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

[Greater Arab State]

Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Friday, 21st February, 2020

It was once again time for the House Minority Leader to hold another of his weekly press conferences. Thus, Congressman Volker waited for the press to begin to ask their questions following his introduction.

[Louisianan]

"Thank you," Hypolite said, "Angelle and I play for family get together. They don't happen too much, with the youngins getting all growed up and all. Don't want to take time off to visit with their elders and all."

Angelle clapped too, "That was fun, we should do that again sometime. Anyway, Hypolite and Paul, if you'd like to go and have your meeting outside, I can get to work cleaning up in here, and me and Sarah can do some chit-chatting."

Sarah smiled. "We should definitely do this again."

Paul nodded, and looked over at Hypolite.

Hypolite laughed, "Well, I'll lead you to my porch. Right this way," Hypolite said as he led Paul to his front room door and walked outside to a swing and a table with a few chairs looking out onto the Intracoastal Canal, and under the Forked Island Bridge.

"You see Paul, I go fishing right there," Hypolite said as he pointed to a little broken down dock, "I caught me about two or three big black drums in one day, about 40 pounds each, that's why I asked if you fished. I got some beauty's from that there canal. Anyway, I believe we ought to start talking business. So, what is it, businesswise, that brings you this far south?"

[Louisianan]

FOX News Interview with Nate Richardson


Chuck Friar: Hello Fox News, this is Chuck Friar coming to you from Fox Headquarters and today we have the presidential candidate and Governor of North Carolina Nate Richardson here to discuss his campaign moving forward and the results of the South Carolina Primary. Welcome Mr. Richardson, it's wonderful to have you here today.

Richardson: Good to be here Chuck thanks for having me

Chuck: Of course, you're always welcome here. So, first off, I'd like to know about the night you heard you had won South Carolina. What was it like? How did you feel when you saw how close the primary was?

Richardson: We went in knowing it would be that close, Porter put everything he had in that state but in the end we did better than we thought... we fought strategically with limited resources and came out on top. I’m incredibly proud of the campaign for that and we have an energy that will carry into Super Tuesday.

Chuck: I see. As you know, I've recently interviewed your opponent, Mr. Porter, and he said that it may have been possible for you to have done quote, "Backroom stuff" which made it seem like you won. He also said, and I quote, "4 for me, 3 for him. I won South Carolina, no matter what the fake news media will tell you." regarding the county's he won. What do you say to both of those claims and accusations?

Richardson: Put up or shut up Porter. Courts are available if you have evidence of a back room deal please do share. But their isn’t any because no such deal was made.He won more counties, congratulations. By by ever rule and metric of the primary I won the majority of voters, and the majority of delegates. Porter is being a sore loser and treating the American people like idiots who don’t know 38 delegates is more than 12.

Chuck: I see what you mean. Do you think that illegitimizing the results of South Carolina and giving your campaign as much bad press as possible is going to hurt your campaign in a way that may cause you to lose some states that may have been tilting your way?

Richardson: I don't know honestly, I think the American people are smart enough to not fall for it but a lot of people in the liberal media are going to blanket the airwaves with it and make it that much harder for the actual important issues of the campaign to get through.

Chuck: If Porter wins the nomination, will you peacefully end your campaign, or will you try to say the results are false? I know that if you would win the nomination, I think there'd be a little bit of violence from Porter supporters on you and your campaign, so I feel like I also have to ask. Are you afraid of Porter?

Richardson: what? If Porter wins he wins, if he cheats which I have no reason to believe he will the we will present evidence and make our case. I’m not scared of Porter and his supporters certainly aren’t violent, and frankly I think it’s disgusting the you imply such without any evidence.

Chuck: Have you heard about the booklet that was floating around South Carolina right before the primary results were announced, in which there were claims that you support pedophiles. In an Advertisment he said, and I quote, "He has opened the doors to pedophiles, quite literally in fact, to sneak into the bathrooms of little girls in North Carolina. Who says he won't open the doors of the rest of America? Who says he won't let in all the terrorists, all the murderers, all the petty and great criminals rushing at our doors?"
At a rally, in California, Secretary Porter said, and I quote, "The choice here is very simple: morality or immorality, terror or peace, justice or anarchy."
Some people may say you're weak for not attacking back at these claims, what do you say to them? Also, what do you say about his words, when it comes to the election.

Richardson: Yes and frankly Chuck you shouldn’t be giving such disgusting accusations the time of day. He accused me of supporting pedophiles, That’s disgusting infuriating and completely unacceptable, it should be beneath someone like Secretary Porter and yes pisses me off to no end. The entire campaign of Porter is based on the belief the American people are idiots, I’ve literally never seen a candidate treat the American people with more contempt or lie to them with this extent.

Chuck: I understand your point Mr. Richardson, I just want to get your side. Secretary Porter also said in my last interview that in your advertisement, you say that Mr. Porter wants to raise land taxes, he claims that this is a major smear tactic even though he is on video saying it. What do you think about that? Is your campaign using a Doctored video impression of him to falsify his statements, as some of his supporters claim.

Richardson: The interview in question was on FOX live with your colleague Craig Benfield. The video is on your website achieves, you can confirm without a doubt it is authentic. Once again Porter is treating you the American people like they are idiots.... So Chuck how about you tell me if it’s authentic?

