Talk Elections

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Snowstalker's summer cabin outside Gauley Bridge, West Virginia

I will today announce three major endorsements, all of candidates from other parties. These officials have proven themselves worthy of the offices they seek.

Governor ZuWo for Mideast Governor
Senator Scott for Northeast Governor
Governor Nix for Northeast Senator

Thank you, Snowstalker.  Your endorsement is well appreciated. :)

Former Governor Snowstalker walks up to the podium surrounded by attendees in Pittsburgh, PA.

My fellow Atlasians,

The state of our nation is improving; thanks partially to an exciting At-Large Senate Race, activity is buzzing, even if greats such as Yelnoc, Polnut, and Oakvale have left us (the latter two leaving the forum outright). But no union is perfect, and we thus must strive to improve that union constantly. The solution to more fully revive this nation is not only a President who stands first and foremost for those in need, the working and middle classes, but young blood and new ideas. I may not be a hardened veteran of Atlasia, but I have served as governor of the nation's largest region and have run in several (unsuccessful) campaigns past. Therefore, I have chosen to seek Atlasia's highest office, the presidency.

My running mate has been chosen and will be revealed tomorrow, though some of the "Chat Room Crew" already know who I have selected. Originally I though of running a scorched-earth campaign, but I think I'm better than that. Though negative campaigning is not inherently bad, I want to focus on ideas that will help the people of Atlasia. Those ideas will be revealed in debates and through the people's questions over the next few weeks until the election. Thank you, and may Dave bless Atlasia.

Snowy/SecretPerson 2012!

Wow...not much buzz. :P

Good luck Snowstalker

When I thought of this question, I thought of foreign policy (see the Bush Doctrine). Therefore, I assume it would mean a mix of Wilsonian internationalism, but with a twist of pragmatism and observing each issue individually.

Let the VP speculation begin (and end when I reveal it tomorrow)!

Yes.

Will he also run for reelection?

It may depend on whether I am still in the race by October.

No, but I did drop out last time before the election (hopefully I won't this time).

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a shortlist!

The announcement will be made shortly after 3 PM ET in Youngstown, Ohio.

I have an educated guess, but I'll stay mum on it. :)

Snowstalker takes the stage in Youngstown, OH. A rolled-up banner is behind him, soon to be unveiled.

Thank you, Youngstown! I'm glad to be here, in a city where, for the first time in years, the manufacturing sector is growing, not shrinking. Much of that thanks goes to the labor union, a true Atlasian institution. The right to form a union is fundamental in a modern society. It gives employees a voice in their company to help balance the interests of the employer with those of the employee. I'm proud to seek the nomination of the party founded to support the interests of labor--the aptly-named Labor Party.

My running mate has fought tirelessly in the Senate to help middle-class families gain better footing in these tough economic times. We may disagree on many issues, including the ideal form and function of labor unions, but we agree that strong unions mean a strong middle class, and a strong middle class means a strong Atlasia. I'm proud to say today that the next Vice President of Atlasia will be the great Midwest Senator, Redalgo!

On cue, the banner rolls down behind Snowstalker.

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*cheers* *waves flags*

Great choice...I disagree with Redalgo on virtually every issue but he is a fine person and a pleasure to serve with

Great choice! :D Good luck!

Get in here, Redalgo! :P

Fixed!



Allo there! Is this the part where I smile and wave, or is eloquent rambling in order? ;D

*gaily waves a little red flag and moseys about aimlessly in the crowd, hugging people*  

Your eloquent ramblings warm the cockles of my frozen heart, Red.

Endorsed!
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I thank Senator Seatown and Speaker Alfred for their support.

SNOWSTALKER FOR ATLASIA SEPTEMBER TOUR SCHEDULE

(bolded indicates a speech to be posted here)

9/3: Pittsburgh, PA-Declaration of Candidacy
9/4: Youngstown, OH-VP Selection
9/5: Detroit, MI
9/6: Gary, IN
9/7: Madison, WI-Mideast political endorsements
9/8: Minneapolis, MN
9/9: Des Moines, Iowa-Energy
9/10: Chicago, IL
9/11: St. Louis, MO
9/12: Little Rock, AR
9/13: Memphis, TN
9/14: New Orleans, LA-Infrastructure
9/15: Houston, TX
9/16: San Antonio, TX
9/17: Pueblo, CO
9/18: Salt Lake City, UT
9/19: Tucson, AZ
9/20: San Diego, CA-Foreign Policy
9/21: Los Angeles, CA
9/22: Las Vegas, NV
9/23: San Francisco
9/24: Oakland, CA-Poverty
9/25: Portland, OR
9/26: Seattle, WA
9/27: Spokane, WA
9/28: Butte, MT-Labor
9/29: Omaha, NE
9/30: Kansas City, MO

How was Gary?

Fine. You'll like my speech tomorrow...;)

Thank you!

Endorsements:

Former At-Large Senator Seatown
Acting Northeast Governor Alfred F. Jones

Hmm, I guess I will be second referencing your ticket.

