Talk Elections

San Francisco, California -

Hey, everyone! :)

Earlier today, I announced my candidacy for President  of Atlasia, which almost came as of much of a surprise to me as it will to many of you.

When I left the Senate last month, I fully intended to retire and spend my time sipping margaritas (NB: I'm not much of a margarita fan, but I think it's part of the package) on the beach, confident that with the passage of the dual dissolution and the subsequent success of new, diverse parties, Atlasia had a bright future ahead of it, despite the increasingly vocal discontent  that some were expressing.

I still believe that Atlasia will survive - and prosper - but there are causes for concern - activity has dropped noticeably, and the recent election was an embarassment, with disastrously low turnout, the deregistration  of a large number of longtime members, and a Left in disarray. I'm still hopeful, but we've got problems, and I realised I wasn't quite ready to sit on the sidelin-- uh, well, beach -- and watch. So when Cincinnatus raised the idea of running for the Presidency on an independent ticket, I agreed.

I've no longer got any political party affiliation, nor do I hold any political office. I'm an independent candidate - though I think you know were my sympathies lie, and can probably guess who'll be getting my second preference :P - and, in the incredibly unlikely event that Cincinnatus are I are elected to the White House, we will govern as a non-partisan, independent administration, dedicated to working with the diehard-est of leftists, the most conservative conservatives , the hardline libertarians, and everyone in between to guide Atlasia into an age that's still young and tenuous - the post-dissolution world.

I'm acutely aware that my chances of being elected are slim - independents tend to perform poorly, but even regardless there's a very strong field of capable opponents - my friend Napoleon, a wonderful Governor, the great Senator Clarence, who, like Reagan, would be the oldest person ever elected to the Presidency (:P), Secretary of External Affairs Ben, who's been doing a fine job and I look forward to running against again in happier circumstances,  of course, 20RP12, who despite his unfortunate taste in music has been a credit to every office he's held, and Boss Tweed, who I'd half recommend electing just to see what happens. ;)

But while this ticket's a clear underdog, I'm optimistic - particularly that voters of all parties would consider giving us a high preference. I was considering making this campaign's slogan "Oakvale/Cincinnatus: Atlasia's Second Choice". Or, hey, better yet, give us your first preference! Independents have won the Presidency before, and while it's going to be difficult, I'm looking forward to an informative and fun campaign.

Many of you know my resumé - I've been a Governor of the great Pacific region, an at-large Senator, and was honoured to sit on the Supreme Court. I think I have the experience to lead Atlasia during what may be a difficult time, and, crucially, the willingness to work with a Senate that could, quite possibly, oscillate wildly between commanding left-wing and conservative/libertarian majorities. I have my own ideology, but at heart I've always been a pragmatist, not an ideologue.

And, oh, yeah, feel free to ask me anything. :)

Thank you!

- Oakvale
   Former Supreme Court Justice  (Ind-CA)


PS: Our platform may or may not include driving the pony people out of the country.

You will absolutely be getting a high preference from me.

Oh man it's gonna be so tough to preference this time around.

Nice banner! But who is this "Cincinattus"?. :P

Ssshhhhhhhhhhh :P But thank you :)

Shame on me, I can never spell my dear running mate's name properly.

*runs to fix problem*

Welcome to the race-

I'm afraid the United League of Kittens has already endorsed the Tweed ticket.

I understand. :(

However, I found a  bunch of kittens living in my shed a few days ago. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen.

pics

No preference. I feel betrayed.

You'll get a high preference. Not my first preference, but a high one nevertheless. This race has lacked a centrist ticket so far, so it's good to see that gap filled!

The People have temporarily filled your void during your retirement.  Worry not.  A vote for Oakvale/Cincy, is a vote for Duke/Cincinnatus :)

See, at least half The People support this ticket. ;)

ZuWo - thank you! I appreciate it!

Ah shiiiit.  This race just got Real.

We'll be rolling out our platform over the week (we've got to finalise a bunch of things before we go publishing and realise we've contradicted ourselves ;)) so hopefully I'll be able to compare and contrast on a broad level then.

That said, if there's any specific points of comparison you're curious about I'd be happy to try and address them. :)

Policy?  Maaan, I thought this would be a Fun ticket.

Hey, it's Atlasia. When I say "policy" we all know it's going to mean something like "We believe freedom is good and terrorism is wrong. Leip bless us, everyone." ;)

EDIT: Oh, Averroes, on a related note - while I'm happy not to be part of a political machine any more (even one as great as the Liberal Party :P) Napoleon will be getting my second preference unless he endorses nuking Canada or something between now and the election, and I hope to see my regional Senator, sbane, re-elected.

Sure is green avatar in here.

I'm delighted to announce that Attorney General Fuzzybigfoot (Labor-WA) has joined our small operation as our campaign manager.

I've known Fuzzy since back in the day when I was Governor of the Pacific, and he's always been a dedicated, energetic worker with a great  mind for strategy and policy. I look forward to working closely with him over the coming months. :)

And there goes the triumvirate.

More developments! First of all, we've chosen Ice Cube's classic It Was A Good Day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWfbGGZE07M) as our official campaign song. :)

As President, I will be commited to providing all Atlasians with good day sans barking from the dog, smog, hog, and including Yo! MTV Raps, basketball and, most of all, not having to use their AK.

