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

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“Yes, I thought that would be the case. In all honesty, it took some time for me to back the Governor for similar reasons. However, I assure you that I will fully support those of you who feel as if the Governor doesn’t respect you, and I’ll make sure that Secretary Porter and his supporters are included within our party as we move forward. I unequivocally guarantee you that.”

"Really, what I think the members of the Porter camp want to see is an expression of contrition. Real contrition, real apology. An admission of our value to the coalition. And some real movement on the policies that matter to us. He's so..." She hummed, trying to find the words. "...intractable. He's single-mindedly determined in the belief that he is absolutely right about everything, and it rubs off wrong on everyone - including the electorate."

[Greater Arab State]

“Yes, I thought that would be the case. In all honesty, it took some time for me to back the Governor for similar reasons. However, I assure you that I will fully support those of you who feel as if the Governor doesn’t respect you, and I’ll make sure that Secretary Porter and his supporters are included within our party as we move forward. I unequivocally guarantee you that.”

"Really, what I think the members of the Porter camp want to see is an expression of contrition. Real contrition, real apology. An admission of our value to the coalition. And some real movement on the policies that matter to us. He's so..." She hummed, trying to find the words. "...intractable. He's single-mindedly determined in the belief that he is absolutely right about everything, and it rubs off wrong on everyone - including the electorate."

Thomas nodded as the Representative spoke before replying in turn.

“I think I can certainly get that for you. Are there any particular policies that the Porter camp would like to see movement on?”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Thomas nodded as the Representative spoke before replying in turn.

“I think I can certainly get that for you. Are there any particular policies that the Porter camp would like to see movement on?”

"It can't be a half apology. It needs to be public, it needs to be an admission of wrongdoing, and he needs to give praise to General Porter and his movement." Kathy had a lot of respect for the man, having served under him in her tours of Iraq. "I know abortion is very, very important to the General. Richardson's always been very wishy-washy on social issues and we want him to stop politicking for a second, buck up and have a principle for once. He also refuses to tow the party line against gay marriage, and frankly, his refusal to even address the profligation of pornography means that we're left with a nominee who has no moral leadership."

[The Grand Duchy Of Nova Capile]

The Office of House Minority Leader Thomas Volker, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

The House Minority Leader was sat at his desk, deep in thought as he reviewed the papers on his desk. Although the primary still continued, the Republican Party had found its nominee, and so it was now his job to begin preparing for the general. To that end, having met with former Senator Gaspard in his office sometime before, Thomas waited for the next Porter backer to enter his office.

Clay strode into Volker's office after being admitted by his secretary, a weary smile on his face as he anticipated a productive meeting with the Minority Leader.

"Good to see you, Tom."

[Greater Arab State]

Thomas nodded as the Representative spoke before replying in turn.

“I think I can certainly get that for you. Are there any particular policies that the Porter camp would like to see movement on?”

"It can't be a half apology. It needs to be public, it needs to be an admission of wrongdoing, and he needs to give praise to General Porter and his movement." Kathy had a lot of respect for the man, having served under him in her tours of Iraq. "I know abortion is very, very important to the General. Richardson's always been very wishy-washy on social issues and we want him to stop politicking for a second, buck up and have a principle for once. He also refuses to tow the party line against gay marriage, and frankly, his refusal to even address the profligation of pornography means that we're left with a nominee who has no moral leadership."

“I could certainly do that for you, Congresswoman. If I might ask though, what specific actions or events would you and the rest of the Porter movement want an apology for? Just so I can bring it up with the Governor.”

[Greater Arab State]

The Office of House Minority Leader Thomas Volker, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

The House Minority Leader was sat at his desk, deep in thought as he reviewed the papers on his desk. Although the primary still continued, the Republican Party had found its nominee, and so it was now his job to begin preparing for the general. To that end, having met with former Senator Gaspard in his office sometime before, Thomas waited for the next Porter backer to enter his office.

Clay strode into Volker's office after being admitted by his secretary, a weary smile on his face as he anticipated a productive meeting with the Minority Leader.

"Good to see you, Tom."

“Crawford, it’s great to see you again. How have things been on the campaign trail?” Thomas asked, extending his hand out for the Texan to shake.

[The Grand Duchy Of Nova Capile]

“Crawford, it’s great to see you again. How have things been on the campaign trail?” Thomas asked, extending his hand out for the Texan to shake.

Clay sighed. "I've been focusing on legislation, lately. But my campaign team is still hard at work, keeping the voters informed via advertising. And they've got a full itinerary planned as soon as this sorry business is done with." Clay touched the growing streak of gray in his hair.

