and as Simone sat at her desk, she sipped idly at a glass bottle of water. The secretary would have kept Papazian in the anteroom for a good ten minutes, just long enough to provide a feeling that something was distinctly wrong, before he was admitted into the room. Caroline didn't rise, looking generally calm, idly leafing through some papers.

"Sit down, Congressman."

“Glad to see you, Representative Simone,” said Papazian, smiling. He recognized the slight bit of tension and lack of formality from her, so he sought to ease the mood by acting as positive and agreeable as possible, but not enough that it looked put-on. He looked at the seat briefly. One time, he had a weird job interview that placed a sticky note on the chair, just to see how the interviewee would react to something unexpected, so he made sure to check for anything odd. Seeing that there was nothing strange, he sat in the chair. “Thank you for inviting me to meet with you.”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“Glad to see you, Representative Simone,” said Papazian, smiling. He recognized the slight bit of tension and lack of formality from her, so he sought to ease the mood by acting as positive and agreeable as possible, but not enough that it looked put-on. He looked at the seat briefly. One time, he had a weird job interview that placed a sticky note on the chair, just to see how the interviewee would react to something unexpected, so he made sure to check for anything odd. Seeing that there was nothing strange, he sat in the chair. “Thank you for inviting me to meet with you.”

"I appreciate that you're new here, Congressman Papazian. I understand that you're still getting used to the way things work. I was in that position once. Senator Volek helped me twist my head around this godforsaken place." She explained, before going to take another sip of water. Setting the bottle down, she meshed her fingers in front of herself and gave him a severe look. "When the leadership tells you to jump, Congressman, you ask 'how high?'. What you do not do is attempt to extort a committee assignment out of them."

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

"I'm up for election in 2022, so that's not too much of a concern for me. I'm considering dropping out of the presidential campaign more than leaving the Senate."

Goldman took some of the drink, confused.

Volek paused for a moment. It seems his usual sources were off the mark. "My mistake." He awkwardly cleared his throat before continuing. "I don't believe we've had the chance to meet in person, but I've heard about you from friends in the City. Consider this an offer of uh... what you could call, camaraderie."

"Yes, I sometimes live in the City. You know, I was once going to run for New York Senator, but my father stepped down, so I took the opportunity. I think, safe to say, I'd take you up in your offer. I think one of us should aim for Minority Whip, if I'm honest and the other one should get Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus."

[Velahor]

“Glad to see you, Representative Simone,” said Papazian, smiling. He recognized the slight bit of tension and lack of formality from her, so he sought to ease the mood by acting as positive and agreeable as possible, but not enough that it looked put-on. He looked at the seat briefly. One time, he had a weird job interview that placed a sticky note on the chair, just to see how the interviewee would react to something unexpected, so he made sure to check for anything odd. Seeing that there was nothing strange, he sat in the chair. “Thank you for inviting me to meet with you.”

"I appreciate that you're new here, Congressman Papazian. I understand that you're still getting used to the way things work. I was in that position once. Senator Volek helped me twist my head around this godforsaken place." She explained, before going to take another sip of water. Setting the bottle down, she meshed her fingers in front of herself and gave him a severe look. "When the leadership tells you to jump, Congressman, you ask 'how high?'. What you do not do is attempt to extort a committee assignment out of them. But yeah, I’ll listen. Or better, someone tells me ahead of time."

He was a little taken back, to be honest, at the way she was upfront. A bit of an ehh..different approach, he thought. But he was going to try to take this reprimand as an opportunity, so he flipped it, “I’m truly sorry about that. It’s not like there’s much of a welcoming committee around here, you just kinda show up. Seems pretty obvious in retrospect for me to obey, but if you saw the campaign I ran, you’d get that I hate coming across as a pushover.”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

He was a little taken back, to be honest, at the way she was upfront. A bit of a ehh..different approach, he thought. But he was going to try to take this reprimand as an opportunity, so he flipped it, “I’m truly sorry about that. It’s not like there’s much a welcoming committee around here, you just kinda show up. Seems pretty obvious in retrospect for me to obey, but if you saw the campaign I ran, you’d get that I hate coming across as a pushover.”

