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

[Velahor]

“Ah, I see...I love New York. It has all the city things that Los Angeles hasn’t really been able to develop, the trains and the walkable areas and all of that. That was actually a big part of what I did on the city council in LA, I really made it a goal to take steps to make a valley full of suburbs feel more like a cohesive city. I grew up closer to downtown LA than Brooklyn is to Manhattan, but there’s no way to get to downtown from Glendale except a long bus or a very congested drive. We never got the full-scale subway system I wish they’d have, but it we did get some line extensions. But that’s part of what I wanted to stop by for.” He stopped for breath as he tried to tie his digression back to his point. “My goal, my dream here in the House is to modernize America’s infrastructure and transportation. Improvements to these systems are great equalizers, mobility helps the working poor find better opportunities, and advance in society. I think that’s part of why I’m here today, I want to build a coalition around rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure and keep that issue on the forefront of everyone’s mind.”

"Yes indeed, if you don't mind me saying this, LA's transport infrastructure is rather inept compared to NYC's. That Californian HSR project could boost it, but it keeps getting caught up in bureaucracy."

“I am 100% in support of the HSR project, but it will only increase intercity commutes when it is both more efficient and cost-effective to use transportation to foster intracity commutes as well, you know, local rail, subways, busses, all of that. For the HSR project, is there anything that needs done in the House? Additional funding, grants, anything like that?”

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

James Burgun
@RoughRiderGov

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Democrats are massive hypocrites they make a rule gagging people of faith, and then Democrats like Wacky Westra break their own rule! It goes to show that the amendment of the Democrats is not about protecting the separation of church and state, but gagging conservatives!

[Velahor]

On a rented tour bus, somewhere on the road between Corpus Christi and Laredo

Mark Allen, the gun-rights advocate who had recently been swept up in a Senate special election campaign, was looking to build a base of supporters, and while to him that mostly meant rallying the grassroots to support his cause, he also knew how important it was to build connections. He had a notebook filled with the phone numbers of people who he had been given business cards to in the GOP across the country over the years, and while some were either dead and gone or definitely at a new number, he knew there was one that would be the same number as it was when he got the business card.

He entered the digits in his newly-purchased Android and called Dean of the House Jay Dietrich, a long-time influence on Mark's political beliefs. He waited as the phone rung.

[Sanabel]

(Image)

On a rented tour bus, somewhere on the road between Corpus Christi and Laredo

Mark Allen, the gun-rights advocate who had recently been swept up in a Senate special election campaign, was looking to build a base of supporters, and while to him that mostly meant rallying the grassroots to support his cause, he also knew how important it was to build connections. He had a notebook filled with the phone numbers of people who he had been given business cards to in the GOP across the country over the years, and while some were either dead and gone or definitely at a new number, he knew there was one that would be the same number as it was when he got the business card.

He entered the digits in his newly-purchased Android and called Dean of the House Jay Dietrich, a long-time influence on Mark's political beliefs. He waited as the phone rung.

“Hello?” Dietrich barks, sitting in his congressional office with his feet on his desk. “Who is this and what do you want?”

[Noko Poodle]

Norm Lee
Committee Hearing
Alabama State House
Montgomery, AL
May 5th, 2019

Chairperson Sanders: “... and with that we will be moving on to our next bill”

Secretary: “Next bill for committee; House Bill 312, the Human Life Protection Act, sponsored by Governor Lee and Chairperson Sanders.”

Sanders:”I move for the committee to hear the bill, seconds?”

Jones: “Seconded”

Sanders:” As a co-sponsor I ask for the floor to discuss the bills and it’s merits,”

Jones: “Secon..”

Ranking Member Murphy: “Opposed! This is a conflict of interest!”

Sanders: “Representative Murphy your objection is noted but invalid, I recognize a second by Representative Jones and will take the pulpit.”

-Chairperson Sanders shuffles over to take the committee floor, she’s a middle aged blonde woman in good shape but beginning to show her age, well know for social conservatism.

Sanders: “abortion has resulted in the murder of over 50million lives since the decision of Roe v. Wade. this is more murders than the reigns of Stalin, Hitler, and Mao! Three of the most vile men in history of the world. The Baptist, Methodist, and Catholic Churches all agree that life begins at conception. Myself and several colleagues are devout Christians possessing good morals who can no longer stand for a political system which allows for such wanton murder. Without this bill becoming law, we are all complicit in genocide. Thank you!”

Secretary: Opposition May now take the floor, I recognize a hand from ranking member Murphy.