[Greater Arab State]

“Crawford, it’s great to see you again. How have things been on the campaign trail?” Thomas asked, extending his hand out for the Texan to shake.

Clay sighed. "I've been focusing on legislation, lately. But my campaign team is still hard at work, keeping the voters informed via advertising. And they've got a full itinerary planned as soon as this sorry business is done with." Clay touched the growing streak of gray in his hair.

“I see. Please, have a seat.” Congressman Volker said politely as he gestured to one of the chairs opposite his desk.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“I could certainly do that for you, Congresswoman. If I might ask though, what specific actions or events would you and the rest of the Porter movement want an apology for? Just so I can bring it up with the Governor.”

"Well, we could start with when he called General Porter an unprincipled socialist in the debate in Atlanta. He implied it in the second primary debate too in Salt Lake City. Come on, Mr. Volker, he allied himself with Democrats to make out that the Birmingham fiasco was the General's fault. Slandering an American general as a Nazi, it's unthinkable. Then there's his big blowup with Hypolite Gaspard down in Louisiana that made it into the local papers. Then there's the overall... cloud of it. The arrogance, the insistence that he is absolutely right about any topic under God's firmament. He's a silver spoon, out-of-touch elitist, and he comes off as a silver spoon, out-of-touch elitist. He doesn't care to listen at all to the fact that his economic policies are inadequate, and that his social policies are weak. Pitifully weak. Wet, Margaret Thatcher would call him." She swallows, a little flustered, shaking her head. "Tell me, Minority Leader. You stand to be the Speaker of the House with a Republican victory. The most powerful and important constitutional officer in the legislative branch. Does he really view you as an equal governing partner, or simply as a facilitator, a hatchet man, for his agenda? An agenda which doesn't represent a Republican consensus?"

[Greater Arab State]

“I could certainly do that for you, Congresswoman. If I might ask though, what specific actions or events would you and the rest of the Porter movement want an apology for? Just so I can bring it up with the Governor.”

"Well, we could start with when he called General Porter an unprincipled socialist in the debate in Atlanta. He implied it in the second primary debate too in Salt Lake City. Come on, Mr. Volker, he allied himself with Democrats to make out that the Birmingham fiasco was the General's fault. Slandering an American general as a Nazi, it's unthinkable. Then there's his big blowup with Hypolite Gaspard down in Louisiana that made it into the local papers. Then there's the overall... cloud of it. The arrogance, the insistence that he is absolutely right about any topic under God's firmament. He's a silver spoon, out-of-touch elitist, and he comes off as a silver spoon, out-of-touch elitist. He doesn't care to listen at all to the fact that his economic policies are inadequate, and that his social policies are weak. Pitifully weak. Wet, Margaret Thatcher would call him." She swallows, a little flustered, shaking her head. "Tell me, Minority Leader. You stand to be the Speaker of the House with a Republican victory. The most powerful and important constitutional officer in the legislative branch. Does he really view you as an equal governing partner, or simply as a facilitator, a hatchet man, for his agenda? An agenda which doesn't represent a Republican consensus?"

Thomas nodded attentively as Kathy spoke before he replied.

“I see. Admittedly, I though those would be your primary concerns. I will be sure to mention it to the Governor in our next meeting, in order to help the party unify.” Thomas said, considering his next words before he spoke once again.

“The Governor and I have developed a strong working relationship, in spite of any disagreements over policy that we had during the primaries. And as I’ve mentioned before, I fully understand the concerns that you’ve brought up, and I will certainly push the Governor to include the House Republican Conference as an equal governing partner should he win the White House.”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Thomas nodded attentively as Kathy spoke before he replied.

“I see. Admittedly, I though those would be your primary concerns. I will be sure to mention it to the Governor in our next meeting, in order to help the party unify.” Thomas said, considering his next words before he spoke once again.

“The Governor and I have developed a strong working relationship, in spite of any disagreements over policy that we had during the primaries. And as I’ve mentioned before, I fully understand the concerns that you’ve brought up, and I will certainly push the Governor to include the House Republican Conference as an equal governing partner should he win the White House.”

"I've been one of the more conciliatory voices on this, but I am telling you there's a lot of misgivings on the right of the party about the direction that Richardson wants to take the country." She frowned, running her fingers through her hair yet again. She did seem genuinely stressed by the matter. "Are you prepared to stand up to him, and withhold the support of Congress from him, if he refuses to change his agenda to suit the right wing he's trying to pretend to be a part of?"

[Greater Arab State]

Thomas nodded attentively as Kathy spoke before he replied.

