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

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Estefan would chuckle. "Oh no, no. We're far from having money troubles. Mom and Dad tend to be stingy about how their money works. As for the car, if I could say something, it really depends on the racetrack it's on; we use different setups and configurations for it. The packages and sets changed in 2018 after Dad retired, in anticipation for a transition to the next-generation of race-cars, though I can only say so much as to how it was. All I can say was that Dad raced and defended way beyond the limits of the car, which is already tough in itself. NASCAR is definitely looking into Dad's crash, I'll say that." He took a sip.

"Thanks for sharing your concerns, and thank you for that letter you sent. It meant a good amount to all of us." He'd spot someone looking at him for a brief moment.

"What are you doing up here in the Ft. Worth area? Campaigning I presume?"

"I'm glad my letter brought you some comfort. Campaigning, yes, I was at a rally in Austin where Karen Brookshire announced her endorsement of me. Should be a big boost here in the Lone Star state." He exhaled softly. "Never run for President, Estefan, it's exhausting. Of course, if you want to get into politics, I'd be happy to help but I didn't take you as the type, to be honest." He shrugged, shaking his head. "How're you and the team doing here?"

[Rijkenlandd]

Estefan would chuckle. "Oh no, no. We're far from having money troubles. Mom and Dad tend to be stingy about how their money works. As for the car, if I could say something, it really depends on the racetrack it's on; we use different setups and configurations for it. The packages and sets changed in 2018 after Dad retired, in anticipation for a transition to the next-generation of race-cars, though I can only say so much as to how it was. All I can say was that Dad raced and defended way beyond the limits of the car, which is already tough in itself. NASCAR is definitely looking into Dad's crash, I'll say that." He took a sip.

"Thanks for sharing your concerns, and thank you for that letter you sent. It meant a good amount to all of us." He'd spot someone looking at him for a brief moment.

"What are you doing up here in the Ft. Worth area? Campaigning I presume?"

"I'm glad my letter brought you some comfort. Campaigning, yes, I was at a rally in Austin where Karen Brookshire announced her endorsement of me. Should be a big boost here in the Lone Star state." He exhaled softly. "Never run for President, Estefan, it's exhausting. Of course, if you want to get into politics, I'd be happy to help but I didn't take you as the type, to be honest." He shrugged, shaking his head. "How're you and the team doing here?"

"Hell no to Politics. Dad is already greying faster than most guys his age and physique ever do." Estefan chuckled. He'd continue to remain respectful of Jonah, only being young and not in a position to consider himself of the same elder status as him.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"Hell no to Politics. Dad is already greying faster than most guys his age and physique ever do." Estefan chuckled. He'd continue to remain respectful of Jonah, only being young and not in a position to consider himself of the same elder status as him.

"Very wise." He chuckled in return, nodding encouragingly. "You seem to be doing damn good at this racing thing. That what you're gonna stick with for 20, 30 years?"

[Rijkenlandd]

"Hell no to Politics. Dad is already greying faster than most guys his age and physique ever do." Estefan chuckled. He'd continue to remain respectful of Jonah, only being young and not in a position to consider himself of the same elder status as him.

"Very wise." He chuckled in return, nodding encouragingly. "You seem to be doing damn good at this racing thing. That what you're gonna stick with for 20, 30 years?"

"Well, Imma race until I'm more grey-haired than he is right now." Estefan replied.

"The team though, they're doing quite good. We're just still shook by what happened back in Florida a few days ago. We're definitely gonna go hard on the bag with this one. Jason Reed, actually a native of West Virginia, if that lights your bulb, is gonna make his rookie debut today in my dad's ride, albeit with the number 49."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"Well, Imma race until I'm more grey-haired than he is right now." Estefan replied.

"The team though, they're doing quite good. We're just still shook by what happened back in Florida a few days ago. We're definitely gonna go hard on the bag with this one. Jason Reed, actually a native of West Virginia, if that lights your bulb, is gonna make his rookie debut today in my dad's ride, albeit with the number 49."

"Well, I was gonna say I'm gonna be cheering for you but I'm not gonna lie, I think I'd be a pretty bad Governor if I didn't cheer for Reed in this one." He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "I wish both of you well, either way. It's a dangerous business and I'd rather no one else had to get hurt."

[Rijkenlandd]

"Well, Imma race until I'm more grey-haired than he is right now." Estefan replied.

"The team though, they're doing quite good. We're just still shook by what happened back in Florida a few days ago. We're definitely gonna go hard on the bag with this one. Jason Reed, actually a native of West Virginia, if that lights your bulb, is gonna make his rookie debut today in my dad's ride, albeit with the number 49."

"Well, I was gonna say I'm gonna be cheering for you but I'm not gonna lie, I think I'd be a pretty bad Governor if I didn't cheer for Reed in this one." He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "I wish both of you well, either way. It's a dangerous business and I'd rather no one else had to get hurt."

"Yeah, we'll be besting the rest of the field. As for Jason, cheer like hell for him. I'm presuming the folks back in his hometown are all going to rave if they see him cross the finish line. I'll tell you, I've raced with him in [the] Xfinity [series] and he's tough as hell. Absolutely necessary since the field will only get tougher years down the road." Estefan said.

He'd look at his watch and realize that he was up for an interview in an hour, and from there the race itself in two hours. Throwing the cup away in a close bin, he'd get up. Estefan would take out the keys to a rental car, but before parting ways, he'd say his goodbye: "It was nice talking with you, Mr. Prendergast. Hoping for the best days ahead for you."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"Yeah, we'll be besting the rest of the field. As for Jason, cheer like hell for him. I'm presuming the folks back in his hometown are all going to rave if they see him cross the finish line. I'll tell you, I've raced with him in [the] Xfinity [series] and he's tough as hell. Absolutely necessary since the field will only get tougher years down the road." Estefan said.

He'd look at his watch and realize that he was up for an interview in an hour, and from there the race itself in two hours. Throwing the cup away in a close bin, he'd get up. Estefan would take out the keys to a rental car, but before parting ways, he'd say his goodbye: "It was nice talking with you, Mr. Prendergast. Hoping for the best days ahead for you."

"Thanks, Estefan. That means a lot. Give those other teams hell out there, you're meant to be El Diablito, after all." He teased, with what little of Spanish he understood, calling Estefan the 'little devil'. "No, really, you and Reed better get number 1 and number 2. And tell Reed if he wins, then his Governor will be proud to honor him back in Charleston."

[Rijkenlandd]

"Yeah, we'll be besting the rest of the field. As for Jason, cheer like hell for him. I'm presuming the folks back in his hometown are all going to rave if they see him cross the finish line. I'll tell you, I've raced with him in [the] Xfinity [series] and he's tough as hell. Absolutely necessary since the field will only get tougher years down the road." Estefan said.

He'd look at his watch and realize that he was up for an interview in an hour, and from there the race itself in two hours. Throwing the cup away in a close bin, he'd get up. Estefan would take out the keys to a rental car, but before parting ways, he'd say his goodbye: "It was nice talking with you, Mr. Prendergast. Hoping for the best days ahead for you."

"Thanks, Estefan. That means a lot. Give those other teams hell out there, you're meant to be El Diablito, after all." He teased, with what little of Spanish he understood, calling Estefan the 'little devil'. "No, really, you and Reed better get number 1 and number 2. And tell Reed if he wins, then his Governor will be proud to honor him back in Charleston."

"Yep, will do!" Estefan would say before entering a 2009 Chevy Silverado and driving off to the race.

[Sarenium]

"What will you do if Murphy is the nominee?" Lowell asked quizzically.

"The House doesn't exist to hop, skip, and jump at the command of any President, Democratic or Republican. I intend to carry out the role I have with continued professionalism and concern for our caucus. I'll support President Murphy in implementing his agenda as far as that's possible. I'm not against major healthcare reform but he's going to have to throw the Republicans something to get it done and God forbid if he tells me to give them guns."

"I've yet to decide, but there's a part of me that wants to retire in November next year, the only thing keeping me going is that Bragg'll probably retire in 2022, I thought you'd want to know, given how uhh, niche, my seat can be."

[Greater Arab State]

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The Volker Residence
Falls Church, Virginia
September 6th, 2019

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(Image)

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"Well, unless you'd like to get take out or go somewhere, I think all we have left are last night's dinner. Up to you Thomas." she offered, heading into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna pour myself some water. Would you like anything?" Torrie asked, before adding on, "Also, forgot to ask, but what's the deal on the Iran thing? The Montana man...umm...Tenson, yes, him, he seems to be a bit pushy on the whole regime change thing. Do you have that under control?"

---

The Volker Residence
Falls Church, Virginia
September 6th, 2019

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(Image)

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"I think I might have a water as well, Torrie. Ah yes, I'm certain I have that under control, I think Representative Tenson will stop at the Iran Liberation Act currently, I mean it's unlikely to pass the House but at least it still shows that the Republican Party fully intends to deal with the issue."

[Alozia]

Eliza LeBlanc Wolf
Oval Office
September 9, 2019

As Eliza waited, she took in the view of the Oval Office. Ever since her Husband had become more incapacitated than usual she had been spending more and more time in the office. Grabbing things he needed to sign and whatnot, even taking a seat behind the desk at times when no one was watching. Of course, this time she knew someone was coming, and so she sat on one of the couches in the center of the room instead. Wondering what the meeting would bring, she checked the time on her phone making sure he would be on his way at the very least.

Discreetly arriving at the White House Richard took the least crowded route to the Oval Office, wishing to stay out of the sight of any curious intern or a staff member who didn't need to be in the loop.

He entered the Oval with no pomp or ceremony, maintaining a low profile.

"It's good to see you, Eliza." Tawney greeted the first lady.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"I've yet to decide, but there's a part of me that wants to retire in November next year, the only thing keeping me going is that Bragg'll probably retire in 2022, I thought you'd want to know, given how uhh, niche, my seat can be."

"I'll pass that on to the DNC and we can try to make preparations in the event of your retirement. I do hope you'll stay with us until 2022 in the House though, Fiona, your voice is very valuable to the work the House Caucus does."

[Greater Arab State]

Fundraising by Thomas Volker on behalf of Jonah Prendergast

September 7th, 2019

Over the course of the day, House Minority Leader Volker held the following fundraisers for Governor Prendergast’s campaign.

Gun Owners of America
Sioux City, Iowa

The day’s first fundraiser that Volker would attend would be one with the Gun Owners of America, a group who the House Minority held a great deal of respect for, and who had been one of the few Representatives they had given a high rating for over his congressional career. Speaking at the fundraiser, Volker emphasised the Governor’s speech at Senator Slater’s March in defence of the Second Amendment as well as the support he had given to Mark Allen after his arrest which had subsequently led to the march to begin with. Furthermore, Volker also made the point of emphasising that the Governor has been the only major candidate that had shown consistent commitment to dismantling laws that unfairly penalise and persecute American gun owners such as those which Mark Allen had been arrested by and were defended by Governor Richardson and former Secretary Porter.

Farmers
Corning, Iowa

Diversifying his fundraising approach, Representative Volker next went to the city of Corning, Iowa, located in Adams County, the county with the lowest population in Iowa. Attending a fundraiser to increase Governor Prendergast’s amongst the agricultural community, Volker spoke of the Governor’s support for rural areas, most notably evidenced through his support for reforms to the system of agricultural subsidies that would allow the situation of small and medium sized farms across the nation to improve substantially. Further to that, the House Minority Leader also pressed him the point of the Governor’s strong support for cutting red tape from organisation such as the EPA that would allow the US agricultural sector to regain its competitiveness and enable small and medium sized farms to continue operation.

