Land of The Free: American Political Roleplay (OOC IV)

by **Meelducan** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:45 pm

Main Nation Ministry wrote:
Meelducan wrote:Yeah you do because last time someone wrote an AP Article two people were nearly in tears over it

Which AP Article?

The Allen arrest one

by **New Cobastheia** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:46 pm

Meelducan wrote:Don’t know if I should move forward with the speaker stuff

Just move forwards with it

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:48 pm

New Cobastheia wrote:
Meelducan wrote:Don’t know if I should move forward with the speaker stuff

Just move forwards with it

Could always have Nez introduce Simone instead of Crawford if Jovui can't be summoned.

by **Velahor** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:49 pm

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:
Velahor wrote:Same question, more details.

Would it be better to submit these bills as a group or individually?

1. Meat Packing Deregulation for state inspection plants and custom slaughter businesses
2. Allow raw milk sales across state lines
3. Industrial Hemp legalization
4. Mandated Country-of-Origin labeling for beef sold in interstate commerce
5. Tax credit for solar-powered electric fences
6. Broad agricultural exemption to DOT Hours of Service requirements for commercial vehicle operators

They’re all agriculture bills, and could be submitted as one bill, but I’m concerned that 3 and 4 could be problematic.

3 because SocCons and people who don’t understand that hemp can’t get you high

4 because it’s a cross-partisan issue. Wolfists, farmers, and centrist Democrats from rural states like COOL but there’s factions of both the GOP and Dems who might be hesitant. It was law for about 10 years, but was repealed in 2015 because the WTO doesn’t like it.

You say that as if 1 isn't extremely problematic and it undercuts any attempt for Paulson to try to cast herself as a Bull Moose.

Honestly true but #1 is already written up with some provisions that moderate it in a very reasonable way.

by **Agarntrop** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:51 pm

Meelducan wrote:
Main Nation Ministry wrote:Which AP Article?

The Allen arrest one

Yeah

Does it have to be about my chars?

Was thinking about an event that could occur and spice things up.

ofc ill tg an admin with it

by **Gordano and Lysandus** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:55 pm

Updated through February to the best of the my ability, again, still welcoming any help!

by **Meelducan** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:01 pm

Agarntrop wrote:
Meelducan wrote:The Allen arrest one

Yeah

Does it have to be about my chars?

Was thinking about an event that could occur and spice things up.

ofc ill tg an admin with it

It’d probably be best if it was about your characters.

by **Agarntrop** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:02 pm

Meelducan wrote:
Agarntrop wrote:Yeah

Does it have to be about my chars?

Was thinking about an event that could occur and spice things up.

ofc ill tg an admin with it

It’d probably be best if it was about your characters.

Hm okay.

Maybe not then, we'll see.

by **Meelducan** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:06 pm

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:Updated through February to the best of the my ability, again, still welcoming any help!

I’ve literally forgot most of these

by **Kargintina the Third** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:06 pm

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:Updated through February to the best of the my ability, again, still welcoming any help!

Can’t wait til you get to Tenson

by **Meelducan** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:08 pm

Looks like I won’t have to break some kneecaps.

by **Kargintina the Third** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:09 pm

Meelducan wrote:Looks like I won’t have to break some kneecaps.

?

by **Agarntrop** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:10 pm

Kargintina the Third wrote:
Meelducan wrote:Looks like I won’t have to break some kneecaps.

?

She's from Belfast

by **Meelducan** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:11 pm

Agarntrop wrote:
Kargintina the Third wrote:?

She's from Belfast

It’s good you think that

by **Federal States of Xathuecia** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:17 pm

I can handle an AP thing for the Senate leadership election if the admins need a break/hand it over to someone else.

by **Sanabel** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:17 pm

Federal States of Xathuecia wrote:I can handle an AP thing for the Senate leadership election if the admins need a break/hand it over to someone else.

Sure!

by **Rijkenlandd** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:18 pm

Gordano and Lysandus wrote:Updated through February to the best of the my ability, again, still welcoming any help!

Black Wednesday
September 4th, 2019

by **The Orion Islands** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:28 pm

by **Kargintina the Third** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:35 pm

The Orion Islands wrote:Tag.