“I see. Admittedly, I though those would be your primary concerns. I will be sure to mention it to the Governor in our next meeting, in order to help the party unify.” Thomas said, considering his next words before he spoke once again.

“The Governor and I have developed a strong working relationship, in spite of any disagreements over policy that we had during the primaries. And as I’ve mentioned before, I fully understand the concerns that you’ve brought up, and I will certainly push the Governor to include the House Republican Conference as an equal governing partner should he win the White House.”

"I've been one of the more conciliatory voices on this, but I am telling you there's a lot of misgivings on the right of the party about the direction that Richardson wants to take the country." She frowned, running her fingers through her hair yet again. She did seem genuinely stressed by the matter. "Are you prepared to stand up to him, and withhold the support of Congress from him, if he refuses to change his agenda to suit the right wing he's trying to pretend to be a part of?"

“Whilst, I don’t see any situation like that occurring, I would certainly be willing to stand up to a President Richardson and frankly express the opposition of the House Republican Conference to any legislative agenda that would alienate the conservative grassroots of our Grand Old Party.”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“Whilst, I don’t see any situation like that occurring, I would certainly be willing to stand up to a President Richardson and frankly express the opposition of the House Republican Conference to any legislative agenda that would alienate the conservative grassroots of our Grand Old Party.”

Katherine smiled softly, nodding a little. "See, I've always known you were one of us. You always stood by President Wolf whilst men like Nate Richardson got to play their little libertarian power fantasies. You should meet General Porter, get to know him a bit more intimately. But hopefully you'll be able to nudge Nate Richardson into doing the right thing, and then the others and myself can come together to fight the Democrats knowing that it's a worthy fight." She affirmed.

[Greater Arab State]

“Whilst, I don’t see any situation like that occurring, I would certainly be willing to stand up to a President Richardson and frankly express the opposition of the House Republican Conference to any legislative agenda that would alienate the conservative grassroots of our Grand Old Party.”

Katherine smiled softly, nodding a little. "See, I've always known you were one of us. You always stood by President Wolf whilst men like Nate Richardson got to play their little libertarian power fantasies. You should meet General Porter, get to know him a bit more intimately. But hopefully you'll be able to nudge Nate Richardson into doing the right thing, and then the others and myself can come together to fight the Democrats knowing that it's a worthy fight." She affirmed.

“Well, I’m actually planning to meet with the Secretary at some point soon actually, in order to allow him some input into the Republican Party’s campaign for the general election and where he can continue to generate support for the Wolf agenda. I’ll also be sure to hold the Governor firm in any commitments made to the Porterite movement.”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“Well, I’m actually planning to meet with the Secretary at some point soon actually, in order to allow him some input into the Republican Party’s campaign for the general election and where he can continue to generate support for the Wolf agenda. I’ll also be sure to hold the Governor firm in any commitments made to the Porterite movement.”

"I'm glad you're being so reasonable about this. There were many of us who were so deeply worried that Richardson was intent on tearing the party in two, come what may. Was there anything else?"

[Greater Arab State]

“Well, I’m actually planning to meet with the Secretary at some point soon actually, in order to allow him some input into the Republican Party’s campaign for the general election and where he can continue to generate support for the Wolf agenda. I’ll also be sure to hold the Governor firm in any commitments made to the Porterite movement.”

"I'm glad you're being so reasonable about this. There were many of us who were so deeply worried that Richardson was intent on tearing the party in two, come what may. Was there anything else?"

“Not that I can think of, Congresswoman. Thank you.” Thomas replied, smiling across.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

“Not that I can think of, Congresswoman. Thank you.” Thomas replied, smiling across.

Getting up and smoothing down her skirt, she smiled. "Well, until the next time, Minority Leader." A bow of the head, and she was off to other tasks.

[Vaquas]

---

The Decision

---

As the former President closed the door behind him and the pair of Senators walked down the path away from their house, the First Lady spoke.

“Well that was some weird shit.” she said, shaking her head. Her husband made his way back into the dining doom and sniffed the air for the first time.

“Did, uh, did you light up in here Micaela?” he asked jokingly, breaking out into a chuckle as she did the same. “No, Senator Murphy’s friend thought it was appropriate to do so though.” she indicated, leading Rashid to laugh harder. “I was getting worried we were gonna have a premature redecorating and I’d end up like Hoffa.” the 44th President spoke, gripping the table for balance as he laughed.

One of the secret service agents laughed quietly in the corner.

“What did he say to you in there to make you write this?” Micaela said, waving around her husband’s notes from the one-on-one meeting. “Was it that bad?”