After he had finished speaking, Representative Volker spoke to various farmers in attendance at the fundraiser, mentioning the Governor’s support for divesting the Federal Government land that would enable American farmers to significantly expand their holdings as well as supporting the agricultural sector through improving the irrigation system relied upon by the agricultural community in order to sustain itself economically as well as increasing the self sufficiency of the United States in the long term.

Family Research Council
Des Moines, Iowa

To finish the day’s fundraising, Representative Volker held a fundraiser for the Family Research Council. Over the course of the fundraiser, Volker made sure to press home the point that Governor Prendergast was the only candidate that was capable of providing the strong, honest, moral leadership that President Wolf had provided over the previous three years, particularly emphasising the Governor’s signing of a legislative passage in March that severely restricted abortion as well as immunising American enterprise and entrepreneurs in West Virginia from civil discrimination claims by LGBT individuals.

After speaking, Volker made sure to speak to several of the attendees personally, privately reassuring them of the Governor’s sincerity in defending American family values as well as to emphasise the point that Governor Prendergast was the only candidate that would be in a position to continue the work done by President Wolf in maintaining religious liberty.

[Dentali]

Amanda Richardson
September 7th, 2019
New Hampshire Seacoast Republican Women's Chili Fest



Nate had intended to attend the New Hampshire Seacoast Republican Women's Chili Fest with his wife but the Hurricane kept him from doing so. Instead his wife went solo. It was disappointing to Nate because he had always been supportive of women in politics, as was Amanda, and whenever possible they supported female candidates in Republican primaries. Nate didn’t like running against Paulson for that reason and wanted to keep her as a prominent member of the party but he believed her nomination would cause record low turnout which would be blamed on her gender and not her libertarianism. That would set women back quite a bit in the party. At least that’s how Nate justified it.

Amanda networked meeting Republicans at every level, grassroots, countywide, municipal, state, national. While she couldn’t speak like Nate she did attend various workshops and panels, her expertise at getting Republicans elected and her myriad of stories made her a compelling and interesting speaker that people actually listened to, plus she picked up a bit of her husband’s personal touch over the years. She would shake hands, take names, listen, and laugh with everyone there in between giving advice during workshops.

After the event proper Amanda took out a few key individuals for drinks. They were invited not based on prominence, but on personal connection with Amanda. These personal connections, she hoped, would form the basis for turning these grassroots conservatives into Richardson surrogates.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Governor Jonah Prendergast Jr.
South Carolina
Monday 9th September, 2019

McCormick

Back to South Carolina it was. This was the definitive must-win state of Jonah's early 4, and as confident and bullish he was about Nevada, he was determined not to allow this state to slip through his fingers. Like his last swing through, it would be pivot counties he was looking at as opposed to the strongly conservative ones which he felt he had saturated. Rural, agricultural McCormick County, and suburban-to-Columbia Calhoun County were next on the list. It was ironic, in his mind, that Calhoun County was not where John C. Calhoun was actually from, but that's how the cookie crumbles, he supposed.

Setting up for yet another near-religious recitation of his agriculture speech at the aptly named "The Barn", at the Hickory Knob State Resort Park, Jonah found the homely addition of hay bales quite pleasant, in a pastoral sense, to the scene being set. It was, otherwise, just another breakfast show for him, and he went through his usual routine of meeting and greeting, letting people get comfortable, listening if they had anything specific to say, before he took to the stage and went to sit down on a stool, looking very at-ease as he spoke on his farming plan.

"Good morning, McCormick! Hello, South Carolina! It's good to be back!

Agriculture isn't just a business. And it isn't just what feeds families across America, as vitally important as that is. It is a way of life. A vocation. A calling. Something that you give yourself wholly to, body and soul. And that can be very rewarding when it goes well, but it also carries with me tremendous risks. Whenever I've sat down with farmers here, or in other states, I am always touched by the pride you have in your work, but I am also deeply troubled by the stress and strain it takes on your lives. The uncertainty as to whether the market will reward your labors. Agriculture is a double edged sword, where if things start to go wrong and your farms cease to be profitable, you are left unable to get out of a way of life which you've thrown yourself into with both feet. That isn't fair.

The Federal Government has the power to make your lives easier. It has a moral obligation to do so. Why doesn't it? Because it has been built up to be institutionally unfair by Democratic institutions that have perverted the Department of Agriculture into being uncaring and aloof, and that have geared up the E.P.A. to wage war on your industry, making it ever more and more unprofitable for you to conduct your business. I promise you that if I become your President, the Dirty Democratic War on Farmers will end day one of my administration! No ifs, no buts! I will support and protect farmers!

We need a forthright plan going forward that includes farmers and supports farmers. We need to make sure you get a fair deal with your suppliers, we need to make sure you get a fair deal with your customers. Whether you're raising livestock, growing food crops, or other crops, you need to be assured that the Federal Government is on your side, and not on the side of the special interests, the China-motivated climate lobby, or an ideologically charged left which drifts closer and closer to collectivization by the day. The traditional, honest, American family farm will not be snuffed out so long as I live!

But words are just words, and rhetoric alone isn't going to protect your homes and businesses and lifestyles and families, which I recognize are all inextricably intertwined in the field of agriculture. What you need is the support of cold, hard policy, and that's what I'm here to lay out before you today. These are policies which I believe will be good for the farmers of South Carolina, or Wisconsin, or California, or Texas, or Georgia, or any other state in our union.

Primarily, we need to end government programs and policies that persecute your industry. The Environmental Protection Agency was set up by Nixon to keep the air and the water clear. It was not built to make farming uncompetitive. Micromanaging regulations that tie up our small farms in red tape aren't just unfair, they're bad for the country. They stifle capitalist competition, as they force you to be absorbed by large agribusinesses. They deny you your liberty as small businesses. I can't think of anything more un-American than denying an American their right to set up their own free enterprise.

We need reform for the subsidy system to give greater priority to small and medium farms like those you run than to big businesses like Cargill and Monsanto. Large agribusiness has a role in our economy and in projecting our economic power as an agricultural powerhouse on the world stage, but they are not the most needing of the bulk of the subsidy system. Those subsidies should be seen by and made useful to ordinary American farmers like you guys, and I will fight to make sure that the Department of Agriculture and Congress make the necessary changes to direct more support to you, the great American farmer.

We need to change our tax system, so that there is greater freedom for our farmers. Tax breaks need to be organized to help lift more farmers out of federal taxation, so that we can boost a sector that is so important to the United States. It's my aspiration to see the America that I govern be one that is food sovereign, wholly unreliant on outside imports for the basic foodstuffs that sustain our population. Because where they can, our people can and should and must buy and eat American!

It is imperative that we continue to pursue policies like the biofuel subsidy system to harness and dominate emergent markets that start from our agriculture markets. Turning American wheat or corn or sugar cane or whatever into biofuel is a fantastic way to keep those crops paying for us, paying for you, and I want to promote and expand those programs so our farms can keep growing, and our economy can keep expanding and diversifying, all thanks to the great work of you, the all-American farmer.

Furthermore, we need to divest the Federal Government of tracts of federal land that could be prime use for agriculture. We need to let people have the opportunity to expand their farming holdings, and of anyone who deserves more land to work their magic, it's the farmers who work thanklessly difficult jobs to make the food we put on our tables. I want to set up a program through the Department of Agriculture to carve up large tracts of federal land for new farming enterprises. This is a tried-and-tested formula that worked in America's past, and it's a formula which can work for us today.

Finally, I want to work on expanding our irrigation infrastructure to make sure that America's farms have a steady supply of the clean water that they need. We have the technology and the means to bring this support to your communities, and it will pay off for America in the long run for us to make that investment into our farming communities. It is a worthwhile down payment for making America stronger and richer.

I want to thank you all, not just for coming here to listen to me today, but for the remarkable, patriotic work that you do as farmers. For making sure we aren't reliant on foreign countries for food. That is something America has taken for granted, but it's not something I want to take for granted. We need you, our society depends on you, and I really hope to give you the support and gratitude that you deserve, rather than assuming I have the right to presume your backing from a few ads or pretending to be one of you.

Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America!"

St. Matthews

St. Matthews was a different beast. Part of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, it had effectively been suburbanized to the needs of that state capital. A pivot county, like before, it would be a race decided in the suburbs. Isolate the suburbs, and this county would end up in the pocket of Veléz or Dayton come November of next year. They needed to be brought back to the Republican fold, and Jonah was sure that his earnest and confident approach on suburban issues would allow him to keep making in-roads here, and keep being credible with the more moderate voters. As ever before, it was the breadth of his coalition - from evangelicals, to constitutional libertarians, to white suburbans, to blue collar workers - that he hoped would clinch him both the nomination and the win in 2020.

Just outside of the small-ish city was the handsome plantation house at Aeolian Hill, which was available for rent. Choosing it to help allow the locals to feel a little bit of that romanticized, antebellum splendor that was so vaunted down here in the South (something which he personally didn't care much for as a West Virginian), he eagerly helped with serving a buffet of local South Carolinian foodstuffs as a makeshift lunch service, before he went to deliver yet another of his tried and tested stump speeches.

"Good afternoon, St. Matthews! Good afternoon, South Carolina!

It's brilliant to be here with all of you wonderful, wonderful people. Hardworking people, who have gotten where you are not by asking for handouts, but by putting in the work. Taking out a student loan, taking out a mortgage, raising your new families within the cosy promise of American suburbia. However, you have an anger, a discontent, and that displeasure is wholly just. In the race on the left to go for class warfare, in the race amongst some on the right to call for either tearing down our economic system, you - our decent, ordinary American middle class - have been left behind. Your concerns ignored and overlooked. And that's not fair.

One of the key principles that I've embraced in my campaign is the idea that it should be work, not welfare, that pays. You've done your part for our society, laboring away, having kids, building a good life, but God damn, has it been made unfairly difficult for you. Whether it's an unreasonable amount of your wages being stripped out by the taxman, or a lack of support for your balance between work and life, you've been given a raw deal by government. It's time for you to receive a square deal. Let me take you through what I'm offering.

First of all, I want to implement Lilyana Wolf's paid family leave proposals in full. America is so behind on paid family leave that it's obscene. The President's daughter was right to make this a priority, and it will be a priority for my administration too. We need to make sure that young professional parents aren't forced to choose between their careers and their families. It is bad for our American families, it is bad for our children, that they are unable to spend the time they need in their formative years with their mothers and fathers because we don't have paid family leave. That will change.

Secondly, I want to improve education, so that your children growing up have the best opportunities they can reach. School choice needs to be expanded so that schools are pushed more by competition, and the funding model at the Department of Education needs to be overhauled to take cash out of the hands of bureaucrats and put it into the hands of schools to provide equipment and staffing necessary to improve the quality of education given to your children. We need to end one-size-fits-all solutions like Common Core which paralyze our schools and leave them unable to respond to the unique needs of our children. The tyranny that is leaving our teachers unable to teach can and will end.

Third, we need to make sure that more of your hard earned wages remain in your pockets. The Wolf-era tax cuts need to be made permanent for middle income households, but we need to be more ambitious than that. Many Americans can and should be lifted out of taxation entirely. The tax code needs to be simplified and made fairer so that it is accessible and understandable for ordinary Americans. We do not need a surge in the minimum wage, what we need is for the government to get its hands out of people's damn pockets!

Four, we need to make your access to healthcare less of a labor. We need to reform the healthcare market by opening up the restrictions that are preventing the natural process of capitalism from driving down prices. We need more competition across state lines, and we need to welcome more investment from overseas into our healthcare apparatus. We need to encourage the F.D.A. and other regulatory agencies to put the pressing healthcare needs of Americans first, rather than holding up new innovations in the market on the grounds of vexatious bureaucratic restrictions. Better, cheaper healthcare is right around the corner, but there are so many needless obstacles in the way that the federal government can and should remove.