"I appreciate the specifics of your district. The need to air some concerns, put up a little resistance. You got your chance to do that, and then you were told to stop. I appreciate that you're sorry, however." She relaxed softly, haking her head. "The leadership of the caucus and the party as a whole functions for the greater good and unity of the caucus. We must project strength and readiness to govern for the coming election. I appreciate that it might seem popular to run the anti-establishment angle, but there is a consequence that comes with that angle. Discipline within the caucus is necessary for when things come down in a crunch. If I can't get a Representative like you on board, what's going to make a far left progressive or a red state Blue Dog obey the whip when we need it most? Do I make sense?"

[Sarenium]

"My proposal, as Senator Westra likened, is based on the Australian model, a system which by the way is viewed as the second best health system worldwide. Under my plan, you can keep your insurance, or you can opt-into a publicly funded health insurance plan. I'll go into the plan in a moment, but the two biggest causes of priced up care in America are drug prices and administrative costs. We'll be ending exclusivity circles where insurers limit you to an in-plan set of clinicians. Instead, you can go to whichever doctor you so desire, and your insurance plan will be forced to compete with other plans on price and coverage instead of suffocating you to a few doctors within a 20 minute drive of your house. Our public option will reduce prices because it will deliver a competitive alternative for those dissatisfied with their current plan, Medicare will be allowed to negotiate drug prices down. Under my plan if you want to head into a private hospital, you can do that and just pay the difference between the masterlist price and the price that hospital sets. That hospital will attempt to compete with the public network and other private hospitals in the area so naturally it will be bringing down its prices. Currently despite the minimal government involvement in our system, folks rely on their employer for their insurance plans and their plans restrict a patient to a specific set of clinicians in their local area. We're going to get rid of that, and give patients complete access to every clinician through any plan. Insurers shouldn't pick your doctor. The government shouldn't pick your doctor. You can pick your doctor. My plan strikes the balance between choice, and coverage. Between healthy outcomes and cost of service," Jillian smiled coolly in Westra's direction acutely aware the next question or two would not be so kind.

“Thank you, Senator. Like the questions I had for Levi, I have some for you. First, you pitch this as a public health insurance option, when in fact this proposal is much more than insurance. For free medical care, this proposal would allow people to utilize the public healthcare network. The only problem is, the United States does not have the same kind of public hospital system present in other nations. The widest public care network in the U.S. is the NYC Health + Hospital System. It operates 11 public centers. In Scandinavian nations or Australia, this would be laughable.”

“So, this plan would require a vast expansion of the public hospital system, yet you only provide cost estimates on the insurance side of things. Which brings me to cost. Australia’s entire population is about 24 million people – which is fewer than the number of individuals that are uninsured in our system! It is about 13 times smaller than our population. Their health spending amounts to about $1.8 trillion in a decade. If you expect usage of your system to be similar to that of Australia’s, your program would be about $23.5 trillion, which is $6.5 trillion shy of Medicare for All’s cost. Simply put, your estimates are almost ten times short. How would you cover this unprecedented expansion of not just health insurance, but truly the entire medical care system?”

“And my final question. Assume that this plan was implemented, paying for the cost and all. You expand public care successfully, you subsidize the private care successfully. Does this not create an inherent inequality of care? Public hospitals that are heavily strained by limited government spending will be of lower quality than private hospitals. Their employees will be paid less, they’ll have higher usage so longer wait times, and they might not afford the latest technology used in private establishments. Wouldn’t your system allow the rich to get exponentially better care than the poor, who tend to have worse health and thus would burden the finances of your system?”