Chuck: I know it's authentic, it's obviously authentic, and I was honestly shocked when he claimed it was simply a smear tactic. Either way, Secretary Porter has a whole group of people denying the fact that it's authentic, and some of your supporters say that Porter changes his opinions and tries to change the facts depending on where he is campaigning. Do you agree with that conclusion?

Richardson: He just lies wherever he is and thinks he can get away with it. Truth is he is going to raise your taxes, take your social security and say it’s benefiting you.

Chuck: I know right? What do you say about his claims that you are a RINO? A republican in name only for those of you watching who don't know.

Richardson: He’s the one proposing things like high taxes and big government (laughs). Look I have a record I’m proud of, I wrote for conservative columns and magazines, I was a conservative in the house fighting for farmers and tax reform. As governor I passed legislation that balanced the budget, cut taxes, protected religious liberty, curbed abortion, protected gun rights, I’m incredibly proud of it. I have been consistently conservative and Porter can give a single example of when I’ve been a RINO.

Chuck: Some may still find you to be too moderate, with your Pro LGBT rhetoric and your moderate stance on abortion, and some may find you to be a wolf in sheep clothing, especially after Representative Arthur Franklin announced his support of you over Levi Murphy. What do you have to say to them?

Richardson: I need to push back on that a bit. Respectfully I have believed, and publicly stated, my entire adult life that life begins at conception. As governor I passed pro life legislation that courts unfortunately overturned. Porter has stated on camera multiple times in the past year that he believes life does NOT begin at conception, and he supports far less abortion restrictions than I do. Look I had democrats support me for Governor twice over, Wolf had a lot of democrats cross over for him. That’s doesn’t mean I’m not a conservative it means the Left has lost their mind.

Chuck: Mhm. Alright Mr. Richardson, that's about all the time we have, do you have anything you'd like to say directly to the American people?

Richardson: 2020 is going to be a year for the record books and one of the most important elections of our lifetime. Everything we have achieved since 2016 is on the ballot and if we want to really change the country, drain the swamp and raise up working families we need to get moving. I want to lead and bring that change, preserving the Wolf economy and then building on it with wages and jobs as the top priority. If you want to work for that too, then I ask for your support. Thank you and God Bless

Chuck: Thank you Governor for your time with us. Always a pleasure to have you.

Richardson: Pleasure was all mine.

[Republick Deutschland]

Sarah smiled. "We should definitely do this again."

Paul nodded, and looked over at Hypolite.

Hypolite laughed, "Well, I'll lead you to my porch. Right this way," Hypolite said as he led Paul to his front room door and walked outside to a swing and a table with a few chairs looking out onto the Intracoastal Canal, and under the Forked Island Bridge.

"You see Paul, I go fishing right there," Hypolite said as he pointed to a little broken down dock, "I caught me about two or three big black drums in one day, about 40 pounds each, that's why I asked if you fished. I got some beauty's from that there canal. Anyway, I believe we ought to start talking business. So, what is it, businesswise, that brings you this far south?"

"I came to propose we exchange endorsements, Hypolite." Paul said, gazing into his eyes.

[Louisianan]

Hypolite laughed, "Well, I'll lead you to my porch. Right this way," Hypolite said as he led Paul to his front room door and walked outside to a swing and a table with a few chairs looking out onto the Intracoastal Canal, and under the Forked Island Bridge.

"You see Paul, I go fishing right there," Hypolite said as he pointed to a little broken down dock, "I caught me about two or three big black drums in one day, about 40 pounds each, that's why I asked if you fished. I got some beauty's from that there canal. Anyway, I believe we ought to start talking business. So, what is it, businesswise, that brings you this far south?"

"I came to propose we exchange endorsements, Hypolite." Paul said, gazing into his eyes.

"Well, sounds simple enough. Why do you want an old southern farmer's endorsement? You know, especially after Senator Colbert and I had a parting of the ways, I thought I'd turn into a pariah." Hypolite laughed,

[Republick Deutschland]

"I came to propose we exchange endorsements, Hypolite." Paul said, gazing into his eyes.

"Well, sounds simple enough. Why do you want an old southern farmer's endorsement? You know, especially after Senator Colbert and I had a parting of the ways, I thought I'd turn into a pariah." Hypolite laughed,

"Because you're a good man, Hypolite. Respected by the people you serve."

[Louisianan]

"Well, sounds simple enough. Why do you want an old southern farmer's endorsement? You know, especially after Senator Colbert and I had a parting of the ways, I thought I'd turn into a pariah." Hypolite laughed,

"Because you're a good man, Hypolite. Respected by the people you serve."

"I thank you Representative for your kind words. You've spent a long time, driving down here, to Louisiana just to ask for something that could have been done on the phone. That shows your drive, passion, and you obviously have a great sense of integrity. I'll be proud to endorse you. Your a good man, and a great politician, and I'll tell you this, I don't want to sit next to that Jack Vichter feller." Hypolite said, "Would you like me to do anything special to announce the endorsement? I'm quite a showman when need be."

[Bruke]

Democratic Leader’s Suite, the Capitol Building

The Minority Leader, finishing up yet another meeting with “the quiet ones” that had gone on longer than expected, was forced to have a late lunch. But that change in schedule worked out for his benefit: he was able to listen to Westra’s interview... and he liked what he heard.

The Senator from New Jersey was saying exactly what Karel wanted to hear.

Where to begin?

First of all, the declaration of being uninterested in “labels or ideological struggles” resonated with him.

