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

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Kathleen walked in, with the door closing behind her she put a smile on her face, "Good to see you too, how's it been going? I'd imagine life's been busier than normal with the upcoming Caucus Chair election."

She laughed warmly, shaking her head. "Tell me about it. I feel like I know what Emily's going through with all this campaigning. But I can always make time for you. Between this and legislating, it's been a busy old time." She went to shake the other's hand before sitting back down into her chair. "So what can I do for you, Kathleen?"

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr
Monday 1st April
Wisconsin

Back northwards was Jonah to go, for he was going to head to the crucial swing state of Wisconsin. A state that had batted back and forth between Republicans and Democrats, it had been a big win for Democrats. Diane Clifford’s particular neglect of the state had been a big part of President Wolf’s big win here, and he was intent to help capture that good spirit that Wisconsin had for not being neglected. However, what was special about visiting Wisconsin wasn’t just picking up its particular value to his presidential aspirations, but also this particular moment - tomorrow would be an election for the State Supreme Court, a contentious race which - at the moment - had the Republican behind. $3,000,000 of outside money from liberal special interest groups had poured into the state to support the liberal candidate, and the conservative was under assault for past comments about religion and gay rights. It was a perfect storm, a perfect atmosphere to capture the Republican mood and demonstrate that he could have a positive effect for down-ballot candidates.

First though, he went down to Walworth County in the south of Wisconsin. This was a county that had voted consistently for the Republican candidate in every election since 1916. Such counties were rare, but held a sort of fascination with the Governor. Nonetheless, what Wisconsin was really famous for, nationwide, was its dairy farming (and related cheese production), and it would be to a dairy farm that he’d go. Yet again, he showed an interest in how the process worked. He joined the farmer in preparing the cows for milking and such related activities. He’d ask him how the present economy was serving him. He was down-to-earth and local and patient. He listened, yet again, to the troubles of the local farmer, and assured him that the future for agricultural policy, at least under his watch, would be localized, and supportive of the little guy.

Heading into Elkhorn, at the heart of Walworth County, he’d made arrangements for a mid-day town hall there at the Evergreen Country Club. Not perfectly ideal, on account of the time of day, but his schedule in Wisconsin was a little upside down. The crowd was smaller than those he had enjoyed previously, but still worthwhile, he felt, to build some clout in such an important county.

”Good afternoon, Elkhorn. Good afternoon, Walworth County!

You’ve been loyal Republican voters for over a hundred years now. A hundred years! You haven’t voted for a Democrat since Woodrow Wilson, and considering you didn’t vote for him in 1916, clearly you thought that was a mistake too.

Your community is a wonderful, delightful place. I acknowledge, perhaps, that as the Christmas Card town, I’ve come at the wrong time of year. Indeed, looking at the date, you could say I’ve rather made a fool of myself.”

[He smiles sardonically.]

“However, none of you here before me are fools. You put your trust in Republicans because you know that common sense, down-to-earth and tried-and-tested methods work, and I admire that. However, not everything has worked for you, and I’m here to listen. I’m here to talk. I want to hear your truth, hear your stories, and be your megaphone. Let Walworth County’s voice be heard in Washington. That’s what I want to do for you. So, let me hear it!”

Another hour or hour and a half of that, and he could make his way towards the ‘WOW’ counties around Milwaukee. Admittedly, his work here would be distinctly less self serving. Choosing to work Waukesha County, he’d participate in about five or six hours of door-knocking to support the campaign of [not-Brian Hagedorn] for the aforementioned State Supreme Court seat, giving a small portion of his time to that conservative candidate who could use the support. It might be a relatively small gesture in the scope of a presidential candidate, but maybe it could make a bit of difference for someone down-ballot.

Alas, at last, evening fell and it was time to hold yet another fundraiser. He was glad that as a man of independent wealth, he had a foot in the door with these people, and as he sought to talk to figures from industrial parts manufacturers Rexnord Corporation, or financial services provider Northwestern Mutual, or entertainment and hotels moguls the Marcus Corporation. Another talk about the need to keep the economy open, and to ensure advantages for American businesses. Plying the levers available to America to ensure the best returns to U.S. businesses. The typical spiel. Warm and affable as ever, he embraced the businessfolk with the same enthusiasm he embraced the little guys. He hoped his big fundraising push would pay off.

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Erika Goldman
@GoldmanConnecticut

These recent comments made towards by the right have proved my point. A better economy means more taxes, without having to increase the tax rate. Is economic illiteracy what we expect of our elected officials?

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Jack Chambers
@Governor Chambers

I appreciate the criticism, I really do. It simply means America is meeting the goal of freedom of speech. Of course I insist, again, that my comments were in no way meant to be reflective of the president’s own condition and hope we can move forward and focus on real issues as Senator Westra said. If the people desire my resignation, they will get it, but I will not let my campaign be ran by the greedy hungry wolves who mess up one day and attack their rivals the next.

-Goldman believes we’re all traitors
-Prendergast believes in racial profiling

So I’m sorry I made an unintentional gaff, when these candidates have made INTENTIONAL statements of hatred toward entire races and political ideologies

Erika Goldman
@GoldmanConnecticut

When your government keeps obstructing Congress, colluding with the Russians and silencing whistleblowers and FBI officials, I think it's safe to say that you care more about power than the health of the country.

[Azekopolaltion]

Tim Westra
@WestraNJ
timwestra.com

---

Let's all take a deep breath. Anyone who frequently accuses politicians on both sides of the aisle of being treasonous, whether it's false accusations of un-Americanism or charges of collusion with foreign governments without evidence, should strike voters as untrue political statements for the sake of opportunism. Sound familiar?