"Let's break this down," she was scribbling the figures Westra had spoken of, "$2.5tr over a decade will fund the insurance network, roughly 1,200 our of 5,100 hospitals are wholly publicly owned. A remaining 2,900 hospitals are not for profit organisations. That leaves 4,100 hospitals which under my plan will adhere to the masterlist. The reason is simple, not for profit hospitals operate by paying no taxes under the premise that they benefit their community, lowered fees and the end of exclusivity arrangements benefits the community, that would apply to all not for profit practices. In terms of quality of care, my system wouldn't result in worse care for the poorest in our society, the poorest in our society aren't visiting doctors, or receiving care. My plan expands coverage, and gives every American the opportunity to get care. You won't need to skip a visit to the doctor due to the cost, which as Senator Murphy said, means more Americans, getting the care they need. To summarize, my plan isn't short on a single dollar, we can have fully funded medicare for all who want it, and we can have it within my first hundred days in office."

[Sarenium]

"I'm the daughter of a teacher and a sailor, I've never particularly enjoyed wealth in the way some have. Your base of working class voters appreciate realism, and pragmatic policy, your endorsement undoubtedly would weigh in their minds. You've been in a cabinet before, you know what the next Democratic President would need and if I am that President, expect to be a significant bearing on my mind in that case."

"Yes, I mean, yes, of course I'm thinking of a possible cabinet position. But I think that, in the case that a Senate leader were to resign, I would like that too..."

"If you wanted a position in my cabinet, you could have one, but I do think you'd be more effective from the Hill, particularly if Senator Windsor does disappear. I guess the question becomes," she took a sip of the alcohol free beverage, "what is it you have an interest in when December of 2020 rolls around."

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

"Yes, I mean, yes, of course I'm thinking of a possible cabinet position. But I think that, in the case that a Senate leader were to resign, I would like that too..."

"If you wanted a position in my cabinet, you could have one, but I do think you'd be more effective from the Hill, particularly if Senator Windsor does disappear. I guess the question becomes," she took a sip of the alcohol free beverage, "what is it you have an interest in when December of 2020 rolls around."

"I'd think I'd like to stay on the Hill, keep fighting for our party. I'll be able to hold down the fort here and halt the progressive tide in our party. I think I can reasonably suppress them, along with flip a few red state seats."

[Sarenium]

"If you wanted a position in my cabinet, you could have one, but I do think you'd be more effective from the Hill, particularly if Senator Windsor does disappear. I guess the question becomes," she took a sip of the alcohol free beverage, "what is it you have an interest in when December of 2020 rolls around."

"I'd think I'd like to stay on the Hill, keep fighting for our party. I'll be able to hold down the fort here and halt the progressive tide in our party. I think I can reasonably suppress them, along with flip a few red state seats."

Jillian bit her lip, "I would gladly appreciate you joining me on the trail in New Hampshire and Iowa in the next few weeks, if you think you'd rather stick in the race, feel free, but I wouldn't forget someone who hopped aboard the ill named JillBus so early."

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

"I'd think I'd like to stay on the Hill, keep fighting for our party. I'll be able to hold down the fort here and halt the progressive tide in our party. I think I can reasonably suppress them, along with flip a few red state seats."

Jillian bit her lip, "I would gladly appreciate you joining me on the trail in New Hampshire and Iowa in the next few weeks, if you think you'd rather stick in the race, feel free, but I wouldn't forget someone who hopped aboard the ill named JillBus so early."

"I'm staying on the trail for now, which might actually be good for you: the more support I have before I endorse you, the more votes will swing your way when I drop out. I mean, if I get ahead, well, who knows what'll happen then..."

[Sarenium]

Jillian bit her lip, "I would gladly appreciate you joining me on the trail in New Hampshire and Iowa in the next few weeks, if you think you'd rather stick in the race, feel free, but I wouldn't forget someone who hopped aboard the ill named JillBus so early."

"I'm staying on the trail for now, which might actually be good for you: the more support I have before I endorse you, the more votes will swing your way when I drop out. I mean, if I get ahead, well, who knows what'll happen then..."

