Regional Protection Party

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I think Purple State deserves the third preference endorsement. He's been pro-region on a number of issues, and he is generally willing to compromise with us.

Of course. He helped us hold DWTL's seat back in June..... oh wait. I hope the JCP supports him in the general this time.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

PiT, I think you believe that Hashemite and I attempt to influence our members' votes far more than we actually do. All I do is announce my endorsement. I don't think I have ever "leaned heavily" on a member to produce a certain vote.

In the DA, we promote loose affiliation. The leaders make our opinions known, but individual members are free to think and act as they wish. This is why there is room for people at every end of the political spectrum in the party. It is also why you may have been disappointed with some of the election results. I endorse Marokai there, DWTL here. I am not a member of either the RPP or the JCP, so I am not committed to supporting one party 100% of the time.

I am sorry if the DA has been misrepresented, but let me be clear: The DA does not hold sway over its members in the way that the RPP and JCP influence their own membership. We like everyone to be informed through announcements and endorsements, but what you see in public is what is actually happening.

     I heard reports that two members of the DA (who shall go unnamed for their protection) had said that they were pressured into voting a particular way. Duke said that several members had promised him their support, but they then preferenced him third only hours later.

     Maybe I remember incorrectly or maybe I was misinformed somewhere down the line, but understand my misgivings.

Correct. This is water under the bridge now, but I was informed by two DA members that they were pushed hard to vote Marokai ahead of me. The others that voted to endorse me at the convention gave into the demands. It is really hard for PS to claim otherwise. It was hardly as simple as "I announced my endorsement and that was that." If you had noticed, you did that and I still had the most votes during the convention after your announcement. It was when the voting booth opened that I began getting third preferences from nearly all of them sans a few loyal folks.

All I am saying is that you may work with us, and that is true, but only when you expect us to get you reelected. So all I am saying is that I hope the JCP is kind to you, because you certainly stuck your neck out there for them back in June.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

PiT, I think you believe that Hashemite and I attempt to influence our members' votes far more than we actually do. All I do is announce my endorsement. I don't think I have ever "leaned heavily" on a member to produce a certain vote.

In the DA, we promote loose affiliation. The leaders make our opinions known, but individual members are free to think and act as they wish. This is why there is room for people at every end of the political spectrum in the party. It is also why you may have been disappointed with some of the election results. I endorse Marokai there, DWTL here. I am not a member of either the RPP or the JCP, so I am not committed to supporting one party 100% of the time.

I am sorry if the DA has been misrepresented, but let me be clear: The DA does not hold sway over its members in the way that the RPP and JCP influence their own membership. We like everyone to be informed through announcements and endorsements, but what you see in public is what is actually happening.

     I heard reports that two members of the DA (who shall go unnamed for their protection) had said that they were pressured into voting a particular way. Duke said that several members had promised him their support, but they then preferenced him third only hours later.

     Maybe I remember incorrectly or maybe I was misinformed somewhere down the line, but understand my misgivings.

Correct. This is water under the bridge now, but I was informed by two DA members that they were pushed hard to vote Marokai ahead of me. The others that voted to endorse me at the convention gave into the demands. It is really hard for PS to claim otherwise. It was hardly as simple as "I announced my endorsement and that was that." If you had noticed, you did that and I still had the most votes during the convention after your announcement. It was when the voting booth opened that I began getting third preferences from nearly all of them sans a few loyal folks.

All I am saying is that you may work with us, and that is true, but only when you expect us to get you reelected. So all I am saying is that I hope the JCP is kind to you, because you certainly stuck your neck out there for them back in June.

Are you saying that I am lying? I have stated and will state again that never have I pressured a member of the DA to vote in any specific way. I announce my endorsement, I vote in the public polls and make my opinion known, but I reject party leaders leaning on members to vote as the leaders want.

I am not saying you are lying. I am simply stating what I was told by two of your party members. They said there was a lot of pressure applied behind the scenes to vote for Marokai over me. Your name was mentioned. It was strange that people who promised me second preferences behind Gustaf and others who voted for me in the convention AFTER you made your announcement suddenly voted for Marokai. I'm not saying you are lying. I am just calling it like I heard and saw. Either that, or Marokai played dirty like he did with Bayh and tried to throw the election by making some sort of promise. I have no proof or belief that happened because I heard otherwise.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I can safely say that no one expected this renegade party created out of a crisis to last this long, much less be one of the largest parties in Atlasia. This is a wonderful accomplishment, and I thank all of our members for making the successes we have enjoyed possible throughout the past year.

Congratulations to us all, and he's to another year!