[Dentali]

Jack Chambers
@Governor Chambers

I appreciate the criticism, I really do. It simply means America is meeting the goal of freedom of speech. Of course I insist, again, that my comments were in no way meant to be reflective of the president’s own condition and hope we can move forward and focus on real issues as Senator Westra said. If the people desire my resignation, they will get it, but I will not let my campaign be ran by the greedy hungry wolves who mess up one day and attack their rivals the next.

-Goldman believes we’re all traitors
-Prendergast believes in racial profiling

So I’m sorry I made an unintentional gaff, when these candidates have made INTENTIONAL statements of hatred toward entire races and political ideologies

Erika Goldman
@GoldmanConnecticut

When your government keeps obstructing Congress, colluding with the Russians and silencing whistleblowers and FBI officials, I think it's safe to say that you care more about power than the health of the country.

Nathaniel Richardson
@GovernorRichardson

@GoldmanConnecticut It wasn't enough to call people traitors? Now your opponents are colluding with Russians? You are a disgrace, fear-mongering with baseless accusations or treason and foreign collusion is the tool of authoritarian governments not American Senators.

OOC: Russian collusion accusations and the Mueller investigation did not happen in this RP

[Agarntrop]

Erika Goldman
@GoldmanConnecticut

When your government keeps obstructing Congress, colluding with the Russians and silencing whistleblowers and FBI officials, I think it's safe to say that you care more about power than the health of the country.

Nathaniel Richardson
@GovernorRichardson

@GoldmanConnecticut It wasn't enough to call people traitors? Now your opponents are colluding with Russians? You are a disgrace, fear-mongering with baseless accusations or treason and foreign collusion is the tool of authoritarian governments not American Senators.

OOC: Russian collusion accusations and the Mueller investigation did not happen in this RP

RT by @MisouriPeoplesSenator

[Sanabel]

Mike Veléz Rally, Florida Education Association, Tallahassee, Florida


Education improvement was a large part of Governor Veléz’s platform when he won re-election. His string of victories in the state legislature had brought some needed reforms, through unity within the Democratic caucus in the state legislature and an appeal to more moderate Republicans.

Instead of running a typical bill-signing ceremony in the Governor’s mansion or the Capitol, Veléz decided to sign the legislation with the very people it was meant to assist- teachers and students.

So, he brought the legislation to a rally with the 137,00 member Florida Education Association, in a clear show of support for education and organized labor.

A few Association officers and even a group of students made speeches introducing the governor, who took the podium in front of local media and a decently sized crowd. As expected, there were national reporters also present. Buzz around a potential Veléz presidential campaign was ever increasing as the Florida legislative session came to a close.

“There’s no doubt about it folks- teachers are Florida. Teachers are America!”

There was some cheering from the audience.

“I know it first hand. I was a Colombian kid who could hardly speak English when I started kindergarten down in Miramar. It was tough, I won’t sugarcoat it. It was around when Scarface was a hit, and Pablo Escobar was in the headlines. It was hard to become an American if you were a brown Spanish speaking kid with parents fresh off the boat. Needless to say, I didn’t have a lot of play dates.”

There were chuckles in the audience.

“When I started school that changed. Walking into Mrs. Schmitt’s classroom was walking into America as it should be. Stigma and prejudice stayed at the door. We were there to learn and grow together. All through elementary school, teachers offered support I couldn’t get at home. They gave me the tools I needed to succeed when no one else could. I’ve been grateful ever since.”

There was cheering.

“When I first ran for Governor, I was appalled at the state of Florida’s schools. Our teachers were among the lowest paid in the country, charter schools and private schools were well funded while our public schools were being stripped to bare bones. Today, after 5 years I’m proud to say that this is not the case. We have a long way to go, but we have made exceptional progress as a state. In my first term we increased teacher salaries, increased public school funding, and expanded the number of educators. I was elected on the promise to continue that trend, and it is a promise I will keep.”

There was more applause from the audience.

“Today, I am proud to announce that after negotiations and some compromise, my budget proposals have been adopted by the legislature, and will be signed into law at the end of the legislative session. This includes $500 million dollars to raise minimum teacher salaries further to $47,500 per year. This increase will be incrementally implemented over the next 2 years to reduce strain on low-resource school districts. In school districts that already meet this minimum, funds allocated may be used for purposes as their own discretion. The budget also includes funding so that per-student spending in every school district may increase by almost 3%.”

There was cheering from the crowd- these items had been long fought for by the association.

“That’s not all. We will increase funds allocated for mental health services in public schools by 32 million dollars. The state’s public pre-k program will receive a budget increase of almost 2 million dollars. The need-based Gardiner Scholarship Fund is receiving an increase of 42 million dollars, so we can make a college education attainable for thousands more students. We are allocating 35 million dollars to school districts so that they may improve security systems. We are paying for these by scaling down the so-called ‘Schools of Hope’ program instituted by my predecessor.”

There were boos from the crowd.

“We are changing Florida’s educational system, one step at a time. I’ve promised you before and I’ll promise you again that Florida’s teachers are no longer an afterthought!”

Veléz pulled out a binder with a gubernatorial seal on the front and placed it on the podium, then pulled out a pen from his coat pocket.

“Even before the budget is complete, I have legislation to sign today that will improve Florida’s education system. First, I am vetoing Senate Bill 190. Instead of raising requirements for state merit based scholarships in the Bright Futures Fund, we will maintain the generous and fair existing standards. I am also creating a task commission within the state Department of Education to increase the fund’s size through partnership with private organizations and donors, so that merit based scholarships may be expanded. As our schools improve, the pool of applications is only expanding. It’s our responsibility to help all Florida students meet their potential.”