"Indeed," she was quite fond of the goose, "my one biggest fear is the nomination of Murphy or Westra, if we could find a way to neutralize them as quickly as possible..."

[Velahor]

He was a little taken back, to be honest, at the way she was upfront. A bit of a ehh..different approach, he thought. But he was going to try to take this reprimand as an opportunity, so he flipped it, “I’m truly sorry about that. It’s not like there’s much a welcoming committee around here, you just kinda show up. Seems pretty obvious in retrospect for me to obey, but if you saw the campaign I ran, you’d get that I hate coming across as a pushover.”

"I appreciate the specifics of your district. The need to air some concerns, put up a little resistance. You got your chance to do that, and then you were told to stop. I appreciate that you're sorry, however." She relaxed softly, haking her head. "The leadership of the caucus and the party as a whole functions for the greater good and unity of the caucus. We must project strength and readiness to govern for the coming election. I appreciate that it might seem popular to run the anti-establishment angle, but there is a consequence that comes with that angle. Discipline within the caucus is necessary for when things come down in a crunch. If I can't get a Representative like you on board, what's going to make a far left progressive or a red state Blue Dog obey the whip when we need it most? Do I make sense?"

“Of course you make sense. I figured that’s why you sent the note when you had,” Davit said, glancing at an object on the wall behind her before resuming eye contact and continuing. “It’s hard, I got elected as a very specific kind of candidate in a very specific kind of district. There’s going to be some idiosyncratic things that I think at times. I suppose, even though it was in bad taste for me to ask as I had, that would be a good reason to get me into some committee assignments. I could voice opinions, ideas, and ask for the things I need to keep my district happy behind closed doors instead of in front of TV cameras.”

He took a deep breath, then continued, “But here’s the thing. As long as I know the whip, I’ll vote that way. As long as I am not asked to vote against public transportation, legislation to help workers, or improving infrastructure. Those are my boundaries. But anything else, show me the way, and I will follow.”

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

"I'm staying on the trail for now, which might actually be good for you: the more support I have before I endorse you, the more votes will swing your way when I drop out. I mean, if I get ahead, well, who knows what'll happen then..."

"Indeed," she was quite fond of the goose, "my one biggest fear is the nomination of Murphy or Westra, if we could find a way to neutralize them as quickly as possible..."

"I'll see what I can do about that. I'll get some good men on the case, see what they can do. Get some oppo research, prep attack ads."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“Of course you make sense. I figured that’s why you sent the note when you had,” Davit said, glancing at an object on the wall behind her before resuming eye contact and continuing. “It’s hard, I got elected as a very specific kind of candidate in a very specific kind of district. There’s going to be some idiosyncratic things that I think at times. I suppose, even though it was in bad taste for me to ask as I had, that would be a good reason to get me into some committee assignments. I could voice opinions, ideas, and ask for the things I need to keep my district happy behind closed doors instead of in front of TV cameras.”

He took a deep breath, then continued, “But here’s the thing. As long as I know the whip, I’ll vote that way. As long as I am not asked to vote against public transportation, legislation to help workers, or improving infrastructure. Those are my boundaries. But anything else, show me the way, and I will follow.”

"Congressman, you don't need to be a progressive Democrat to be in favor of public transportation, workers and infrastructure. Those are commitments the whole caucus shares." She explained further, going to take another sip of water. The meeting had a whole feeling of being in the principal's office, but the tone was shifting from colder to warmer. "It would be nice if you could give me a heads up about bills which are going to be issues for you, and we can discuss things moving forward. Communicate. I'm here as a resource as much as a rebuke."

Drumming her fingers on the desk for a moment, she continued. "I'm going to recommend to the Speaker that, following the next election or should a vacancy open up that you can sit on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Davit, but I want your word that we won't be having another talk like this again."