-Mitch Murphy a moderate Democrat from near inner city Montgomery was an overweight man but an experienced dissenting voice in the house

Murphy: “May I first start by saying that no one likes abortion, it’s always a last case scenario but a woman has a right to choose and there is no conclusive proof of when viability or when life itself starts, despite what your named churches say. Further more, to not have exceptions in cases of rape and incest is barbaric! You talk the moral high ground but allow for a law which will continuously punish innocent woman for the barbaric acts of others. I demand a amendment at the least to this law to install exceptions for cases of rape and incest!”

Secretary: A call for amendment has been made, debates and votes will be held tomorow at the next committee.

Sanders: “Thank you Cheryl, committee is now dismissed, Good bye everyone”

-the committee began to shuffle out to move to offices for further debates and discussions on the law.

[Velahor]

(Image)

On a rented tour bus, somewhere on the road between Corpus Christi and Laredo

Mark Allen, the gun-rights advocate who had recently been swept up in a Senate special election campaign, was looking to build a base of supporters, and while to him that mostly meant rallying the grassroots to support his cause, he also knew how important it was to build connections. He had a notebook filled with the phone numbers of people who he had been given business cards to in the GOP across the country over the years, and while some were either dead and gone or definitely at a new number, he knew there was one that would be the same number as it was when he got the business card.

He entered the digits in his newly-purchased Android and called Dean of the House Jay Dietrich, a long-time influence on Mark's political beliefs. He waited as the phone rung.

“Hello?” Dietrich barks, sitting in his congressional office with his feet on his desk. “Who is this and what do you want?”

"Hello Congressman, pleasure to speak with you. I'm Mark Allen, I'm in the Senate race in Texas, and I was wondering if you had a moment to talk."

[Sanabel]

“Hello?” Dietrich barks, sitting in his congressional office with his feet on his desk. “Who is this and what do you want?”

"Hello Congressman, pleasure to speak with you. I'm Mark Allen, I'm in the Senate race in Texas, and I was wondering if you had a moment to talk."

“Yeah, we can talk...” he said through gritted teeth. He was just about to eat the bologna sandwich his wife packed him for lunch, but it would have to wait. It was better to get the call done now then have to talk again later, which could perhaps interrupt something more pressing or- romantic. “How can I help you, Mr. Allen?”

[Velahor]

"Hello Congressman, pleasure to speak with you. I'm Mark Allen, I'm in the Senate race in Texas, and I was wondering if you had a moment to talk."

“Yeah, we can talk...” he said through gritted teeth. He was just about to eat the bologna sandwich his wife packed him for lunch, but it would have to wait. It was better to get the call done now then have to talk again later, which could perhaps interrupt something more pressing or- romantic. “How can I help you, Mr. Allen?”

"As long I'm not interrupting. First I was going to ask you, have you heard anything about my campaign on the news? I know I just announced, but I was wondering what you have heard, if anything."

[Agarntrop]

"Yes indeed, if you don't mind me saying this, LA's transport infrastructure is rather inept compared to NYC's. That Californian HSR project could boost it, but it keeps getting caught up in bureaucracy."

“I am 100% in support of the HSR project, but it will only increase intercity commutes when it is both more efficient and cost-effective to use transportation to foster intracity commutes as well, you know, local rail, subways, busses, all of that. For the HSR project, is there anything that needs done in the House? Additional funding, grants, anything like that?”

"I'm not in the transport committee, so I have no clue."

[Sanabel]

“Yeah, we can talk...” he said through gritted teeth. He was just about to eat the bologna sandwich his wife packed him for lunch, but it would have to wait. It was better to get the call done now then have to talk again later, which could perhaps interrupt something more pressing or- romantic. “How can I help you, Mr. Allen?”

"As long I'm not interrupting. First I was going to ask you, have you heard anything about my campaign on the news? I know I just announced, but I was wondering what you have heard, if anything."

“Yeah. I’ve heard. Looks like you’re the candidate, at least to me.” He couldn’t help himself, he took a bite of the sandwich.

[Fronket]

---

Suraj Shah for Senate
May 3rd, 2019
Richardson, Texas

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Suraj drove into Richardson from Gainesville in the morning; it was only about an hour by road, so he used personal funds to rent a car and drove in with his wife and campaign manager, who was just his House chief of staff. He was running a small campaign operation that was focused on retail politics and visiting smaller counties.

Everybody, I'm so grateful that you're here. Thank you to the Richardson Community Center for hosting us today. Since 1998, what we’ve seen in Texas Senate races is the triangle — the candidate will go to Houston, Dallas, and Austin and San Antonio. They’ll do one swing through the Valley and one trip through El Paso. That’s not how we’re going to energize our own voters, educate new voters, and it’s not how we’re going to win. This is a big state, and I'm going to campaign everywhere.

