The Land of the Free: American Political Roleplay (IC II)

[Emazia]

Franklin laid back, took some of his pills, gained a portion of his sanity and had a lucidity that he did not have in weeks...He felt an urge take him, as he went to try and fix the mess he made. With determination, he would turn this around, right?

Albert "Arthur" Franklin
@ArthurFranklin

I would like to apologise for any offence caused by my comments regarding Senator Murphy and Governor Richardson, as it was done by a staffer who had decided to sabotage us through sending out disruptive tweets. I would, with no reservations, support Senator Murphy over Governor Richardson, and that is a fact. Let us move beyond this and turn a new leaf.

He sat back, waiting for the inevitable phone calls.

[Louisianan]

Franklin laid back, took some of his pills, gained a portion of his sanity and had a lucidity that he did not have in weeks...He felt an urge take him, as he went to try and fix the mess he made. With determination, he would turn this around, right?

Albert "Arthur" Franklin
@ArthurFranklin

I would like to apologise for any offence caused by my comments regarding Senator Murphy and Governor Richardson, as it was done by a staffer who had decided to sabotage us through sending out disruptive tweets. I would, with no reservations, support Senator Murphy over Governor Richardson, and that is a fact. Let us move beyond this and turn a new leaf.

He sat back, waiting for the inevitable phone calls.

After seeing his tweet, Linda decided to call her friend and talk to him about his new mindset,

"Hey, Arthur! This is Linda, how're you doing?"

[Dentali]

GOLDWATER POLLING TEXAS GOP PRIMARY FEBRUARY 23rd, 2020



TEXAS POLLING

Congressman Crawford Clay 38% (+14)
Lt General Joe Frankston 37% (+3)
Undecided 24%


TAKEAWAYS

Following Randy Cramp’s exit from the race and endorsement of Congressman Clay we have seen a massive shift in the field of the GOP Primary. Continued good press from his debate performance, a large influx of endorsements from across the country, and a strong ground game have now put Congressman Clay first in the GOP Primary. Lt General Joe Frankston has climbed and even benefitted somewhat from the exit of Cramp but the strong starting position and slow creep forward by Frankston has not enabled him to overcome the explosive campaign of Congressman Crawford Clay. A number of prominent donors to the GOP and Texas politicians who once backed and bankrolled the Frankston campaign are reportedly beginning to hedge their bets and donate to the Clay campaign, and the many grassroots donors of Randy Cramp have begun gravitating toward Clay as well.

The race isn’t over yet and plenty of undecideds remain, both candidates have a substantial war chest left which they could use in a media campaign to reach across the massive state of Texas.

[Emazia]

Franklin laid back, took some of his pills, gained a portion of his sanity and had a lucidity that he did not have in weeks...He felt an urge take him, as he went to try and fix the mess he made. With determination, he would turn this around, right?

Albert "Arthur" Franklin
@ArthurFranklin

I would like to apologise for any offence caused by my comments regarding Senator Murphy and Governor Richardson, as it was done by a staffer who had decided to sabotage us through sending out disruptive tweets. I would, with no reservations, support Senator Murphy over Governor Richardson, and that is a fact. Let us move beyond this and turn a new leaf.

He sat back, waiting for the inevitable phone calls.

After seeing his tweet, Linda decided to call her friend and talk to him about his new mindset,

"Hey, Arthur! This is Linda, how're you doing?"

"I...um..." He laid back, staring at the ceiling. "I'm doing alright, thanks...Sorry about taking you to Washington, I wasn't able to get my meds then..."

[Sarenium]

“It would be my pleasure. The overall focus of the bill is to ensure maximum enforcement of existing antitrust legislation. So, the provisions of the bill are written to remove terms which are unclear -eventually leading to unfavorable outcomes in the courts- and replace them with terms that are so clear that even the most right-wing judge couldn’t twist their meaning.”

Karel sipped water before continuing.