[Velahor]

“Of course you make sense. I figured that’s why you sent the note when you had,” Davit said, glancing at an object on the wall behind her before resuming eye contact and continuing. “It’s hard, I got elected as a very specific kind of candidate in a very specific kind of district. There’s going to be some idiosyncratic things that I think at times. I suppose, even though it was in bad taste for me to ask as I had, that would be a good reason to get me into some committee assignments. I could voice opinions, ideas, and ask for the things I need to keep my district happy behind closed doors instead of in front of TV cameras.”

He took a deep breath, then continued, “But here’s the thing. As long as I know the whip, I’ll vote that way. As long as I am not asked to vote against public transportation, legislation to help workers, or improving infrastructure. Those are my boundaries. But anything else, show me the way, and I will follow.”

"Congressman, you don't need to be a progressive Democrat to be in favor of public transportation, workers and infrastructure. Those are commitments the whole caucus shares." She explained further, going to take another sip of water. The meeting had a whole feeling of being in the principal's office, but the tone was shifting from colder to warmer. "It would be nice if you could give me a heads up about bills which are going to be issues for you, and we can discuss things moving forward. Communicate. I'm here as a resource as much as a rebuke."

Drumming her fingers on the desk for a moment, she continued. "I'm going to recommend to the Speaker that, following the next election or should a vacancy open up that you can sit on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Davit, but I want your word that we won't be having another talk like this again."

“Of course. You can count on me. And I really mean it, I had a very, very traditional dad, and he hated if you couldn’t trust a person’s word. Thank you very much for the recommendation, especially considering the circumstances of our first encounter,” he replied, hoping and thinking that he was gaining a little ground. “And I’ll keep the thing in mind about talking to you about bills I’m going to have trouble with ahead of time. You’ll hear from me, all good things, just constructive feedback when I’m unsure if my principles or my district’s priorities align with what’s being proposed.”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“Of course. You can count on me. And I really mean it, I had a very, very traditional dad, and he hated if you couldn’t trust a person’s word. Thank you very much for the recommendation, especially considering the circumstances of our first encounter,” he replied, hoping and thinking that he was gaining a little ground. “And I’ll keep the thing in mind about talking to you about bills I’m going to have trouble with ahead of time. You’ll hear from me, all good things, just constructive feedback when I’m unsure if my principles or my district’s priorities align with what’s being proposed.”

"Excellent, Congressman. Thank you. Also, if you find the time, I think speaking to Governor Veléz of Florida and Senator Dayton of Virginia would be worth your while. That'll be all."

[Velahor]

“Of course. You can count on me. And I really mean it, I had a very, very traditional dad, and he hated if you couldn’t trust a person’s word. Thank you very much for the recommendation, especially considering the circumstances of our first encounter,” he replied, hoping and thinking that he was gaining a little ground. “And I’ll keep the thing in mind about talking to you about bills I’m going to have trouble with ahead of time. You’ll hear from me, all good things, just constructive feedback when I’m unsure if my principles or my district’s priorities align with what’s being proposed.”

"Excellent, Congressman. Thank you. Also, if you find the time, I think speaking to Governor Veléz of Florida and Senator Dayton of Virginia would be worth your while. That'll be all."

“You’re straight to the point, I like doing business with you,” he said, sensing the wrap up of the conversation. “I’ll be sure to reach out to both of them, I’m really just trying to get as much of my bearings around here as I can so I can be effective in my position. Thanks for giving me the chance to speak with you, I promise not to be as much of a headache as first impressions may have seemed.”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“You’re straight to the point, I like doing business with you,” he said, sensing the wrap up of the conversation. “I’ll be sure to reach out to both of them, I’m really just trying to get as much of my bearings around here as I can so I can be effective in my position. Thanks for giving me the chance to speak with you, I promise not to be as much of a headache as first impressions may have seemed.”

"That's fantastic. I understand entirely. It takes time to get used to being in this kind of politics, Davit. You'll get the hang of it in time. Have a good day."