At face value, I'm not the candidate that Senate victories out here are made of. I'm a member of a racial and elected Democrats statewide in forever. Let's face it, I'm an underdog. But there has never been a time in my life when I haven't been the underdog. I was never supposed to make it this far. I was born into a poor immigrant family who eventually became Texan business leaders. I went from a crappy Houston public school to a business school graduate from NYU. I ended up serving in the Baharia Administration and the United States Congress.

So I am unashamed to emulate Han Solo when I say: never tell me the odds.

What sets me apart from my competitors is my breadth of experience. I've been a leader in the private sector and a Representative on Capitol Hill. I come for a tradition where you are responsible for an entire ecosystem of workers, shareholders, and consumers. And then I moved to an environment where dealmaking and bipartisanship is a rarity but a necessity for being an effective Congressman.

Sure, some are already saying that I was in D.C. for the past 10 years and I'm no longer "in touch" with Texas. But I would say to that, look at my record. It's not so much how long I've been in government as much as it's about what I got done. There are folks in this race who have been in business, but don't give a damn about the wider Texas population. All they've been doing is enriching themselves and growing their net worth forever. My career has been about service where others in business have been about riches. Very different stories.

There are candidates in this race whose parents served as beloved Governors or were born into very wealthy. families. That's not me. My family emigrated from India in the 60's seeking economic opportunity. We had to struggle for a while, even as small business owners. My dad had to work the night shift fixing the train tracks that the family of others in this race instructed workers to build. I know what it means to struggle, to make tough decisions to get ahead. I want that opportunity to be universal for our families.

I didn't have the privilege of activism at a young age. I didn't have a free ticket to Harvard, or Yale, or any big school. My childhood was spent bussing tables, changing bedsheets, refilling vending machines, and then working hard at school. I've actually had the Texan experience of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps.

I'm running for Senate because now is not a time to return to age-old ideological battles that don't mean a thing to working people in Texas. I'm sick of fighting over who's a right wing reactionary and who's a radical socialist. It's useless. Texans need someone who can actually get things done. And as someone who has served with some of my competitors, both in business, on political campaigns, and in the House, I can confirm that folks who kept talking about ideology and national ambitions, they didn't hold their seat for very long. Texans don't care very much for that.

Building coalitions, building concrete policy, building a consensus - this has been the work of my career. Debate, to me, is futile. Results and cooperation, now that gets me out of my bed in the morning.

I have found my success when I leave our futile political differences at the front door, and actually work towards real results. When President Baharia needed someone with the experience of lifting up workers to revitalize employment during the Recession, he appointed me to the Employment and Training Administration to get the job done. In the Department of Labor, as a head of the ETA, I had to listen to unions and workers to understand their problems and aspirations in a time when most economic livelihoods had been knocked out. We had to rebuild our worker training and apprenticeship programs to reemploy people who were hurting during the Recession. I was at my best there when I stopped and listened instead of imposing my will. That's what I want to do in this campaign.

You’re going to hear it repeatedly, perhaps from a fellow Democrat and definitely from the Republicans, about “liberal” ideals against "conservative" values. But since when were our Texan values not good enough? Here in Texas, we like to hear the other side out, work together, but never stop fighting for our interests and beliefs. As a Congressman, that’s what I’ve done. I worked with Republicans to pass a bill that lowered interest rates for student borrowers. I still believe the federal government shouldn’t be profiting a cent off of student loans. That bill gave our young people as much immediate relief as possible at the time, and it only happened because I was willing to reach across the aisle to get real change done. And now, I'm going to finish the job. We will make Revised Pay As You Earn, or REPAYE, the default plan for student borrowers. REPAYE is tied to your discretionary income and paid over 20 years, so you can't default on your loan.

I still think we can get big, bold changes passed in the Senate, but only to deal with the actual issues that matter to Texans. To me, everything is local. I have no national ambitions, no intention as of right now to make a presidential endorsement.

I can list out some of the policy changes I'm fighting for. Putting young entrepreneurs first, that's at the top of my mind. Young entrepreneurs are now an endangered species in America because of skyrocketing college tuition, student debt, and rising living costs. Imagine a future economy where no one goes into business! That's looking increasingly likely. We need to do everything we can to make entrepreneurship easier. That means creating nonprofit banks to expand access to capital. That means increasing tax credits for young people interested in business.

We also need to deal with the labor shortage in Texas, which is worrying many small business owners here in Gainesville, from what I heard. I will reintroduce my JOBS Act as a Senator, which would extend Pell Grant eligibility to workers who want to enroll in skill training programs to fill one of the 7 million vacant jobs that require labor.