Karel was never one for ideology. He didn’t become a moderate because of some deep-seated belief in center-left politics. He became a moderate because he saw moderation as the most flexible path.

The public praise for his leadership was also appreciated. He was glad to know all of the bridge-building was paying off.

Karel chuckled to himself. If someone had told him earlier in his career that he’d be working with a politician promising “reforms”, he would have called that person a liar. Yet here he was. And what reforms they were!

The suggestion of a sovereign wealth fund reminded him somewhat of what Huey Long did to the oil industry in Louisiana- harness the wealth from natural resources to invest in projects that would benefit ordinary people.

The infrastructure bank concept was even more intriguing. It reminded him of FDR’s Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which worked in a similar manner to the proposed bank.

The other ideas -baby bonds, and a universe child benefit among them, were also welcomed.

But what really made him smile was the public employment program. It was just that kind of program that helped his own father, who lacked a college education, get through the Depression and start a fulfilling career with the Parks Department.

The debate over the merits of MMT went over Karel’s head, but he decided to trust that Tim knew what he was talking about- after all, only one of them had a degree from Cornell. Or a degree at all, for that matter.

Tim was bright, and in Karel’s opinion, he deserved a bright future in the Senate.

An idea came to mind, that only occurred once before. As Karel mulled it over, he decided to talk to the man himself.

Figuring that he was due for a walk, he made his way to Tim’s office himself, briefcase in tow, and asked if Tim was available to talk.

[Sarenium]

A handwritten letter would be delivered to Senator Tim Westra, the letter having been written and delivered on none other than February 20th, only two days before Nevada.

Dear Tim,

Liam and I would be honoured to welcome you for dinner in Norfolk, would you be able to make it down for this Sunday, the 23rd of February?

My apologies for the short notice, but I did want to see you as soon as I could after Nevada!

Sincerely,
Jillian

[Republick Deutschland]

"Because you're a good man, Hypolite. Respected by the people you serve."

"I thank you Representative for your kind words. You've spent a long time, driving down here, to Louisiana just to ask for something that could have been done on the phone. That shows your drive, passion, and you obviously have a great sense of integrity. I'll be proud to endorse you. Your a good man, and a great politician, and I'll tell you this, I don't want to sit next to that Jack Vichter feller." Hypolite said, "Would you like me to do anything special to announce the endorsement? I'm quite a showman when need be."

"I appreciate it." Paul responded.

He reached out and shook Hypolite's hand.

"Well," Paul checked his watch. "It's getting a bit late if we want to be home by tonight, so Sarah and I better get going. "Thank You for lunch, Hypolite. We'd love to have you at our house sometime!"

[Sarenium]

---

Monday, February 23rd to Tuesday, February 24th
Frankston for Senate Campaign
Fort Worth

---

Here he spoke at a rally. First, his wife would introduce him. Then, his father would make a surprise appearance. Howard Frankston was a known quantity here, he didn't speak but simply sat behind the podium, as Joe emerged.

"Good evening, thank y'all for coming out.

This evening, as we sit here, just over 25,000 of our fellow Texans are likely to spend the night unsheltered, and on the street. Of them, over 1,800 Texan Veterans will be among them. As Veterans go into the night cold and unacknowledged, some of whom I see are with us tonight, I like many Texans look for a way out. To me that way is clear. If I am elected to the U.S. Senate, my mission is clear. To get our veterans off the streets and into homes, and to do that, we need an abundance of good paying, Texan jobs. To get those jobs, well friends, we need the Federal Government to butt the heck out of our business. If I am in the U.S. Senate you can bet that this alongside fixing our broken VA system will be my key mission,

I didn't fight in Iraq or Afghanistan, I didn't monitor our skies for sudden attacks, I didn't train the next generation of U.S. Air Force pilots to see it all go to waste as Democrat Deficits drive up our debt and the Hollywood elite decide that their fantasyland is how Congress should operate! No, no we need someone in the Senate who understands how to balance the books, and how to do it quickly. When you run an airbase, you know how to make things happen in a timely manner. Whether it's keeping planes running on time, or coming back with a balanced budget, I'm proud to say I've done it before and I'll do it again!

When I was working in CENTCOM, we fought ISIS, Al Qaeda, and the insurgents that be and we did it by knowing where and when to spend our resources. That thinking is what we need in Washington, Congressman Clay has been there and he's let the Simone Volek deficit train run like wild! Congressman Seatwarmer can hardly go to the Senate if he's done nothing in the House now can he?

That's right, we need proven, efficient, conservatives in the U.S. Senate and I'm proud to say I will continue the legacy of fiscal prudence that past Texan Republicans, in the mold of John Tower and President Burke. That is the leadership we need now."

The campaign would later spend the afternoon in the Fort Worth area building support for Joe Frankston, the Tuesday would be spent in the wealthier ends of it where Joe spoke highly of his plans for lower taxes and the continuation of the "Wolf Stocks". The latter half of the Tuesday would involve visits to veterans families and vets themselves.

[Azekopolaltion]

Democratic Leader’s Suite, the Capitol Building

The Minority Leader, finishing up yet another meeting with “the quiet ones” that had gone on longer than expected, was forced to have a late lunch. But that change in schedule worked out for his benefit: he was able to listen to Westra’s interview... and he liked what he heard.

The Senator from New Jersey was saying exactly what Karel wanted to hear.

Where to begin?

First of all, the declaration of being uninterested in “labels or ideological struggles” resonated with him.