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

First, I want to thank DWTL for his service to this party and to this game. While we may not see eye to eye on every issue, I must admit that without him, Atlasia would not be the same. He brought the dedication and passion that all Atlasians should embrace. It was a passion that led to the creation of the RPP, and a passion that may have led to many, many controversies which sprang forth during his tenure.

But today we stand at a crossroads in the RPP. We have expanded a great deal in the past few months. We have made great strides in national recognition. Yet, we find ourselves dissatisfied. We did not win the two senate seats we expected to win. We have lost several high profile members. Neither of these sit well with me. Also, there are several scandals that are being thrown at the RPP, and as Chairman, I pledge to all Atlasians that if any illegal or otherwise shady activity that is unfair to the game is occurring in recruiting, I will make sure to stop it.

I am also up for working with other Atlasians of other parties for the good of this nation. I'm proud of the connections and friends I have made in other parties, and I hope that we will be able to use those for the good of the game in the future. I cannot say that my style of leadership will be anywhere near the style DWTL used, but I hope all members of the RPP, from the oldest to the newest, feel comfortable coming to me with any problems or concerns they have with the party, as well as ideas that they feel could better the party.

Again, I thank the former Chairman for the appointment, and I look forward to the road ahead. Let's get to work.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

In order to ease the transition for the new leadership, I am keeping PiT on as Vice-Chair, but I am expanding the position to include another Vice-chair, Senator Tmthforu in order to inject some newer blood into the RPP. He's a promising young fellow.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Right. Nothing in the bylaws says I can't half the vice chair office into two positions. If the general RPP opposes it, then can vote against it in the next Convention is October.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

A New Direction for the RPP

I am sure that most of you all have been following the drama surrounding the RPP over the course of the past few days. DWTL has resigned. We lost a few very influential members, regained them, and then lost some other members. We've heard the death of the RPP being proclaimed from a top the hills of Atlasia, and we've had the Grim Reaper on our front door step. In a fleeting moment the other night, it appeared as if the party was spiraling out of control.

During these tough times, we learn who our friends really are. We learn who we can trust and who we cannot. We learn who really cares about the principles they espouse, and we learn who do not. I am happy that some members have returned to the party, and to those who have not and do not intend to, I wish you nothing but the best. If you wish to work with the party in the future, I can assure you that we will gladly open our doors to you.

I want to move on to the more pressing issues facing the party. I and the whole community of RPP members acknowledge that we are at a crossroads in our party. I'm not going to take the time to satisfy the dissenters by trashing DWTL, but I will move on and address what is to come for the RPP in the coming month prior to our Convention in October, mainly highlighting two major reforms.

First, I would like to announce that the era of vengeful attacks, hit lists, and secretive operations is over as far as I am concerned. All matters pertaining to the RPP will be discussed in public in order for all Atlasian to read and, more importantly, for all members of the RPP to vote. The private forum will remain open, but only to be used for sensitive material like possible tickets and the like. The party desperately needs transparency and accountability, and one of my main goals during my interim chairmanship is to make sure we move toward that direction. We cannot allow ourselves to engage in petty fights and deceitful activity that is counterproductive to the game that we all hold so dear to our hearts.

Second, the RPP will begin to move toward deregulating leadership positions in order to give all members the opportunity to run for and win the chairmanship. I have always believed in fresh blood because a marketplace of ideas is essential to keeping a party up-to-date and adherent to member's wishes. Legislation is currently being drafted for a procedure, to be introduced at the convention, that will lead the way to electing a chairman by the people and for the people of the RPP. Additional legislation will be drafted to allow members to petition the chairman for votes on initiatives and to overturn current bylaws that a certain group disagrees, provided they have enough support.

While these two reforms may not be headline worthy, I feel it is a huge step for the RPP moving forward. The RPP must understands the importance of compromise. I hope to use my friendships and partnerships with other party members to help repair the heavily damaged image the party has been labeled with recently. We want to work with all parties in Atlasia to better our nation. I look forward to the months ahead, and I feel like the RPP has a strong future.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

No. We're not expelling anyone, especially over a silly he said, she said fight.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

No. We're not expelling anyone, especially over a silly he said, she said fight.

Which one was the "she"?

Let your imagination run wild

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

So Hamilton really left over this? Really?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

So Hamilton really left over this? Really?

Hamilton left?

That's what I was told. He said he'd be back to stir things up.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Maybe we should have it in the Midwest since Jedi hails from there.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

The convention was held in the Dirty South during the period of great prosperity, but right now the region seems to have lost a bit of it's luster. There's no denying that the region is very special to the RPP and undoubtedly our birthplace. However, I think it's only appropriate that we hold it in Jedi's home region: the Midwest. Second would be the Northeast and third is, of course, the Dirty South.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

During my time as the chairman of the RPP, I've seen more drama than what is seen a full season of The Hills.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Still conducting party business in private?