I even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp, and it read "Oakvale/Cincinnatus 2012". :)

In related news, I've been working with our campaign manager, Fuzzy, to draw up a tour schedule of speeches and visits in states across the nation, on which we'll be rolling out our official campaign platform. Stay tuned!

Way to steal all of my/sjoycefla's ideas :P

/kidding

Your campaign has acknowledged its inferiority through the use of a blimp, while ours has a mighty zeppelin. You have to special order those things fom Württenberg.

Au contraire,  my worthy opponent, I posit that you stole your idea from Ice Cube. :P

Ice Cube stole his idea from Public Enemy

Bump



The official campaign kickoff will take place in the city of Los Vegas!  :D



It's only fitting, since they have all the top-notch hookers.  :P

I've got a speech coming up en route at a nuclear power plant. ;D

Good afternoon, everyone! :)

It's great to be here, and to be starting our Presidential campaign. It's a long road ahead, but I'm excited and looking forward to sharing our ideas with the nation and debating my fellow candidates.

It's especially nice to be back in the Pacific region! The Pacific, was, of course, my original home in Atlasia and will always have a place in my heart. I have fond memories of my time serving as your Governor here, and I'm glad to see the region seems to be thriving. :)

Talking of which, before I begin my remarks proper I'd like to just comment quickly on the ongoing argument over which forum - pardon the pun - the Presidential debates will be held in. My personal view is that the traditional, text-based discussion posted on this board for all to see is the most accessible and informative method of debating, and that arguing over more novel formats is a distraction at best.

Now, Cincinnatus and I are here today to say a few words about energy policy. In a society threatened by climate change and depressingly frequent environmental disasters - the Gulf Oil leak calamity springs to mind - it becomes clearer every day that our current energy consumption habits are reckless and unsustainable, that, in effect, continuing an unchecked dependence on polluting fossil fuels is gambling with our future.

I'm an environmentalist - I believe clean, renewable energy is the only sensible path forward for Atlasia. An Oakvale administration would be commited to leading Atlasia into, eventually, an age based around green energy, without the use of archaic, dangerous fossil fuels. I support solar power, wind power, and tidal power, enthusiastically, but those alternative energy sources are not the main thrust of remarks today - there's a reason I've picked this venue, that's been a source of frequent controversy, for my speech.

Nuclear energy has been a source of heated debate all across the political spectrum, perhaps most of all on the left. Supporting nuclear energy is a position that puts me at odds with many, even most, people in the country, and I'm aware that this position might cost me more votes than it earns. But I'm a proud and firm support of nuclear power, and if elected President I will champion nuclear energy in combination with solar, wind and tidal power to transition to a greener energy system. If managed prudently, nuclear power can be a low-cost, clean, efficent energy source - I don't support nuclear power in spite of being an environmentalist, but because I am an environmentalist.

Of course, I recognise that when dealing with something as volatile as nuclear power, safety must be our utmost concern, although I urge to you remember that incidents like Three-Mile Island and Fukishima are exceptions, not the rule, and that many countries have had success with majority nuclear systems without any catastrophic consequences. We must also be vigilant to make sure fissile nuclear material does not fall into the hands of rogue nations or terrorist groups. That said, I absolutely believe that nuclear power can be harnessed with safety and security, and that, combined with other alternative energy sources, we can transition into  an era where fossil fuels are a thing of the past.

This June, the choice is clear - if you want an independent President willing to work with Senate that's conservative, liberal, or anywhere in betwen, and who will fight for clean, affordable energy sources, for nuclear, solar, wind, and tidal energy, you should vote for Oakvale/Cincinnatus!

I have to go now, we're heading to Las Vegas! Enjoy the refreshments!

Thank you! :)

[applause]


Oh, by the way, avoid the burritos, they're irradiated. :P

Can I get a list of bills you proposed or passed as a Senator or Governor? We never did get to serve together. :(

Sure, I'll dig around in the Wiki, the Pacific legislature thread and my old office and Senate debate threads, and get a list of the stuff that passed (or in one memorable case, I vetoed :P) as Governor.

As I recall, most of what me and ArchangelZero focused on was a series of (mostly failed, but, hey it was worth a try) constitutional amendments, so fortunately they should be easy to find.

Hopefully  I can "overlook" that bill I signed, er, banning cars or whatever that was. Oh, Pacific. Never change. ;D

EDIT: Actually, since I'm compiling my  legislative record I'd like to put it together in a proper post with a few explanations and notes, if you don't mind waiting a little longer. :)

Awesome. I know you served honorably on the Court for my entire Senate term. ;)

So Cincinnatus became one with the herd...

I.E Snowstalker impersonated him in chat, without the good sense to pick an IP mask from New York too.

Eh, I didn't expect anyone to fall for it, so I set my preparations low. However, it seems that it briefly worked until Yelnoc noticed the whole "Guest7256".

Pony scum impersonating me?!?  The People disapprove greatly.  Vote for Oakvale/Cincinnatus.  We are the only ticket that will eliminate handle this nations greatest threat :)

I'll be delivering some marks on my record and experience at the suggestion of my fellow candidate Napoleon in Las Vegas in a short while, in order to reintroduce myself to Atlasians who might not have any idea who I am. :P

Directly after, the Oakvale/Cincinnatus campaign will be flying to Chicago, Illinois, in the Mideast region for a series of campaign events culminating in a speech in which we'll be unveiling our ideas on the much-hyped topic of game reform, and, with the passage of dissolution, what our path forward is.