Karel was never one for ideology. He didn’t become a moderate because of some deep-seated belief in center-left politics. He became a moderate because he saw moderation as the most flexible path.

The public praise for his leadership was also appreciated. He was glad to know all of the bridge-building was paying off.

Karel chuckled to himself. If someone had told him earlier in his career that he’d be working with a politician promising “reforms”, he would have called that person a liar. Yet here he was. And what reforms they were!

The suggestion of a sovereign wealth fund reminded him somewhat of what Huey Long did to the oil industry in Louisiana- harness the wealth from natural resources to invest in projects that would benefit ordinary people.

The infrastructure bank concept was even more intriguing. It reminded him of FDR’s Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which worked in a similar manner to the proposed bank.

The other ideas -baby bonds, and a universe child benefit among them, were also welcomed.

But what really made him smile was the public employment program. It was just that kind of program that helped his own father, who lacked a college education, get through the Depression and start a fulfilling career with the Parks Department.

The debate over the merits of MMT went over Karel’s head, but he decided to trust that Tim knew what he was talking about- after all, only one of them had a degree from Cornell. Or a degree at all, for that matter.

Tim was bright, and in Karel’s opinion, he deserved a bright future in the Senate.

An idea came to mind, that only occurred once before. As Karel mulled it over, he decided to talk to the man himself.

Figuring that he was due for a walk, he made his way to Tim’s office himself, briefcase in tow, and asked if Tim was available to talk.

---

Sen. Tim Westra (D-NJ)
Washington, D.C.
February 22nd, 2020

---

Tim had just finished up listening to his own interview, which had been recorded a few days earlier. He was glad that it had been mostly unedited, as requested by him; Freakonomics usually had a bad habit of adding in their own commentary and selectively adding in quotes from the interviewee. Over all, it had turned out well. Everything was turning out well; EITC expansion was moving relatively slowly but smoothly through the Senate, Dayton had invited him for dinner tomorrow for which he had already booked Amtrak tickets, and the leadership seemed happy enough with him. It seemed like everyone else was finally catching up to Tim's progressive ideas - and it had only taken a small change in strategy.

Just as he was thinking about the last point, he looked up at the front door to see that his young secretary was ushering none other than Karel Volek into his office. He had a policy of never having to keep members of the leadership waiting, but this was definitely a pleasant surprise. Usually Senators were expected in the Leader's office - not the other way round. And normally other politicians were not working on weekends. Oh, who was he kidding; this was the Senate Minority Leader, after all.

"Karel!" Tim started, figuring he had worked closely enough with the man now to be on first-name basis, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

---

Tim Westra
Norfolk, Virginia
February 23rd, 2020

---

It had been a long train ride down to Norfolk from Washington - five hours, to be precise. But Tim preferred rail to road any day, and the journey hadn't been particularly unpleasant. He'd made sure to pick up some of the traditionally gifted booze before he'd departed; Tim didn't drink a lot, and had no idea what to buy, so he stuck with what he knew - a good old bottle of Jim Beam Bourbon. Where he came from, folks didn't drink much other than cans of cold beer, but you could always count on some good $15 bourbon being present at the fancy parties. Cheap whiskey was as fancy as Freehold, New Jersey got.

The Daytons lived in a nice house, similarly comfortable as the new one he'd purchased in Princeton. He walked up to the door and rang the bell confidently. He was happy to have some good face time with the woman he was confident could be the next president of America.

[Louisianan]

"I thank you Representative for your kind words. You've spent a long time, driving down here, to Louisiana just to ask for something that could have been done on the phone. That shows your drive, passion, and you obviously have a great sense of integrity. I'll be proud to endorse you. Your a good man, and a great politician, and I'll tell you this, I don't want to sit next to that Jack Vichter feller." Hypolite said, "Would you like me to do anything special to announce the endorsement? I'm quite a showman when need be."

"I appreciate it." Paul responded.

He reached out and shook Hypolite's hand.

"Well," Paul checked his watch. "It's getting a bit late if we want to be home by tonight, so Sarah and I better get going. "Thank You for lunch, Hypolite. We'd love to have you at our house sometime!"

"Your very welcome. Give me a call sometime!" Hypolite said as Paul and Sarah drove away.

[Bruke]

Tim had just finished up listening to his own interview, which had been recorded a few days earlier. He was glad that it had been mostly unedited, as requested by him; Freakonomics usually had a bad habit of adding in their own commentary and selectively adding in quotes from the interviewee. Over all, it had turned out well. Everything was turning out well; EITC expansion was moving relatively slowly but smoothly through the Senate, Dayton had invited him for dinner tomorrow for which he had already booked Amtrak tickets, and the leadership seemed happy enough with him. It seemed like everyone else was finally catching up to Tim's progressive ideas - and it had only taken a small change in strategy.

Just as he was thinking about the last point, he looked up at the front door to see that his young secretary was ushering none other than Karel Volek into his office. He had a policy of never having to keep members of the leadership waiting, but this was definitely a pleasant surprise. Usually Senators were expected in the Leader's office - not the other way round. And normally other politicians were not working on weekends. Oh, who was he kidding; this was the Senate Minority Leader, after all.

"Karel!" Tim started, figuring he had worked closely enough with the man now to be on first-name basis, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

“Tim! Just the Senator I wanted to see. Our last meeting ended a lot earlier than expected, but I wanted to update you on the antitrust bill... and discuss another matter.”