“Yes, it was.” he said, gathering his composure. “The man’s grip on reality is, uh, fiercely lacking, to put it mildly, Micaela. I don’t think he’s prepared to be President, or Senator, or dog catcher for that matter.” he exhaled. “Senator Dayton is idealistic, to a fault. She’s got her fair share of issues and I think she should have examined whether or not this was the right time for her to run. She’s weak with minority voters and I could see why in the meeting. But Senator Murphy…” he said, “I can see why he’s bleeding allies.” he declared.

He poured himself a shot of whiskey from the table and drank. He was quiet for a moment. “I should’ve gotten involved in this sooner, I think.” he suggested. “Governor Velez…” he said, shaking his head. “This is a mess.”

Micaela Baharia came up behind her husband and wrapped her arms around him. “He seemed nice enough.” she remarked innocently. “The Daytons were nice too. A bit more.. personable.” she noted. Her face scrunched up a little as she massaged Rashid’s shoulders gently. “You know you don’t have to pick either of them.” she pointed out, suddenly serious, pointing at the files on the table with her right hand. “You could just stay out of it.”

“I can’t afford to abdicate this responsibility.” he reaffirmed. “Unless you want to jump in, there’s not some realistic third option here.” he said, some bitterness at the situation mixed into his joking tone.

“Then the way I see it, the decision is obvious.” she indicated, her opinion being clear then and there as she slid one of the files above the other on the table. Rashid grabbed it and pinched the base of his nose with his other hand, letting out a small groan. He hesitated before agreeing.

“Yeah.” he conceded, sending a secret service agent to call on a couple of aides. “I guess it is.”

---

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The Call

---

The following is a transcript of the call between Former President Rashid Baharia and Senator Jillian Dayton, beginning at 9:07 PM EST on March 27, 2020

---

D: "Mr. President"

B: "Senator Dayton. Its been a few hours, I hope Boston is treating you well?"

D: "It is, Mr. President, I trust you got some much deserved peace over at Martha's?"

B: "Something like that. Is Dr. Stanford there with you?"

D: "He's just here.”

B: "Excellent. I wanted to let the both of you know that I have decided to endorse your campaign for the presidency, and let you know that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that you are elected as the next President of the United States."

D: “That's… sir, I am honoured to hear this. I assume that Senator Murphy has yet to be told?"

B: "I have not called Senator Murphy yet, no. I wanted you to be the first to know. However, I have a couple of preconditions."

D: "I'm all ears."

B: “Number one, you need to make it abundantly clear to the whole of the party that you represent it. You need to take on some progressive staff in senior positions, I don't care if they're from Murphy's team or Spellman's or whoever's. So long as they are people with credibility with that wing of the party. And you need to make it clear that you're not taking them for granted. And number two, you need to select a person of color as your running mate. Your campaign has been, frankly, inadequate when it comes to minority outreach Senator. The black community doesn't trust you, the Latino community doesn't know you, the Asian population is invisible to your campaign. You need to make a statement in this campaign that sets you apart from Nate Richardson, a man who oversaw widespread voter suppression and disenfranchisement, Jillian. And that doesn't start with picking [Tim Kaine] as your running mate like Secretary Clifford did. I'm not going to give you a list of names, but Governor Velez and Mayor Halloway are both people you should take an interest in. And yes, that means I don't think you should rule out picking a woman. You need to represent, uh, the whole of this country, not just white people from Northern Virginia. I hope you can agree to both of those preconditions?"

D: "I can to both, I fully intend to reunite the party as best as I can, I was also going to ask your opinion on my personal top three, Senator Callahan, Governor Velez, and Secretary Bellman. The panel will ultimately make their recommendation, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention the names which stood out to me."

B: "Senator Callahan is a good Senator, he serves his constituents well. He'd be invaluable in the Senate if he were to stay there, which, frankly, I think is possible. He would make an excellent cabinet secretary, if he were to, uh, unfortunately lose. Governor Velez would be an excellent choice. I'm sure he would be an exceptional Vice President and I'm glad he's already on your shortlist. Lawrence was a fantastic secretary, he knew the hill well, uh, invaluable on Iran. He doesn't have ambitions of the sort that Governor Velez does, he's worth considering, especially if you decide to pick an African-American."

D: "Thank you for your support, Mr. President. I want to reiterate that I intend to meet both your preconditions, and I hope to campaign alongside you in the near future."

B: "Of course. Might I ask, who is on your VP panel?"