After that, it's on to Minneapolis, Minnesota for more campaigning and the roll-out of our education platform - we've got some interesting ideas on how to reform the Atlasian education system for the 21st century.

The campaign will be in the Mideast region for the rest of the week.  :)

Although noticeably groggy after a night on the town, independent Presidential candidate Oakvale delivered some remarks on his experience and record at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas earlier today.

Good evening, everyone. :)

First of all, it's great to be here in Las Vegas, despite the throbbing pain in my head and the stench of alcohol coming off my campaign manager. Step back a bit, Fuzzy. Okay.

Right, well, I was originally scheduled to deliver my remarks this evening on the topic of game reform - Cincinnatus, Fuzzy and I have some interesting ideas for shaking up the structure of the game a little - but I've put them aside for a moment, and I'll deliver them at our next stop instead, because I ran into Napoleon playing blackjack last night and he asked for some words on my record.

We were in the MGM Grand and we  ran into each other. Unfortunately, he won my hard-earned winnings and then drunkenly demanded that I change my speech. That's not a judgement, I was a little worse for the wear too. I was like "okay, Napoleon" and then we had to leave because Fuzzy was getting aggressive with the security and Averroes Nix was trying to discreetly tell Napoleon that the "women" had arrived in his hotel room,  so it was time to make our excuses. :P

So, anyway, where to--- ugh, excuse me.

[Oakvale briefly disappears, sounds of retching]

Uh, sorry, I had to attend to a policy issue. About, uh, energy policy. As I was saying, where to begin? I want to tell you about my time in Atlasia, and the record I've built along the way.
l joined this game back in early 2009, when Badger contacted me on behalf of the JCP - remember them? ;) - and I moved to the Pacific, to Oregon. Soon after that, Antonio V decided to step down as Lieutenant Governor and I decided to run to replace him. I was new to Atlasia, but excited about the game and hopeful that I could help bring some activity to a region that was often stereotyped as stagnant and dull.

I had fun for the few months I served as Lieutenant Governor, and then Governor Ebowed resigned when President Purple State appointed him to the Supreme Court, and I became Governor. Not long after, ArchangelZero won a special election to become my Lieutenant Governor.

I had a great time as Governor of the Pacific, serving out the rest of Ebowed's term and going on to win two more terms in my own right.

Allow me to interrupt myself for a moment - you know, having served in all three types of office - executive, as Governor, legislative, in the Senate, and, finally, judicial as a member of the Supreme Court,  I'd have to admit that I'm most suited, and most enjoy, executive office. I was honoured to be elected to the Senate by incredibly close margins each time, with thanks to my old friend, colleague and Vice-Presidential adversary bgwah (;)), but, personally, I was frustrated with the Senate. Looking back, I didn't have the mindset - or, let's be honest, the patience - to be a great Senator like TJ In Cleve, or Marokai Blue.

I am proud of my record in the Senate, and we did some great work on welfare reform (including that massive, massive bill which we ended up having to table, IIRC :(), on health care reform, on infrastructure, but, alas, I was terminally impatient with the slow pace of life in the Senate, and, as any long-time Atlasian can attest they tend to do, real life commitments kept me from making the contribution I would have liked. My appointment to the Supreme Court by my friend Tmth came as something of a surprise, and was a great honour - the Court had been for some time my ambition in my political career - and I'd still like to ultimately return there some day, but, again, the Court, as you know, moves at a very slow pace. I presided over a grand total of one case in my time on the Court - that was good for some time, as I was serving in various bureacratic political positions and enjoyed not having to worry  about elections every couple of months. But, yes, I'm an executive at heart, and the time came to move on.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. :P

I'm back in the Pacific region, slightly hungover, to talk about my record, and how I hope to bring the lessons I learned from my career to the Presidency. When I became Governor, I was new, largely unknown, and rather annoying to a lot of people. I wouldn't shut up about activity, and throughout my time in office would prove a perpetual pain in the ass by coming up with amendement after amendment to wrangle some interest in regional politics. At one misguided point I recall suggesting the Populares attempt to move to the Pacific to foster competitive elections. *cough*

As Governor, I strived to kick some activity into the regional legislature. I championed such diverse initiatives as an important amendment to the Classification of Religious Institutions Act (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=28197.msg2714859#msg2714859) that would tax churches that demanded fees as a business and leave others untaxed - to the Educational Incentives Act (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=28197.msg2689438#msg2689438), which provided the cost of college tuition to college students choosing to pursue degrees in math and science, to the Pacific Hiring Incentives Act (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=28197.msg2595266#msg2595266), which gave common-sense incentives to regional businesses for hiring new employees, to a controversial (it being a left-wing region) veto (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=28197.msg2734714#msg2734714) of a bill criminalizing the possession of automatic weapons, and many, many more bills which made life a little simpler and easier for citizens of the Pacific region. I worked closely with my friends in the legislature and my inimitable Lieutenant Governor to get this done, and I'll be forever grateful.

A primary focus of mine as Governor was game reform - I'd come to office as a centrist Governor in a left-leaning region, and I knew governing as a reformist was the option that I could get Pacificians of all political stripes behind. I got to work almost instantly on reforming the region.