Veléz stamped the veto and signed the executive order creating the commission.

“Second, I am signing House Bill 7071. This bill is the product of a lot of bi-partisan consensus. I thank the leaders of both parties in the House for coming together with my office to ensure its passage. This bill greatly expands our technical academy and apprenticeship placement programs, to help Florida students acquire trade skills. This bill will expand access to high paying fields. It also establishes computer science programs at schools across the state, lending exposure to a growing and vibrant career path.”

He signed the legislation.

“Third, I am signing House Bill 7123. This bill creates a sales tax exemption on back-to-school supplies, including new clothes and personal computers. Every year school supplies place a financial burden on working families. Access to education is a right, not a privilege. Therefore anything my administration can do to ease school costs will be done.”

He signed the legislation.

“Finally, House Resolution 1309 failed. This would have returned the Commissioner of Education to my cabinet, and established the position as a statewide elected office. This is an imperative step to improving the educational system in this state by establishing the educational system as responsive to the voters. Despite its failure, I am hereby announcing that I will restore the position to my cabinet through executive order- and that I am working with the Secretary of the State’s office to place this position on the ballot as a non-partisan elected position. We will make this change permanent by the end of my term by amending the state constitution. But this is too great a need to wait. Commissioner Jennings has done an excellent job in the position- as you know she was an officer in your Association before I appointed her-“

There was a swell of cheering and applause, to which Veléz flashed a smile.

“And I will campaign for her to keep the position. I know it will diminish the power of my office, but this is a step we must take if we are going to prioritize education in Florida.”

There was cheering again.

“Florida is one of this country’s most dynamic states. With a vibrant economy, diverse population, and government that puts people above politics, we are a representation of what America should be in the twenty-first century. You- teachers, students, parents- are the foundation of Florida’s success. By making our foundation even stronger, we have no where to go but up. Thank you very much.”

There was applause, then the governor joined the crowd for pictures and conversation.

[Sanabel]

Veléz’s Twitter

Governor Mike Veléz
@FloridaGov

---

“It’s not about yelling at each other, shouting down opponents. It’s about getting stuff done. It’s not about litmus tests and ideological purity. It’s about rolling up your sleeves and going to work. It’s about listening to echo chambers on Twitter. It’s not about listening to what’s being said around the dinner table.”

Governor Mike Veléz
@FloridaGov

---

“In Florida, we are bringing this ethos to politics. Because of it, we have made some of the most progressive strides of any swing state in the country. Let’s bring it to Washington. New politics for a new decade.”

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Veléz’s Twitter

Governor Mike Veléz
@FloridaGov

---

“It’s not about yelling at each other, shouting down opponents. It’s about getting stuff done. It’s not about litmus tests and ideological purity. It’s about rolling up your sleeves and going to work. It’s about listening to echo chambers on Twitter. It’s not about listening to what’s being said around the dinner table.”

Governor Mike Veléz
@FloridaGov

---

“In Florida, we are bringing this ethos to politics. Because of it, we have made some of the most progressive strides of any swing state in the country. Let’s bring it to Washington. New politics for a new decade.”

Liked and Retweeted by Erika Goldman

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr
Returning to Saturday 30th March, in Iowa...

Having finally managed to acquire an audience with one of Iowa's most eligible potential endorsers, Jonah approached the Dunn residence with some anxiety. He was damn sure he was probably a little late to the chase on this one, but he would be a damned fool not to at least try, and - by all accounts - he did respect Ambassador Dunn, albeit needing to suppress his own deeper distaste of the role of women in politics. He didn't come empty handed, a quite good bottle of red California wine he'd picked up whilst on his exploratory visit to California served him well in this role, and he approached the front door with it in hand, gently rapping his knuckles against the surface.

[Puertollano]

Levi Murphy Rally
San Francisco, California


Before Levi went on stage, the Levi 2020 team sent up their Californian Campaign Chair, who prefaced the crowd before Levi Murphy took the stage.

"Are you ready California!" The crowd responded with a yes. "Are you ready for change, not only in the White House, but change that brings our working class and other vulnerable communities back!" The crowd was fired up. "Senator Levi Murphy, although the Senator of Minnesota, has been fighting for all of us during his tenure in the senate, championing the most progressive policy proposals in the history of the United States. But it's not unprecedented, my friend Levi comes from a list, however short it may be, of politicians fighting for working class people. He comes from the same breed as Roosevelt, Jesse Jackson and the other pioneers in the Democratic party that have made it like it is today. Now, we've got the most progressive campaign for President, second to no one, and we're going to win this thing!" The crowd waved their 'Levi for President' signs. "Who wants Medicare for All? Real universal healthcare!" The crowd roared. "How wants the most ambitious plan for the environment in our Green New Deal?" The crowd chanted 'Green New Deal'. "Who finally wants a President that works for the many, not the few?" This erupted the crowd, and they began chanting 'Levi'. "Let's bring him on stage. The Senator for Minnesota and candidate for President of the United States of America: Levi Murphy!"