[Velahor]

“You’re straight to the point, I like doing business with you,” he said, sensing the wrap up of the conversation. “I’ll be sure to reach out to both of them, I’m really just trying to get as much of my bearings around here as I can so I can be effective in my position. Thanks for giving me the chance to speak with you, I promise not to be as much of a headache as first impressions may have seemed.”

"That's fantastic. I understand entirely. It takes time to get used to being in this kind of politics, Davit. You'll get the hang of it in time. Have a good day."

“You as well,” he replied as he gave a slight nod and stood up. He departed, seeing no need for anything further.

[Sanabel]

Campaign Meet-And-Greet, Henderson Community Center, Henderson, Nevada
(April 29, 2019)


After the Spanish-language Las Vegas kickoff, the Velez campaign had clearly made a splash in Nevada. Two attack ads were cut by opposing campaigns and one opponent even implicitly attacked Velez in a campaign speech. The Velez campaign wasn’t complaining, though. The biggest issue they faced upon entry was a lack of name recognition- something the opposing campaigns were tirelessly working to boost for Velez, free of charge. The attacks served to put his face and name across the state as an individual tied closely with Baharia, while the campaign simultaneously introduced Velez as a candidate.

The Spanish language announcement speech had made the rounds on Spanish-language television and radio in the state for its unprecedented and historic nature, so it was now time to do some more English language campaigning among a demographic that was until that point totally ignored by opponents- white suburbanites. Unions helped for caucus organizing, and were a decent chunk of the electorate, but much of the Democratic party’s power base in Nevada was rapidly shifting to the relatively small suburban cities of Clark County. These voters liked Baharia, and voted for Clifford in 2016. They would have probably voted for Whitaker, too.

To capitalize on this untapped base of support, the Velez campaign first paid for his video announcement to be used as a targeted ad on YouTube and Facebook, making thousands of impressions at a relatively cheap cost. But to pound the flesh, they also organized a series of meet-and-greet events across Clark county, in the towns of Mesquite, Paradise, Boulder City, Laughlin, and finally, the largest, in Henderson. These events included a light introductory speech from the candidate, followed by an informal reception with refreshments. These receptions allowed the attendees to meet with Velez and talk about anything they’d like, and he made sure to shake as many hands and pose for as many photos for Facebook and Instagram as possible. Attendance was actually fairly high, as the hyper-informed suburbanites had their interest piqued by the fact that both Bill and Helen Whitaker had very publicly endorsed the candidate only days before. Some even remembered him from his time as a Baharia surrogate in 2012.

By the last meet-and-greet in Henderson, Velez was a pro at the short introductory speeches. He knew they liked genuine-sounding speeches that touched on his personal life, identity, and electability. Up-beat 80s music played as he stood in front of the crowd in a button up shirt, and waved for them to quiet down while he smiled broadly.

“Thank you all for coming out here tonight! My names Miguel Santiago Velez, but you can call me Mike.”

Some in the audience replied with “Hi, Mike,” to which he chuckled.

“It’s no secret that I’m running for President. I’m sure you’ve seen my digital ad, the news, the rally in Spanish, all that. But there’s more to me than my first language, and who has endorsed me. Political candidates aren’t robots or puppets. We are real people with real stories, just like you. And before we all chat and get to know each other, I’d like to tell you my story.”

Mike strolled confidently across the room as he talked, looking into people’s eyes as if he were having a conversation with them.