[The Grand Duchy Of Nova Capile]

---

Texas

Clay continued his Texas Tour in Snyder, an oil town. He spent the morning door-knocking in the town’s residential area; as ever, his selling point was Cramp’s endorsement in contrast to Frankston’s “wishes-washy, moderate RINO” status. At noon he went to the local SACROC oil field, where he spoke to a crowd of oil workers on their lunch break:

“Y’alls town is a perfect example of Texas’ booming energy industry. Not only do we have this oil field, which has provided a steady source of employment and prosperity for decades, but we’ve got two of the biggest wind farms in the nation across the way and, most important of all, a newly discovered shale deposit that’s ten times as rich as Eagle Ford. The Cline Shale is going to mean thousands of jobs and billions of dollars for y’alls community— and that’s what the Democrats want to take away. The coastal elite will strangle y’alls industry to make some asinine point about climate change— and Joe Frankston won’t stop ‘em. He’s been silent on the issue of energy for this whole campaign, because he’s a moderate. Just like he won’t promise to build the wall, he won’t promise to protect y’alls livelihoods. Well, I will. If y’all elect me Senator, I’ll see that we use the Cline Shale to its full potential, and reap the jobs, the wages, and the profits that come with it.”

Clay arrived in Post that afternoon, where he canvassed conservative neighborhoods until the evening, when he attended a tight-knit small business forum, and spoke:

“Since the beginning of my campaign, I have espoused a platform which will boost y’alls family businesses and wages. Expanding tax credits and committing to investments in Middle America, like Governor Richardson’s American Heartland Plan, will be high up on my agenda in the Senate. Now compare that to y’alls other choice in the primary, Joe Frankston. He can claim to be pro-small business all he likes, but the truth of the matter is that he’s in bed with the huge chains and conglomerates who try to drive y’alls family shops out of business. He’s a moderate who won’t even commit to building the wall, for crying out loud. I’m the safe, conservative option. I don’t believe in ‘bipartisan compromises’ like Frankston; I will fight for what I believe in.”

The next morning Crawford was off to Levelland, where he repeated the speech he had made in Snyder to local petroleum workers, stressing that he had always advocated for the energy industry and contrasting it with Frankston’s muteness on the subject. He also spoke to a number of textile workers in Levelland:

“Right now, American manufacturing is under assault. Y’alls jobs and wages are under assault. Over 300,000 American jobs are outsourced every year. That’s not to mention all of the pay y’all lose when salaries are slashed in order to compete with foreign workers. Now, is Joe Frankston on the front lines of this war, fighting for our jobs? No, he ain’t! He hasn’t said a word for y’all this entire campaign. In fact, he wouldn’t even promise to build President Wolf’s wall, which is the number one solution to saving our industries. If y’all elect Joe Frankston, y’all might as well cast y’alls votes for Baines for all the good it’ll do. But just like I said at the debate, and like I’ve always said, I will build that wall, save manufacturing, and keep Texas great!”

Finally, Clay finished the day in Seminole, where he canvassed an often-overlooked community: the Mennonites. Almost 6,000 lived near Seminole, and if he could get even a fraction of that vote, it could make all the difference. Crawford travelled between several of the religious compounds, always giving a speech explaining his extremely religious background:

“When I was a judge, I brought God into the courtroom. As a Representative, I brought God into the House. And as a Senator, I will bring God into the Senate. You won’t see that from any other candidate in the race. Joe Frankston won’t pray before he votes. And I can guarantee that he won’t give a lick of thought to your communities before he votes. Well, I will. I am in love with what I have seen here; a rural, idyllic community that lives off the land, takes care of its own, and is close to God. I will protect your way of life and defend your religious freedom in the face of a socialist menace that wants to destroy God-fearing communities like yours. All I need is your votes, so that your voices can finally be heard in our government.”

Clay attended a Mennonite sermon that evening, and ate with the parishioners, endeavoring to form personal collections and motivate them to the polls before he had to leave that evening. Meanwhile, pictures of Clay interacting with Mennonite farmers, as well as milking a cow and riding a horse, were spread across his social media accounts.

Clay was one day ahead of schedule, which was excellent as it would give him more time for campaigning. Next on the trail was Brownwood.

[Azekopolaltion]

Tim had just finished up listening to his own interview, which had been recorded a few days earlier. He was glad that it had been mostly unedited, as requested by him; Freakonomics usually had a bad habit of adding in their own commentary and selectively adding in quotes from the interviewee. Over all, it had turned out well. Everything was turning out well; EITC expansion was moving relatively slowly but smoothly through the Senate, Dayton had invited him for dinner tomorrow for which he had already booked Amtrak tickets, and the leadership seemed happy enough with him. It seemed like everyone else was finally catching up to Tim's progressive ideas - and it had only taken a small change in strategy.

Just as he was thinking about the last point, he looked up at the front door to see that his young secretary was ushering none other than Karel Volek into his office. He had a policy of never having to keep members of the leadership waiting, but this was definitely a pleasant surprise. Usually Senators were expected in the Leader's office - not the other way round. And normally other politicians were not working on weekends. Oh, who was he kidding; this was the Senate Minority Leader, after all.

"Karel!" Tim started, figuring he had worked closely enough with the man now to be on first-name basis, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

“Tim! Just the Senator I wanted to see. Our last meeting ended a lot earlier than expected, but I wanted to update you on the antitrust bill... and discuss another matter.”