Five, we need to keep the prices of your every day utilities cheap. Your energy and gas prices will only get higher if the zeitgeist of Democratic policy continues - Senator Winthrop's Off Fossil Fuels Act would be a poison pill to the energy market. What good is it for you to earn a decent wage if so much of that has to pay for more expensive electricity and more expensive fuel for your cars? I promise to pursue policies that support keeping our energy market cheap, and gas prices down. And I'll veto anything that endangers that pressing, real need for your household.

These measures sound like common-sense, right? Yet we're faced with a political establishment, galvanised by the dirty dealing of politicians like Speaker Douglas, that refuses to deliver reforms like these that would make your lives easier. And are those promising to shake it up on the left listening to you? No, they're trying to agitate groups of people to thinking that those better off are the cause of their woes. Avowed socialist Levi Murphy wants factory workers to look at people like you and blame you as the problem, rather than his obstructionist colleagues. This is unfair, and I hope and pray America will reject his divisive message.

It's about time somebody swore to implement measures to help your communities succeed, rather than simply taking you for granted and assuming that you'll vote one way or another. I recognize that it is the suburbs that not only reflects America at its best, but often-times America at its most neglected. You deserve attention and support, and I hope that you will trust me to do that for you as your President.

Thank you for listening to me tonight, ladies and gentlemen. You've been a fantastic audience. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America!"

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

Dayton For President Retail & Rally
September 5th, 2019
Burlington, Vermont

There was an opportunity to make inroads in New England for Jillian. She was easily a politician who knew her message could resonate among this region, especially given her rising poll numbers. Already, her surrogates and allied pundits had been launched across the airwaves to begin to argue in her favor, stating not only her record but her own argument for being electable. They also made sure to diminish any unfair or unsavory comparisons, it was a threat that was going to be quickly smashed away. Her campaign had also launched its first major advertisements across two major states, a bid to not only raise her national profile but build her message around her record, around common-sense solutions to common problems. It was all n an effort to capitalize on her newest fundraising numbers and her obvious ability in reviving her campaign. Already, she had quickly closed the gap between herself and the other two front runners. And her energy would likely help her out but with the Senate set to reconvene, there was an obvious threat to this plan.

Plus, the past two days had largely been focused on Virginia, with a number of effective events across the areas affected by the storm. She had made sure to highlight less her campaign and more the actual aid she was offering, like organizing volunteers via her local district offices and aiding in search and rescue efforts. It was also publicized less on her campaign's official media sites and more through her unofficial surrogates and the like. It was also a way to continue to strengthen her lead in her own state's primary, where she was widely expected to win handily. But there was a less than obvious secondary agenda. She had partnered with a number of state legislature candidates to conduct her post hurricane rounds and helped to show her support for a number of these Democratic challengers and incumbents. It was part of the grander plan to to not only take back the state legislature but hopefully secure a workable majority. And so far, it looked like it was working. But for now, it was not yet in full gear. Her campaign was still organizing her upcoming Virginia blitz in later September and October to hopefully show not only her commitment to down ballot candidates but offer herself as a candidate who could deliver effectively.

But for now, fresh from New York and before that, Virginia, she arrived in Burlington ready to make her own case for President. She began by meeting with representatives from the city council and local government, hoping to hear them out and argue why she was not only an effective leader but someone who could deliver the ideas of the future. Not just pragmatic but progressive. And she made this argument by falling back on her record and using her eloquent words. She then held a photo opportunity with them, showing her commitment to work with local governments and communities first to understand what they needed. Jillian then departed to the New North End, attending a number of home owner association meetings to hopefully capture her most appealing electorate: suburban voters. And specifically, the women in these neighborhoods. She touted her recent support for a number of Democratic principles like women's health and fighting for abortion rights as well as releasing plans to help finally defend voting rights. It was a pitch that would be effective among them, but she also made sure to discuss kitchen table issues too, using general terms and phrases to show her support for her healthcare plan and her signature education issue. It was then onward to the Fletcher Free Library, another way to help meet potential voters. She also used the location to focus more specific ally on her education plan, not only reading to children but chatting with parents about their thoughts on universal preschool and affordable college for all. It was a pitch that would likely work well and that was what Jillian was hoping for as she continued to make the rounds for an hour or so at the library. After thanking organizers and the librarians, she then departed to the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts where she had organized her first major rally. It was a spacious place and already the crowd was likely to help fill the room. Plus, it was a reprieve from the summer heat. So once local officials and candidates spoke, she took the stage and began.

"Hello Burlington and hello Vermont! As I’ve visited and toured this great city and other nearby towns, I’ve got to say, I’ve been blown away. From the booming small businesses to the strong community organizations giving back, I am honored to have been able to see the success of this city, your successes, first hand. In fact, this city's leadership has all around been strong. But our national leadership, that’s a different story. We can’t keep stumbling along with a President that decides things on a whim. Rather, we’re ready to give this country a shot at getting back on track! When looking to the future, we must remember the lessons of the past and of the present. As a Senator, I have taken these questions in hand, I have asked these questions, and I too have tried to answer these questions by writing legislation, by standing for American values. And the one question I keep getting asked that I’m still figuring out is how I believe the United States will look in future. I mean, take a glimpse at the history of Virginia's history, a state in the footsteps of Presidents Washington, Jefferson and Wilson. Three Presidents, Three Virginians, three Americans, all who presented such radically different ideas and all who were able to work within tough political climates. Sound familiar? Take Washington whose greatest idea was creating honesty and compromise in government, in this more than two-hundred year old American Experiment, in our United States.”

But now, the honesty, the truth, and the compromise in this country have been eroded in favor of belittlement and bigotry by our leaders. By our President. The future of the United States is now in our hands once again. Our future could be exciting or scary, hopeful or uncertain, bright or dark. Our future could be restoring the home of the brave and land of the free or repeating the mistakes of the past once again. Today, there are those who believe that the only way forward is by looking to the past, a past full of segregation, poverty, and war. But these are not real ideas or solutions that can solve our actual problems right now. The future of our United States is in our hands, it is in the hands of voters, of citizens, of all Americans. President Johnson spoke of a Great Society, President Kennedy inspired service above self-enrichment and President Roosevelt gave every American a New Deal.”

“Their ideas guided our nation, they fought for those ideas in the arena of ideas, not an arena of soundbites or personalities. It is in that history that I am reminded of the spirit of the American people, a spirit that to this day is the reason why we are a hardworking, just, and mighty people. I believe the time is now to put fairness first. Every American child born today, tomorrow or whenever should not have their fate decided by the mistakes or triumphs of their parents! It is unfair that multimillionaires buy their children’s admissions into Ivy League schools while those all other Americans must work hard to earn their keep! It is unfair that your zip code can determine your life expectancy! It is unfair that our veterans return to find themselves ignored by a system designed to prioritize their concerns! It is unfair that workers live paycheck to paycheck while CEOs accept bonuses to the tune of millions! It is unfair that voters can be packed into districts diluting their voting power!”

“It is our responsibility to put fairness first! Fairness in opportunity, fairness from the beginning, fairness for every American. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States, so that together we can speak up, and so that together we can put fairness first! Because when this campaign first began, it was on my kitchen table in Virginia. We knew we'd face headwinds, we knew we'd have ups and downs but we could have never predicted having support from every state so soon. But we proved ourselves wrong. Now, we do have supporters in every state, volunteers in every state and fellow Americans who believe that the next Generation of Americans deserve Fairness First. Fairness not in outcome, but in opportunity. Every American deserves the opportunity to succeed by their own merits, not by the credit cards of their parents. We are the richest country in the world but the fact that ordinary Americans are being squeezed for every dollar is wrong. The fact that millions of Americans cannot afford their life saving medicine, the roofs and walls of their homes, or barely attend their schools shows that this current administration has no aim, no goal and no objective. I say, let's give it a goal!”

“We used to wage Wars on Poverty not on the Poor. We used to measure our success by the fortunes of the most unfortunate, not the chances of the lucky ones. I don't believe that ending poverty in our lifetimes, in our United States of America, is impossible. I don't believe less pay in the pockets of working Americans should be accepted as impossible. No! I believe this can all change, that we can all make this possible. So join me, join my campaign, and together we can deliver Medicare for All who Want it, we can deliver affordable college now, we can deliver a better minimum wage, and we can put Fairness First!"

"Because when they ask you, what do you look for from your country, the answer should be simple. That this country preserves justice, empowers millions and represents ordinary Americans. That this country stands by its promise it may two-hundred plus years ago to be a government for the people, by the people. We are a campaign that exists off of the support of ordinary Americans. The receptionist working long hours, the factory worker aching for retirement, the student just wanting their degree, these are all components of our movement, our strength. A movement that isn't around to steal opportunity, but to allow it to flourish. I’m here to attain one simple goal. The humble goal of putting Fairness First. Fairness in healthcare, means medicare for all who want it! Fairness in education means expanding the option of college to all Americans not just those whose parents have the right numbers in the bank. It means freeing a generation to unleash their potential from the beginning. It means giving every student a world class education from day one!"

"When we pledge a promise to put Fairness First, it means delivering fair opportunities for success to farmers from Vermont to Kentucky! It means delivering the option of affordable healthcare to every American in every state! It means looking after roads in the heart of Atlanta while giving attention to roads from here in Burlington to Des Moines to New York City. All of America, all of every state, deserves our attention and those of you here today are people who fundamentally believe that we can have a better America. The other party has spent its time dividing America, first with an unjust anti-women abortion banning streak, and now by allowing radical, bigoted voices into their primaries. But let’s clear up the blame right now. Because the issues we face today are because of the obstructionist incumbents, like the healthcare and education laws that our current President and this Senate tried to repeal, like the common-sense gun reforms that this current President and this Senate ignored, and like a voting right’s bill that the President himself vetoed all in a desperate bid to continue voter suppression to help his party.”

“But this party, the one I stand by, the party of Jackson and Jefferson, of Roosevelt and Kennedy and Johnson, of Carter and Clifford and Baharia, has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we led, not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction; when we summoned the entire nation to a common purpose, a higher purpose. That’s the party America needs us to be right now. A party that offers not just different policies, but different leadership. A party that doesn’t just focus on how to win but why we should. A party that doesn’t just offer change as a slogan, but real, meaningful change, change that America can believe in.”

“Putting Fairness First needs us to explain not how we'll make it law, but why we should. Delivering fairness requires the first change to come to how we choose our politicians, preventing politicians from carving out voters to secure their own futures is the first step. Because voters should choose their elected officials, the politicians shouldn’t be choosing their voters! It’s why I wrote the FAIR Act to start a conversation and start a change. But that’s just the first step. From there, introducing ranked choice voting like in Maine for all federal offices, is the next, to ensure that all voters can feel represented and have faith in who represents their community. Only after we fix the system can we even stand to deliver affordable college as I did in Virginia, or deliver medicare for all who want it, or offer all Americans a fairer minimum wage and square trade policy. But I can't do this alone. Its why I'm thankful to have the support of so many Americans from those in the Big Apple to those who grow apples."