D: "Mayor Halloway, Representatives Faulhaber, Nez and Crawford, Senator Navarro and Governor Caldwell.

B: "That's a good selection. A reassuring commitment there to ideological diversity in the campaign."

D: "Yes, I'm hopeful it leads to an acceptable running mate.”

B: "Well Senator, I'll let you go, I have another call to make. You and your husband take care now."

D: "We will, thank you, Mr. President.”

---

---

The "Calls"

---

Senator Levi Murphy’s Campaign Headquarters received two calls from Martha’s Vineyard very late into the night, receiving no response, as was strategically planned. The former President made no further effort to contact the Murphy campaign. The former President leaked his statement to the major papers shortly before their nightly deadline and delivered it for the camera in his office, flanked with bookshelves and an American flag. The video would be posted on all relevant social media accounts the following morning.

---

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The Endorsement

---

“As all of you know, the nation we love stands at a crossroads. On the precipice of a recession, we stand in a position to choose leadership that understands that for our country to heal from the economic and political divisions that tear at our collective fabric of hope, we must unite, rather than divide. Both candidates for the Democratic nomination, the nomination I was so humbled to receive in 2008 and 2012, have won over millions of voters, inspiring Americans of all races and creeds, all walks of life, to engage in the democratic process. For that, I congratulate both of them. But for our party to succeed in November, we must have a nominee capable of bridging the many divides that come with having a party that truly represents America.

That’s why I am proud to announce my endorsement of Senator Jillian Dayton to serve as the next President of the United States of America.

Senator Dayton’s vision is one of inclusion, of a good deal for the working class, and its one designed to raise the standard of American life. Her commitment to pursue equality across the board, in respect to racial and environmental justice, the rights of workers and unions to negotiate a fair working environment, and the right of our kids to grow up in a country unmarred by the scourges of the opioid crisis and gun violence, is unrivaled, and I have no doubt she will aggressively deliver on the promises she has made throughout her campaign to be a voice for everyday Americans. I have no reservations when I say that Senator Dayton is the candidate who can unite our party and lead us to victory in the general election, and I look forward to campaigning with her when the time comes.”

[Sanabel]

???, Alaska
(Image)

After narrowly missing a dog, Tony landed his plane at a house that was out of the way. He stepped out of the plane and towards the house of the statesman, giving the door a knock and waiting.

Dietrich answered the door, wearing a full camouflage outfit. “What do you want,” he said to the man.

[Concerned American Workers]

Martin Spellman
@thespellman

---

Votes remain to be cast in the primary. Period. I'll await the upcoming primaries before any decision from our team. Though it is definitely encouraging seeing primary traditions being broken. Perhaps the total elimination of superdelegates can follow.

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

James Burgun
@RoughriderGovernor
The Democrats have rigged their primary! Although I don't agree with Gov. Richardson 100%, I am sure as hell glad that he won the nomination fair and square!

[Concerned American Workers]

James Burgun
@RoughriderGovernor
The Democrats have rigged their primary! Although I don't agree with Gov. Richardson 100%, I am sure as hell glad that he won the nomination fair and square!

Martin Spellman
@thespellman

---

Weren't there voting discrepancies in "MANY" states during the GOP primary? Or were you lying to help Bernie Porter? Or are you betraying him and calling that "rigging" fair and square? Pick a lane man!

[Sarenium]

Jillian Dayton
@JillianDayton

---

Thank you, President Baharia for your support. As our campaign pivots into a general election footing, I welcome all sides of our party, whether you endorsed Senator Murphy or myself, or nobody, every American who believes in our vision of a fairer tomorrow is welcome in my staff and in any future Dayton Administration.

[Louisianan]

(Image)
Jillian Dayton
@JillianDayton

---

Thank you, President Baharia for your support. As our campaign pivots into a general election footing, I welcome all sides of our party, whether you endorsed Senator Murphy or myself, or nobody, every American who believes in our vision of a fairer tomorrow is welcome in my staff and in any future Dayton Administration.

Linda Lazare
@LLazareTX

---

Great!!! I'm glad President Baharia stopped our primary from becoming the toxic mess known as the GOP Primary. Also, I could swear that this happened before! #DejaVu

[Lavan Tiri]

Governor Russell E. Long
@RussellLong

President Baharia doesn't get to decide the winner of the primary. The voters do, and there are MILLIONS who haven't gotten a chance to speak yet. We're still in it!

Russell E. Long
@RussellLong

Let Nate Richardson run the race he only won because the only competent candidate dropped out and left him alone with a raging lunatic. We can have our primary while Nate tries to convince the GOP he's actually one of them!