...

by **Agarntrop** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:59 pm

Any cosponsors?

by **Lavan Tiri** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:34 pm

Agarntrop wrote:
Protecting the Republic from Objectionable Technological Espionage and Communist Tampering Act
PROTECT Act

Senate Sponsor: Barry Anderson (R-MO)
House Sponsor: John Logan Ruler (R-IA)

Senate Co-sponsors: Augusta Merriam (R-NH)
House Co-sponsors: Dr. Katherine Edwards (R-GA), Caroline Simone (D-NY), Earl Tenson (R-MT)

AN ACT TO prevent espionage and tampering orchestrated by the People's Republic of China against the United States; impose sanctions against those responsible for acts of espionage; impose criminal penalties for domestic actors; and for related purposes.

Section 1 - Short Title
This bill may be cited as the "Protecting the Republic from Objectionable Technological Espionage and Communist Tampering Act of 2019."

Section 2 - Sanctions
The President is authorised to impose sanctions against individuals within the People's Republic of China responsible for acts of digital espionage or whom otherwise according to his determination pose a significant threat to the digital infrastructure or national security of the United States.
The President is authorised to impose sanctions against individuals or corporations within the People's Republic of China or outside of the People's Republic of China who have assisted the Communist Party of China's efforts to gather digital or other intellegence regarding its citizens or citizens of the United States.
The President is authorised to impose sanctions against individuals or corporations within the People's Republic of China or outside of the People's Republic of China who have colluded with the violations of basic human rights by the Chinese Communist Party, including efforts to forcibly remove the Uyghur muslim population from the province of Xinjiang and forcibly remove the Buddhist population from the province of Tibet.

Section 3 - Offences

It shall be an offence for any person to knowlingly or neglectfully allow the personal information of a citizen of the United States to be stored by a hostile foreign power.
An individual guilty of an offence under Section 3.1 shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or fined under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, or both; or, if the personal information is stored by an exceptionally hostile foreign power or is stored without the consent or knowledge of its original owner, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or fined under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, or both.
A corporation guilty of an offence under Section 3.1 shall be fined not more than $45,000,000; or, if the personal information is stored by an exceptionally hostile foreign power or is stored without the consent or knowledge of its original owner, shall be fined not more than $95,000,000.

Section 4 - Definitions
The term "hostile foreign power" shall be defined by the Secretary of State.
The term "exceptionally hostile foreign power" shall be defined by the Secretary of State and shall include the People's Republic of China.
The term "personal information" shall mean any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother's maiden name, or biometric records; and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information.

Section 5 - Misc.
This Act supersedes all prior contradictory legislation, excluding the US constiution.

This bill is then honorably presented to the US Senate for consideration in order to prevent the storage of personal information and espionage by foreign hostile powers, specifically the People's Republic of China to improve the United States Law and is backed by Sen. Barry Anderson (R-MO) on (date tbc)

Do Not Remove: 1337

Any cosponsors?

Main man Jason will.

Vel, I'll respond to Paulson shortly, I've been swamped by my siblings.

by **Sanabel** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:36 pm

I will be voting for Kanye West in 2020. His political views match mine almost perfectly.

by **Lavan Tiri** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:38 pm

Lavan Tiri wrote:Keller Morgenstern v1 complete. Pls review.

(Image)

Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Lavan Tiri

Character Name: Keller Andrew Morgenstern

Character Gender: Male

Character Age: 65

Character Height: 6'1

Character Weight: 217 points

Character Position/Role/Job:
-Founder and CEO of ReFuel Gas and Convenience, Inc. (since 1977)
-President and CEO of the Boy Scouts of America (2000-2007)
-Founder and CEO of Morning Star Enterprises (since 2001)
-Founder and CEO of Rise-n-Shine Hotels and Inns, LLC (since 2002)
-President and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce (since 2009)
-President of the Idaho Sons of the American Revolution (2008-2010)

Appearance:
(Image)

Character State of Origin: Texas

Character State of Residence: Idaho

Character Party Affiliation: Republican

Main Strengths: Rich as fuck, with a keen business sense. Strong appeal to Libertarians and mainline Conservatives. Has a long, stable, loving marriage and only one child that publicly hates him. At least he isn't racist (towards black people) or sexist. Is seen as an outsider in politics, which is probably an advantage in the GOP. His intensely protectionist rhetoric fits well with blue-collar GOP voters. Previous Presidential runs in 2008 and 2012 have given him some national name recognition. His demeanor, while not exactly everyone's best friend, is still likable enough: a brash, well-spoken, somewhat intimidating "good-ol'-boy" who's invested in his community.