“As for the other half of the bill... I’m sure you’ve heard talk of codifying Roe v. Wade, right? This bill codifies the case law which developed from select antitrust cases that have come up over the decades. Here... take a look at this initial draft of the bill and tell me what you think. Remember, this is just the skeleton of the bill- you’re free to add to it as you wish... with some limitations I’ll get into in a moment.”

With that, Karel opened his briefcase and produced said draft for Tim to see.

Tim listened carefully to Karel, nodding along as the man spoke and than carefully reading through the draft that the Senator passed to him. It was certainly well written, as anything drafted by the Senate Minority Leader tended to be - crisp, direct, and understandable. Nothing outlandish. Tim felt it would be effective in getting better outcomes when it came to enforcing antitrust laws within the court system.

"I like it, and I think Republicans should get on board too. And if not, it's to their detriment. I'll have to have a longer discussion with my policy team about it. Quick question just from first reading, though: are you opposed to adding in any provisions that not only strengthen existing laws, but also add in new standards to prevent anticompetitive behavior?"

Jillian smiled, "I had no idea you were as gifted on domestic economics as you were on health policy."

"Well, you know how it is. 'Economic stewardship' and growth is not exactly a sexy message for progressive voters, Velez's campaign can tell you as much. But yeah, I've maintained a personal interest in labor and financial markets since college. I was very vocal about Gramm-Leach-Bliley and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act back in the late 90's, financial regulation was a pet project of mine at the time. Sure enough, I think that stretch of deregulation can be identified as a reason for the financial crisis in 2007 and then the recession right after. So it's clear to me that economic policy is, in fact, central to justice for workers, even when it's not directly about raising wages or improving labor standards. Because recessions harm the poor the most."

"Explain this to me, how would we go about setting up an infrastructure bank? Where has it failed in the past?" Jillian leaned in, full curiosity abound.

[Louisianan]

After seeing his tweet, Linda decided to call her friend and talk to him about his new mindset,

"Hey, Arthur! This is Linda, how're you doing?"

"I...um..." He laid back, staring at the ceiling. "I'm doing alright, thanks...Sorry about taking you to Washington, I wasn't able to get my meds then..."

"Oh no, it was a wonderful trip. I loved the mountains and I loved the kindness of all of the people there. It isn't a big deal, especially after our second meeting, I stopped my frustration and put that energy towards better things. Anywho, I saw your tweet, announcing your support for Murphy over Nate Richardson. Pretty brave of you to bring it back up again, I was starting to forget."

[Sanabel]

“Sure. You know, I am originally from South Carolina myself. Though I haven’t lived there since I was just a little boy, so I’m not sure how much help I’d be in the state.”

"Well, you're perhaps the leading progressive African-American in Congress right now. I imagine your last minute support will help build the coalition we've got in South Carolina. Though, I'm not optimistic enough to win the state, if we can over-perform, that would send a strong message. So, do I have you on board Mr Simpson?"

“Yes, I believe we have enough good faith to work together. I will most likely throw my support behind you, Senator.”

[Emazia]

"I...um..." He laid back, staring at the ceiling. "I'm doing alright, thanks...Sorry about taking you to Washington, I wasn't able to get my meds then..."

"Oh no, it was a wonderful trip. I loved the mountains and I loved the kindness of all of the people there. It isn't a big deal, especially after our second meeting, I stopped my frustration and put that energy towards better things. Anywho, I saw your tweet, announcing your support for Murphy over Nate Richardson. Pretty brave of you to bring it back up again, I was starting to forget."

"Sometimes, when things happen...You just need to make sure they're fixed, you know?"

[Sarenium]

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
(Image)

Myles was retreating in Northern Idaho for the early months of 2020, for the simple reason that it was quiet. It was out of the Boise and had a seemingly endless forest behind it. Myles liked it up north, despite it being colder. But he still had to work and his main priority right now was Texas. Too much went wrong with that debate and it was frankly a major fail. But he was willing to give the candidates a clean slate. He decided he would invite the candidates up to his ranch in Idaho for a bit of 'bonding'. What he really meant was that he needed people to carry his game when he went hunting, Myles wasn't going to tell them that though, it might put them off. He sent them a quick email.