"Please, have a seat," Tim stood up, motioning for the elderly Senator to sit, "can I get you something to drink? A beer? Water?" He had heard the slight seriousness at the end of his greeting, so he wanted to have the man sufficiently buttered up before they got down to business. Tim liked Karel, and was happy with the partnership they had now, but he wasn't naive to the fact that the two of them did not see eye to eye in many of the areas where Tim placed a lot of importance. He was curious to hear what he had to say.

[Puertollano]

Levi Murphy Campaigning in North Charleston
North Charleston, South Carolina

A strong showing in Nevada was great, but there was a lot of campaigning to be done in the state of South Carolina. The campaign, realistically, was already writing it off as a Dayton victory. Though, the Senator was never one to give up a fight, and the primary in South Carolina wasn't going to be a primary that Murphy would throw up his hands and surrender to. What he could do, instead, would be to dwindle away at her margins in the state through smart, and strategic campaigning in key areas. This started with peeling Black support away from Dayton. These were many voters that were not truly rusted-on Dayton supporters, but rather, tentative supporters of her due to Velez's and the establishments backing of her over Murphy. That's why, when returning to South Carolina, their first stop would be in North Charleston. Just shy of half the population was African-American, which made it is a disproportionately Black city compared to many others.

His first stop was to Patriots Point Naval Museum. Despite being an out and out pacifist, Levi did enjoy war history so visiting the Naval museum was an interesting stop for him on the campaign trail. The Senator was given a tour of the facility, and had the opportunity to step on-board the retired Aircraft Carrier they had there in the Museum. Levi Murphy was given a tour, he walked through, his campaign staff and surrogates were not far behind. Once reaching the top decks of the Aircraft Carrier, the campaign filmed a short video of Murphy on the top. "Hi all, I'm here in South Carolina at the Patriots Point Naval Museum. I want to use this moment to reiterate the need for us to get the hell out of the Middle East and bring our troops home. We need to end this 'endless' wars and re-invest in rural and working class America. That includes here, in South Carolina, too. What we need is Medicare for All, not new predator drones in Afghanistan. What we need is universal education, not more MOABs in Pakistan. What we need is a re-investment in you, not in the war machine in Syria. We need to re-take our government and ban the influence of the massive, military industrial complex."

After the visit to the museum, the campaigned moved on to their majority African American rally, held in a majority African American neighbourhood of North Charleston. The event was organised and advertised as such to attract as many black Democratic voters as possible. A few Black Murphy surrogates would take to the stage before him, talking about the need to vote Levi for healthcare, education and jobs. After they gave their speeches, Murphy took to the stage to give a few words to the crowd.

"Thank you, to all of you. I appreciate all of the work that was put into today, into the event, into building a cross-racial movement to win the presidential election in 2020. But, really, there is more to politics than voting. Many of those who left important legacies in building working class movements to fight power knew that they would have to sometimes work outside of the electoral realms. I appreciate this view, I support this view. Those people, like Martin Luther King, Bayard Rustin,Angela Davis, Fred Hampton, Malcolm X knew that there is no racial justice without economic justice. There's no equality between Black, Brown and White until we have economic parity between races - it is this that I believe we must push harder, push further and break new ground in advancing the livelihoods of Black and Brown Americans, as I see it."

"We've come a great distance since the early days of slavery in our country, to the civil war, to the wage slavery of Black Americans, to the exploitation of Black labour to win World War Two but discard them after its conclusion. We've come a long way since the Jim Crow era, since the Civil Rights Movement, we've made a lot of progress since the initial Black Lives Matter protests in this country. We've made progress, that's for sure, but we are far from the end goal. The equal treatment of all races in this country has not yet been realized. The exploitation of workers in this country has not concluded. And the forces that put downward pressure on the people from rising up continue to exist. These forces, such as the establishment of the few, the control of the media in a few rich hands, the concentration of political clout by massive corporations are all directly impeding the further progress we could be making on the advancement of equality, right around this country."

"Serious action must be taken. I want to fairly distribute the success of America down to the middle-class, to the working-class, to lower-income families. I want to see real programs such as Medicare for All, tuition-free college to be implemented so that our young kids can realize their potential. There's nothing more powerful or impact towards racial equality than educating and teaching the current youth of today to be better people. What's the use of change now if the progress we make is rolled-back by generations in the future. What we need is education, universal education. But that's not all. We need to teach the real history of the real America. We need some truth-telling in this country. Yes, the Civil War was based on the South wanting to keep slaves. Yes, those who opposed civil rights in the 50s and 60s were wrong, they were racists. That's what we need: radical truth-telling on the past of America, and how we can change course."

"I make a promise here today, that I will fight tooth and nail for justice. Justice for those killed by police. Justice for those in the Black community who were forced to ration insulin because they couldn't afford their medication. Justice is justice everywhere, and an injustice not fixed is a wound on the psyche of our broader conscience. I don't want to drag on for too much longer, but as a Democrat, as a Presidential candidate, I promise to be an agent of change. I believe change should be ambitious, should be loud and shouldn't be afraid of getting down into the mud. You have Black, Brown and White kids growing up into inter-generational poverty, you've got Flint in many majority-African American cities like it still without water. The change is for all of them, and more. So thank you all."

[Bruke]

“Tim! Just the Senator I wanted to see. Our last meeting ended a lot earlier than expected, but I wanted to update you on the antitrust bill... and discuss another matter.”