I wrote and, then, passed an important amendment (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=28197.msg2630986#msg2630986) which gave the Lieutenant Governor clearly defined responsibilites, most noticeably updating regional Wiki pages. This was based on my own experience of the office, and I think this is the best solution for mantaining the large bulk of the wiki - a regional solution to a large problem!

I authored an amendment reforming and resurrecting the overlooked position of Pacific Justice (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=28197.msg2661586#msg2661586), with the requirement that the Justice approve legislation as constitutional before it can be adopted upon passage by the legislature - this virtually eliminated the need for Supreme Court intervention in regional matters.

Most prominently, Archangel and I created the Pacific Council (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=28197.msg2736204#msg2736204) an unprecedented step creating a bicameral legislature with an elected house.

The Council ultimately was adopted on a trial basis, and, despite some promising early successes, was eventually discontinued. But I don't consider that a failure - quite the opposite.

I've always been keen to experiment with game reform options, and Atlasia needs a President who's not afraid to try something radical and unprecedented, even at the risk of failure. I have the experience to know that reform sometimes means you have to try things that don't always work out.

My friends, my head still hurts and I've talked for longer than I've meant to, but this June Atlasia has a very clear choice - if you want a President with a record of reform, who governed across party lines, and with the executive experience to usher Atlasia's bright new era into being, vote for me, Oakvale!

Thank you, and on to Chicago! :)

PS: If you're curious about any aspect of my record, feel free to thumb through the legislature thread or my old office thread, or message me about specific legislation and I'll get back to you.:)

Former Justice Oakvale arrived in Chicago, Illinois in the Mideast region early this morning along with his campaign staff and publicly congratulated Presidential rival Ben on his appointment to the Midwest Senate seat:

"My sincere congratulations to Ben on his appointment to the Senate seat, and to Governor afleitch for making a wise appointment. I've looked forward to debating Ben again, and I'm sure he will represent the region well, although he will be missed at the External Affairs department.

However, I have every confidence that President Polnut will choose a more than capable successor to succeed Ben."

The candidate will be in Chicago for another day, unveiling he and Cincinnatus' plan for game reform in an event on Saturday, before travelling to Minneapolis to campaign and unveil his education platform.

Hey, what about appearance on mah show?

Absolutely, I'd enjoy appearing on our version of FOX News. :P:)

PRESS RELEASE
May 4th, 2012

Vice Presidential candidate Cincinnatus will remain in Las Vegas for a few days to gamble and fornicate enjoy everything the area has to offer, and meet several campaign contributors.

Does that mean the Oakvale/Cincinnatus ticket can be considered a ticket of the left?

I'd consider us centrist on balance, and certainly in attitude, although my personal sympathies would lean more to the Left than the Right - I helped found the Liberal Party, after all. ;)

My record's been rather centrist - removing taxation on religious institutions, vetoing a ban on automatic weapons, etc - with a liberal tilt. Hope that helps!

Your rhetoric on health care seems to indicate that you do not favor The New Atlasian Healthcare Act. Is this true?

That's not true, sorry, I should have been clearer.

My mistake for being ambiguous - I was actually referring in that post to our rival for Labor's endorsement, 20RP12's, plan, which, er, isn't so much privitisation by stealth as just blatantly repealing Fritzcare in its entirely and leaving millions of Atlasians without adequate healthcare.

My reference to "reform" being used as a codeword for privatisation didn't relate to a specific bill but my fear of what a very conservative majority in the Senate might attempt to do during the next President's term. :)

I don't know enough about Scott's bill to reach a conclusion immediately but from what I can see it seems like an example of actual reform, rather than privatisation in reform's clothing. I'd actually be inclined to support it as President.

My only obvious qualm is with the inclusion of pseudoscientific chriopractic "medicine" in the legislation, but that already exists under Fritzcare - I'd strongly back Yankee's amendment to remove that from coverage. We're not going to fund homeopathy, so why fund another branch of quackery?

It's not entirely related to the bill, but I'd also caution against adopting Senator Nathan's (who, for the record has been a fine Senator and does a generally terrific job) attitude whereby society should "accept" "disability" instead of attempting to "cure" it. That's not an attitude I have a lot of time for, personally.

That's assuming I'm reading the Senator's comment correctly, which I'm quite possibly not - I might be wrong, and usually am. :P

Woah woah woah, hold your horses partner. Blatant attacks like that are uncalled for and frankly untrue.

My plan does not and will not "leaving [sic] millions of Atlasians without adequate healthcare."

My plan is to scrap the current system and work with both left AND right wingers to find a solution. It is my belief that the entire healthcare system does not belong inside the federal Government, but instead should be left to the free market. I would sign a bill, however, that perhaps insured some lower income Atlasians within the federal Government but that's it. I do not believe in the principle of forcing people to buy anything. It is simply against the ideals of liberty.

Fair enough. I apologise for being somewhat glib.

There's a philosophical difference here with is irreconcilable, I fear, and may be best left for the debates, but, more importantly, the use of "leaving" in that post was not a grammatical mistake and thus does not require a "[sic]". ;)

No, it wasn't a mistake, but to accurately quote your precise diction in his statement would make it grammatically incorrect, so he was adding such to emphasize that he knew it was grammatically incorrect in the manner he was inserting the quote but that he intended to preserve precisely what the original author said.

I got that, but it would been more appropriate to do the following -

"[leave] millions of Atlasians".

[/pendant]

Yeah, that'd work too.