To: [Representative Crawford Clay], [Joe Frankston]
From: [Myles Burckhalter]

---

Good Morning Candidates,

I hope you are well. This email is an invitation up to my ranch for a chat together about the ongoing Senate Race in Texas.

This will be an important seat for the GOP to retain in the upcoming election, so I want to get to know both candidates, one of which will be the next United States Senator from Texas. No hostilities, just hunting and getting to know one another. (I'll even show you Texans how to get good at hunting, I heard you guys were pretty rusty on the whole hunting business.)

I look forward to seeing both of you,
Myles Burckhalter

President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate

To: [Myles Burckhalter]
From: [Joe Frankston]

---

Dear Senator,

I shall be there.

Sincerely,
(Ret.) Lt. General Joe Frankston

[Louisianan]

"Oh no, it was a wonderful trip. I loved the mountains and I loved the kindness of all of the people there. It isn't a big deal, especially after our second meeting, I stopped my frustration and put that energy towards better things. Anywho, I saw your tweet, announcing your support for Murphy over Nate Richardson. Pretty brave of you to bring it back up again, I was starting to forget."

"Sometimes, when things happen...You just need to make sure they're fixed, you know?"

"Oh of course. I don't like Murphy so I don't plan on endorsing him should he win the nomination, I assume that you've studied up on him a little bit since our last meeting. What do you think? Is he an Establishment Socialist like I described him?"

[Emazia]

"Sometimes, when things happen...You just need to make sure they're fixed, you know?"

"Oh of course. I don't like Murphy so I don't plan on endorsing him should he win the nomination, I assume that you've studied up on him a little bit since our last meeting. What do you think? Is he an Establishment Socialist like I described him?"

"Didn't really read much on him. He seems alright, I guess. I still prefer Dayton - although I remember the story you told me about that Mexican man...I put what he said into Google translate, and I can tell you you were right to be worried..." He gave off a low, quiet chuckle. Franklin was clearly both humbled and never a particularly flamboyant man, instead preferring deadpan humour and an almost low energy conversation.

[Louisianan]

"Oh of course. I don't like Murphy so I don't plan on endorsing him should he win the nomination, I assume that you've studied up on him a little bit since our last meeting. What do you think? Is he an Establishment Socialist like I described him?"

"Didn't really read much on him. He seems alright, I guess. I still prefer Dayton - although I remember the story you told me about that Mexican man...I put what he said into Google translate, and I can tell you you were right to be worried..." He gave off a low, quiet chuckle. Franklin was clearly both humbled and never a particularly flamboyant man, instead preferring deadpan humour and an almost low energy conversation.

"I know right? He probably didn't mean any harm by it, unless he did, but I haven't the slightest idea. Alright, I'll let you go, I'm making a homemade pizza and I just wanted to call and check up on you. Don't forget, if you ever need anything, be sure to call!"

[Emazia]

"Didn't really read much on him. He seems alright, I guess. I still prefer Dayton - although I remember the story you told me about that Mexican man...I put what he said into Google translate, and I can tell you you were right to be worried..." He gave off a low, quiet chuckle. Franklin was clearly both humbled and never a particularly flamboyant man, instead preferring deadpan humour and an almost low energy conversation.

"I know right? He probably didn't mean any harm by it, unless he did, but I haven't the slightest idea. Alright, I'll let you go, I'm making a homemade pizza and I just wanted to call and check up on you. Don't forget, if you ever need anything, be sure to call!"

"Thank you...have a nice day." He said, with a flat but clearly sincere intonation.