“Putting Fairness First isn’t just a slogan either. It’s what led my message during my first terms in Congress, it’s what led me to become Governor of Virginia. It’s why I'm a Senator fighting for Virginia, why I’m running for President, and why I’m championing this positive vision for Johnson City, for Kingsport, for Bristol, and the state and country as a whole. There's no doubt that the next few weeks and months will prove pivotal. In my time in the House, I’ve emulated the values that Americans believe in, values like empathy, diversity and sincerity. Compare that with the unintelligible babbling from those across the aisle and it's clear who should serve as our country’s commander-in-chief. We've all seen the despicable rashness of bigoted candidates and we know we can represent a different side of that coin, of that America. Together, we can present a better America, we can be a voice for this diverse country, we can make our present day the emblem of the next generation of America. Pragmatic, sensible change that makes healthcare accessible to all of us, that makes our suburbs and schools give every student the opportunity to succeed.”

“That's the America I’m fighting for, one where jobs and opportunity are accessible to every person no matter our differences. That's the country I'm proud to say I support. Of course, we can't win on our own, which is why it's incredibly important you all head out, and vote! We cannot allow the same form of Wolfism as Barry Anderson and Michelle Brown to win. This nation is tired of being represented by the Republican Party of old, the same party that refuses to pass laws protecting victims of domestic violence, that would take a sledgehammer to social security and the Affordable Care Act. So let’s not let them.”

"You know, my father was the kind of dad who wanted both his daughters to be proud of themselves, he did everything in his power to usher me away from politics, his explanation was that we've seen women CEOs, we've seen women pilots and women sailors. But we've never seen women Presidents or women Governors. He was specifically talking about Virginia, but he wasn't wrong. This was just before the end of the Reagan years and I was still choosing what to do next. My father sat me down and adamantly said that a woman would never become Governor in Virginia or of anywhere else or go on to become President of the United States. So I don't blame you for your apprehension, it can be easy to look at history and see that only in the last few decades did women finally become serious candidates. But I like to think that when my father said that, he wasn’t discouraging me. No, he was challenging me. It's equally easy for those of us who grew up as little girls looking around for idols, to notice there hasn't been a President that looked like me."

“But we change this conversation when we try. I can promise you that I won't stop talking to voters, I won't stop making my case, our case, whether it's here in Vermont or in Georgia. Whether it's in Massachusetts or in Arizona, I will meet as many people as I can, because I truly believe that we change that belief and overcome that challenge when we have hope and believe. I believe that I can win because I won in Virginia. Heck, I won against the odds, against the trend of our Governors always being of the opposing party. I won in Virginia again when I carried an open seat in a state that came within a hair of going for President Wolf. I've won before and I'd like to think that when the little girls of today look around, they can see a woman taken seriously, and if I get my way, win a Presidential Election in these United States."

"I know, it can be hard to have faith, or belief when so many women have come before me and failed. Nobody asked Burke Senior or Mondale or Johnson or Rockefeller if they thought they were tough enough to deal with a sudden situation where they would be propelled from number two to number one, but Geraldine Ferraro went through a debate where she got lectured about foreign policy and had to convince ordinary voters that she wasn't about to fall in love with a Soviet spy. I laugh now, but I won't forget young Jillian watching that on TV wondering why on earth they didn't ask Burke Senior the exact same question. And even now, Diane Clifford faced the exact same questions, she was vilified twice despite having what is a smashing resume by any standard, but I believed in them not because they were women but because they brought a reason for running to the table. I wouldn't vote for a woman just because they're a woman, and heck, you shouldn't either.”

“Don't vote for me because I'm a woman. Vote for me because I've won in a purple state. Vote for me because I've passed the most ambitious college affordability of any candidate out there and I did in a state with a Republican legislature. Vote for me because I'll fight tooth and nail so you can vote better without any radical suppression. Vote for me because few other candidates can lay claim to having passed medicaid expansions, tax reform, public transport bolstering and a college plan as ambitious as mine and lay out a roadmap for how we empower working Americans once again, raise wages for millions and end poverty. You might not believe a woman can win and I wouldn't blame you, don't get me wrong, I want you to believe in both, but we win not when we trumpet our identities but when we trumpet our agenda. My agenda is simple: Fairness First. And that isn't subject to gender, it's subject to grit, and ability and I think I've got both. And on the day a woman does sit behind that desk, ma'am, I sincerely hope and believe that it can be me, I hope to see you make the trek to be there, so we can both see, as well as believe!"

"I am also proud to be in a country where protesting is not only allowed but encouraged, where protesting is not an act of civil disorder but a vehicle for civil liberties and civil rights. I am proud to be surrounded not just by my fellow Americans but my fellow believers in a fairer future, both young and old, who are frankly tired of gun violence problem we have in this country. It's time to finally address it. Heck, the right time to address it was yesterday. It was the right time after Columbine in 1999. It was the right time after Virginia Tech happened right in my backyard in 2007. It was the right time after Orlando three years ago. It was the right time after Stoneman Douglas two years ago. And it is once again the right time right now, just two months after Roanoke. But in the building behind me, in this so-called great deliberative body, I've seen no deliberation. I've seen no debate. No, I've seen obstruction time and time again. I've seen most of the other side ignore the issue time and time again. I've seen the cries of El Paso, Texas; of Newtown, Connecticut; of Las Vegas, Nevada; of Parkland, Florida; and now of Roanoke, Virginia go unheard. I've seen their pleads for change go unanswered. I've seen the views of their elected officials go unchanged. And I have to ask the same, exasperated question I've heard chanted in this march today. I have to cry out the same shouted chant that everyone else has. How many more lives do we need to lose? How many more shootings need to happen so that we can get this right?"

"It took dozens of shootings, it took the loss of dozens of innocent lives, for state background check laws to be passed. It took dozens of shootings and lost lives for common-sense loopholes across states to be closed. But our next steps can't wait for another convincing shooting to spur federal actions. Our next steps can't wait for another young or old life to be cut short by a shooter. Our next steps can't wait for the other side to finally get on board. Our next steps can't wait for the NRA to loosen its grip on our politicians. Our next step's can't wait. Period. We've reached a point where our schools have metal detectors and shooting drills and businesses have an active shooter plan. Let's get to a point where we don't need to have armed guards and metal detectors outside every school and every business. Let's get to a point where the next step finally happens before the next shooting and not after. And let's not forget America doesn't just have one gun issue either, we have multiple issues that all link into our gun deaths. From the mental health issues that continue to climb, issues we need to address by expanding equitable healthcare, to more children struggling with depression and anxiety, issues we need to address by crafting a federal response and funding towards mental illness. And you can't forget the inflammatory and sometimes outright bigoted dialogue being churned out almost daily by radical fringe media, inciting violence that doesn't help us heal our racial divide, doesn't help us finally have a conversation on race in America. This isn't just a march for our lives, it's a march for all future lives. The future lives of all children who will step into their schools later this month, the future lives of all families who will step into their churches this Sunday, and the future lives of all Americans who will step out into their communities today. And I think we all have said, or rather shouted, it best today: no more silence, let's finally end gun violence!"

“And it’s not just about the many policies I’m calling for, it’s also about our hopes. As many of us can recall, there once was a dream, Martin Luther King spoke of it when he marched on Washington. He did so knowing that it was a vague dream which means something different for each of us. The dream, the American Dream has never been the same for all of us. We know that for some it can be buying their first house, for others, it can be getting that promotion at work. For all of us it means having a goal, and reaching it. The idea that hard work reaps rewards is the American Dream. But for so many and like so much else in our history, this dream has excluded African Americans from its original premise. 'Buying a house' and 'the right to vote' are two very different prospects if at first try you can't vote or own land. If even now rent pricing affects our black and brown communities worse, if even now voter suppression and ID laws threaten our democracy, if even now incidents like Ferguson keep happening. Our history is one that all too often some wants to paper over when we should really be doing the simplest thing instead. Remembering. Because remembrance is more than words on paper or speeches in cities, it is the commitment that we will remind ourselves of the stains on our history.”

“Money, reparations or some format of restitution don't fix generational poverty brought on by the scars of slavery. Those are a start to the larger issue, but they're up there next to the words 'I'm Sorry' in addressing the real divides between ordinary Americans. Pundits and media junkies love to divide us by state, race, party, age, money or gender for the spectacle of television. There are some who say that the American Dream is dead, but humor me for a moment because I believe that good Americans believe in that Dream, while great Americans believe in their dreams. It’s why I've spent my career listening and why I’ve spent this campaign listening. It’s why I unveiled my Baker-Jeffrey Plan to offer a blueprint to combat the racial scars in this country. It’s also why I've acted on some of those things statewide. When we passed HECSA at a state-level in Virginia, the biggest beneficiaries were those who'd never thought about going to college. Historically Black Colleges and Universities reported an uptick in enrollments as money no longer determined if you could get a degree. Tech schools and other Black Colleges or Universities also reported an uptick in their diversity as a new generation enrolled for college. In Virginia. I passed medicaid expansion and public transport expansion programs that directly helped our marginalized communities, despite going through a Republican legislature. Now imagine what we can accomplish as an entire country. We could fund and fulfill the dream for every American.”

“To me, the role of our government is not to do absolutely everything but rather what it can to help you achieve your pursuit of life, your liberty and your happiness. And that phrase means so much more than we think it does. Life means living a whole and complete life free of the shackles of incomplete health insurance plans. It means plans that protect those with preexisting conditions and extend coverage to as many Americans as possible. Liberty means enabling you to have the freedom to choose. It’s not just freedom from in this country but rather the simple freedom to. Freedom to go to a doctor. Freedom to get a college degree. Freedom to go to school safely, to catch a bus or drive a car without fear for one's life. And finally, happiness. Americans don't need government telling them what makes them happy, what we all need is government paving the road for us to pursue our goals. Happiness means having the spare money at the end of the week to spend on a movie, or a beer. It means having enough dollars saved to retire and enough free time in a week to sit back and rest with family. Unions in this country fought for the eight hour work day. Activists fought for amendments cementing the right to vote for all Americans. Citizens turned out in record numbers to put a check on this President. That’s my dream.”

“It is the commitment that by the end of the decade, if I am President of the United States, we will ensure that all Americans have access to healthcare, have access to a fair and just pay packet, have access to a joyful retirement, have access to the ballot box. To college education. To high-quality classrooms. We can make this happen, we enact medicare-for-all-who-want-it. We enact a higher minimum wage. We make college education affordable. If we do this, if you support our campaign in doing this, I truly believe that by the end of this decade, we will make jobs and opportunity indiscriminate. We will have started the spark that lights the fire to make America fairer for all Americans. So let us go forward together, in this fight and in making this dream a reality.”

“Because you all are here today, and that's what matters. I know many of you aren't decided just yet, but this campaign thrives off of your support. We're not bought and owned by friends of Senator Sharansky or Senator Hawthorne, nor are we representatives of the corporations of Wall Street. We're Americans, we're families, students, workers and above all else, VOTERS! This campaign relies on the support of ordinary Americans like everyone in this room tonight, we can't progress forth without it. And folks, I am nothing but excited for what we can achieve on the day we reach the White House, medicare-for-all-who-want-it, affordable college, a just transition from pollution-heavy jobs, a fairer political system, balanced trade deals and fixing our broken immigration system. We can't do it alone. We can, however, do it together. That's what distinguishes this campaign from all the rest, the vision, the dream, the goal, isn't one of the billionaires and millionaires who pull the strings of America. No, no, it's one shared by the factory worker and the wait staff. By the receptionists and baristas. By the parents and students. By the countless nurses and teachers, by ordinary Americans who have together called for real change, change that you can be sure of.”