Now, I'm a little sick of hearing that tired Republican charge that every Democrat wants to raise taxes on ordinary folks. It's exactly the opposite; I want to cut taxes for working and middle class families. I support the Senate RAISE Act, which would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit which would make it effectively the biggest middle class tax cut in history. I want to increase the Child Tax Credit by $15 billion, so more families are eligible and so that it is a true child stipend. And I want to pay out Social Security benefits into the next century, another form of a tax rebate.

Who should be paying up? The rich and powerful, who have been avoiding their fair share bu using every single tool at their disposal. Offshore tax havens, domestic loopholes, you name it - they have used the weak legal code to their advantage. We don't even have to raise any taxes to pay for my proposals, we just have to broaden the tax base. By closing these tax loopholes, we can raise an additional $3 trillion in government revenue to cover for an EITC expansion, a CTC funding boost, and Medicare at 55. To keep Social Security solvent for our seniors, we just need to raise the taxable maximum to $400,000 so that high earners pitch in their fair share to help out our retired population. It is the least they can do.

Friends, when I was a kid I believed in the American Dream. It allowed my family to go from penniless immigrants to leaders in business. It allowed me to get a college education. And I got to work as an advisor to President Baharia, I got to lead a program in the Department of Labor, and now I am a U.S. Congressman. This is what upward mobility looks like.

My family’s story wouldn’t be possible without a country that challenged itself to live up to the promise of America. That was the point of the American Dream: It wasn’t supposed to be just a dream. America was the place where dreams could become real. But right now, that isn’t working. Today we’re falling backwards instead of moving forward. And the opportunities that made America, America are reaching fewer and fewer people.

It's time to be the state of family values again. That means eliminating child poverty, establishing universal pre-k, guaranteeing paid family leave, and increasing child care subsidies. This is what our identity as Texans call for. This is what our universal values from faith tell us.

You give me your support, and I give you my word: I will spend every day working hard to make sure you can get a good job, find a decent place to live, have good health care when you get sick and that your children and grandchildren can reach their dreams, no matter who you are or where you come from.

They say everything's bigger in Texas. We have bigger hearts. Bigger hopes. Bigger dreams. Now's not the time to run away from our morals - but towards them.

And I would be humbled to have you join us in this fight. I'm Suraj Shah, and I'm running for Senate. We would be very grateful if you visited our site, surajforsenate.com, and either make a donation or sign up to volunteer. Only together can Texas reclaim the Senate with a leader who fights for all of us.

Now I will take your questions.

Q: Representative, as a Senator what will be your policy when dealing with gun regulation?

Thank you for that question. I think that I speak for all of us when I say that mass shooters insult the responsible gun owners of Texas when they use their weapon to raise hell in schools and other places of public gathering. That's disrespectful to our Second Amendment, and it's not why we've been granted the right to bear arms. I'm all for common sense gun safety measures; not punitive measures like weapon bans, but taking steps to prevent people from getting their hands on guns when they are incapable of respecting the weapon. So universal background checks, I think, is a good place to start. It won't prevent the vast majority of Texans from obtaining a handgun or a weapon for self defense. My wife owns a gun, she's good at shooting. I own one as well, although I can't claim to be as adept at it as Nandini. What I think is, we need to enact logical measures to prevent our responsible gun owners from getting a bad name."

Q: Will you support policy that repeals gun industry immunity?

No. Not ever, haven't supported it in the House and I won't support it in the Senate. I do not believe small gun shops in Texas, small business owners who have children and their livelihood depends on gun sales, should be held liable for what some nut job does with their product. They should not have to pay expensive legal fees to go up against powerful national advocacy groups in the courts, that's not fair at all. I will defend gun industry immunity as a Senator, even if it costs me favors with the national Democratic Party. There are other ways to prevent kids from being mowed down in their classrooms, we can expand background checks, close gun show loopholes, and extend access to mental health services. Punishing small gun manufacturers? That's just a glitzy straw man solution designed by elitists in liberal policy think tanks, it won't actually do anything to prevent gun violence.

Q: Representative Shah, how will you deal with calls for bans on fracking and ending all LNG and oil exports?

Again, it's a punitive measure designed by blue-state politicians who haven't visited a rig even once in their lifetimes. We need to divest and find renewable alternatives in nuclear, wind, hydro and solar, but not at the expense of the working man in Texas. Something I heard a candidate say rung true to me, though. They said that global fossil fuel reserves will only last for another few decades. So the transition has to be made at some point, whether you believe climate change is a big problem or not. I just don't think it will be effective to sign away 6 million jobs all at once and leave workers out in the cold. I think what I'm fighting for, which is a national apprenticeship program and expanding credits for worker training, will be particularly effective in shifting workers to cleaner industries and prepare them for the future of energy, which inevitably lies in other sources of fuel.