"Please, have a seat," Tim stood up, motioning for the elderly Senator to sit, "can I get you something to drink? A beer? Water?" He had heard the slight seriousness at the end of his greeting, so he wanted to have the man sufficiently buttered up before they got down to business. Tim liked Karel, and was happy with the partnership they had now, but he wasn't naive to the fact that the two of them did not see eye to eye in many of the areas where Tim placed a lot of importance. He was curious to hear what he had to say.

“I’d appreciate some water, please. Now, I have the skeleton of the antitrust bill done, and ready to share with you. But before we do that I’d like to touch base on a few things.”

He paused for a moment.

“The goal of the bill is for us to be in a win-win situation. Meaning: we force the GOP into a lose-lose situation. I’d like it to be just tempting enough to have the so-called “populist” Republicans join in, and break with leadership. I want progressive Dems doing the bulk of the writing before reaching out to potential Republican co-sponsors, so those co-sponsors have to essentially take the bill as-is, with minor changes only. A certain person you’ll have to work with wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He paused again for a moment, seeing how he could break the news.

“I want you to work with Levi on this bill. Now what I’m about to say next, doesn’t leave this room… this bill is meant to be a carrot. A giant carrot that’ll get him to behave.”

[Azekopolaltion]

"Please, have a seat," Tim stood up, motioning for the elderly Senator to sit, "can I get you something to drink? A beer? Water?" He had heard the slight seriousness at the end of his greeting, so he wanted to have the man sufficiently buttered up before they got down to business. Tim liked Karel, and was happy with the partnership they had now, but he wasn't naive to the fact that the two of them did not see eye to eye in many of the areas where Tim placed a lot of importance. He was curious to hear what he had to say.

“I’d appreciate some water, please. Now, I have the skeleton of the antitrust bill done, and ready to share with you. But before we do that I’d like to touch base on a few things.”

He paused for a moment.

“The goal of the bill is for us to be in a win-win situation. Meaning: we force the GOP into a lose-lose situation. I’d like it to be just tempting enough to have the so-called “populist” Republicans join in, and break with leadership. I want progressive Dems doing the bulk of the writing before reaching out to potential Republican co-sponsors, so those co-sponsors have to essentially take the bill as-is, with minor changes only. A certain person you’ll have to work with wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He paused again for a moment, seeing how he could break the news.

“I want you to work with Levi on this bill. Now what I’m about to say next, doesn’t leave this room… this bill is meant to be a carrot. A giant carrot that’ll get him to behave.”

Tim brought Karel his water and took a seat across from him. He leaned forward as he heard the last part. This was the part of the job Tim had always disliked – the blatant horsetrading, quid-pro-quo politics that he knew he should've expected after partnering with leadership. But it was part of the deal - there was no backing out now.

"I'm not opposed to working with Levi, had this been any other year I would've done so enthusiastically," Tim replied, speaking in a measured and reserved tone. "But given the whole Dayton endorsement and campaigning situation, I"m sure you realize this...complicates, things. I can't see how this bill would be an effective carrot."

[Emazia]

Bernard J. Porter
@BerniePorter

Under my Presidency, we will build massive dams - great dams - across Nevada, to build jobs, build housing, and continue making America great again, carrying on the Arnold Wolf legacy of jobs, jobs and jobs!

[Bruke]

“I’d appreciate some water, please. Now, I have the skeleton of the antitrust bill done, and ready to share with you. But before we do that I’d like to touch base on a few things.”

He paused for a moment.

“The goal of the bill is for us to be in a win-win situation. Meaning: we force the GOP into a lose-lose situation. I’d like it to be just tempting enough to have the so-called “populist” Republicans join in, and break with leadership. I want progressive Dems doing the bulk of the writing before reaching out to potential Republican co-sponsors, so those co-sponsors have to essentially take the bill as-is, with minor changes only. A certain person you’ll have to work with wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He paused again for a moment, seeing how he could break the news.

“I want you to work with Levi on this bill. Now what I’m about to say next, doesn’t leave this room… this bill is meant to be a carrot. A giant carrot that’ll get him to behave.”

Tim brought Karel his water and took a seat across from him. He leaned forward as he heard the last part. This was the part of the job Tim had always disliked – the blatant horsetrading, quid-pro-quo politics that he knew he should've expected after partnering with leadership. But it was part of the deal - there was no backing out now.

"I'm not opposed to working with Levi, had this been any other year I would've done so enthusiastically," Tim replied, speaking in a measured and reserved tone. "But given the whole Dayton endorsement and campaigning situation, I"m sure you realize this...complicates, things. I can't see how this bill would be an effective carrot."

“Well, having Murphy work on the bill alone would raise questions of favoritism and would mean he’d have a blank check to write whatever he wanted. The rest of the Caucus will only go along with this if he shows that he’s changing for the better. Like, for example, if he apologized to his fellow Democrats for his part in the censure nonsense- that’s just one thing I’ve been able to wring out him, thanks to this. And I know I can get him in line if there’s something in it for him. I’m not saying this is an ideal situation- but it’s what has to be done to bring the Caucus back together.”

[Sarenium]

---

Tim Westra
Norfolk, Virginia
February 23rd, 2020

---

It had been a long train ride down to Norfolk from Washington - five hours, to be precise. But Tim preferred rail to road any day, and the journey hadn't been particularly unpleasant. He'd made sure to pick up some of the traditionally gifted booze before he'd departed; Tim didn't drink a lot, and had no idea what to buy, so he stuck with what he knew - a good old bottle of Jim Beam Bourbon. Where he came from, folks didn't drink much other than cans of cold beer, but you could always count on some good $15 bourbon being present at the fancy parties. Cheap whiskey was as fancy as Freehold, New Jersey got.