I'm a grammar nazi :P

First of all, I'd like to welcome Snowstalker to the race.

We will be unveiling our ideas on game reform tomorrow in Chicago!

We've been a little delayed since we had to go back to Vegas to find Cincinnatus, who's still hungover. He's going to be okay, though.

After that it's on to Minneapolis. :)

Voting is currently underway in most regions on the Empowering The Regions In Federal Elections Amendment , which gives the regions more power on how to choose their Senators, and provides a way for a federal official to open voting booths when the Governor is absent-


This is a bold reform, and I strongly support this measure, both as a former Governor and regional rights advocate and as a candidate for the Presidency. The game needs change, and giving the regions more say in how to elect their representatives is the right thing to do. :)

I urge all Atlasians to vote YES on this important amendment.

Neither of you voted for it during the seven days of voting. ???  I find that an odd way of strongly supporting something.

For the record, I strongly opposed this measure and will continue to do so.

The Pingvin Report would provide live TV and Internet report of your campaign stops.

My Vice-Presidential running mate, former Assemblyman Cincinnatus, will be speaking in Chicago momentarily on how the Oakvale/Cincinnatus administration would reform the Vice-Presidency and make government more efficent. :)

On the Vice Presidency;

The responsibilities and functions of the Vice Presidency have received on and off attention since I registered, and as I can assume, long before too.  I feel it's extremely important, at least to me, that this issue be addressed directly, and I hope that all Vice Presidential candidates will develop their own ideas and conclusions.  Before I bore you with my poorly conceived attempt to "fluff" this dialogue, let me get to the issues..

Cabinet Flexibility (https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Sixth_Amendment_to_the_Third_Constitution) has passed and in my opinion, is one of the best pieces of legislation signed in recent months.  A great bill, that remains unused in regards to the Vice Presidency, or at all.  Our Vice Presidents need to step forward when needed, and take on duties beyond the office.  We've constantly had trouble filling and maintaining a full, active cabinet.  When the situation arises that a post is left unfilled (AG for the most of my time here, for example), the Vice President should be the first to offer his assistance.  If this ticket is elected, I will be the first to step forward if the need arises.

Stepping up and taking charge is an important quality for your candidates to have.  It's also important for the game, because it is a necessity for this game, that our elected officials not only fulfill their obligations, but strive to exceed them.  The Vice President needs to take a leading role in updating and maintaining the wiki, in making the game more user-friendly.  The Federal Gov't should seek to copy the Civic information threads that several regions have passed.  A thread maintained by the VP, including the status of bills, linked to the relevant wiki page.  There's a large disconnect between the Federal Government, and the rest of Atlasia.  An up-to-date wiki, and easily-accessible information thread are imperative, if we wish to close the gap.

Finally, evolving the Vice Presidents legislative role is a strong desire of Oakvale and I.  There are many ideas and paths we can utilize, but there is one in which we feel will be both agreeable among partisan lines, and effective legislatively.  While few have brought up the idea of making the Vice President a Senator, we feel that this exceeds the power the position should have.  Instead, we believe the Vice Presidency should be granted the powers to introduce legislation, and amendments, but not given the ability to vote.  This isn't a drastic change by any means, and should be viewed as a step that will increase the effectiveness of administrations to come, the involvement of the Vice Presidency, and a stronger dialogue between the Administration, and the Senate. 

^ Thanks to Cincinnatus for unveiling our ideas on how to make the Vice-Presidency a relevant position. From my own experience, when I was Governor of the Pacific I passed an amendment that gave the Lieutenant Governor actual responsibilities - this is a similar move. :)

Activity will be muted for the next few days due to exams, but I'd like to just quickly address something Winfield asked a few other candidates -


I'd worry that we'd end up with the Vice-Presidency being treated similarly to the neglected Lieutenant Governors' offices in several regions - a powerless office no-one bothers to seek.

If we were to elect the Vice-President seperately I'd at least need to see reforms in line with what Cincinnatus outlined above passed, and possibly further, for fear of neutering an already overlooked position.

Why have you declared war on women and gays?

It's the precursor to our war on ponies.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While former Justice Oakvale has been absent from the campaign trail in the last several days - a fact he explained by muttering something incomprehensible about "studying for exams" in "real life", which the campaign would like to reassure the public that these comments were due to stress and not to some kind of break from reality - he would like to make a brief statement on the crisis in the Pacific.

While I feel some sympathy for Governor Jackson - we're all human, and it's easy to make a mistakes - the sad fact is that this mistake is completely unacceptable, and compounded by his bizarre, casual dismissal of the very need for an election.

I know from my own experience as Governor that the Pacific can often have problems with inactivity, but that's no excuse for shirking ones constitutional responsibilties - the people elect you to do a job, and if you can't do it you should resign.

I applaud the President's deft handling of the crisis, and urge Pacificans to elect a Governor who will fulfil the obligations of the office.

I am glad we all took a week off at the same time. ;)

Debate in five to seven days?

Sure, sounds good to me. Did we ever decide on that IRC debate/Q&A?

But yeah,this has actually worked out decently by chance- you and Clarence ill and me suffering the effects of not studying anything, ever. :P

Of course, 20RP12's still around to make appearances with terrible emo bands. ;)

Oakvale, how do you feel about The Equal Representation Act currently being debated in the Senate?