[Louisianan]

"I know right? He probably didn't mean any harm by it, unless he did, but I haven't the slightest idea. Alright, I'll let you go, I'm making a homemade pizza and I just wanted to call and check up on you. Don't forget, if you ever need anything, be sure to call!"

"Thank you...have a nice day." He said, with a flat but clearly sincere intonation.

Linda hung up the phone, "Pretty neat guy, I hope he finds the help he needs."

[Sarenium]

TV Ad Texas Statewide targeting likely Republican Primary Voters.
"Efficiency"
Date: February 20 to March 3

I wore the Air Force Uniform for 29 years.



I didn't serve my country for 29 years to watch Coastal Elites tell Texans how to live their lives.



Congressman Crawford Clay has waved through every Democrat Spending bill of the past two years.



We need military efficiency to get our budget back on track and fulfill President Wolf's vision.



Not the kind of spineless nothingness that Congressman Clay offers.



Vote for Lieutenant General Joe Frankston for a better Texas.

I'm Joe Frankston and I approve this message.

[Azekopolaltion]

Tim listened carefully to Karel, nodding along as the man spoke and than carefully reading through the draft that the Senator passed to him. It was certainly well written, as anything drafted by the Senate Minority Leader tended to be - crisp, direct, and understandable. Nothing outlandish. Tim felt it would be effective in getting better outcomes when it came to enforcing antitrust laws within the court system.

"I like it, and I think Republicans should get on board too. And if not, it's to their detriment. I'll have to have a longer discussion with my policy team about it. Quick question just from first reading, though: are you opposed to adding in any provisions that not only strengthen existing laws, but also add in new standards to prevent anticompetitive behavior?"

“Yes, I am opposed, for two reasons. First off, there’s no consensus within our party about whether or not consumer welfare should be the only standard for antitrust law. I’d prefer to leave the issue for the next Democratic President to settle. Secondly, while the issue is just as divisive among the Republicans, President Tawney’s an establishment man who’s certain to shoot down the attempt with a veto.”

Tim leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin, half-nodding at Volek's words. The man certainly had a point––although he personally was backing this effort because of his strong support for consumer rights, it was unlikely that there would be broad agreement within the party about new standards (many Democrats, after all, were receiving fat checks from Big Tech), and any new regulations would definitely scare off more mainstream Republicans like the sitting President.

"Alright then, the language right now is nice and tight, just as I like it. I don't know if there's much else to edit. When would you like me to meet with Levi, and what exactly do you want us to discuss? Unless this is going to the top of the docket, is there a need to get started on this now?"

"Explain this to me, how would we go about setting up an infrastructure bank? Where has it failed in the past?" Jillian leaned in, full curiosity abound.

"Good question, implementation is everything," Tim scratched the back of his head as he tried to recall everything he knew about the legislative history, "generally, there's support for the idea on both sides. The real reason Baharia couldn't get it through is because of disagreement about logistics."

"Republicans don't want the bank to have a centralized structure; they want it privately managed, federally chartered. Baharia's proposal, on the other hand, would've had the bank administered similar to the FDIC; members appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, instead of having private shareholders make those decisions. I'd lean towards his version, obviously, given the opportunities for corruption and pushing priorities not in the public interest with a privately managed bank."

"And then there's the big question of capitalizing it. Republicans don't want a cent of taxpayer money to fund it; they prefer issuing debt and equity to private investors to raise the initial capital, and creating certain tax incentives for companies that agree to buy in. This would be very similar to something like the Federal Home Loan Bank. Democrats, as usual, are varied on this issue; moderates lean towards the Republican proposal, progressives prefer capitalizing it with taxpayer appropriations."

"I think it's fairly obvious that the progressives' idea makes more sense policy-wise. Issuing expensive tax breaks just to capitalize a new public institution and increasing longterm budget deficits makes no sense to me when you can just infuse it with taxpayer money immediately. Politically, though - that's a different ballgame from the policy, as you know too well."