My Duke, what a reformer you are!

It was a joke.

He knows that. Just leave him be.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

1. Chicago
2. Milwaukee

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Indianapolis wins unless you don't count SewerSocialist's vote. If we don't, then Milwaukee and Indianapolis are tied.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I think many sectors of the PC believe in smaller government, but the question that arises is how will your party, or our party for that matter, accomplish this in the Atlasia environment? As I have said, I am for smaller government, more civil liberties, lower taxes, and lower government spending, but I am a realist first and foremost in knowing that changes like that, economically speaking, are pretty unrealistic given the makeup of Atlasia at its present. I look favorably to any party that espouses those said principles, but realize it may not be a realistic goal given the disproportionate number of left leaners in this "nation."

Unlike others, I will wish you luck in your endeavors.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Our base since our founding has always been to preserve the rights of regions and ensure that certain rights were not infringed upon by the federal government, with an end goal of transferring certain powers from the federal government to the regions. In fact, ideologies in Atlasia, back when I joined and the RPP was founded, was basically regionalists versus anti-regionalists, rather than the left and right we see today. The PC has had libertarians, liberals, populists and conservatives elected to office in our existence, and there is nothing to suggest we are not going to do that again in the future. Our current makeup is not what it was, but we are not a purist, single ideology party, which is funny considering you and Eizign claim we are too purist. But we haven't abandoned our base as long as we fight for regional rights. That is our base.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

What exactly, in your mind, are our current elected officials doing to defy regional governments their own self-governance (granted we did have some support the stimulus)? And what makes your party different than ours in that respect? Just curious.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Looking forward to it. "Small government and personal freedoms" is such a vague term that it can mean anything. A party our size cannot have everyone believing in the exact same ideology, it would be too difficult, but I would argue we do have more social liberals/moderates than social conservatives, as well as nearly universal right of center economic conservatives (except tmth), but I realize your and Eigzine's definitions differ from the rest of us.

There are differences in your party though. If I recall, you are against free-trade, and Eigzine is pro-free trade! Just food for thought.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

But you are the figurehead of the party, just as every other party has figureheads (except the NLF). And you made the claim no other party adheres to principles. Thus, I was just defending this party against those claims, pointing out that there are differences in the "ARC" as well. No party can have a single ideology or litmus test. Each goes through phases. It's unrealistic to expect any of us to elect ONLY libertarians or ONLY people to adhere to one principle, especially if their ideology is far out of the mainstream (not saying yours is, but I don't know what the ideology is of the ARC yet).

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I'm curious to see what you have to say, because you have called us the "party of no" in the past when we opposed these spending measures. I'd like to hear what you would've done differently so that your party is not the "party of no" either.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I am here to announce that I am stepping down as Chairman of the Progressive Conservative Party. It has been a wild ride over the past few months. I've witnessed many, many events that have caused me to rethink what the purpose of this party is, and what the purpose of Atlasia is as a whole. First off, I would like to thank my supporters, who have helped me tremendously through the difficult times since I took over in August. You are what makes Atlasia great.

But, I fear the worst is yet to come. Recently, the attacks have become more and more personal. I've seen members physical attributes under attack. I've been told I was "the biggest retard ever" and one person went as far as to say they wish I "would just go die." When it becomes that personal, that inappropriate, it is time to rethink why one is in the game. It should not be that way. This is why people do not want to participate in it. Perhaps I wasn't the best chairman in the world. Maybe it was because I wasn't able to make 1000 posts a month, monitor the "who's online" area to see who could be my best recruit, or respond to PMs within the hour. I don't know. I did what I could do, while trying to decipher the zombies, backroom deals, and strategic recruiting that occurred behind my back.

Before I go, I just want to call to an end to all this crap, or else Atlasia is doomed to return to the days in 2006, where no one wanted to be involved with it. We need to end these personal attacks and return to attacks on ideas. We need to return to an age where friendships meant something, not where each person is subject to being thrown under the bus for political gain. These are the days we need to return to, not the current climate we currently are seeing. It's disgusting. I'm sorry I've learned some of the things  I know about these people.

I hope that the right leaning people are able to unify in order to advance our principles of a less intrusive federal government and lower spending, because our undoing is our fault alone, and not that of the left. But right now, I fear, we will be spending a good amount of time in the wilderness before we ever have the chance to compete nationally again. That's just our climate.

To my successor in the PCP, good luck. Running this party is not easy, with so many egos in the room, but I hope that you are successful in your endeavors, because this party has never been about me, it has been about the cause. After all, the better this party does, the better off the voice of all right leaning individuals is. Thanks and good luck to all.