“I have delivered for Virginia. And I know we can deliver for America. In fact, I characterize this entire campaign as one built around on our shared dream of a better America. Republican or Democrat, we all agree the healthcare system needs fixing. We all agree that schools need improving. We all agree that our trading relationship worldwide does not work for all Americans. We all agree that not enough of us have a secure, good paying job. We all agree that roads, bridges, and buildings in all fifty states are in a desperate state of inattention and disrepair. We all agree that every American deserves the opportunity to flourish, to excel, to build a better life for themselves and their families. That is the goal I am committed to. The goal of building jobs and opportunities for all Americans, not just the wealthiest 1% of us. Of ensuring that nobody goes bankrupt because of medical bills. Of making sure that no students are disadvantaged because their parents lived two suburbs over where the schools weren't as good, or because they couldn't afford textbooks or materials. Of keeping the promise that no teacher forfeits any part of their salary to offer classrooms scissors and pens.”

“That goal is not some far-fetched dream of think tanks or hopeful aspiration held by some, but one we all share. It was espoused by President Roosevelt in the wake of the New Deal. It was reiterated by Senator Ted Kennedy’s fight for affordable healthcare for all Americans. It was repeated by Martin Luther King, and some decades on, is the fight we continue today. The fight to eradicate all that disadvantages Americans but their own fighting spirit and merit. We cannot claim to be the Land of Opportunity, if that opportunity can be yanked away from you by your ZIP Code, or your employer slashing your healthcare. We cannot be the Home of the Brave if we cower from science and the truths which permeate. In this election there is but one pursuit. A better America. Too many Americans work casual, insecure jobs which pay barely minimum wage. Too many Americans are struggling with medical bills. I have not given up the ghost on better schools for all. Better hospitals for all. Better jobs and opportunity, for all. An America where we finally put Fairness First! Thank you so much Burlington!”

As she finished to thunderous applause, she thanked a number of organizers before departing the stage. She then immediately began going through the crowd to thank them for their attendance s well as making sure to address their concerns. When she remembered their names from previous meetings or visits, she made sure to use it to her advantage to show that she was not just a real leader but a personable official, someone who was going to lead with strength and people first. It also helped for her to shore up a divide between herself and Wolf, though she made sure to avoid appearing too feminine given the whole slew of implications that brought to her. As Jillian completed her meeting, she then headed out to a Drinks with Dayton event in the city, though it had reshuffled as a part family activity with the first half of the event taking place at a local park Downtown near a Ben & Jerry's. She used the opportunity to tout what made Vermont special and provided a great social media moment before mingling with attendees and potential voters. She also had invited a number of local student activists to the event to meet with her, hoping to pick their brains about what they felt was important. It was also an opportunity o offer them to join her campaign and she certainly hoped they did, as it would help give her progressive and activist credentials that would be helpful among young people and in more progressive areas like the very state she was in. As the night came to an end, she prepared her items as they headed towards a nearby hotel, ready to depart the next morning to their next major visit.

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

Dayton For President Retail & New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention
September 6th to 7th, 2019
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

The JillBus had arrived in the state the day after the Vermont visit, focusing on the main and most populous county in the state for now. They intended to visit the other areas of the state as they had been doing before. But for now, there was a chance to break through the noise at a major campaign stop. So this first day was in a bid to help rally up and bolster support for her bid at the convention the following day. Arriving well rested from the neighboring day, she took off on the campaign trail by beginning in Merrimack, a small town that would hopefully be a place receptive to her message. She began by hoping to capture the attention with her educational focus, visiting Merrimack High School to speak with a number of members of the school's PTA. She hoped to tout her own education plans as well as chat about school safety, speaking from experience of being one of the first people to meet and console the survivors of the Roanoke shooting. It offered her a chance to discuss two important and actionable issues directly to voters. She then moved on to the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts to make a similar pitch to students, hoping to encourage them to attend the next day's convention and build an activist base. She spoke to the college's liberal and Democratic groups, boosting them and inviting them to come to her campaign events in the future, as well as leaving the door open to greater involvement if they wanted to, hopefully to pique their interest in getting further involved. Her final visit was to the Merrimack Rotary Club, giving a short speech during the lunchtime gathering, speaking about her executive experience and her support for local change, stating how often times it was small communities left behind. She also spoke about the need to support greater numbers of small businesses and help non-profits, especially organizations that knew what they were doing.

As she wrapped up her first half of the day in the town, Jillian departed to another smaller area in the county, specifically Hudson. She arrived, heading off to her signature campaign stop, a library. Specifically, Hills Memorial Library. She spoke to a number of local community goers and hoped to convince them of her message of Fairness First. It was also a great place to discuss education as well as general kitchen table issues, something that she did with a number of families that dropped by as well as at her small yet organized town hall. It was a discussion on community issues and with a few local representatives there to bridge the divide, she made her pitch for why she was able to connect and relate to small towns like these, while still pushing and advocating for national issues. It was an argument that she felt comfortable making and confident in it too. Finally, her last stop was Bedford, a more suburban community and a place that she could offer a strong argument as to her elect ability and reputability. Touting issues like women's rights and more general topics like her healthcare and education plans, she rounded a number of local community organizations in downtown, hoping to generate excitement among the place and boost her name recognition in these key electorate places. Perhaps her most important even here though was later in the night, following the rigor of suburban canvassing, it was her Drinks with Dayton event. Selecting a popular and well-known pub in the center of the town, she made sure it was advertised by her campaign and it worked. Arriving, there was a decent crowd and she used her friendly demeanor to help coax a number of people to speak with her, engaging in issues from local roads and funding to national issues like foreign policy and abortion. It was a comfortable environment and one where Jillian thrived by making herself seem experienced yet also relatable to a number of common, everyday people.

It was the next day that was the big event, specifically, the state's Democratic Party Convention. Her campaign had subtly and discretely invited and brought in supporters from across New England like Vermont and Massachusetts to help show a sign of force and grassroots support for Dayton. She was of course inherently popular and she already expected a sign of support. But a sign of overwhelming support would be great and as she arrived in the early morning the next day, that's what awaited for her. With her crowd cheering her name and her slogan, it was a surefire way to generate headlines that she was an up and coming star in the primary. And it was also a way to help signalboost her own support in the state, as the local media would certainly make it a highlight of their reporting. As she arrived on the floor and continued to greet supporters, she also made it a point to speak to local and state activists and officials, hoping to earn their support and even their endorsement, to further her foothold in the state. She also made sure to use her most recent announced and proposed legislation to help show that while she had experienced being Governor, she was also gaining experience as an expert legislator. It was an argument that would help show off her progressive credentials to the activists who were not sure of her and a pragmatic sign to convince the more moderate attendees she knew what she was doing. In a way, it was a delicate balance but one that Dayton was well-versed in conducting given her past experience doing so. As the floor continued to be busy with surrogates boosting her among many convention goers and her own efforts working to convince every voter or official she could speak to, it was then time to give a speech. Choosing to deliver an energetic response and hopefully distinguish herself from the crowded field, Jillian took the stage and began.

"Hello Manchester and hello New Hampshire! I'm excited to be here with you all, at the 2019 New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention! I'm excited to be here with so many dedicated activists and regular people just fighting for things to change. This is the coalition of people, from farmers to young people to city dwellers to our very own neighbors, who will finally help us correct course, to fight back and take back our nation. I mean, right here, I see the future leaders of tomorrow. And I am proud of what I'm seeing. But our national leadership, that’s a different story. We can’t keep stumbling along with a President that decides things on a whim. Rather, we’re ready to give this country a shot at getting back on track! When looking to the future, we must remember the lessons of the past and of the present. As a Senator, I have taken these questions in hand, I have asked these questions, and I too have tried to answer these questions by writing legislation, by standing for American values. And the one question I keep getting asked that I’m still figuring out is how I believe the United States will look in future. I mean, take a glimpse at the history of Virginia's history, a state in the footsteps of Presidents Washington, Jefferson and Wilson. Three Presidents, Three Virginians, three Americans, all who presented such radically different ideas and all who were able to work within tough political climates. Sound familiar? Take Washington whose greatest idea was creating honesty and compromise in government, in this more than two-hundred year old American Experiment, in our United States.”

But now, the honesty, the truth, and the compromise in this country have been eroded in favor of belittlement and bigotry by our leaders. By our President. The future of the United States is now in our hands once again. Our future could be exciting or scary, hopeful or uncertain, bright or dark. Our future could be restoring the home of the brave and land of the free or repeating the mistakes of the past once again. Today, there are those who believe that the only way forward is by looking to the past, a past full of segregation, poverty, and war. But these are not real ideas or solutions that can solve our actual problems right now. The future of our United States is in our hands, it is in the hands of voters, of citizens, of all Americans. President Johnson spoke of a Great Society, President Kennedy inspired service above self-enrichment and President Roosevelt gave every American a New Deal.”

“Their ideas guided our nation, they fought for those ideas in the arena of ideas, not an arena of soundbites or personalities. It is in that history that I am reminded of the spirit of the American people, a spirit that to this day is the reason why we are a hardworking, just, and mighty people. I believe the time is now to put fairness first. Every American child born today, tomorrow or whenever should not have their fate decided by the mistakes or triumphs of their parents! It is unfair that multimillionaires buy their children’s admissions into Ivy League schools while those all other Americans must work hard to earn their keep! It is unfair that your zip code can determine your life expectancy! It is unfair that our veterans return to find themselves ignored by a system designed to prioritize their concerns! It is unfair that workers live paycheck to paycheck while CEOs accept bonuses to the tune of millions! It is unfair that voters can be packed into districts diluting their voting power!”

“It is our responsibility to put fairness first! Fairness in opportunity, fairness from the beginning, fairness for every American. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States, so that together we can speak up, and so that together we can put fairness first! Because when this campaign first began, it was on my kitchen table in Virginia. We knew we'd face headwinds, we knew we'd have ups and downs but we could have never predicted having support from every state so soon. But we proved ourselves wrong. Now, we do have supporters in every state, volunteers in every state and fellow Americans who believe that the next Generation of Americans deserve Fairness First. Fairness not in outcome, but in opportunity. Every American deserves the opportunity to succeed by their own merits, not by the credit cards of their parents. We are the richest country in the world but the fact that ordinary Americans are being squeezed for every dollar is wrong. The fact that millions of Americans cannot afford their life saving medicine, the roofs and walls of their homes, or barely attend their schools shows that this current administration has no aim, no goal and no objective. I say, let's give it a goal!”

“We used to wage Wars on Poverty not on the Poor. We used to measure our success by the fortunes of the most unfortunate, not the chances of the lucky ones. I don't believe that ending poverty in our lifetimes, in our United States of America, is impossible. I don't believe less pay in the pockets of working Americans should be accepted as impossible. No! I believe this can all change, that we can all make this possible. So join me, join my campaign, and together we can deliver Medicare for All who Want it, we can deliver affordable college now, we can deliver a better minimum wage, and we can put Fairness First!"

"Because when they ask you, what do you look for from your country, the answer should be simple. That this country preserves justice, empowers millions and represents ordinary Americans. That this country stands by its promise it may two-hundred plus years ago to be a government for the people, by the people. We are a campaign that exists off of the support of ordinary Americans. The receptionist working long hours, the factory worker aching for retirement, the student just wanting their degree, these are all components of our movement, our strength. A movement that isn't around to steal opportunity, but to allow it to flourish. I’m here to attain one simple goal. The humble goal of putting Fairness First. Fairness in healthcare, means medicare for all who want it! Fairness in education means expanding the option of college to all Americans not just those whose parents have the right numbers in the bank. It means freeing a generation to unleash their potential from the beginning. It means giving every student a world class education from day one!"