[Louisianan]

TO: Representative Katherine Edwards
FROM: Former Senator Hypolite Gaspard

Dearest Representative,

I feel obligated to apologize to you personally for the harsh remarks made toward you from my Twitter account. As I have made it clear, my account was temporarily managed by a Democratic Plant in my staff who tried to undermine my efforts in this campaign. I'd just like to tell you I'm sorry, and I feel like it is our duty as Pure Southern Patriotic Conservatives to stick together, and stay as cordial as possible for the sake of our constituents. Thank you for your time, Representative.

Sincerely,
Hypolite Gaspard
Former Senator of Louisiana

[New Cobastheia]

Southern's United PAC Ad
To be Aired on Television
Air Date in Nashville, Birmingham (Anniston and Tuscaloosa), Montgomery-Selma, Mobile-Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach), and Jackson Tennessee Markets: February 19 to March 3
Air Date in Memphis, Greenwood-Greenville, Jackson Mississippi, Columbus-Tupelo-West Point-Houston, Meridian, Hattiesburg-Laurel, Biloxi-Gulfport, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge Markets: February 19 to March 10

(Ad opens with a shot of a soybean farm with the sound of the wind in the background)


Southern Male Narrator: "Farmers..."


"...They make the world go 'round."


"...They put food on the table,"


"Breakfast," {Shot shows the plate dropping down onto the table}


"Lunch," {Shot shows the plate dropping down onto the table}


"and Dinner." {Shot shows the plate dropping down onto the table}


Suburban White Woman Narrator: "Our Farmer's deserve our support..."


"...For all the hard work they do."


Old Southern Man in Shot Below: "Nate Richardson is gonna' take the fight back to the big corporate farms and tell 'em to get out of the way of us doing the good work."

Old Southern Woman in Shot Below: "Bernie Porter is planning on a what do ya' call it? A land value tax? Whatever ya' call it, it would destroy our farm if it gets passed!"



{Zooms in on the Old Southern Woman} "Might as well burn the place down if it passes!"

(Ad quickly switches shots to the scene below)


(Ad switches back to the Old Southern Couple after about a second of the burning farm scene)

Old Southern Man in Shot Above: "Would do about as much good!"

{Couple Chuckles Together}

Old Southern Man in Shot Above: "And that's why we're voting for Nate Richardson this upcomin' primary. To protect our farms and all the farmers like us!"

Old Southern Woman in Shot Above: "Amen!"

(As the ad comes to an end a disclaimer appears at the bottom of the screen "PAID FOR BY SOUTHERN'S UNITED PAC. CONTACT [Phone Number]. NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE COMMITTEE.")

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

Nevada Republican Primary Exit Poll - Tartalek Polling

2020 Nevada Republican Caucus Exit Poll
Sec. Bernie Porter- 55.7% (+11.4)
Gov. Nate Richardson - 44.3%

Key insights:

-Nevada is overwhelmingly likely to be a victory for Sec. Bernie Porter
-The rural counties are divided with White working-class voters and Mormon voters going for Sec. Bernie Porter and Gov. Nate Richardson respectively. With the LDS voters not being sufficient in numbers to outvote their counterparts, the rural counties are expected to break heavily to Sec. Porter
-If the numbers prove accurate Richardson may face his first loss of the primary cycle
-Caucuses generally favor the candidate with the more enthusiastic supporters
-Gov. Richardson performs well in Washoe county and among LDS voters
-Sec. Porter's main base of support stems from the non-Mormon rurals, and White working-class voters.
-Las Vegas proper appears equally divided among the 2 candidates

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

John Logan Ruler
@SonOfRuler

---

Many honest farm folk breaking to Sec. Porter. I hope Gov. Richardson invests some more time, maybe a farm tour? He is a good man, many farmers need to know!

[New Cobastheia]

(Image)
John Logan Ruler
@SonOfRuler

---

Many honest farm folk breaking to Sec. Porter. I hope Gov. Richardson invests some more time, maybe a farm tour? He is a good man, many farmers need to know!