Q: Would you vote for the Green New Deal?

The targets set by the Green New Deal, in my eyes and I think in the eyes of the scientists, are perfectly legitimate. The problem is in the solution that the legislation offers, which is a drastic reduction in emissions without considering job losses and the economic hardship thrust upon, what was it, six million workers in the U.S. It's just not feasible and it's also not fair. I support increasing tax credits for renewables, but not banning fossil fuels until we can responsibly shift workers.

Q: What about a carbon tax? Or ending fossil fuel subsidies?

I think those are certainly, policy-wise, viable, but we have to consider the impact on the working man before imposing something like a carbon fee or ending subsidies for carbon energy. Because I think something that Levi Murphy doesn't understand, I'm just using him as an example here, is that working people rely on cheap fuel, aka subsidies, to get cheap transportation. Their cars, the buses, the trains; the fossil fuel subsidies allow them to be affordable. And with a carbon fee, that will also drive up these prices. So I think we need to take careful steps to protect the middle class, we can look at a carbon dividend to return revenue raised from the tax which could then be used for alternative sources of energy. At this point I don't think we can end fossil fuel subsidies until people are on better footing economically.

Q: Would you raise the minimum wage to $15/hr?

Living costs have been skyrocketing in America and in Texas, and wages have not been rising at nearly the same rate. The fact that we haven't raised the minimum wage in 10 years is not acceptable to me, and I think we need an adequate living wage because every worker should be guaranteed a minimum standard of dignity. I would support a $15 minimum wage but we'd have to phase it in so as not to shock small businesses. We can start off with tax penalties for large corporations with workers on food stamps - I think Senator Westra has introduced a bill that accomplishes something to that effect. That would raise wages for employees at Amazon and Walmart. Then we could raise the minimum wage of government contracts to $15 an hour, so employees there can have better wages. We should raise wages for public sector workers to $15. In that way, I think we can eventually get to that living wage level without being massively disruptive.

[Velahor]

"As long I'm not interrupting. First I was going to ask you, have you heard anything about my campaign on the news? I know I just announced, but I was wondering what you have heard, if anything."

“Yeah. I’ve heard. Looks like you’re the candidate, at least to me.” He couldn’t help himself, he took a bite of the sandwich.

"Well thanks...yeah it's an interesting field. A lot of people who I have respect for, but none who I could really imagine as Senator if you get what I'm saying. I think I'm the guy that Texans are really going to want to vote for in the end. I'd imagine that pundits are already calling me single-issue, I wouldn't know though because I try to keep that static out once the news switches from facts to opinions. But anyway, I think that people underestimate the potential of how strong a strictly pro-2nd Amendment candidate can be in my state. Since it's a special election though...it's a very different kind of race. " As Mark spoke, his eyes were drawn to a stain on the carpet that was likely from whatever rock band rented out the bus before he did.

[Dentali]

Nathaniel Richardson
@Governor Richardson

Not only did Senator Westra talk down to Pro-life Catholics and at a Catholic Mass, he quite likely broke the Johnson Amendment as all Catholic Churches attain 501(c)(3) status as part of the parents group USCCB. I support the easing of the Johnson Amendment and believe President Wolf did GREAT WORK in easing it, but if Westra shares that position he should speak up.

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

To: Karen Brookshire
From: Norm Lee

Good to hear from you Ms. Brookshire, I think keeping Texas red is an important agenda, but I’m very happy with state politics and not sticking my nose into that election for mere “pull” over the swamp. Send me a good list of work on issues you’ve done I can get excited for, and then we can talk.

Best,

Norm Lee
Father, Reverend, Governor

FROM: Karen Brookshire
TO: Governor Norm Lee

Dear Governor,

I am disappointed that you will not be endorsing anyone in the Senate race, but I understand your sentiments. I still believe we can work together and effectively. Already, I believe the issue of abortion is being tackled by the states and the Federal government will be able to do good work if more Senators move towards this position. And that is something I strongly intend to do. But I believe that the biggest change that we can bring about is a balanced budget, something that will finally cut the government down to size for state's and Governor's like you to have greater authority.

Those are only a few of the issues I wish to bring forth but I can certainly speak on the rest at a later time. I shall have my campaign draft something for your consideration. And I strongly urge you to reconsider endorsing me in this important race, I'd love to have your support.