In light of today's news, all of us here Oakvale/Cincinnatus campaign HQ would like to wish Secretary of Internal Affairs 20RP12 all the best in his retirment, and hope that he, some day, can return to the games, whatever our differences over this campaign season.

In other news, I'm greatly looking forward to participating in a debate soon, and talking with the other canddiates about how we can move Atlasia forward. :)

Well, I wasn't sure if I should say what I'm about to say but in hindsight I figured: what the hell!

So yes, in light of recent events it is with great pleasure that I decide to put aside all the money and all the machine instructions and make an endorsement for the one ticket that doesn't like ponies AND Jews.

Therefore, effective at 2:59 this day, I hereby endorse the Oakvale/Cincinnatus ticket.

The Oakvale-Cincinnatus campaign is excited to announce that former Northeast Governor Snowstalker has joined the campaign as Senior Advisor. The former Governor will be, er, advising (:P) both Cincinnatus and myself on various campaign issues, and I look forward to Snowstalker being a valuable asset on the campaign trail.

We'd also like to thank Mechaman for his only mildly anti-Semitic endorsement. Thanks, Mecha! ;D

Thank you. I respect all the fine candidates in this race; Napoleon's assistance in teaching me the ropes of Atlas, Clarence's real-world experience, and Tweed's role in Atlasia's very formation. But Oakvale gave me the best bribe is the candidate who I feel can best unite Atlasia, and I am proud to work with him.

Is that what the 2.6 trillion thing in your sig is about? :P

I suppose the Oakvale/Cincinnatus ticket is being addressed here. What can you say about the reproach that your campaign employs "dirty and desperate tactics" as well as "corruption"?

I'm disappointed, of course, that Napoleon's campaign has turned to negative attacks, but I suppose it's inevitable that all heated Presidential races come to this kind of thing.

The issue here is supposedly that that I promised to support Snowstalker in a future Senate campaign in exchange for his vote in this election. To the best of my recollection - from talking to Snow I understand he related the information that he was supporting me to Napoleon only recently, but the conversation in question took place a couple of months ago, before Snowstalker even temporarily jumped in the Presidential race - he asked if I'd support him if he ran, I said something like "uh, sure", and he said he'd support me for the Presidency.

Snowstalker certainly didn't suggest that he'd only support me if I promised to do the same for him - I'd vote for Snowstalker 'cause he'd make a good Senator, not because I might potentially get one more vote in the Presidential election. Frankly, if I was in the business of buying votes on a grand scale I'd be polling better than I am right now. :P

(As I recall the discussion took place in the IRC chat, so there might have been other people there, but I don't remember. Yelnoc's usually in there, he might remember the details if he was around).

It's a non-issue. Whoever wins this election will win on their positions on the issues, and on substance, not on halfhearted smears. Napoleon has run a substantive and respectable campaign so far, to his credit, and I hope this doesn't signal a change in direction.

I look foward to debating with all my opponents shortly - on things that matter. ;)

EDIT: I do think it's a little funny that I'm being accused of "dirty and desperate" tactics considering Napoleon's the one resorting to negative campaigning...

Haha, well all I know is what your very own advisor told me so it isn't as if I am just making it up. Frankly if its your word against his I wouldn't believe either of you. The people of Atlasia certainly shouldn't.

I say..ahem..I say.. The Oaky/Cincy ticket finds these accusations deplorable, and demand that the once honorable Governor and former Senator revoke them.  Any and all tactics used, though not disclosed, are only deployed so that we may serve The People, and provide them with the best Administration possible.  That being said, I'm sure we have one or two cabinet positions that would be available for anyone still on the fence..  :)

I am not revoking any comments. Bribery is unacceptable and is not something I am willing to tolerate. Either Oakvale, Snowstalker, or both are lying here and I think the public deserves to know if a candidate is employing unethical campaign tactics. Having been misled by both many times before and seeing how sketchy Oakvale's response is, this should be cleared up.

All of us here at the Oakvale/Cincinnatus campaign would like to sincerely thank the SoEA for his much appreciated endorsement!

While we don't agree and everything, SJoyce and I agree that Atlasia needs a President who can compromise and work with those of all political persuasions to move the country forward - a President who will leave no-one out in the cold.

I'll be speaking tomorrow in Cleveland and unveiling our bold ideas on education reform, radically changing the way college tuition works. :)

Er... thanks for that, Mecha? :P

In more serious news, education policy being rolled out tonight. Stay tuned! :)

Mecha, although that was good, in future please use the official Super PAC ad template (found here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYlx7IcpqS4)) for ads.

Hey, everyone! :)

It's great to back on the campaign trail! It's been an exciting few days for the Oakvale/Cincinnatus ticket - we've been honoured to receive support from such Atlasian luminaries as my new special adviser, Snowstalker, Mechaman (in a stirring and only mildly anti-Semitic endorsement;D), and the nation's very capable SoEA, SJoyceFLA.

I'm here at CSU to talk a little about what an Oakvale/Cincinnatus administration would do to reform our education system.

It's a fundamental belief of mine that every Atlasian should have the opportunity to go to college, without racking up the monstrous levels of student debt that, unfortunately, an awful lot of students are unfairly saddled with for years, even decades after graduating - and then, of course, there's those who can't afford to go to college in the first place, potentially depriving the nation of countless talented would-be graduates. The usual retort is "well, college isn't for everyone". No doubt. But the option to go to college should be a right for all Atlasians, not a privilege bought or borrowed.