Liked and Retweeted by @ChipRenfusMS

[Louisianan]

Angelle B. Gaspard
TheAdvocateABG

---

The Nevada Exit Polls are out, if we were to have the election based on those exit polls, Porter would win the Primary. If we look back at 2016, Mrs. Clifford was way ahead in the polls, but when it came down to election night, Arnold Wolf won.

Angelle B. Gaspard
TheAdvocateABG

---

This was because of the type of people both candidates attracted, for instance, Mrs. Clifford had 'woke' young leftists on her side who would speak as loud as possible and went to participate in the exit polls and Mr. Wolf had the true hard-working common men and women, who had better things to do than talk to pollsters.

Angelle B. Gaspard
TheAdvocateABG

---

In this case, I believe that Secretary Porter may downright have the upper hand here, a whole 11% isn't something to scoff at in the midst of the Primary. Governor Richardson's appeal in Rural Areas seem to be dwindling, and if that decline continues, he may lose the south and the midwest.

[New Cobastheia]

Southern's United PAC Ad
To be Aired on Television, Preferably after Ad Slots the Richardson Campaign has Already Booked
Air Date in Nashville, Birmingham (Anniston and Tuscaloosa), Montgomery-Selma, Mobile-Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach), and Jackson Tennessee Markets: February 19 to March 3
Air Date in Memphis, Greenwood-Greenville, Jackson Mississippi, Columbus-Tupelo-West Point-Houston, Meridian, Hattiesburg-Laurel, Biloxi-Gulfport, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge Markets: February 19 to March 10

Southern Male Narrator: "God..."


"Guns..." {Sound of the gun going off is lowered to a reasonable level for at-home consumption}


"And Country. That's the America I know..."


"It's the America President Wolf fought for it on the campaign trail..."


"...And in the White House! Even as those against him, from the Socialists in Congress to the RINOs to the Deep State, sought to bring him down!"


"Nate Richardson has fought for it in North Carolina..."


"Nate Richardson has fought for it on the campaign trail..."


"And Nate Richardson will fight for it in the White House!"


(As the ad comes to an end a disclaimer appears at the bottom of the screen "PAID FOR BY SOUTHERN'S UNITED PAC. CONTACT [Phone Number]. NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE COMMITTEE.")

[Gordano and Lysandus]

FROM: [Speaker Caroline Simone]
TO: [Senator James Moore], [Senator Nickolai Dernilski]

Dear Senators,

I hate to bother you at a busy time such as this, but if you could both find the time to talk with me in my office sooner rather than later, it'd very much be appreciated.

Yours,

Caroline

[New Cobastheia]

TO: Former First Lady Eliza Wolf
FROM: Former Senator Hypolite Gaspard

Dearest First Lady,

Mrs. Wolf, I am absolutely appalled at the actions of a member of my campaign, and I am so dreadfully sorry for any pain or issues my former employee may have caused to your family. I hope that any issues that may have been caused have been cleared up and explained to your liking. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns directed to me or my campaign, this is a way you can reach me. I send prayers to your family, your husband, and to your campaign in Maine. I am willing to donate to your campaign if it would make things any easier for you. Also, I happen to know a few LeBlanc's from around here, good people, good family. Thank you for your time, take care and God bless.

Sincerely,

Hypolite Gaspard

TO: [Hypolite Gaspard]
FROM: [Eliza LeBlanc Wolf]

Dear Mr. Gaspard,

Thank you for reaching out, I appreciate the apology and I'm glad to know the staffer who wrote those tweets has been fired. I'd also like to thank you for the prayers, they're very much appreciated. I'm happy to accept donations to my campaign, but not feel like you'd need to donate as a way to atone, so to speak.

My Dad always said we still have family down in L'Acadiane, but I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting any of them, at least not since I was a kid.

Sincerely,

Eliza LeBlanc Wolf
First Lady of the United States (2017-2019)