Sincerely,
Karen Brookshire
Candidate for U.S. Senate (R-TX)
CEO of Brookshire Grocery Company

[KingFerdinand1]

New York City
Alfonso Simpson is serving customers in his restaraunt. It is a good day, better than most, and he has already sold over 300 hot dogs, and much other food. The recession had hurt him and his wealth a lot, but now he was finally becoming the wealthy man his parents wanted him to be! One of his regular customers, a fat man named Colin comes in, and smiles when he sees Alfonso. The two men shake hands, and Alfonso cooks up his own special burger for him, with Miami grown meat and many exotic topics. Its called the Simpson Sandwich. Colin pays him and finishes the burger in minutes, and both men are very satisfied with the deal. And the end of the day Alfonso waves goodbye to his workers who all appreciate him more than those in Florida did, locks up the restaraunt, and sits in the back looking at the profit for the day. While it was alot, he would need alot more for his glorious plans to lead New York to greatness with Libertarian ideas. If he kept being solo, hed have the funds hed need in 10 years time. But a core belief of his was family was important, as family led to charity which would mean less government spending which was good. Alfonso had no family since his brother disowned him, but he knew he could win back Ferdinands love and his money if he could help him out in some way. He read every tweet by Ferdinand, and knows about the engagement party in upper New York coming up. He calls his most trusted employee Jose, and tells him to run the restaraunt for a few days. Alfonso gets in his car, and drives home where he changes his outfit and grabs his equipment. He puts on a fake beard and glasses and then he drives out of New York City and starts driving towards Parker Island Mansion. He texts his brother on the way.

TEXT

"Hello brother, its Alfonso here. I know you hate me, but I dont hate you. To show you my love Im going to be certain the democrat party your going to is safe."

Alfonso arrives on the outskirts of Parker Island Mansion in the morning. He takes out his binoculars and starts scouting to see if theres anyone around.

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

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Brookshire Campaign Ad
Posted to all Social Media Accounts and TV in Rural Counties in Southern Texas

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This is our country, our state, our Texas of the United States of America.



These are our towns we live in, the communities we are a part of.







These are the places we work, they represent our Texan values of hard work and dedication, especially to support our families.



So let’s fight to make it better for our children, for our Texas values, for ALL Texans.



Let’s get more MONEY in the hands of Texans by working towards a national balanced budget.



Let’s get TOUGH on violent hate crimes and dangerous sexual assault crimes to defend our communities.



And let’s give our states the money to REBUILD our towns and roads for better towns.



So take me up on my experience strengthening Texan families and fighting to keep jobs in Texas.



Take me up on my promise to FIGHT FOR AMERICA!

Sponsored by Brookshire for Senate 2020

“I’m Karen Brookshire and I approve this message.”

Karen Brookshire
@BrookshireGal

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Our new ad is up. I'm excited to finally show the people across Texas exactly what I stand for and how I will #FightForAmerica! We aren't just a single-issue campaign.

Karen Brookshire
@BrookshireGal

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This is a revolution to restore our values, return your money, and rebuild our Texas! This is what #Brookshire2020 means. Something for all Texans, for all Americans!

[Dentali]

Nathaniel Richardson
PragerU Summit, Santa Barbara, California
May 3rd, 2019



PragerU was somewhat of an iffy subject for Richardson. It was a Conservative non-proift that created videos to discuss various political, economic, and philosophical topics. It had almost 2.5 million YouTube followers and was a source for Conservative thought leaders around the country. Richardson had publicly taken their side on multiple occasions when their videos had been restricted and targeted by YouTube and Google, and watched a number of their videos. It was also a bit of a propagandist which promoted the Red vs Blue mentality Richardson wished to avoid, as well as trending more and more to the alt right. Richardson also had significant support on College Campuses due to his frequent visits, speaking engagements and generally strong ties, and college age Republicans loved PragerU. As such he never made his concerns public.

He would not be speaking at today’s summit but he attended as a welcome guest. This was in many ways a fundraiser, but for influence and ideological “points” instead of money. Richardson was at heart an intellectual conservative, that learned how to bring that to a more blue collar crowd over decades. In this world of numbers, facts and philosophy he was very at home.

He got time with (Not Prager) and (Not Peterson) who were interested in details of his platform. Richardson unlike many candidates actually cared a great deal about policy intricacies of everyone's platform and even shared a laugh at the expense of Westra. He spoke to the many content creators from PragerU as well as the fans and hopefuls that had attended. He shook hands and rubbed elbows with many aspiring conservative media personalities, and in some cases was the first Presidential contender they had met. He spoke at length with them about the importance of PragerU and groups like it at training the next generations of conservatives as Universities had become beacons of the left.