Main Weaknesses: If you managed to quantify and subtract the personal moral fiber of Dick Cheney from that of Mitch McConnell, you'd get a higher number than Keller's--he may talk a big talk about morality and decency but at heart he's a businessman. He's never held an elected office, and there are quite a few scandals you can throw at his business practices. At risk of seeming out-of-touch with normal people, due to his wealth and privileged background.

Biography: Born in 1954 to Andrew Keller Morgenstern--Vice Chairman of Texaco--and Lorna Lee Morgenstern (nee Astor)--granddaughter of Vincent Astor, one of the richest men in America--in the city of Galveston, Texas, Keller Morgenstern had a silver spoon in his mouth and oil in his veins. He grew up bouncing between the oilfields his father stalked, bellowing at slow-moving workers, and the gilded halls of his mother's old-money family in America and the UK. He never felt at place with the Astors, however, much preferring the rough-and-tumble, sand-blasted world of Texas oilmen.

After graduation from a prestigious private high school, Keller attended the University of Houston, where he earned an MBA in Business Administration in 1976. At age 22, he was already on his path to being a wealthy man.

After graduation, Keller returned home to Galveston, to make good on a deal his father had made him before he left for school: if Keller could come up with a viable business plan before he graduated, Andrew would give him a small loan of one million dollars to help start it up.

While at Houston, Keller--working with his friend Sam Cott--had laid out the plans for a chain of gas stations and convenience stores, supplied with Texaco oil, that would begin in Texas and hopefully stretch across the country. Andrew, impressed by his son's detailed plans for his first venture, agreed to the loan, and the first ReFuel Gas and Convenience opened in Galveston in 1977. By 2019, there would be 300 ReFuel locations, an empire that stretched across all 50 states and employed thousands.

Throughout the late 1970s and the early 1980s, Keller and Cott aggressively expanded ReFuel's area of operation beyond Galveston. They often used shady tactics, hiring criminals to intimidate and harass landowners who wouldn't sell prime land, leaning on local officials with Keller's money to help them seize land the company wanted. Several lawsuits were brought against Keller, Cott, and ReFuel from 1979 to 1985, and while many were thrown out, some judges, juries, and witnesses insisted on sticking to their principles. Keller personally lost almost a million dollars during this period, and ReFuel struggled to survive.

Then, in 1986, a miracle happened. Sam Cott died, struck by a speeding car walking around his neighborhood in Galveston at night. The driver was never found, and Cott was discovered to have left Keller a chunk of money and property in his will, almost double what his only child--his 7-year-old daughter, and her mother, Sam's widow--had been left. The widow Cott tried to fight the inheritance and claim a larger share, but spent so much money on the legal battle that, after nearly a year of vicious fighting, she dropped her suit, taking her daughter back to Minnesota where she was from.

With the sudden infusion of $3 million, Keller was able to pay some of his legal debts, in addition to some of his company's, and begin expanding the chain. ReFuel stations began popping up in Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and Louisiana throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In 1987, Keller met Andrea O'Brien, granddaughter of former Texas Governor Preston Smith, at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend in Austin. Andrea was only 22, compared to Keller's 33, but they were attracted to one another--Andrea to Keller's money, and Keller to Andrea's political connections. They also genuinely liked each other, Keller for Andrea's gentleness and sly sense of humor, and Andrea for Keller's big personality and intelligence. After courting for two years, the pair were married in 1989. They have three children: Keller Andrew Morgenstern jr. (born 1990), Ophelia Ima Morgenstern (born 1992), and Victor Houston Morgenstern (born 1994).

In January 1990, barely four months after Keller's wedding and three months into Andrea's first pregnancy, his father died. Andrew Morgenstern was 62 when he had a heart attack in the shower, fell, and gave himself a concussion on the porcelain of his bathtub. He left his wife his Galveston estate and home in San Antonio, along with a tidy sum of money and a life insurance payout. Keller got the family's vacation home in Boise, Idaho, along with nearly $25 million. Keller and Andrea, after the birth of Keller, jr., relocated to Boise. The vacation home was refurbished to act as a true family home, and the Morgenstern family officially moved in in September 1990.