Levi Murphy walked on stage, music was buzzing in the background. He waited a moment for it to settle for he began speaking. "What a crowd," he said to himself, but audibly into the microphone. "San Francisco, you really do know how to pull off a rally, that's for sure." The crowd laughed with him. "I thank our campaign chair here in California for his words today, and we are truly going to build a coalition of the willing. Willing to tear down the political establishment and usher in a new order in its place, one that puts working people first, not the interests of the one percent. This means ousting the Republicans from the White House, which I believe I am uniquely suited to do so. And in turn, California is uniquely suited to elect the Democratic Presidential nominee. While you all don't vote until Super Tuesday, your delegates matter, and as the largest state, your delegates win this election! That's why, come Super Tuesday, we need to back the person who is not only progressive and will bring out the base, but also someone who will defeat whoever the Republicans throw at us. Whether that be Prendergast or Richardson: bring them on!

I recently released my Green New Deal plan, which I hope you've read, because it was the outcome of a lot of hard work. In the Green New Deal, we will transition from fossil fuels and other unsustainable industries by investing in renewable energy, creating a new sector that is compatible and competitive with the global market. We will build the green infrastructure of the future, and in the mean time, build millions of good-paying, unionized green jobs that will employ our youth or those hurt by the changing tides of climate change. This is protecting our environment for generations to come, but also making sure that those in the 21st century are not burdened by this climate crisis, which I intend to declare if I'm electing President. That's because, unlike many of my conservative counter-parts, I accept the science, which y'know, isn't radical! It's quite simple really, you acknowledge that hard work and research of hundreds of American and foreign scientists that have concluded that our planet is warming and that something needs to be done about it. The climate is warming and we need real action, that real action on climate change is the Green New Deal. And it is a hallmark policy that we're very proud to bring to the American people in 2020.

Now let's talk about Medicare for All. I would have liked if more candidates in our race had supported our plan, but no. Unfortunately, I'm the only candidate that supported a Medicare for All system that covers all of us. No public option, or the choice to 'buy-in' to plans, all of that is a sideshow. We need to get with it and expand Medicare to cover all Americans in this country, because healthcare isn't a choice, or something that you buy-in to, it is a right. Only then can we provide healthcare as a right, not a privilege, can we make real progress in this country. Some people refuse to acknowledge it, but 45,000 people in our country die per year because they cannot afford healthcare. I'm sure everyone in the crowd knows someone, it may be themselves, that have skipped going to the doctor because of the fees. Or they skipped because they know it's not covered by their plan. Well, what we want to do is automatically enroll everyone into Medicare for All. Everyone is covered, no one is left uninsured or under-insured. Under-insurance is something that no other programs from my Democratic opponents attempt to fix, but it's a real problem that tens of thousands of Americans are facing today.

I appreciate you all for having me here today. To help our campaign, please consider volunteering for Super Tuesday, joining our campaign or donate a few dollars to our movement. Because we operate for the many, not the few, so we will not be taking any billionaire money in this campaign. The same cannot be said for all of my other opponents."

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Goldman Rally, Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Goldman scraped together what crowd she could, numbering in the low hundreds, despite her efforts of shipping in people from nearby towns. It was good enough for now, but they'll need more for later. She knew she was unpopular, but she hoped she could make it through the mud and hell of trying to reach the top 5. As she scraped together her small band of supporters, she stood on the podium, buying some time on local and even some national TV and getting some journalists to write articles and increase her name recognition.

"In modern America, we stand at a crossroads. We face new challenges as the millennium unfolds, with new threats on every corner and new enemies on every continent. I stand to you as a defender of this nation and her values, without fail and without falter. I stand not as an absolutist of the far-left or of the far-right, but rather as a reasonable liberal and one who is ready to take the helm of this nation without succumbing to the blind fervour of progressives or of the Wolf Pack.

The enemy that stands before us - the titan of right-wing populism must be stopped with full effort and full will. We cannot let this nation succumb to blind xenophobia or to hate of other people because of what they look like. At the same time, however, we must contain the efforts of socialists from our own party rising to revolution, lest we end up as a fringe of the nation.

I recognise one thing, however, from both the far-left and the far-right. There are a great many people in this country - tens of millions of them, in fact - who feel that they are alienated from the political process, who are let down by the political establishment. They live in areas like this, in areas left behind by Washington D.C. We won't ignore them any longer. I will stand there, in the halls of Washington, and stand for the dispossessed of this nation, those who have been thrown to the dust, those who have been left to bleed and suffer. I will stand for the working people of this nation, of all creeds and of all stripes!"

The crowd cheered in raucous applause, as Goldman delivered the line with strong emphasis and power.

"Reason has slept for far too long in complacency. Today, we shall declare that reason has been woken, that the monsters of ignorance shall finally be banished. Today, we will let the levies of truth release and the floodgates of principle open in powerful righteousness! Liberalism is not dead, for it shall rise today!"

The crowd rose even further, as Goldman became even more loud and vociferous.

"Today, I announce that I will open an exploratory committee for Erika Goldman to be elected as President of the United States of America!"

The crowd rose in absolute fury and applause, chanting "Goldman! Goldman! Goldman!"

And that day, was the day that the floodgates were released. The exploratory committee was filed, website launched and paraphernalia ready to enter production. These next months were critical, and she knew it. She had this speech released to YouTube, to Twitter and to Instagram, tapping into both news media's social networks and newly-built official channels funded with nearly all the funding she earned from the fundraiser.

[New Cobastheia]

Kathleen walked in, with the door closing behind her she put a smile on her face, "Good to see you too, how's it been going? I'd imagine life's been busier than normal with the upcoming Caucus Chair election."

She laughed warmly, shaking her head. "Tell me about it. I feel like I know what Emily's going through with all this campaigning. But I can always make time for you. Between this and legislating, it's been a busy old time." She went to shake the other's hand before sitting back down into her chair. "So what can I do for you, Kathleen?"