"When we pledge a promise to put Fairness First, it means delivering fair opportunities for success to farmers from New Hampshire to Kentucky! It means delivering the option of affordable healthcare to every American in every state! It means looking after roads in the heart of Atlanta while giving attention to roads from here in Manchester to Des Moines to New York City. All of America, all of every state, deserves our attention and those of you here today are people who fundamentally believe that we can have a better America. The other party has spent its time dividing America, first with an unjust anti-women abortion banning streak, and now by allowing radical, bigoted voices into their primaries. But let’s clear up the blame right now. Because the issues we face today are because of the obstructionist incumbents, like the healthcare and education laws that our current President and this Senate tried to repeal, like the common-sense gun reforms that this current President and this Senate ignored, and like a voting right’s bill that the President himself vetoed all in a desperate bid to continue voter suppression to help his party.”

“But this party, the one I stand by, the party of Jackson and Jefferson, of Roosevelt and Kennedy and Johnson, of Carter and Clifford and Baharia, has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we led, not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction; when we summoned the entire nation to a common purpose, a higher purpose. That’s the party America needs us to be right now. A party that offers not just different policies, but different leadership. A party that doesn’t just focus on how to win but why we should. A party that doesn’t just offer change as a slogan, but real, meaningful change, change that America can believe in.”

“Putting Fairness First needs us to explain not how we'll make it law, but why we should. Delivering fairness requires the first change to come to how we choose our politicians, preventing politicians from carving out voters to secure their own futures is the first step. Because voters should choose their elected officials, the politicians shouldn’t be choosing their voters! It’s why I wrote the FAIR Act to start a conversation and start a change. But that’s just the first step. From there, introducing ranked choice voting like in Maine for all federal offices, is the next, to ensure that all voters can feel represented and have faith in who represents their community. Only after we fix the system can we even stand to deliver affordable college as I did in Virginia, or deliver medicare for all who want it, or offer all Americans a fairer minimum wage and square trade policy. But I can't do this alone. Its why I'm thankful to have the support of so many Americans from those in the Big Apple to those who grow apples."

“Putting Fairness First isn’t just a slogan either. It’s what led my message during my first terms in Congress, it’s what led me to become Governor of Virginia. It’s why I'm a Senator fighting for Virginia, why I’m running for President, and why I’m championing this positive vision for Johnson City, for Kingsport, for Bristol, and the state and country as a whole. There's no doubt that the next few weeks and months will prove pivotal. In my time in the House, I’ve emulated the values that Americans believe in, values like empathy, diversity and sincerity. Compare that with the unintelligible babbling from those across the aisle and it's clear who should serve as our country’s commander-in-chief. We've all seen the despicable rashness of bigoted candidates and we know we can represent a different side of that coin, of that America. Together, we can present a better America, we can be a voice for this diverse country, we can make our present day the emblem of the next generation of America. Pragmatic, sensible change that makes healthcare accessible to all of us, that makes our suburbs and schools give every student the opportunity to succeed.”

“That's the America I’m fighting for, one where jobs and opportunity are accessible to every person no matter our differences. That's the country I'm proud to say I support. Of course, we can't win on our own, which is why it's incredibly important you all head out, and vote! We cannot allow the same form of Wolfism as Barry Anderson and Michelle Brown to win. This nation is tired of being represented by the Republican Party of old, the same party that refuses to pass laws protecting victims of domestic violence, that would take a sledgehammer to social security and the Affordable Care Act. So let’s not let them.”

"You know, my father was the kind of dad who wanted both his daughters to be proud of themselves, he did everything in his power to usher me away from politics, his explanation was that we've seen women CEOs, we've seen women pilots and women sailors. But we've never seen women Presidents or women Governors. He was specifically talking about Virginia, but he wasn't wrong. This was just before the end of the Reagan years and I was still choosing what to do next. My father sat me down and adamantly said that a woman would never become Governor in Virginia or of anywhere else or go on to become President of the United States. So I don't blame you for your apprehension, it can be easy to look at history and see that only in the last few decades did women finally become serious candidates. But I like to think that when my father said that, he wasn’t discouraging me. No, he was challenging me. It's equally easy for those of us who grew up as little girls looking around for idols, to notice there hasn't been a President that looked like me."

“But we change this conversation when we try. I can promise you that I won't stop talking to voters, I won't stop making my case, our case, whether it's here in New Hampshire or in Georgia. Whether it's in Massachusetts or in Arizona, I will meet as many people as I can, because I truly believe that we change that belief and overcome that challenge when we have hope and believe. I believe that I can win because I won in Virginia. Heck, I won against the odds, against the trend of our Governors always being of the opposing party. I won in Virginia again when I carried an open seat in a state that came within a hair of going for President Wolf. I've won before and I'd like to think that when the little girls of today look around, they can see a woman taken seriously, and if I get my way, win a Presidential Election in these United States."

"I know, it can be hard to have faith, or belief when so many women have come before me and failed. Nobody asked Burke Senior or Mondale or Johnson or Rockefeller if they thought they were tough enough to deal with a sudden situation where they would be propelled from number two to number one, but Geraldine Ferraro went through a debate where she got lectured about foreign policy and had to convince ordinary voters that she wasn't about to fall in love with a Soviet spy. I laugh now, but I won't forget young Jillian watching that on TV wondering why on earth they didn't ask Burke Senior the exact same question. And even now, Diane Clifford faced the exact same questions, she was vilified twice despite having what is a smashing resume by any standard, but I believed in them not because they were women but because they brought a reason for running to the table. I wouldn't vote for a woman just because they're a woman, and heck, you shouldn't either.”

“Don't vote for me because I'm a woman. Vote for me because I've won in a purple state. Vote for me because I've passed the most ambitious college affordability of any candidate out there and I did in a state with a Republican legislature. Vote for me because I'll fight tooth and nail so you can vote better without any radical suppression. Vote for me because few other candidates can lay claim to having passed medicaid expansions, tax reform, public transport bolstering and a college plan as ambitious as mine and lay out a roadmap for how we empower working Americans once again, raise wages for millions and end poverty. You might not believe a woman can win and I wouldn't blame you, don't get me wrong, I want you to believe in both, but we win not when we trumpet our identities but when we trumpet our agenda. My agenda is simple: Fairness First. And that isn't subject to gender, it's subject to grit, and ability and I think I've got both. And on the day a woman does sit behind that desk, ma'am, I sincerely hope and believe that it can be me, I hope to see you make the trek to be there, so we can both see, as well as believe!"

"I am also proud to be in a country where protesting is not only allowed but encouraged, where protesting is not an act of civil disorder but a vehicle for civil liberties and civil rights. I am proud to be surrounded not just by my fellow Americans but my fellow believers in a fairer future, both young and old, who are frankly tired of gun violence problem we have in this country. It's time to finally address it. Heck, the right time to address it was yesterday. It was the right time after Columbine in 1999. It was the right time after Virginia Tech happened right in my backyard in 2007. It was the right time after Orlando three years ago. It was the right time after Stoneman Douglas two years ago. And it is once again the right time right now, just two months after Roanoke. But in the building behind me, in this so-called great deliberative body, I've seen no deliberation. I've seen no debate. No, I've seen obstruction time and time again. I've seen most of the other side ignore the issue time and time again. I've seen the cries of El Paso, Texas; of Newtown, Connecticut; of Las Vegas, Nevada; of Parkland, Florida; and now of Roanoke, Virginia go unheard. I've seen their pleads for change go unanswered. I've seen the views of their elected officials go unchanged. And I have to ask the same, exasperated question I've heard chanted in this march today. I have to cry out the same shouted chant that everyone else has. How many more lives do we need to lose? How many more shootings need to happen so that we can get this right?"

"It took dozens of shootings, it took the loss of dozens of innocent lives, for state background check laws to be passed. It took dozens of shootings and lost lives for common-sense loopholes across states to be closed. But our next steps can't wait for another convincing shooting to spur federal actions. Our next steps can't wait for another young or old life to be cut short by a shooter. Our next steps can't wait for the other side to finally get on board. Our next steps can't wait for the NRA to loosen its grip on our politicians. Our next step's can't wait. Period. We've reached a point where our schools have metal detectors and shooting drills and businesses have an active shooter plan. Let's get to a point where we don't need to have armed guards and metal detectors outside every school and every business. Let's get to a point where the next step finally happens before the next shooting and not after. And let's not forget America doesn't just have one gun issue either, we have multiple issues that all link into our gun deaths. From the mental health issues that continue to climb, issues we need to address by expanding equitable healthcare, to more children struggling with depression and anxiety, issues we need to address by crafting a federal response and funding towards mental illness. And you can't forget the inflammatory and sometimes outright bigoted dialogue being churned out almost daily by radical fringe media, inciting violence that doesn't help us heal our racial divide, doesn't help us finally have a conversation on race in America. This isn't just a march for our lives, it's a march for all future lives. The future lives of all children who will step into their schools later this month, the future lives of all families who will step into their churches this Sunday, and the future lives of all Americans who will step out into their communities today. And I think we all have said, or rather shouted, it best today: no more silence, let's finally end gun violence!"

“And it’s not just about the many policies I’m calling for, it’s also about our hopes. As many of us can recall, there once was a dream, Martin Luther King spoke of it when he marched on Washington. He did so knowing that it was a vague dream which means something different for each of us. The dream, the American Dream has never been the same for all of us. We know that for some it can be buying their first house, for others, it can be getting that promotion at work. For all of us it means having a goal, and reaching it. The idea that hard work reaps rewards is the American Dream. But for so many and like so much else in our history, this dream has excluded African Americans from its original premise. 'Buying a house' and 'the right to vote' are two very different prospects if at first try you can't vote or own land. If even now rent pricing affects our black and brown communities worse, if even now voter suppression and ID laws threaten our democracy, if even now incidents like Ferguson keep happening. Our history is one that all too often some wants to paper over when we should really be doing the simplest thing instead. Remembering. Because remembrance is more than words on paper or speeches in cities, it is the commitment that we will remind ourselves of the stains on our history.”

“Money, reparations or some format of restitution don't fix generational poverty brought on by the scars of slavery. Those are a start to the larger issue, but they're up there next to the words 'I'm Sorry' in addressing the real divides between ordinary Americans. Pundits and media junkies love to divide us by state, race, party, age, money or gender for the spectacle of television. There are some who say that the American Dream is dead, but humor me for a moment because I believe that good Americans believe in that Dream, while great Americans believe in their dreams. It’s why I've spent my career listening and why I’ve spent this campaign listening. It’s why I unveiled my Baker-Jeffrey Plan to offer a blueprint to combat the racial scars in this country. It’s also why I've acted on some of those things statewide. When we passed HECSA at a state-level in Virginia, the biggest beneficiaries were those who'd never thought about going to college. Historically Black Colleges and Universities reported an uptick in enrollments as money no longer determined if you could get a degree. Tech schools and other Black Colleges or Universities also reported an uptick in their diversity as a new generation enrolled for college. In Virginia. I passed medicaid expansion and public transport expansion programs that directly helped our marginalized communities, despite going through a Republican legislature. Now imagine what we can accomplish as an entire country. We could fund and fulfill the dream for every American.”

“To me, the role of our government is not to do absolutely everything but rather what it can to help you achieve your pursuit of life, your liberty and your happiness. And that phrase means so much more than we think it does. Life means living a whole and complete life free of the shackles of incomplete health insurance plans. It means plans that protect those with preexisting conditions and extend coverage to as many Americans as possible. Liberty means enabling you to have the freedom to choose. It’s not just freedom from in this country but rather the simple freedom to. Freedom to go to a doctor. Freedom to get a college degree. Freedom to go to school safely, to catch a bus or drive a car without fear for one's life. And finally, happiness. Americans don't need government telling them what makes them happy, what we all need is government paving the road for us to pursue our goals. Happiness means having the spare money at the end of the week to spend on a movie, or a beer. It means having enough dollars saved to retire and enough free time in a week to sit back and rest with family. Unions in this country fought for the eight hour work day. Activists fought for amendments cementing the right to vote for all Americans. Citizens turned out in record numbers to put a check on this President. That’s my dream.”