In 1991, a ReFuel Gas and Convenience in Wichita, Kansas, caught fire and exploded, killing three--including Evangeline Crawford, a nine-year-old girl, and her grandmother Sarah--and injuring twelve. Although blame could not be placed on Keller, a wide-ranging safety inspection of ReFuels across the country found that many of the chain's 210 locations had faulty, cheap, or unreliable safety measures in case of fire or accidents. The subsequent payout and rebuilding effort cost the company $29 million, and the Board of Directors held a vote to oust Keller as CEO, which failed by just one "nay". Instead, they fired the company's safety inspectors, and Keller said publicly that the work on the unsafe stations had been done by "unskilled, probably illegal migrants...not Americans, people who couldn't get a job done properly." These comments caused an uproar, however, the Board was again unsuccessful in ousting the CEO, and Keller instead issued a half-hearted apology written by a PR firm.

Life at Chateau Morgenstern in Boise was good, as Keller took a backseat from managing his company and his small legion of investments and shares during the rest of the 1990s to raise his children. They attended the best private schools in Boise, and his eldest son, Keller, jr., joined the Boy Scouts in 1996. Keller was impressed with the organization, which he hadn't been a part of as a child, and became highly active in Troop 97 as an adult leader. Keller spent the latter half of the 1990s as Scoutmaster of Troop 97, and served on the Ore-Ida Boy Scout Council. During this time, he donated several million dollars to the BSA, and when the President and CEO of the organization retired in late 1999, the National Leadership Council chose Keller as his replacement. Although the move caused some controversy, Keller's overall solid business acumen and obvious passion for the organization won over many of his doubters; except for Hispanics, who remembered the comments he'd made in '91. Hispanic membership in the BSA across the Southwest dropped for the first three years of Keller's tenure as CEO, and only reached the same level it had previously been at in his final year.

Keller was widely speculated to run in the 2000 Republican Presidential Primaries, however, having recently taken on the job at the BSA and with three young children, he decided not to, instead endorsing Burke and donating to his campaign. That year, he officially founded Morning Star Enterprises, to consolidate his various business holdings and interests under one corporate banner.

In 2001, Keller bought a condemned apartment building in Boise and began converting it to a hotel. This would be the first in his second chain of businesses: the Rise-n-Shine Hotel and Inn chain, which began in Boise and would grow to 130 locations in the US by 2019. He employed many of the same shady tactics with Rise-n-Shine that he had with ReFuel, using his money and connections to pressure landowners and government officials into making sweetheart deals for land and buildings he wanted.

Keller left his position as CEO of the BSA in 2007, to better focus on his private businesses and political aspirations.

In 2008, Keller, jr., graduated high school and began attending the University of Houston. Later that same year, Keller launched a bid for the Republican nomination to the Presidency. Although popular among conservatives, his campaign stuttered and faltered due to his poor debate performances--he had barely prepared, and while he was a charismatic presence, his grasp of debate rules and the facts of the race was weak. He gained barely 3% of the vote in Iowa, and dropped out soon after. He parlayed his fame into a bid for the Presidency of the local Sons of the American Revolution, a group he had been involved in for years. His tenure in this position was largely unremarkable.

In 2009, Keller (who had been a member of the organization for several years) was selected to be CEO and President of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. He has served in this position for the past ten years. During his tenure, the Chamber's ranks grew by 20%, and more Boiseans than before started founding small businesses, while Keller leaned on the local government to institute policies favoring local business. In 2011, Boise was named one of the best cities to start a business in, due to the atmosphere and policies Keller and his Chamber helped push.

In 2010, Ophelia--Keller's only daughter--graduated high school. She attended Princeton University and majored in Political Science. However, while Keller, jr., would go on to become an instrumental part of the Morgenstern business empire after graduation, Ophelia ran the opposite direction. Her previously conservative views shifted rapidly while in school, and she had dozens of blow-out fights with her father every time she returned home. Finally, in 2013, she left Boise after Christmas break and never returned. She has not spoken to her parents or siblings since, and lives in Delaware.

In 2012, the year his youngest son Victor graduated high school and began attending the University of California, Los Angeles to study filmmaking, Keller began a second bid for the Presidency. His debate prep was markedly better this time around, and he was solidly 3rd in Iowa with 20%, behind (not-Rick Santorum) and eventual nominee (not-Mitt Romney). This surprisingly strong showing gave him staying power in the race: he came in a close second in Florida, won Colorado and Wyoming, and took Alaska and Idaho on Super Tuesday. However, his poll numbers when put against Baharia were slipping dangerously low, and after Super Tuesday, he dropped out and endorsed (not-Romney), who polled significantly higher against the incumbent than Keller ever had.