He continued to focus on being personable but in this case that meant political, and gave in to the Red vs Blue mentality for a few hours. He was playing to the crowd more than he typically did, but his skill at retail politics still showed through. Everyone he spoke to felt like the most important person in the room and that Richardson might just help them reach new heights.

[Dentali]

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Brookshire Inbox
The Internets

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FROM: Karen Brookshire
TO: Governor Nathaniel Richardson

Dear Governor,

I know that you are an incredibly busy man but I hope you may make time for a sincere and humble request. As you know, the Senate Special Election in Texas has already triggered a rapid influx of candidates and while I remain confident that my campaign will win over the Texan people, I would be foolish to not request support given the ongoing race for President in 2020.

So I hope that you can speak with me regarding a potential endorsement or at the very least, a nice conversation of support and advice. Given your comments on responsible fiscal policy, I am more than positive we can come to some sort of understanding. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,
Karen Brookshire
Candidate for U.S. Senate (R-TX)
CEO of Brookshire Grocery Company

TO: Karen Brookshire
FROM: Nathaniel Richardson

I fully intend to be involved in the Texas Senate race and have been able to clear 12 days off my schedule between now and the election to commit to the race. Privately I can tell you that you are as of now my favorite to endorse, however I am still conducting my research and ultimately I need to decide who is best for the party overall. You are off to a good start and if you need anything give me a call at ***-***-****.

Thanks for reaching out,

Governor Richardson

[Sanabel]

“Yeah. I’ve heard. Looks like you’re the candidate, at least to me.” He couldn’t help himself, he took a bite of the sandwich.

"Well thanks...yeah it's an interesting field. A lot of people who I have respect for, but none who I could really imagine as Senator if you get what I'm saying. I think I'm the guy that Texans are really going to want to vote for in the end. I'd imagine that pundits are already calling me single-issue, I wouldn't know though because I try to keep that static out once the news switches from facts to opinions. But anyway, I think that people underestimate the potential of how strong a strictly pro-2nd Amendment candidate can be in my state. Since it's a special election though...it's a very different kind of race. " As Mark spoke, his eyes were drawn to a stain on the carpet that was likely from whatever rock band rented out the bus before he did.

“Are you worried about the Republicans splittin’ the vote too much? Folks here on Capitol Hill certainly seem to be, Mr. Allen.”

[Velahor]

"Well thanks...yeah it's an interesting field. A lot of people who I have respect for, but none who I could really imagine as Senator if you get what I'm saying. I think I'm the guy that Texans are really going to want to vote for in the end. I'd imagine that pundits are already calling me single-issue, I wouldn't know though because I try to keep that static out once the news switches from facts to opinions. But anyway, I think that people underestimate the potential of how strong a strictly pro-2nd Amendment candidate can be in my state. Since it's a special election though...it's a very different kind of race. " As Mark spoke, his eyes were drawn to a stain on the carpet that was likely from whatever rock band rented out the bus before he did.

“Are you worried about the Republicans splittin’ the vote too much? Folks here on Capitol Hill certainly seem to be, Mr. Allen.”

"It really depends on how many Democrats sign up," replied Allen, not really sure in his response. "But yeah, I'm a bit worried. I don't think Brookshire really adds anything positive to the race, and De Lange appears to be in it for vanity in my opinion, I don't know him though to be fair. If there's not more Dems, the field is probably too crowded, and someone is going to have to deliver some knockout blows to a few people to stake a claim on a plurality."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Meeting with Caroline Simone

"I certainly wouldn't think any less of you if you decided not to, but I do need to have something on hand if I'm going to lean in on the Speaker on this. Ditching Winthrop was not a decision anyone wanted to make, but between the botched introduction of the Off Fossil Fuels Act and the fact she and Murphy are actively and openly working to unseat a whole host of incumbents holding difficult seats..." She shook her head. "Bitter pill to swallow. Representative Piotrowska's work on the carbon tax is a lot better when it comes to laying out the climate policy."

She smiled thinly, clearly trying to be more positive. "I think you're definitely one of the two more prepared-for-power progressives we have in the race. If we go with a progressive, I would want it to be you, Anne."

"I prefer the term 'fit-for-office', but thank you." Anne replied, smiling. "Anyway, is there something else you'd like to discuss?"

"I'd be curious to know how your prospective cabinet might be shaping up. If you become the nominee, the leadership will need to help marshal your nominees through the Senate, along with preparing for any House and Senate special elections that may result from the movement from the Legislative to Executive Branches."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

He shook her hand back in return. "You don't want to actually have lunch?"