“My parents were born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia. My mom was a Mestiza and my father was a Peninsulare, which meant that their love was frowned upon. But as I’m sure you all know, sometimes you just have to make it work,” he chuckled. “I know my wife and I certainly do. My brother Raúl and I weren’t born in Colombia though, because, long story short, a horrible civil war broke out there starting in the early 1960s. So my parents had to flee. Poor, hungry, and desperate, they embodied the Lazarus poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. And like Americans have done for generations, and will continue to do for as long as we strive to be a great country, my parents were welcomed with open arms. As refugees, they were settled in Miramar. They lived the American dream, laying down roots with a two sons and a house with a white picket fence. Like many South Florida families, my parents worked hard to earn and honest living, so my brother and I could be American. We played football, had extra English lessons if we needed them, and we took that yearly trip to Disney World. The whole time though, my parents never let me forget that I was still a Colombian and a proud Latino. We spoke Spanish at home, took bandeja paisa to school in our lunch box, and of course, were cradle Catholics. Most importantly, we learned that diversity is this country’s strength. My mother always told me that the reason we Americans made it to the moon, is because we took in people from all over the world looking for a brighter future.”

There was some clapping.

“I did my best to make my parents proud. I became the first person in my family to go to college, and my parents were relieved I decided to study accounting. I went to work with my Dad as a paper pusher over at Western Union’s Latin American office. Eventually, I made the jump into the non-profit sector by working for a big credit union in the Tampa Bay Area. I wanted to help my community with remittances, buying a house, or putting their kids through college without being preyed upon by financial sharks. I worked my way up to CFO of the organization, a position I was proud to hold. I became politically involved after 9/11. I realized that I couldn’t just make a difference in my community, I needed to do more. Especially when my brother was shipped off to Iraq after enlisting. So, I became an organizer for the Democratic Party in Pinellas County Florida. If you don’t know about Pinellas County- well, let me tell you, it’s a Republican strong hold. Even still, I organized my community to canvass and barnstorm, much like my friend President Baharia did in Illinois, and we were able to flip a few districts to the Democrats. I became head of the Florida Democratic Party, and from that position, I did everything I could to support President Baharia. There was an attack ad saying that all I did in that position was cut checks- that’s simply not the case. I saw everything my mother told me America was in Baharia, and I did everything in my power to support his campaign. Much like some of you, I organized and raised money for him. And after he won, he chose me to serve in his cabinet. He knew of my bilingual upbringing, my time at Western Union Latin America, and my time at a multi billion dollar credit union, and he made me the first Hispanic United States Trade Representative. In that position, I represented my community in the cabinet, fought for American small businesses, intellectual property, and against repressive governments in our hemisphere and farther afield.”

There was some clapping.

“In 2014, my home state was struggling under a corrupt former pharmaceutical executive turned Republican Governor. I decided to return and serve my community once again, building a coalition that cut across race, religion, age, and gender. I won in a Republican wave year, while the GOP flipped seats across the country, I flipped Florida for the people. In office, we brought sweeping reform to Florida. Through compromise with the legislature, we legalized medical marijuana, increased teacher salaries and improved the education system, created a voluntary pre-kindergarten program, brought infrastructure overhaul, unprecedented environmental reform, and a dynamic economy. In short- I got shit done.”

There was laughter.

“In 2016, Florida became a Wolf state. In 2018, they ran one of his closest allies against me, and I still beat him. Even while Democratic Senators in Wolf states were booted from office. That’s because I could re-build the Baharia coalition, which I will repeat in 2020 nationwide. We are building a movement for all Americans, recognizing and celebrating our diversity as a nation. In my second term I resisted the Wolf presidency by opposing his immoral immigration crackdown, his gutting of environmental protection, and his weakening of our education system. Even as Arnold Wolf steps down, I am prepared to oppose the new standard bearers of Wolfism, from Bernie Porter the fascist to James Burgun, the man who tells me I cannot speak the language of my parents in this country.”

There was cheering.

“Folks, I told you I would tell you who I am. Well, I embody everything that Wolfism is not. I am a Hispanic guy with working class roots and a tested, competent record. I’m a guy who knows where he comes from, and knows where his community needs to go. I am ready to fight for you and bring some common sense and decency back to Washington. I am ready to bring in new politics for a new decade!”

Velez put the microphone down, and went to speak with attendees as the music turned back on. He was relieved to be done with the meet-and-greets for the day.