His strong performance in 2012, especially compared to his disastrous 2008 run, was attributed to a combination of factors. Firstly, frontrunner (not-Romney) was seen as too liberal by many hardline conservatives, especially in the West, due to having to compromise repeatedly with the Democratic establishment of his home in Massachusetts; in contrast, Keller was unbeholden to such a record, and made sure to attack (not-Romney) over it repeatedly.

Secondly, a wave of anti-establishment populism had begun building in the GOP, particularly in deep red states. Keller sold himself as the alternative, a non-governmental outsider who didn't owe anyone in Washington favors, and could fix the problems in the Capital. Due to this factor and the first, some journalists and commentators in 2016 took to referring to him as "the first Arnold Wolf".

Thirdly, simple bigotry. (not-Rommey) was the first Mormon to ever become the Presidential nominee of a major political party, and a number of Protestant conservatives took issue with this, claiming he was unfit to serve because he wasn't a "true" Christian. Keller, who had begun attending church in 2010 as part of his long-game prep to run, was a "true Christian".

Finally, the personality difference between the brash and rough Idaho businessman and the polished, professional Massachusetts governor benefitted Keller, although not enough to help him win big.

After the Republican loss in 2012, Keller took a break from politics, content to live out a quiet life in his Boise mansion with his wife and son. Keller, jr. graduated from Houston that year, and immediately took on a hefty role in Morning Star Enterprises. The company's stock soared in 2014, which Keller attributes to his son's skillful management. In 2017, Keller, jr. was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Morning Star, in a unanimous decision by the Board of Directors.

Keller spent most of the 2010s relaxing and enjoying life. Business was booming, Idaho was solidly red still, and he had enough money and public presence that his occasional tirades against Baharia were politely listened to by the Republican establishment. In 2016, he fervently supported Arnold Wolf in the Republican primary, and donated as much money as he could to the Man from Maine.

In 2019, Keller has been observing the Republican primaries, unimpressed by certain candidates (Bernie Porter), and horrified by the rise of Levi Murphy on the Democratic side. He is still actively considering joining his third Presidental Primary, and after Wolf in 2016, feels he may have a shot at winning.

Other Info: Has a net worth of several hundred million dollars (to be exact, $493 million).

Ideology:
-Guns: In favor of repealing all federal gun-control laws, or striking as many as possible and making buying a gun as easy as can be.

-Abortion: While not personally against it, Keller still publicly rails against abortion, particularly late-term abortions, when he wants to get votes.

-Taxes: No. He favors the repeal or significant cutting of income and inheritance taxes, hates the idea of progressive tax brackets, and likes the sound of a flat income tax...if an income tax must exist.

-Universal Basic Income: No. That would mean giving money to poor people, out of Keller's pocket. That's socialism.

-Education: Favors charter schools, private-school vouchers, and privatizing as much of the public-school system as possible. If you can't afford private school, get a voucher. If you can't get vouchers, homeschool.

-Police Reform: Supports the police buying or being given military surplus, supports some privatization of police forces, supports increased policing in "problematic" communities (read: poor). Against the legalization of marijuana. Absolutely pro-private prisons.

-Immigration: Publicly denounces it but hires cheap Mexican labor. Either a border wall or a shoot-on-sight order for illegals.

-Religious freedom: Doesn't care, parrots party line for brownie points.

-Ideal Government: Government should be run like a business, with strong leadership at the top, a slimmed-down structure to avoid cost overruns, and an emphasis on profitability.

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Blavan Btiri

Do Not Remove: 84721

If/when he gets accepted, if anybody wants to apply for his estranged progressive daughter or über-loyal son lemme know.

Hey San can you lick this and see if it's okay real quick

by **Federal States of Xathuecia** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:40 pm

Lavan Tiri wrote:
Lavan Tiri wrote:Keller Morgenstern v1 complete. Pls review.

(Image)

Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Lavan Tiri

Character Name: Keller Andrew Morgenstern

Character Gender: Male

Character Age: 65

Character Height: 6'1

Character Weight: 217 points

Character Position/Role/Job:
-Founder and CEO of ReFuel Gas and Convenience, Inc. (since 1977)
-President and CEO of the Boy Scouts of America (2000-2007)
-Founder and CEO of Morning Star Enterprises (since 2001)
-Founder and CEO of Rise-n-Shine Hotels and Inns, LLC (since 2002)
-President and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce (since 2009)
-President of the Idaho Sons of the American Revolution (2008-2010)

Appearance:
(Image)

Character State of Origin: Texas

Character State of Residence: Idaho

Character Party Affiliation: Republican

Main Strengths: Rich as fuck, with a keen business sense. Strong appeal to Libertarians and mainline Conservatives. Has a long, stable, loving marriage and only one child that publicly hates him. At least he isn't racist (towards black people) or sexist. Is seen as an outsider in politics, which is probably an advantage in the GOP. His intensely protectionist rhetoric fits well with blue-collar GOP voters. Previous Presidential runs in 2008 and 2012 have given him some national name recognition. His demeanor, while not exactly everyone's best friend, is still likable enough: a brash, well-spoken, somewhat intimidating "good-ol'-boy" who's invested in his community.