The Daytons lived in a nice house, similarly comfortable as the new one he'd purchased in Princeton. He walked up to the door and rang the bell confidently. He was happy to have some good face time with the woman he was confident could be the next president of America.

Liam opened the door, "Senator Westra," he shook Tim's hand, "please, come in. Jill is fretting over the roast," he grinned, taking Tim's coat as he led Westra into the house. The den with a fireplace and the stairs leading up on their way where Liam laid the coat over an arm and through into the kitchen where Jill was fiddling with the oven.

"Tim!" she came over, giving him a hug, "I'm sorry for the informality, would you like anything to drink as I fix Liam's burnt roast?"

"Guilty," Liam sighed, he skirted past her with a grin as he began fiddling with the temperature.

"We have wine, whiskey, beers, just about anything," Jillian smiled, "what shall I pour?"

[Azekopolaltion]

---

Tim Westra
Norfolk, Virginia
February 23rd, 2020

---

It had been a long train ride down to Norfolk from Washington - five hours, to be precise. But Tim preferred rail to road any day, and the journey hadn't been particularly unpleasant. He'd made sure to pick up some of the traditionally gifted booze before he'd departed; Tim didn't drink a lot, and had no idea what to buy, so he stuck with what he knew - a good old bottle of Jim Beam Bourbon. Where he came from, folks didn't drink much other than cans of cold beer, but you could always count on some good $15 bourbon being present at the fancy parties. Cheap whiskey was as fancy as Freehold, New Jersey got.

The Daytons lived in a nice house, similarly comfortable as the new one he'd purchased in Princeton. He walked up to the door and rang the bell confidently. He was happy to have some good face time with the woman he was confident could be the next president of America.

Liam opened the door, "Senator Westra," he shook Tim's hand, "please, come in. Jill is fretting over the roast," he grinned, taking Tim's coat as he led Westra into the house. The den with a fireplace and the stairs leading up on their way where Liam laid the coat over an arm and through into the kitchen where Jill was fiddling with the oven.

"Tim!" she came over, giving him a hug, "I'm sorry for the informality, would you like anything to drink as I fix Liam's burnt roast?"

"Guilty," Liam sighed, he skirted past her with a grin as he began fiddling with the temperature.

"We have wine, whiskey, beers, just about anything," Jillian smiled, "what shall I pour?"

"Please, Liam, 'Tim' is just fine," he said, gripping the man's hand in a firm shake and smiling. He handed him the bottle as he stepped inside, "wasn't sure what you guys drink, thought I'd stick with what I knew just to be safe."

The interior was nicely decorated and cozy looking. Tim looked from left to right as they walked inside, "you have a really beautiful home." They were finally in the kitchen, where Jillian was visible prodding something around in the oven. He bent down to give her a quick hug, "Wow, well whatever it is, it smells delicious," he replied, commenting on the roast.

"Hmmm, a cold beer would be just perfect, thank you." He looked around the kitchen again before continuing, "I was just telling your husband, you have a really beautiful home Jillian."

[Sarenium]

Liam opened the door, "Senator Westra," he shook Tim's hand, "please, come in. Jill is fretting over the roast," he grinned, taking Tim's coat as he led Westra into the house. The den with a fireplace and the stairs leading up on their way where Liam laid the coat over an arm and through into the kitchen where Jill was fiddling with the oven.

"Tim!" she came over, giving him a hug, "I'm sorry for the informality, would you like anything to drink as I fix Liam's burnt roast?"

"Guilty," Liam sighed, he skirted past her with a grin as he began fiddling with the temperature.

"We have wine, whiskey, beers, just about anything," Jillian smiled, "what shall I pour?"

"Please, Liam, 'Tim' is just fine," he said, gripping the man's hand in a firm shake and smiling. He handed him the bottle as he stepped inside, "wasn't sure what you guys drink, thought I'd stick with what I knew just to be safe."

The interior was nicely decorated and cozy looking. Tim looked from left to right as they walked inside, "you have a really beautiful home." They were finally in the kitchen, where Jillian was visible prodding something around in the oven. He bent down to give her a quick hug, "Wow, well whatever it is, it smells delicious," he replied, commenting on the roast.

"Hmmm, a cold beer would be just perfect, thank you." He looked around the kitchen again before continuing, "I was just telling your husband, you have a really beautiful home Jillian."

"It's my old family home, I grew up right here, although back then the rumpus wasn't a thing," she gestured to the spare rumpus room tucked away, "and the upper floor was far less open. Liam and I spent three months renovating this house top to bottom," she smiled nostalgically as she plucked out two beers, "I'll leave Chef Crap here to fix up this roast, thank you for the whiskey," as she led him into the den they'd walked past on their way in, "and thank you for coming down on such short notice. I hate to spring shop talk on you at a happy dinner catch up, but I did have to commend you on that exceptional interview last week."

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

Martin Spellman
@thespellman

---

Many GOP officials say gaslighting is not real when it comes to backhanded comments and systemic actions directed at people of color but when Gov. Richardson debates a fellow radical conservative, suddenly it's real? All because the Governor is feeling a little threatened of losing to crazy Bernie? Hypocrisy at its finest.