There have been many well intentioned and noble efforts made to address the problem of student debt - tuition incentives, scholarship programmes, you name it, the state or federal government's probably suggested some version of it. But Atlasian students are still struggling, and in a sluggish economy it's tough to get even a part-time job to work towards paying for tuition or hacking a tiny amount off the overwhelming debt students can accumulate over four or more years of college.

That's why Cincinnnatus and I propose a drastically different idea - as President, I will propose a new option for college students to pay their tuition fees: a graduate tax (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduate_tax). Under this proposal, students can, instead of paying upfront tuition fees, opt to pay a small percentage - depending on their total earnings - of their future income over a period of many years after they've graduated and found employment. This is a bold idea, we haven't tried something like this before - and it's a big change to the system, but implementing this system would give students of all backgrounds a chance to attend college without the fear of crippling debt in future years.

Under this method of paying fees, students still pay their share of the tuition - but when they're in employment and in a decent position to do so.

What you study in college should be limited based only on your academic ability, not your ability to pay - those whose families have been luckier in life aren't entitled to a better standard of education than those less fortunate. I believe its our responsibility as a society to ensure the equality of opportunity for all.

With a graduate tax system for paying college tuition, we can open the doors of higher education to an entire generation of Atlasian students - it's no cure-all fix, but it is a fair, progressive and inclusive system that means no-one gets shut out of an education through no fault of their own.

Another question is becoming more and more crucial - what will these new graduates study? There's been growing concern over a lack of qualified graduates in important fields - computer science, physics, mathematics, and the like. There's a gap in the jobs market for graduates in these fields, and a good way to greatly improve a graduate's chances of finding employment is to major in a subject that's valued by new and emerging industry.

To that end, Cincinnatus and I propose a national version of a bill I passed when I was Governor of the Pacific, that would provide modest but real incentives to students who major in science and mathematics related fields. At relatively little expense, the state can address worrying deficiencies in the job market and, effectively, make it easier for graduates to find employment.

Before I finish, I'd just like to state my opposition to Senators Clarence and Wormyguy's school voucher bill. While I have no doubt that the bill represents a good faith effort to, as they see it, improve our education system, I'm strongly opposed to school vouchers - they weaken the public school system, reduce accountability, and, all too often, represent an attempt at privatisation by stealth. Our public school system is far from perfect, but we can reform. Let's fix the schools we have, not give more money to private institutions. The question you often hear is, "why should parents send their children to a failing public school?", but that's the wrong question. We need to be asking "how can we make sure there are no failing public schools".

Oh, and one more thing, before I go - you have a high-profile Senate election heating up, and I want to publicly and enthusiastically endorse Senator Ben for re-election. While we don't agree on everything, Ben served the nation with honour as our long-serving SoEA, and continues his commendable career of public service as a fine Senator. This June, the Mideast will face a stark choice - between a moderate, pragmatic Senator who's willing to work with members of all parties, and a dangerous fringe candidate, who subscribes to a paranoid form of right-wing extremism that makes even many members of that candidate's party nervous. I know the Mideast is a conservative region, but, in this election, Senator Ben is the conservative - and the best - choice.

Thank you, Cleveland! I'll be speaking in the next couple of days in New York City and talking about our campaign's big ideas on infrastructure.

If you want a progressive and fair option for college students to pay their tuition, and an administration that will promote science and math and oppose efforts to destabilise our public schools, vote Oakvale/Cincinnatus on Election Day! ;D

Applause.

We here at the campaign think it's about time for a debate with the major contenders for the Preisdency - myself, Governor Napoleon, Senator Clarence and Boss Tweed. I hope the campaigns can get together and arrange a date soon. I look forward to arguing debating my ideas with my worthy opponents. ;)

In other news, we welcome the latest Survey Atlasia poll showing the Oakvale/Cincinnatus ticket climbing to a strong third place in the race with 22% of the vote, which is, unless I'm much mistaken, our highest vote yet in a poll. We still have a lot of work to do, but with a little momentum on our side I'm optimistic there's room for growth. ;D

Thank You, Oakvale, for the endorsement :)

Former Justice Oakvale will be campaigning in New York City this Friday, June 15th, and outlining he and Cincinnatus's infrastructure platform.

After that it's on to Portland, Maine, on Sunday, June 17th, where I'll be talking about game reform. :)

With Election Day rapidly approaching, I'd like to also re-iterate my desire to have at least one debate as soon as possible. The clash of ideas will make for a more informative campaign for the public.

Oh btw, endorsed!  ;D


lol

FYI I have decided to endorse your ticket for 2nd preference. While I don't see eye to eye with you on many issues your ticket is my favorite leftist ticket nonetheless. I believe that you are more willing and able to find common solutions with diverse political groups than the other left tickets in the race. Thus, an Oakvale presidency will be more effective when it comes to working with the Senate, which is made up of people with various political backgrounds. You also tend to treat your political opponents with respect and what you two have got to say on the issues is usually of substance.   

...

Uh, are you okay?

What the hell?

That's... really something. It's certainly something.

e: On more important topics, I'd like to urge all Northeasterners to give their support to Averroes Nix in today's gubernatorial election.

So is your (Snowstalker) new campaign strategy to get people to call in to radio stations requesting that?

I knew that was going to be deleted.