Main Weaknesses: If you managed to quantify and subtract the personal moral fiber of Dick Cheney from that of Mitch McConnell, you'd get a higher number than Keller's--he may talk a big talk about morality and decency but at heart he's a businessman. He's never held an elected office, and there are quite a few scandals you can throw at his business practices. At risk of seeming out-of-touch with normal people, due to his wealth and privileged background.

Biography: Born in 1954 to Andrew Keller Morgenstern--Vice Chairman of Texaco--and Lorna Lee Morgenstern (nee Astor)--granddaughter of Vincent Astor, one of the richest men in America--in the city of Galveston, Texas, Keller Morgenstern had a silver spoon in his mouth and oil in his veins. He grew up bouncing between the oilfields his father stalked, bellowing at slow-moving workers, and the gilded halls of his mother's old-money family in America and the UK. He never felt at place with the Astors, however, much preferring the rough-and-tumble, sand-blasted world of Texas oilmen.

After graduation from a prestigious private high school, Keller attended the University of Houston, where he earned an MBA in Business Administration in 1976. At age 22, he was already on his path to being a wealthy man.

After graduation, Keller returned home to Galveston, to make good on a deal his father had made him before he left for school: if Keller could come up with a viable business plan before he graduated, Andrew would give him a small loan of one million dollars to help start it up.

While at Houston, Keller--working with his friend Sam Cott--had laid out the plans for a chain of gas stations and convenience stores, supplied with Texaco oil, that would begin in Texas and hopefully stretch across the country. Andrew, impressed by his son's detailed plans for his first venture, agreed to the loan, and the first ReFuel Gas and Convenience opened in Galveston in 1977. By 2019, there would be 300 ReFuel locations, an empire that stretched across all 50 states and employed thousands.

Throughout the late 1970s and the early 1980s, Keller and Cott aggressively expanded ReFuel's area of operation beyond Galveston. They often used shady tactics, hiring criminals to intimidate and harass landowners who wouldn't sell prime land, leaning on local officials with Keller's money to help them seize land the company wanted. Several lawsuits were brought against Keller, Cott, and ReFuel from 1979 to 1985, and while many were thrown out, some judges, juries, and witnesses insisted on sticking to their principles. Keller personally lost almost a million dollars during this period, and ReFuel struggled to survive.

Then, in 1986, a miracle happened. Sam Cott died, struck by a speeding car walking around his neighborhood in Galveston at night. The driver was never found, and Cott was discovered to have left Keller a chunk of money and property in his will, almost double what his only child--his 7-year-old daughter, and her mother, Sam's widow--had been left. The widow Cott tried to fight the inheritance and claim a larger share, but spent so much money on the legal battle that, after nearly a year of vicious fighting, she dropped her suit, taking her daughter back to Minnesota where she was from.

With the sudden infusion of $3 million, Keller was able to pay some of his legal debts, in addition to some of his company's, and begin expanding the chain. ReFuel stations began popping up in Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and Louisiana throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In 1987, Keller met Andrea O'Brien, granddaughter of former Texas Governor Preston Smith, at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend in Austin. Andrea was only 22, compared to Keller's 33, but they were attracted to one another--Andrea to Keller's money, and Keller to Andrea's political connections. They also genuinely liked each other, Keller for Andrea's gentleness and sly sense of humor, and Andrea for Keller's big personality and intelligence. After courting for two years, the pair were married in 1989. They have three children: Keller Andrew Morgenstern jr. (born 1990), Ophelia Ima Morgenstern (born 1992), and Victor Houston Morgenstern (born 1994).

In January 1990, barely four months after Keller's wedding and three months into Andrea's first pregnancy, his father died. Andrew Morgenstern was 62 when he had a heart attack in the shower, fell, and gave himself a concussion on the porcelain of his bathtub. He left his wife his Galveston estate and home in San Antonio, along with a tidy sum of money and a life insurance payout. Keller got the family's vacation home in Boise, Idaho, along with nearly $25 million. Keller and Andrea, after the birth of Keller, jr., relocated to Boise. The vacation home was refurbished to act as a true family home, and the Morgenstern family officially moved in in September 1990.