"God you're bringing memories from 2006 and 2010 back," she said as the two shook hands, after sitting down she continued, "Well, I'm mainly just curious about your upcoming bill on the docket, the Fair House Apportionments Act, I just have a few questions about it." She'd been wanting to have this conversation about Carrie's bill for a while now, but seeing as the House had finally finished the debate on the Amendment bill and the Election Holiday bill would probably pass much faster, she figured it was now or never.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"God you're bringing memories from 2006 and 2010 back," she said as the two shook hands, after sitting down she continued, "Well, I'm mainly just curious about your upcoming bill on the docket, the Fair House Apportionments Act, I just have a few questions about it." She'd been wanting to have this conversation about Carrie's bill for a while now, but seeing as the House had finally finished the debate on the Amendment bill and the Election Holiday bill would probably pass much faster, she figured it was now or never.

"Honestly, I was expecting questions regarding my run for Caucus Chair, but I'm happy to answer questions on my legislation, of course. What do you need to know about the Apportionments Act? It wasn't coordinated with Dayton or anything, if that's what you're wondering. Her whole FAIR thing wasn't on my radar, I was being oblivious."

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Erika Goldman
@GoldmanConnecticut

I stand for the dispossessed of this nation and for the working and middle-classes of America. Let us release the levies of truth, both today and on election day!

[insert clip of NC rally here]

[New Cobastheia]

"God you're bringing memories from 2006 and 2010 back," she said as the two shook hands, after sitting down she continued, "Well, I'm mainly just curious about your upcoming bill on the docket, the Fair House Apportionments Act, I just have a few questions about it." She'd been wanting to have this conversation about Carrie's bill for a while now, but seeing as the House had finally finished the debate on the Amendment bill and the Election Holiday bill would probably pass much faster, she figured it was now or never.

"Honestly, I was expecting questions regarding my run for Caucus Chair, but I'm happy to answer questions on my legislation, of course. What do you need to know about the Apportionments Act? It wasn't coordinated with Dayton or anything, if that's what you're wondering. Her whole FAIR thing wasn't on my radar, I was being oblivious."

"Oh I didn't think it was coordinated with Dayton, I would've excepted her to cosponsor it when it was first introduced if it was. Every time I bring up a bill to her, she always goes straight to bringing into FAIR, but anyways. Ok, so my first question would probably be how did you reach the number 600?"

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"Honestly, I was expecting questions regarding my run for Caucus Chair, but I'm happy to answer questions on my legislation, of course. What do you need to know about the Apportionments Act? It wasn't coordinated with Dayton or anything, if that's what you're wondering. Her whole FAIR thing wasn't on my radar, I was being oblivious."

"Oh I didn't think it was coordinated with Dayton, I would've excepted her to cosponsor it when it was first introduced if it was. Every time I bring up a bill to her, she always goes straight to bringing into FAIR, but anyways. Ok, so my first question would probably be how did you reach the number 600?"

"The British House of Commons has 650 members, though they're planning to reduce it down to 600. The French National Assembly has 577 seats. It seemed like a relatively reasonable number for a Western democracy. Honestly, with our high population, it wouldn't have hurt to go even higher, but I did want to keep the bill somewhere in a more moderate range, though Volker's refused to back it so its legs are shaky at best." She frowned, clearly having higher hopes for the bill after Kost's election holiday bill. "It reduces the number of people per congressional district by several thousand, either way, I think it should make a difference to how well represented localities are in the federal congress."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr
Tuesday 2nd April
Georgia

Georgia was an important state for Republicans, not merely as a traditional red state but one that was ever so gradually, ever so frustratingly slipping further and further from their grasp. The switch-off of women to Republican politics under Wolf was a whale that Jonah would inevitably have to hunt down, and perhaps it was true that he wasn’t the best candidate necessarily to do that, but it was a fact he could acknowledge and respect as a threat.

That said, he wasn’t in Georgia to appeal to swing voters. Nor Democrats. His mission was clear and simple at this stage - to win the Republican primary - and that meant boosting his support amongst the base. His target was Effingham County. In the Savannah suburban area, it had voted for Wolf on a scale of almost 4-to-1 against Diane Clifford. It was, needless to say, a very comfortably Republican area. However, despite its suburban roots as part of the greater Savannah metropolitan area, it was not unduly white collar - there was plenty of industry here also.

Governor Prendergast’s first visit would be to Omega Steel Inc., in Bloomingdale. A steelworks had obvious appeal to him - the heavy industry background was definitely a running theme - and he pulled out his usual charm and affability when it came to talking with the steelworkers and being taken through the process. Steel manufacturing was a very different beast today than it was back in the age of steam and coal. Nonetheless, he showed genuine enthusiasm and warmth, making the steelworkers feel shrewd and appreciated. Of course, steel was interconnected with so many different industries, and so his pledge to them was almost identical to those he made to big businesspeople - I will keep the economy growing, and that will keep your demand growing. He was determined that under Prendergast, the United States would not see its steel mills close.

Once he was done at Omega Steel, he went to do more retail work, knocking on doors in the area of Springfield (having traded one Springfield for another, it seems). This method seemed to be working well for Richardson, at least, so he didn’t begrudge putting some of that work in for himself. The walking could be a little taxing on his elder frame, but he grinned and bore it - every ounce of effort he put in now would pay off down the road.