“It is the commitment that by the end of the decade, if I am President of the United States, we will ensure that all Americans have access to healthcare, have access to a fair and just pay packet, have access to a joyful retirement, have access to the ballot box. To college education. To high-quality classrooms. We can make this happen, we enact medicare-for-all-who-want-it. We enact a higher minimum wage. We make college education affordable. If we do this, if you support our campaign in doing this, I truly believe that by the end of this decade, we will make jobs and opportunity indiscriminate. We will have started the spark that lights the fire to make America fairer for all Americans. So let us go forward together, in this fight and in making this dream a reality.”

“Because you all are here today, and that's what matters. I know many of you aren't decided just yet, but this campaign thrives off of your support. We're not bought and owned by friends of Senator Sharansky or Senator Hawthorne, nor are we representatives of the corporations of Wall Street. We're Americans, we're families, students, workers and above all else, VOTERS! This campaign relies on the support of ordinary Americans like everyone in this room tonight, we can't progress forth without it. And folks, I am nothing but excited for what we can achieve on the day we reach the White House, medicare-for-all-who-want-it, affordable college, a just transition from pollution-heavy jobs, a fairer political system, balanced trade deals and fixing our broken immigration system. We can't do it alone. We can, however, do it together. That's what distinguishes this campaign from all the rest, the vision, the dream, the goal, isn't one of the billionaires and millionaires who pull the strings of America. No, no, it's one shared by the factory worker and the wait staff. By the receptionists and baristas. By the parents and students. By the countless nurses and teachers, by ordinary Americans who have together called for real change, change that you can be sure of.”

“I have delivered for Virginia. And I know we can deliver for America. In fact, I characterize this entire campaign as one built around on our shared dream of a better America. Republican or Democrat, we all agree the healthcare system needs fixing. We all agree that schools need improving. We all agree that our trading relationship worldwide does not work for all Americans. We all agree that not enough of us have a secure, good paying job. We all agree that roads, bridges, and buildings in all fifty states are in a desperate state of inattention and disrepair. We all agree that every American deserves the opportunity to flourish, to excel, to build a better life for themselves and their families. That is the goal I am committed to. The goal of building jobs and opportunities for all Americans, not just the wealthiest 1% of us. Of ensuring that nobody goes bankrupt because of medical bills. Of making sure that no students are disadvantaged because their parents lived two suburbs over where the schools weren't as good, or because they couldn't afford textbooks or materials. Of keeping the promise that no teacher forfeits any part of their salary to offer classrooms scissors and pens.”

“That goal is not some far-fetched dream of think tanks or hopeful aspiration held by some, but one we all share. It was espoused by President Roosevelt in the wake of the New Deal. It was reiterated by Senator Ted Kennedy’s fight for affordable healthcare for all Americans. It was repeated by Martin Luther King, and some decades on, is the fight we continue today. The fight to eradicate all that disadvantages Americans but their own fighting spirit and merit. We cannot claim to be the Land of Opportunity, if that opportunity can be yanked away from you by your ZIP Code, or your employer slashing your healthcare. We cannot be the Home of the Brave if we cower from science and the truths which permeate. In this election there is but one pursuit. A better America. Too many Americans work casual, insecure jobs which pay barely minimum wage. Too many Americans are struggling with medical bills. I have not given up the ghost on better schools for all. Better hospitals for all. Better jobs and opportunity, for all. An America where we finally put Fairness First!"

"And look, every few years, not every year but every few, we have elections. Each time, the candidates come out on stage and tell us that this election, not the last one is the most important in our lifetimes. They’re not lying when they say it, despite how hyperbolic they may sound, for that candidate this election truly is the most important in their lifetime. The thing is that every election drives us to the guessing game. We obsess with how everyone else will respond to the idea, not the merits of the idea itself. We turn on the radio and television to watch some pundit here or there tell us whether we can afford it."

"We don’t question it when we spend a few million dollars to bomb poorer, smaller countries. We don’t question how we pay for something, when it’s giving police officers tank-like vans. But one in six American children live in poverty. To let some wealthy schmucks out in Wall Street buy their seventeenth car or a brand new private jet, we let one in six American children live in squalor. Two-thirds of Americans who are renting, say buying a house isn’t an attainable goal because they’re paying too much in rent, or not earning enough. We refuse to foster the conditions for high-paying, quality twenty-first century jobs but will gladly fund another misled adventure in some far away continent."

"There is one and a half trillion dollars in debt held by Americans just for getting an education. Almost forty thousand Americans were killed by firearms last year. A generation of Americans are retiring with less dollars ready to last them, and a generation are entering the workforce in jobs that are meagre, underpaying, and insecure. Four in ten Americans can’t handle a four hundred dollar unexpected expense, and too many, too too too many of us have no faith in Congress, no faith in our institutions, no faith in our tax dollars to work properly. Republican or Democrat we’re all damn well fed up with the self-serving Congressional Graduates who leave public office and become cushy lobbyists. We’re all damn well fed up with unfairness in every walk of our lives and it has to end."

"We as a party, we as Democrats, we as believers in change and progress, we need to work together to make this happen. Because it's not just about the primaries but the down ballot, its about every race up and down the ballot. It's about having real leadership and a real chance to govern and lead by our values and principles once again. Now, I have unlocked the keys to college education for a generation of Virginians. I fixed a broken Virginian healthcare system and in D.C. I’ve proudly championed electoral reform legislation, that will make America fairer. I’m not tired of fighting, and I’m not tired of calling this the most important election of our lifetimes, because we have a real chance to turn the tide in the fight against climate change. We have a real chance to fix a broken healthcare system, a broken college education system and unleash proper economic prosperity for working Americans that doesn’t require you to work two jobs or into your eighties just so you can have a roof over your heads."

"Join me, and we can make this happen together. Not just as separate candidates, not just as individuals, but as a people, as a country. Join me New Hampshire, join me Manchester, and we can put Fairness First.”

Applause had interrupted her throughout her speech's best moments and lines. But at the end, it had roared to a new level and helped to show that she was really strong in this very state. Plus, it didn't hurt that her crowd of supporters were specifically fired up. As she finished and thanked a number of local organizers and attendees, she returned to the floor. It was back to the classic grind of convincing one voter at a time but her fresh energy from the speech combined with her natural friendly nature that made her strong. It was a long rest of the convention, focused on helping win over officials and inviting activists with her on coffee breaks. But as the event winded down and she prepared herself to leave, she made sure to conduct a series of meetings with local Democratic candidates for office, hoping to pick their brains about what they saw in a party leader and in the bid of inspiring confidence from them. As she finished her meetings with them and continued to strengthen her relationships, an advisor came by to tell her it was time to go. It was already late in the afternoon and her flights would likely dig into the time she had to wrangle her policy initiatives. So thanking supporters and giving one last go through by the convention's attendees, Dayton departed New Hampshire, heading to the airport for a long cross country flight. Commercial of course.

[Rijkenlandd]

Congressional Office of Representative Kevin Villalobos @RepVillalobos UPDATE: Representative Villalobos, after having a 35-hour surgery involving the repair of his right lung and realignment and repair of his rib cage and other limb procedures, has waken up from coma and is currently talking with doctors.

[Greater Arab State]

Congressional Office of Representative Kevin Villalobos @RepVillalobos UPDATE: Representative Villalobos, after having a 35-hour surgery involving the repair of his right lung and realignment and repair of his rib cage and other limb procedures, has waken up from coma and is currently talking with doctors. (Image)

Liked and retweeted by @RepresentativeVolker.

[Titanne]

Congressional Office of Representative Kevin Villalobos @RepVillalobos UPDATE: Representative Villalobos, after having a 35-hour surgery involving the repair of his right lung and realignment and repair of his rib cage and other limb procedures, has waken up from coma and is currently talking with doctors. (Image)

Liked and retweeted by Clint Guerrera

[Kargintina the Third]

Congressional Office of Representative Kevin Villalobos @RepVillalobos UPDATE: Representative Villalobos, after having a 35-hour surgery involving the repair of his right lung and realignment and repair of his rib cage and other limb procedures, has waken up from coma and is currently talking with doctors. (Image)

Liked and retweeted by Earl Tenson

[New Cobastheia]

Eliza LeBlanc Wolf
Oval Office
September 9, 2019

As Eliza waited, she took in the view of the Oval Office. Ever since her Husband had become more incapacitated than usual she had been spending more and more time in the office. Grabbing things he needed to sign and whatnot, even taking a seat behind the desk at times when no one was watching. Of course, this time she knew someone was coming, and so she sat on one of the couches in the center of the room instead. Wondering what the meeting would bring, she checked the time on her phone making sure he would be on his way at the very least.

Discreetly arriving at the White House Richard took the least crowded route to the Oval Office, wishing to stay out of the sight of any curious intern or a staff member who didn't need to be in the loop.

He entered the Oval with no pomp or ceremony, maintaining a low profile.

"It's good to see you, Eliza." Tawney greeted the first lady.

"It's good to see you too, how have you been?"

[The World Capitalist Confederation]

Porter Rally, Holland, Ottawa County, Michigan

The debate wasn't as good as Porter had wanted it to be, but it didn't sink his campaign either. It wasn't good, but it also wasn't bad, at least in his mind. It wasn't a total defeat, yet it was certainly no victory...He went next to Holland, Ottawa County, in Michigan, a Wolf voting area in decline (at least in terms of population), but also compact enough that he would be able to speak to lots of people at once, in order to help him sweep Super Tuesday II if it came to it.

"Good afternoon, good citizens of Hollan!" He said, to the cheering crowd.

"In 2016, President Wolf made a pledge to Make America Great Again. In doing so, he appointed me as Secretary of Defence - an appointment I am very grateful and proud to have, as I served under a man who, I feel, is the best President of the 21st century - and I stand here with you today, ready to carry out his legacy, to Make America Greater. It is time that we have a President, who, like Arnold Wolf, will stand for the sons and daughters of this nation, and defend her morality and strength against the threats abroad

We must, in the name of God and of country, end the moral decadence of the corrupt institutions that have taken part in the moral decay of this nation. We have seen our opponents defend the indefensible: from murder to sodomy, they have continued to chip away at the morals of this sacred land. Let us, as God-fearing men, stand up for our faith and our freedom in these times of trouble. There shall not be, on God's green earth, an America of filth, of immorality and of decadence. It is in the providence of God and the defence of our nation that we must ensure that the world that is left to our children is pure and clean.

Today, we stand in an era more tumultuous than anything our nation has experienced since the Second World War. We have come in an era where men conspire to murder children, and conspire to allow the infiltration of transsexuals into little girl's bathrooms. And what have our leaders said about it? They called moral degradation "progress", and told us to shut up about it. They called us misogynists and homophobes, all because we want to defend the innocence of our daughters. It is time that we say that enough is enough, and stand for morality and reason in this new era.

As you know, Iran has just committed a great act of aggression towards the United States of America. Today, I wish to call upon our elected leaders in Congress to take action against the Islamist thugs and bandits that make up the Islamist Republic of Iran.

Let me be clear: as President, I will not let our nation be threatened by these thugs, by these fanatics. Iran is a terrorist state, one run by men who would love to see this nation die. To some, this may just be a drone. But this is more than just a drone. This is about the lack of respect that Iran has for the United States, for us. We must teach them a lesson, if not with sanctions, then with guns.

I have served in Iraq, in Somalia and In Afghanistan. I recognise that, yes, war is a brutal thing, but we must have a President and Congress who can do what must be done. We must defend ourselves against the acts of aggression that have been made against our country and our people!