In 1991, a ReFuel Gas and Convenience in Wichita, Kansas, caught fire and exploded, killing three--including Evangeline Crawford, a nine-year-old girl, and her grandmother Sarah--and injuring twelve. Although blame could not be placed on Keller, a wide-ranging safety inspection of ReFuels across the country found that many of the chain's 210 locations had faulty, cheap, or unreliable safety measures in case of fire or accidents. The subsequent payout and rebuilding effort cost the company $29 million, and the Board of Directors held a vote to oust Keller as CEO, which failed by just one "nay". Instead, they fired the company's safety inspectors, and Keller said publicly that the work on the unsafe stations had been done by "unskilled, probably illegal migrants...not Americans, people who couldn't get a job done properly." These comments caused an uproar, however, the Board was again unsuccessful in ousting the CEO, and Keller instead issued a half-hearted apology written by a PR firm.

Life at Chateau Morgenstern in Boise was good, as Keller took a backseat from managing his company and his small legion of investments and shares during the rest of the 1990s to raise his children. They attended the best private schools in Boise, and his eldest son, Keller, jr., joined the Boy Scouts in 1996. Keller was impressed with the organization, which he hadn't been a part of as a child, and became highly active in Troop 97 as an adult leader. Keller spent the latter half of the 1990s as Scoutmaster of Troop 97, and served on the Ore-Ida Boy Scout Council. During this time, he donated several million dollars to the BSA, and when the President and CEO of the organization retired in late 1999, the National Leadership Council chose Keller as his replacement. Although the move caused some controversy, Keller's overall solid business acumen and obvious passion for the organization won over many of his doubters; except for Hispanics, who remembered the comments he'd made in '91. Hispanic membership in the BSA across the Southwest dropped for the first three years of Keller's tenure as CEO, and only reached the same level it had previously been at in his final year.

Keller was widely speculated to run in the 2000 Republican Presidential Primaries, however, having recently taken on the job at the BSA and with three young children, he decided not to, instead endorsing Burke and donating to his campaign. That year, he officially founded Morning Star Enterprises, to consolidate his various business holdings and interests under one corporate banner.

In 2001, Keller bought a condemned apartment building in Boise and began converting it to a hotel. This would be the first in his second chain of businesses: the Rise-n-Shine Hotel and Inn chain, which began in Boise and would grow to 130 locations in the US by 2019. He employed many of the same shady tactics with Rise-n-Shine that he had with ReFuel, using his money and connections to pressure landowners and government officials into making sweetheart deals for land and buildings he wanted.

Keller left his position as CEO of the BSA in 2007, to better focus on his private businesses and political aspirations.

In 2008, Keller, jr., graduated high school and began attending the University of Houston. Later that same year, Keller launched a bid for the Republican nomination to the Presidency. Although popular among conservatives, his campaign stuttered and faltered due to his poor debate performances--he had barely prepared, and while he was a charismatic presence, his grasp of debate rules and the facts of the race was weak. He gained barely 3% of the vote in Iowa, and dropped out soon after. He parlayed his fame into a bid for the Presidency of the local Sons of the American Revolution, a group he had been involved in for years. His tenure in this position was largely unremarkable.

In 2009, Keller (who had been a member of the organization for several years) was selected to be CEO and President of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. He has served in this position for the past ten years. During his tenure, the Chamber's ranks grew by 20%, and more Boiseans than before started founding small businesses, while Keller leaned on the local government to institute policies favoring local business. In 2011, Boise was named one of the best cities to start a business in, due to the atmosphere and policies Keller and his Chamber helped push.

In 2010, Ophelia--Keller's only daughter--graduated high school. She attended Princeton University and majored in Political Science. However, while Keller, jr., would go on to become an instrumental part of the Morgenstern business empire after graduation, Ophelia ran the opposite direction. Her previously conservative views shifted rapidly while in school, and she had dozens of blow-out fights with her father every time she returned home. Finally, in 2013, she left Boise after Christmas break and never returned. She has not spoken to her parents or siblings since, and lives in Delaware.