He’d go into Savannah for his town hall - not out of any particular desire to move into Democratic territory, but because Springfield was somewhat lacking in humble venues. Settling for the Hampton Inn in Midtown Savannah, his team had once again set out to bring Republican folks in. There were still Republicans in the heart of Savannah, even if they were rarer, and it wasn’t too difficult for people from the orbital areas like Effingham County to transit in.

”Good evening, Georgia!

The last time I was in Georgia, I was speaking on the radio with the wonderful Duncan Flanagan. Such a warm, Christian man, I was humbled to talk to him and share in his wisdom on the faith, just as I am humbled to speak with you all. Ordinary people who eschew high minded idealism for practical solutions. Who embrace down to Earth, understanding, listening Republican ideals against ideological, sectarian Democratic politics.

Among the many running themes of my presidential run is the idea that this should be a listening campaign. Policy should be set by the people, for the people. That’s why you chose to send a sucker punch against the establishment. The establishment’s fighting back, of course. Loudly and noisily. Executioner Erika wants to take our heads! But you won’t be conquered. You won’t be defeated. The mere idea of that is anathema to our most basic, American ideals.

But either way, I’m here to listen. I’m here to give volume and strength to your voices, your concerns, so that the stiffs in Washington have no choice but to hear you once and for all. One Republican President, it seems, wasn’t enough to make them get the message. Let’s hammer it home, folks!”

Need the formula be spelled out again? An hour or two fielding the town hall, before it was time - yet again - to fundraise. Flying up to Atlanta, he prepared himself for what could prove to be one of the biggest fundraisers so far for his campaign. The metro Atlanta area hosted some of America’s largest corporations, and so he sold himself - piece by piece - like the corporate prostitute he was. Lower safety standards for utilities corporations Southern Company, further support for car production in the United States to the Porsche and Mercedes Benz subsidiaries based here, yet again promising to rip the teeth out of the F.D.A., this time for the benefit of the Coca Cola Company. Promises flowed as readily as the wine, but they were sincere. As far as Jonah was concerned, the economy ran best when it wasn’t overburdened by the heavy hand of government.

As a pleasant coda for the 2nd of April, he checked up on the polling results for that State Supreme Court candidate he’d supported in Wisconsin the previous day. It was looking to be a very tight race but it would appear that barely, just barely, the conservative was going to clinch that seat against all expectations.

[Azekopolaltion]

Tim Westra
@WestraNJ
timwestra.com

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Unions were my first partner, they were my best partner, and they will be my last partner. #UnionsForAll

[Agarntrop]

(Image)
Tim Westra
@WestraNJ
timwestra.com

---

Unions were my first partner, they were my best partner, and they will be my last partner. #UnionsForAll

Barry Anderson
@MissouriPeoplesSenator

"Unions" odd name for a woman...

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr
Wednesday 3rd April
Florida

As a state, Florida was very high on Jonah’s list of priorities. It contributed a very high delegate count, and reflected both older retirees and anti-communist right-leaning Latinos, both demographics that suited his target constituency. He was determined that Florida was a state he could win in both the primary and the general, and would reflect well on his strengths as a candidate.

He began with the retirees, who had the freedom at any time of day to take part in a political gathering. The Villages, in Sumter County, happened to be one of the largest retirement communities in the United States (as well as a perennial location for Republican candidates to visit), and he’d set up to do some door knocking there. He talked about the need to protect and promote the rights of pensioners, especially with regards to seeing their pensions - those who had worked their whole lives deserved the returns they’d long fought for. He spoke on the need to protect retirees from ageism, and the discrimination and ‘generational violence’ directed towards older generation by the younger. He’d spend a good 3 hours just going door to door, shaking hands, speaking geriatric-to-geriatric. He was one of them. These were his people.

His next stop would be heading down towards Tampa. The coastal city was one of the U.S.’s most thriving agribusiness centers, and it would be in a food related facility that he’d conduct a visit, dropping in on the Sonoco packaging plant there. Whilst they didn’t come into contact with the food directly, they made the materials used for their wrapping and transportation, and that was all very important, and Jonah spared no words in saying so. He greeted the workers, he participated in helping to assemble some pieces of packaging, and he spoke to them genially. This kind of repetitive manual labor was simultaneously the most dull and yet among the most important. He was starting to wonder if the Presidency should give out some kind of labor medal - that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea. Nonetheless, as ever, he treated them like human beings - that would perhaps be the most lingering impression of all.

Onwards, however, he went, and as he rolled into the afternoon, he went to attend a gathering of Cuban Americans and Venezuelan Americans, who had spent the last many decades filtering out of the socialist hellholes that had deprived them of prosperity and freedom. His anti-communist credentials were loud, proud, and just the right spark of brash, and so as he rallied with these folks.

”Buenos dias, Tampa!

Few stories outline the excellence of the American Dream as well as that of those who have fled from the brutality of Latin American Communism to find a livelihood here. Your bravery, clinging onto rafts and throwing yourselves into the inky abyss of the ocean to make the crossing from Cuba to the United States is truly remarkable. As we see more and more Venezuelans now facing similar choices, it is more important, now more than ever, to come out firmly and say that America stands with those who strive for liberty and freedom!

I’m sorry to say that the United States has not necessarily been a reliable partner in this enterprise. President Clifford stripped back the resettlement scheme down to the wet foot, dry foot policy. President Baharia cancelled that as well, as one of the last acts of his administration. It is shameful and morally bankrupt that those two Democratic presidents decided to close their ears and close their hearts to those who so desperately seek freedom from Cuba.

Looking at the Democratic field right now, I can’t say I’m necessarily enthused by the prospects there either. Mad, Marxist Murphy wants to embrace Cuba as a friend and ally, prostituting the hope and glory of American freedom out to the Castro regime. It is disgusting. Absolutely disgusting!