The potentially scanalous chant has been modified by Il Duce Napolitano and his orange thugs to prevent scandal. :P

I saved a backup copy if you want the original. :P

To be clear, Snowstalker posted some psychotic parody of a Dead Kennedys' song, which he's since been reasonable enough to remove. Yikes!

I'd also like to thank Governor Zuwo sincerely for his second-place vote. While we don't agree on everything, it's vital that we can we have a conversation about the issues and come to a reasonable compromise. Thank you, Governor! :)

Erm, what the f just happened? What did I miss?

See above. :P

Wait, was that an attempt to be funny? Surely not...

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=137599.msg3332181#msg3332181

Things are heating up!

Mr. President, thank you for those very kind words. I'm honored to have your support and your endorsement for the Presidency.

I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to support and work with President Polnut since he returned to Atlasia, from his agonizingly close loss in the gubernatorial race - that nonetheless heralded the beginning of a sea-change in the region - to his election not just once but twice to the highest office in the land. Over those months I got to know Polnut, and found him to a savvy, highly principled person who sought reasonable compromise but wasn't afraid to stick up for his beliefs when he felt he was right. As time went on he proved to be a great President who was, and is, a credit to the office.

Mr. President, I know this was not an easy decision for you to make, and I am humbled to have your support. I hope in the coming months that I will have the opportunity to prove it was the right one. :)

To my friends and supporters I say this - with, er, E-Day drawing ever nearer, that mysterious entity known as momentum is clearly on our side - the poll show us surging in support, and, against all odds, victory seems like an honest possibility for the first time since Cincinnatus and I launched this quixotic, long-shot campaign many weeks ago. Let's keep on firing on all cylinders until Election Day! ;D

You know Oakvale... I've come around to you. You'll rank high in my preferences.

Hopefully President Clarence will appoint you to cabinet. ;)

Well, everyone, it's finally here! ;D

It's been a long and exhausting road, but Election Day is finally upon us. When Cincinnatus and I started this quixotic campaign, we hardly expected to even last this long. The fact that we've not only stayed in the race but, could, depending on what polls you believe (:P), be within striking distance of a victory, is vaguely surreal to me.

I'll be giving a longer speech at the end of the election, whatever the results, but I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank my terrific campaign members - my running mate Cincinnatus and my campaign manager Fuzzy for all their hard work. I'd also like to express my appreciation to President Polnut and former Governor Snowstalker for their thoughtful advice and support. :)

To my opponents, Napoleon, Clarence and Tweed, I say this - we've had our differences, perhaps understandably, but I believe this is a very strong field of candidates, and whoever is elected President will have my support. :)

Now, everyone, go out and give us a first (or even second!) preference - for an inclusive Presidency that all Atlasians can be proud of, vote Oakvale/Cincinnatus - the Independent Ticket! ;D

Hey, you guys are in second place now! You used to be hovering around Tweed.

Former Justice Oakvale will be making his remarks on the election results within the hour.

Hey, everyone. :)

A short while ago I messaged former Governor Napoleon  to congratulate him on being elected the next President of Atlasia.

While the votes haven't been confirmed yet, the results are clear - Napoleon has won this election, and I was happy to offer him my sincere congratulations - he's earned this victory over the course of a long and often tough campaign.  I'd also like to express my condolences to my friends Senator Clarence and Assemblyman Yelnoc - they ran a terrific campaign, and both will continue to be major forces in Atlasia in the future. I've gotten to know Clarence well over the last few months, and he's a man of integrity. I'm glad that he's sticking around in the game.

As for me and Cincinnatus, our weird, quixotic journey has come to an end tonight, but I have no regrets - none.

When we started this campaign, we not only didn't expect to win, we didn't really expect to even make it to Election Day. The fact that we not only stayed in the race, but received a tremendous outpouring of support from our fellow citizens was completely unexpected, and I'm eternally grateful for that. :)

This was always a long-shot, and I don't consider this loss a disappointment. Because me and Cinci achieved everything we set out to do - we ran a substantive campaign focused on the issues, and, most importantly, we had a great time, even when things occasionally got acrimonious.

I'd like to thank my terrific campaign manager Fuzzy, former Governor Snowstalker, my running mate Cincinnatus, and President Polnut for their invaluable advice and friendship. They've all been a fantastic help, and any failure on the part of this campaign is mine and mine alone.

I don't know what's next for me in Atlasia. I haven't got any plans to run for elected office in the future, but I'll leave the door open - I've had some more free time in "real life", lately, which would make something like running for some other office a viable option without having to resign due to time constraints again. :P

I've been considering restarting my old newspaper, the Occasional News, and maybe even starting a law firm to offer help for people pleading their case before the Supreme Court.

We'll see, we'll see.

And, most of all, I want to sincerely thank all those Atlasians who voiced their support, lent us their ears and their votes. I appreciate it so much, and though the night may have not turned out the way some of you hoped, know that our odd, long-shot campaign stuck in against the odds and made a mark on the race. And that's something we can all be proud of.

My congratulations again to the President-elect, and good night!

Thank you,

()

PS: I'd like to congratulate Senators Scott, Ben, Sbane and Yankee on their re-election, and to Redalgo on his first time being elected to the Senate. :)

And that's me out, folks. It's been fun!

You ran a great campaign, Oakvale! :)

Please do both of these things, especially the newspaper.

No, you're an asshole!! :'(