In 2012, the year his youngest son Victor graduated high school and began attending the University of California, Los Angeles to study filmmaking, Keller began a second bid for the Presidency. His debate prep was markedly better this time around, and he was solidly 3rd in Iowa with 20%, behind (not-Rick Santorum) and eventual nominee (not-Mitt Romney). This surprisingly strong showing gave him staying power in the race: he came in a close second in Florida, won Colorado and Wyoming, and took Alaska and Idaho on Super Tuesday. However, his poll numbers when put against Baharia were slipping dangerously low, and after Super Tuesday, he dropped out and endorsed (not-Romney), who polled significantly higher against the incumbent than Keller ever had.

His strong performance in 2012, especially compared to his disastrous 2008 run, was attributed to a combination of factors. Firstly, frontrunner (not-Romney) was seen as too liberal by many hardline conservatives, especially in the West, due to having to compromise repeatedly with the Democratic establishment of his home in Massachusetts; in contrast, Keller was unbeholden to such a record, and made sure to attack (not-Romney) over it repeatedly.

Secondly, a wave of anti-establishment populism had begun building in the GOP, particularly in deep red states. Keller sold himself as the alternative, a non-governmental outsider who didn't owe anyone in Washington favors, and could fix the problems in the Capital. Due to this factor and the first, some journalists and commentators in 2016 took to referring to him as "the first Arnold Wolf".

Thirdly, simple bigotry. (not-Rommey) was the first Mormon to ever become the Presidential nominee of a major political party, and a number of Protestant conservatives took issue with this, claiming he was unfit to serve because he wasn't a "true" Christian. Keller, who had begun attending church in 2010 as part of his long-game prep to run, was a "true Christian".

Finally, the personality difference between the brash and rough Idaho businessman and the polished, professional Massachusetts governor benefitted Keller, although not enough to help him win big.

After the Republican loss in 2012, Keller took a break from politics, content to live out a quiet life in his Boise mansion with his wife and son. Keller, jr. graduated from Houston that year, and immediately took on a hefty role in Morning Star Enterprises. The company's stock soared in 2014, which Keller attributes to his son's skillful management. In 2017, Keller, jr. was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Morning Star, in a unanimous decision by the Board of Directors.

Keller spent most of the 2010s relaxing and enjoying life. Business was booming, Idaho was solidly red still, and he had enough money and public presence that his occasional tirades against Baharia were politely listened to by the Republican establishment. In 2016, he fervently supported Arnold Wolf in the Republican primary, and donated as much money as he could to the Man from Maine.

In 2019, Keller has been observing the Republican primaries, unimpressed by certain candidates (Bernie Porter), and horrified by the rise of Levi Murphy on the Democratic side. He is still actively considering joining his third Presidental Primary, and after Wolf in 2016, feels he may have a shot at winning.

Other Info: Has a net worth of several hundred million dollars (to be exact, $493 million).

Ideology:
-Guns: In favor of repealing all federal gun-control laws, or striking as many as possible and making buying a gun as easy as can be.

-Abortion: While not personally against it, Keller still publicly rails against abortion, particularly late-term abortions, when he wants to get votes.

-Taxes: No. He favors the repeal or significant cutting of income and inheritance taxes, hates the idea of progressive tax brackets, and likes the sound of a flat income tax...if an income tax must exist.

-Universal Basic Income: No. That would mean giving money to poor people, out of Keller's pocket. That's socialism.

-Education: Favors charter schools, private-school vouchers, and privatizing as much of the public-school system as possible. If you can't afford private school, get a voucher. If you can't get vouchers, homeschool.

-Police Reform: Supports the police buying or being given military surplus, supports some privatization of police forces, supports increased policing in "problematic" communities (read: poor). Against the legalization of marijuana. Absolutely pro-private prisons.

-Immigration: Publicly denounces it but hires cheap Mexican labor. Either a border wall or a shoot-on-sight order for illegals.

-Religious freedom: Doesn't care, parrots party line for brownie points.

-Ideal Government: Government should be run like a business, with strong leadership at the top, a slimmed-down structure to avoid cost overruns, and an emphasis on profitability.

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Blavan Btiri

Do Not Remove: 84721

If/when he gets accepted, if anybody wants to apply for his estranged progressive daughter or über-loyal son lemme know.

Hey San can you lick this and see if it's okay real quick

Lick?!?

by **Lavan Tiri** » Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:41 pm

Federal States of Xathuecia wrote:
Lavan Tiri wrote:
Hey San can you lick this and see if it's okay real quick

Lick?!?

da.

Land of The Free: American Political Roleplay (OOC IV)

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