I am here, to stand for the moral majority of Americans, call towards those dispossessed and left behind masses who have been ignored for so long. It is time that those who are left behind, who have being disregarded by the political establishment as ignorant, as apathetic, must be heard at long last. Amongst this crowd of "apathetics", as the establishment like to denigrate them as, there are intelligent people, good people, turned off by the corruption in our politics and the hunger of our politicians, the hunger of politicians like Levi Murphy and Martin Spellman, lusting for power, consequences to the American people be damned. And I couldn't blame them. My father was one of these people, back before Arnold Wolf. Last time he voted was in 1992 and 1996, for Ross Perot. A man who hadn't voted for 20 years, he went to the polls in 2016, and cast a vote for Arnold Wolf. People like my father are the silent majority, are the non-voters. Our politics has become corrupt, has become rotten. And unlike what the establishment might tell you, this is not because the President dares to speak to the truth and hurts the sensibilities of the liberal elite. The establishment say we, the moral majority, are the problem. I say to them: YOU are the problem. YOU are the scourge of this nation. YOU are the corruption that has poisoned the core of politics.

As President Wolf said, we must put America First, not merely in our words or in our hearts, but in our actions as well. And so I shall not merely make trade fair for our country and bring back jobs to our shores, along with ensuring that our foreign interests are represented. America First doesn't mean isolation, it means a foreign policy to strengthen our influence across the world. It is in the defence of our values that we stand here today, in order to ensure that our great society is defended from the corrupt influences of liberal fascism and socialist tyranny. We will no longer succumb to subjugation or to decadence, as we as a people must take our destiny once more and defend ourselves from the pestilence that has covered our lands. This is a call to action to all Americans, from every state, to join us in the fight. One of the greatest things a movement needs is a flag, so today, in front of the whole nation, I would like to announce that we, listening to your calls, have new merchandise available at AmericaFirst.com. I urge all of you to assist our movement by donating through there, along with canvassing for the campaign and joining our social media base by following, subscribing and joining our communities. This campaign isn't just about me. It is about you, the American people, and the goals that we must achieve as a nation to claim our destiny in this world.

So I will finish off my speech with this: it is very much due that we, as Americans, awake to this truth of our country. It is time that we rise to the occasion, and resist the liberal subjugation of our nation. They have worked to undermine our morality, our very way of life for so long. Let us be clear, as citizens of America, we will not be trod underfoot by the forces of iconoclasticism anymore. For God and for country, we must end such pestilence and immorality before it consumes our way of life. They burn our flag in the streets and refuse to stand to the anthem. Such behaviour is unpatriotic and ought to held unacceptable in this great land!

We will resist this internal takeover of our country, the slow corruption of our morals and our institutions, through the ballot box and on the streets. We must go, from door to door, from street to street, to march against this hostile takeover of our once-great land. This is a call to action to all righteous Americans everywhere, in the defence of Judeo-Christian values and in the defence of morality itself. We must resist against these forces of social retreat and degeneracy, who have sought to destroy our very way of life since the days of Reagan. We will no longer be silenced by the forces of the regressive left, who look to suppress and oppress our voices in the name of tolerance.

There is a question in this country that is being asked, that is being pondered, by every man and woman in this nation. It can be heard in the streets, in the houses of this nation. The answer to this question is what it is at stake in this election. When this question is said, and it is answered, this nation shall come out of the dust anew, whether for better or for worse. But what is the question, my friends? The question is one that looms over our heads, one that has been ringing for century after century...What is the spirit of America? What does our flag represent, what do our troops defend? That is the question that stands before this nation, before all of us, and it is our duty to answer it. Our duty to answer the call given to us, by our ancestors and our descendants. It is the call given to us by every mountain of this nation, by every shining lake and by every bright and heavenly shore. And I have come hear, to answer that question, to do as my duty requires me to. I have fought for this nation with my blood, with my sweat and my tears, and so it is time that I fight this great battle, this battle for the spirit of America. And I will encourage that you fight it with me! On the streets, on the phones and on the air, together we can make a difference! Thank you, and God bless America!"

[Sanabel]

Stuyvesant Analytics Polling 4 October 2019


As the autumn sets in and the weather cools, the American people are settling into their usual routines. Back to school, back to work, back to watching the news. This has increased the fluidity of the race, especially as the candidates noticeably have increased their events and other campaigning. We have seen an uptick in those who say they are informed and following the race. This has and will continue to shake up what's happening on the ground.

National
Gov. Jonah Prendergast: 29% (+.5)
Gov. Nathaniel Richardson: 28% (+1)
Fmr. Sec. Bernard Porter: 20% (+2)
Cong. Diane Paulson 18% (+2)
“Someone Else”/Undecided: 14% (-5.5)
Sen. Arthur Bragg: 1% (-)

Iowa
Gov. Nathaniel Richardson: 33% (+.5)
Gov. Jonah Prendergast: 26.5% (+1)
Fmr. Sec. Bernard Porter: 19.5% (+2)
“Someone Else”/Undecided: 6% (-3.5)
Cong. Diane Paulson: 14% (-)
Sen. Arthur Bragg: 1% (-)

New Hampshire
Gov. Nathaniel Richardson: 28% (+1)
Cong. Diane Paulson: 26% (-)
Gov. Jonah Prendergast: 25.5% (+.5)
“Someone Else”/Undecided: 8% (-1.5)
Fmr. Sec. Bernard Porter: 9% (-)
Sen. Arthur Bragg: .5% (-)

South Carolina
Gov. Nathaniel Richardson: 33.5% (-)
Gov. Jonah Prendergast: 29% (+.5)
Fmr. Sec. Bernard Porter: 24% (+2)
“Someone Else”/Undecided: 8% (-3)
Cong. Diane Paulson: 5.5% (+.5)
Sen. Arthur Bragg: ~0% (-)

Nevada
Gov. Jonah Prendergast: 30% (+.5)
Cong. Diane Paulson: 21.5% (+2)
Gov. Nathaniel Richardson: 20% (+.5)
Fmr. Sec. Bernard Porter: 20% (+3)
“Someone Else”/Undecided: 8.5% (-7)
Sen. Arthur Bragg: ~0% (-)

Key Takeaways
-Nationally, the most significant events have been the accusations laid out against Richardson in the Washington Times, Hurricane Dorian and its aftermath, Arnold Wolf Jr's endorsement, among other news stories. While the allegations have hurt Richardson, his hurricane response was seen favorably, which, along with his relentless retail campaign and constant attendance at important local events, has buoyed his numbers. When it comes down to it, voters seem to care more about a hurricane than they do the endorsement of the President's son, when we look at the events from a zero-sum lens.

-Richardson has seen his growth slow in South Carolina and Iowa as he reaches his natural ceiling, but he clearly has room to grow elsewhere. It will be difficult for any candidate to exceed 33% of support before votes are cast, according to our analysts.

-Prendergast continues to hold his lead nationally, and has seen growth across the early states, thanks especially to the newfound support of Arnold Wolf Jr. Unfortunately for the governor, he has not capitalized on this very much, due to an effective advertising campaign against his stance on the minimum wage. This has noticeably slowed his growth. With his natural ceiling is fast approaching, the governor must find a way to prevent his growth in support from slowing further. Fortunately for the governor, he remains in a strong position, and many pundits have begun to see the frontrunner as the odds-on favorite to win the nomination due to his unique 50-state strategy and percieved strength beyond early states.

-Porter has seen his numbers jump across the board as his campaign has seen newfound invigoration. This has been most noticeable in South Carolina and Nevada, where the former cabinet secretary has invested time and money in expanding his voter base. The Secretary could see his numbers peak at the right moment for pulling off a victory, but it is a race against time.

-Paulson has seen new momentum as well, thanks to the endorsement of multiple prominent politicians, including the Mayor of Las Vegas and a handful of Republican women. This has boosted her national numbers, given her free media thereby increasing name recognition and favorabilty ratings, and has provided some new early state growth. Paulson is still a major player in the race, and her early state strength provides her with a path to the nomination.

-The race has begun to worry insiders and delight some pundits as the field has yet to consolidate and a clear frontrunner has not broken away from the pack- this means the current distribution of support could lead to the first contested convention of the century. This would be a historic, exciting moment, but could hurt the chances of the nominee as they proceed to the general election. Fortunately for the RNC, this scenario remains unlikely due to safeguards within the primary process like winner-take-all states.

[Puertollano]

Levi Murphy Meet & Greet in Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina



To continue his tour of South Carolina, the campaign stopped for a meet and greet in the largest city by population, Columbia. The event was designed for locals to come around, meet the Senator and get to become familiar with the campaign. For supporters already, it was an opportunity to meet with Levi, join in the campaign and sign up to volunteer / donate to the campaign. This was part of the strategy to win over the African American vote. He realized that big rallies were not the best way to win over voters, instead, the strategy needed to be in the community, not yelling from the outside. After communicating with many of the voters, the Senator was given microphone to make a few words before going back to talking with local people and signing them up to fight in 2020.

"I want to preface. My name is Levi Murphy, I'm currently the Senator for Minnesota and have been since 2013. During my time in the Senate, I have pushed stringently for progressive policy changes in this country, but I've come to realize we can only get so far when we have a Republican President in the White House. I don't say this lightly when I say that Wolf has been one of the worst Presidents in modern history. I think that is more so because he betrayed large swathes of the working class that he said he would fight for. Look at us, nearly four years later, poverty in stretched across this nation, people's wages are low and staying low and we are still losing our jobs overseas. It's pretty simple: President Wolf turned his back on those people that ballooned him into the White House. That's why I want to be the Democratic nominee, because I believe I can truly win them back. And bring progressive change with it.

I prefer not to talk about that man all often anyway, if only isolate ourselves solely on the corruption of the President, we will not get to the core of the corruption in the system. This all goes back to the work of the late Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Bayard Rustin. The mainstream media likes to sanitize the views of these incredible men, and leave out much of the important context that are keeping African-Americans back today. We're talking out inter-generational poverty, the corrupt and racist racial justice system, exploding college debts for our young people and poor access to healthcare. They, the establishment, leave out that Martin Luther King was in favor of universal healthcare! And when he said universal healthcare, he meant universal, none of this "opt-in" baloney. The Poor People's Campaign, during the last years of his life, were focused on the economic liberation of Black folks, coincidentally he was assassinated before he could take the fight any further. Well, what are we waiting for? I want to envision the Poor People's Campaign into my Presidential bid, and I am going to call for radical change to influence the lives of working class people across this nation. Whether they be a person of color in Columbia, South Carolina working in manufacturing, or a white man in the coal fields of West Virginia.

It's all good and well to talk the good talk, but you need to also fight the good fight. I've co-sponsored many progressive bills to introduce multiple half-measures on healthcare, but that merely is not enough. I've sponsored much legislation myself while in the Senate for a term, including a Bill to permanently raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. You can check out my platform at Levi2020.com, but I'll quickly summarize my main policies. A $15 minimum wage, Medicare for All (not Medicare for "America", or "for those who want it"), College for All (meaning free college degrees, because education is a right), a Green New Deal (to create a future that is safe and livable for the next generations), ending the costly regime change wars (that rip money from social security, medicare and kill our brothers and sisters overseas) and more. This is only the beginning a new progressive renewal, one that believes in the fundamental rights of all, as American citizens, as humans no less. It's a society that works for the many, not just a select few. Because that's how this country is operating right now. Like George Carlin said; "it's a big club, and you ain't in it!". We need to get corporate money straight out of politics - clean out the corruption - and, in the words of the President, truly drain the swamp. He didn't drain it, he was the biggest swamp monster yet."