She looked at the menu, "I might," the chicken did look good. Then she'd say, "I might get a salad."

"Fitness drive? God, the hoops women have to jump through to campaign, it's obscene." He shook his head. "I really hope our country gets over these parochial attitudes."

[Dentali]

Nathaniel Richardson
Santa Barbara, California
May 3rd, 2019

Governor Richardson had left the PragerU Summit fairly proud of himself for a full day making connections but that quickly melted away when he got into his car. Richardson had been laser focused on the Texas Special election in the past 2 days, painstakingly researching all the candidates. But his ultimate decision would be somewhat in the hands of others. As such he made an unlikely phonecall as the car took him to where he would be sleep that night.

"Hello this is Governor Richardson, I'm calling to speak with the Governor...."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Nathaniel Richardson
Santa Barbara, California
May 3rd, 2019

Governor Richardson had left the PragerU Summit fairly proud of himself for a full day making connections but that quickly melted away when he got into his car. Richardson had been laser focused on the Texas Special election in the past 2 days, painstakingly researching all the candidates. But his ultimate decision would be somewhat in the hands of others. As such he made an unlikely phonecall as the car took him to where he would be sleep that night.

"Hello this is Governor Richardson, I'm calling to speak with the Governor...."

The people who operated Governor Prendergast's switchboards were surprised by the call, clicking it through nonetheless, and after someone told Jonah who was ringing as he was making his way down to his next state (Louisiana), he picked up the call. "Governor Richardson, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

[Fronket]

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Suraj Shah
De Soto, Texas
May 3rd, 2019

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After his Richardson campaign stop, Shah drove into De Soto, a half hour away. He held a meet and greet in a small local theater, where he answered voters questions about his background and beliefs. He reiterated his position on gun control, or "gun safety" as was his preferred term, clearly stating that he was against weapon bans and in support of common sense reform like universal background checks.

Unemployment was by no means high in De Soto, but it was above the national level and Rep. Shah spoke to several small business owners about his plans to provide grants to them in exchange for new employment opportunities and apprenticeship programs to fill the state labor gap. Subsidized employment was also on his radar, increasing funding for the EITC and helping out low-income workers at local small businesses.

He emphasized his business experience, empathizing with the concerns of local businessmen about raising the national minimum wage and more regulations. He said he would support a regulatory task force to clean up and reduce wasteful regulatory laws; he said that trimming fat and maximizing efficiency was a big part of his accomplishments at the Department of Labor and in Congress, where he first implemented and then wrote laws that streamlined various programs into simple, limited denominations where workers could understand where to enroll and where taxpayer dollars were saved. He promised he could do the same for small business. On the minimum wage front, he said that $15/hr would be implemented first for big corporations and national contractors, then public sector workers, and finally employees at small business, so as to give business owners time to adjust. He was also willing to create temporary tax credits for small businesses to lift the load of higher wages off their backs initially.

After his meet-and-greet, Shah toured some neighborhoods in this Dallas suburb, shaking hands and introducing himself to voters. Jungle primaries were often decided by who had the most dedicated base of support, and if he could consolidate the Democratic base around him and add some moderate Republicans, this could potentially be a very strong performance from him.

He returned to his hotel room in the evening, where his wife was waiting for him. After some nagging from her, he decided to take her advice and contact an old acquaintance: Miguel Veléz, who had recently jumped into the presidential race. Mike was one of Shah's favorites in the race so far, along with Dayton and potentially Westra, but he knew Velez was the hardest worker out of all of them and could get things done. Shah had seen Velez's work firsthand in the Baharia Administration and knew how effective a leader he was.

Without the intention of getting involved in national politics, he decided to email him. Taking a chunk of Latino support away from Cynthia Rogers-Gonzalez could potentially be a boon for his campaign, and Shah didn't want to waste any opportunities.

TO: Miguel Veléz
FROM: Suraj Shah

Dear Governor Veléz,
I fondly remember our time together in the Baharia Administration, although I don't believe we managed to meet very many times. I worked in the Department of Labor while you were Trade Representative. Governor, your presidential run has been an inspiration and I'm hoping for your success.

As you know, undertaking a Senate campaign in Texas as a Democrat is quite the heavy burden, but I believe that with changing demographics and the jungle primary situation, the odds are actually favoring our party. But we cannot afford to blow it. It's difficult for me to get involved in national politics, since that's a bit stigmatized down here in statewide races; however, any support that I could get would be tremendous. I'd be interested in a conversation if my campaign interests you. You can reach me here: ***-***-****

Best,
Representative Suraj Shah