What are they doing this for? Cuba doesn’t exactly have much to offer the United States economically when its being mismanaged by totalitarians who take their understanding of the world out of handbooks of 150-year-old dogma. Cuba deserves better, and Cubans deserve better. And seeing how Maduro is behaving to the south in Venezuela, so do they. My policy on this front is simple. We are on the side of the freedom fighters! We are on the side of the oppressed!

If I become President of these United States, my first and foremost priority in foreign relations will be to open our arms and open our hearts to those fleeing dangerous, tyrannical socialism in Cuba, in Venezuela, in Ecuador, and in Bolivia. I support Senator Slater’s bill before Congress to punish despots like Nicolás Maduro. Liberty will bury these monsters!

Hopefully, one day, we will see a time when your country can be won back by decency and democracy. And I want the United States to be an active and engaged part of that. Every person deserves the assurance of a constitutional, democratic government. The rule of law, rather than the rule of commissars and kleptocrats.

Castro is not our friend. Maduro is not our friend. Morales is not our friend. It is vulgar that we live in a society where Che Guevara, a man who said ‘a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate’, is lauded as a hero by figures on the left. He was a monster! And the United States of America must never, ever take the side of the monsters!

I am sorry, my friends, that you have suffered from the neglect and disgraceful cowardice of men like Clifford and Baharia. America owes you a debt for that vulgar betrayal. But I offer you my blood, sweat and tears in seeing it rectified. This stain on our nation must be cleansed!

And under President Prendergast, it will!”

For the early evening, he went down to Fort Myers. Lee County was a decently Republican area, with a pulsing city heard that could give numbers as much as weight. Jonah hadn’t been neglecting rural areas by any regard - his visit to southern Wisconsin was an aggressive confirmation of that - but he recognized he did need to stoke a little more support. He set up a town hall here at the Hilton Garden Inn, and addressed the crowd with his usual town hall stump:

”Good evening, Fort Myers!

Florida is a stunning, stunning state. The warmth of the sun is only rivalled by the warmth of your many communities. You punched the Democrats in the kidneys when you voted for Wolf, and they’re still reeling from it! You know what you want, and you’re not ashamed to be forthright about it. I admire that.

It is a shame then, that Governor Veléz seeks to bypass inconvenient votes in the state legislature by using executive orders. That’s not leadership, that’s unconstitutional malarkey, and I’m sorry that you have to put up with that.

Your views have been ignored by your governor, but they won’t be ignored by me. I’ll take them all the way to Washington. I will make the Congress listen to you. I will force the Democrats to acknowledge the hurt they do to your communities for once, and fight them until they give back what they owe you.

So let me know how you feel. What is it that’s troubling you? What can I do for the great people of Florida? I’m here for you, let me hear your stories.”

Two hours of questions later - he’d set aside extra time for Florida - he would finally move on.

Then, as the evening turned late, he finally made his way over to Miami for his typical fundraiser. More drinks, this time some pretty tasty canapés managed to find their way into the party. These events were exhausting, filling the night - every night - but he was dead set on his goal. Spite, perhaps, made him indefatigable. Here, he made effort to flirt, metaphorically, with executives from the Ryder transportation group (loosening contract laws), the Lennar Corporation (government promoted building programs would line the pockets of construction firm like theirs), and World Fuel Service (oil was back and back to stay, he won’t trade that away for a Democratic concession, that was a cast iron pledge). Content with his take, as the night got late, he said his goodbyes and set about sleeping as he travelled to his next location.

[New Cobastheia]

"Oh I didn't think it was coordinated with Dayton, I would've excepted her to cosponsor it when it was first introduced if it was. Every time I bring up a bill to her, she always goes straight to bringing into FAIR, but anyways. Ok, so my first question would probably be how did you reach the number 600?"

"The British House of Commons has 650 members, though they're planning to reduce it down to 600. The French National Assembly has 577 seats. It seemed like a relatively reasonable number for a Western democracy. Honestly, with our high population, it wouldn't have hurt to go even higher, but I did want to keep the bill somewhere in a more moderate range, though Volker's refused to back it so its legs are shaky at best." She frowned, clearly having higher hopes for the bill after Kost's election holiday bill. "It reduces the number of people per congressional district by several thousand, either way, I think it should make a difference to how well represented localities are in the federal congress."

"Have you ever heard of the cube root law?"

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"Have you ever heard of the cube root law?"

"Vaguely, yes. I did consider applying it here, and in terms of a longer term, more permanent solution, I'd think that'd be great." She smiled a little sadly. "I know that a lot of my legislation has a tendency to appear... lackluster, or like a sticking plaster, but I promise you I would be a lot more adventurous if it weren't for our present political situation. If I recall from my research, the cube root law would put the House at... 670-something seats. The problem I'd face, though, isn't that number, but with Republicans being able to turn around and say I'd be setting us up for a House with 1,000 upwards seats. They'll take it to some astronomical figure to blow it out of proportion. And then there'll be backlash." She sighed, shaking her head. "I was a diplomat, Kathleen. I saw governments in third world countries that aren't as constitutionally fucked sideways as ours. This is insanity."

[New Cobastheia]

"Have you ever heard of the cube root law?"

"Vaguely, yes. I did consider applying it here, and in terms of a longer term, more permanent solution, I'd think that'd be great." She smiled a little sadly. "I know that a lot of my legislation has a tendency to appear... lackluster, or like a sticking plaster, but I promise you I would be a lot more adventurous if it weren't for our present political situation. If I recall from my research, the cube root law would put the House at... 670-something seats. The problem I'd face, though, isn't that number, but with Republicans being able to turn around and say I'd be setting us up for a House with 1,000 upwards seats. They'll take it to some astronomical figure to blow it out of proportion. And then there'll be backlash." She sighed, shaking her head. "I was a diplomat, Kathleen. I saw governments in third world countries that aren't as constitutionally fucked sideways as ours. This is insanity."

Kathleen didn't quite know how to respond so all the came out was, "Sucks we decided we wanted to fix it." After a short break at could best be defined as a sigh, she came up with something to say, "Look, the way I see it, our current political situation is everything that comes out of this chamber is going to die once it hits the Senate, unless of course, we can get a major Republican to sign on to it or a few Republican Senators who happen to agree with us on a specific issue, and even then we'd have no idea what Wolf will do."

Taking her phone out of her pocket, she opened a file up* and then put the phone down onto Carrie's desk, "This was a bill I was working on before you introduced yours, as far as I was aware I was the only person in the whole of Congress who's dealt with changing the size of legislative body so I figured it was best if I brought up some legislation doing just that. Do I think the bill I worked on would ever become law, at least during this session? Hell no, but I would've still introduced it, supported it, and fought for it if you didn't introduce yours first, and even then I still considered introducing mine after yours, I even found a moderate co-sponsor in the Senate, so I figured why not. After we became friends, I decided against that."

I say you should write up a bill that would be adventurous, even just as a thought experiment at the very least. Find some issue the public cares about that has a solution the majority of them support, and introduce the bill, then watch as somebody in the Senate tries to table it. You might not be able to turn it into a law, but you can make sure we use it in the election against the Republicans, especially if you become the Caucus Chair.

"As for the backlash, well, so what? You mean to tell me, Carrie Simone, the former US Ambassador to Turkey who has a pretty good chance to be the next Caucus Chair, doesn't have the balls to deal with some Republican backlash?" Realizing that Kathleen was sounding a bit angry and getting there emotionally as well, she took a deep breath as she let the question linger in the air, "Do you have any water bottles by chance? My throats been dry all day."

Official Name: Reapportionment Act of 2019
Sponser: Rep. Kathleen Nez (D-AZ-7)

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Overview: The U.S. House of Representatives has been capped at 435 members since 1913, not including a brief period due to Alaska and Hawaii's admission to the union. In 1913, each member of the House represented 210,583 people on average, after the 2010 Census each member of the House now represents 709,760 people on average. Over the last century, the average American has become more than three times less represented in the House. As the House of Congress that was established to be the House of the people, we must fix this problem by once again increasing the size of the House and establishing a formula to continue changing the size of the House in future Congresses as the size of the American population changes. This Bill also seeks to fix the problem that Federal Districts and U.S. Territories with populations larger than the smallest U.S. States have less representation in the U.S. House than said States.

Section 1: Size of the U.S. House of Representatives

A: To establish how many Representatives the U.S. House of Representatives shall be composed of, one must first find the cube root of the total U.S. population as given by the decennial U.S. Census.
B: If a decimal of .5 or larger follows the cube root, it shall be rounded up to the next whole number. If the cube root is followed by a decimal smaller than .5, it shall be rounded down to the next whole number in order to find the number of Representatives within the House of Representatives.

Section 2: Apportionment of Representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives

A: All States shall be treated as States as prescribed by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1 Section 2 when it comes to the reapportionment of Representatives within the US House of Representatives.
B: All U.S. Territories and Federal Districts that possess a total population larger than the smallest U.S. State in terms of population shall be entitled to Representatives within the U.S. House of Representatives as if the Territory or Federal District were a US State as prescribed as Article 1 Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution.
C: Representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives shall be reapportioned to each State, as well as each Federal District and Territory that qualifies according to Section 2B of this Act, according to the Huntington-Hill method.

Section 3: Delegates to the US House of Representatives

A: Each Territory and Federal District that is not granted U.S. Representatives according to Section 2B of this Act are entitled to send a U.S. Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives if they so choose.
B: The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma are entitled to send a U.S. Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives if they so wish too as prescribed by the Treaty of New Echota and the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek respectively.
C: U.S. Delegates shall be automatically entitled to all the powers of US Representatives besides voting in the Committee of the Whole. The power to vote in the Committee of the Whole shall be governed by the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Section 4: Funding for the Renovations to the U.S. House of Representatives Chamber

A: At present, the US Census Bureau is projected the US will have a total population of 330,744,054 in 2020. If this projection holds true, the US House of Representatives will be made up of 692 Representatives and several Delegates starting in the 118th Congress. With this in mind, the following funds will be appropriated to the budget of the Architect of the Capitol for the following purposes.
B: In renovating the Capitol Complex for the 118th Congress Congress $25,000,000 shall be appropriated to the budget of the Architect of the Capital.
C: In renovating the Capital Complex for all other Congresses where reapportionment is needed or required and this Act is still in effect, the Congress taking place directly before the reapportionment shall be required to appropriate the funds it feels would be appropriate to the budget of the agency in charge of maintaining and renovating the Capitol Complex.

Section 5: On the Reapportionment Act of 1929

A: The Reapportionment Act of 1929 shall be repealed.

This bill is then honorably presented to US House of Representatives for consideration in order to change the size of the U.S. House of Representatives in the aims to make it a more representative body to improve the United States Law and is backed by Representative Kathleen Nez on (insert the date)

Do Not Remove: 1337