I would like to ask what are the differencies between your ticket and the Napoleon/Nathan one ? If I understand all this well, the Napoleon/Nathan is a Liberal/Labor ticket, whereas yours is a purely Labor one.

Which of these has the endorsement of Labor party then ? And has the issue been decided by a reunion of the Party's authorities or a congress ?

I'm balanced between two aspirations : on the one hand, the will of change, and on the other hand the necessity of alliances.

So I would like you to convince me you're a better ticket ! ;)

We haven't endorsed anyone, but we'll probably support Snowstalker/Redalgo.

I will need a lesson on the notion of party discipline within Atlasia generally, and the Labour in particular ;)

The parties in general, and especially Labor, aren't very cohesive. I don't know when we vote on a presidential endorsement.

I encourage all members of the Labor Party to vote on the presidential endorsements so that I may be the official Labor nominee.

I am proud to be the official nominee of the Labor Party!

Though it's a bit late, I support Simfan and Belgian for Assembly.

I will now take questions from the voters.

Do you support pony-related legislation? What is your view on federalism vis-a-vis ponies?

I believe in the philosophy of "live and let live." I shall not attempt to force The Word of Faust upon the masses. At the same time, I will stand against any attempts to discriminate against our people. :P

Which candidate in the race do you believe has the worst personal character to be president?

Answered via PM.

Yeah, it was kind of a baited question... :p

Endorsed for 2nd preference.

As a Mideast resident, I've been paying close attention to the debates. On the issues themselves, I may agree slightly more with Tmth than I do with ZuWo; though both lean conservative, Tmth is more "moderate". However, I've known and worked with ZuWo, and though Tmth would be a fine governor, I believe that ZuWo has not only given more specific answers, but  would be better in the day-to-day work of Mideast Governor.

Clarence has left the Senate; though I disagreed with him on many issues, he did a fine job and is a good man. In the special election to replace him are three candidates. Each have good reasons to be elected, but I choose to stand with the Atlasian middle class and support Alfred, my  friend and partner. He's done a fine job in the Northeast and deserves to return to the Senate.

I am open for questions.

Thanks, Mr. Stalker!

Question: What with some influential Labor members' comments about other parties, what will you do to work with Whigs and Liberals and all those other people?

I will admit that, for all my rhetoric, I am on the right of my party. Though I disagree with the Liberals on much, we can work together to formulate economic policy which best benefits the average Atlasian. With the Whigs...I oppose gun control? :P

But seriously, I do seem to be attracting a lot of second preferences from Whigs, and as issues come up, President Snowstalker will do his best to gain broad support for his policies while not watering them down through too much compromise (though compromise is in no way bad).

I'm honestly unsure why they prefer me to him. Though I'm unsure of the president's position on the issue, I oppose additional gun control measures. It may also be an issue of rhetoric and personality, though you'd have to ask them.

1. The gun thing.

2. Though I consider myself pro-choice and I oppose limits on first and second-trimester rights for a woman to choose, I support the Late-Term Abortion Restriction Act. Third-trimester abortions are both rare and cruel, though I support the exceptions proposed by Senator Marokai in his original bill.

What kind of new rights would you advocate for employees inside their enterprise in order to protect them from the effects of severe profit-guided managements ?

I think Snowstalker wants to repeal Taft Hartley act.

That's genius! Why didn't I think of that?

Does Atlasia even have a Taft-Hartley Act in place?

Of course it doesn't.

It was repealed a while ago, so I don't have to deal with it. :P

This is very disappointing =(

It was a tough issue for me. But third-trimester abortions are very rare, and are almost always for the reasons that are given exceptions. Thus, I don't feel like it seriously impedes on a woman's right to choose.

If you don't feel like it does anything, why support it?

As President, do you believe it is within your power to work on expanding the reach of Atlasia to other forum users by bringing them into the simulation and encouraging them to be active? If so, do you have a particular numerical goal (current user base is 139) or a concrete way to quantify any actions taken as 'successful'?

Though it's not particularly important, it can prevent some unnecessary abortions. Why do you so vigorously oppose it?

Adam: I don't necessarily believe that's the job of the president. Of course a President can recruit people, but so can everyone else. I don't think there's a quantitative way to measure Atlasia's quality; whether someone is "active" or a good politician is purely subjective. Of course, I'd like to see more people active in the game.

I am open to more questions from the voters.

That didn't really answer the question. Why support it?

My position is pretty clear, I don't think rape victims should be denied options as they struggle to overcome a horrific crime and violation that takes an emotional toll on anyone. I also don't believe that serious health complications should be forced upon a woman when an abortion could prevent that. The idea that women wait until the last minute to have abortions "just 'cause" is severely offensive and misguided and shows a lack of understanding and compassion that could only be found in a group of people that is 99% male viewpoints.

Marokai's bill gives an exception for rape. Most women don't wait until the last minute, of course; that's why this bill only bans abortion in exceptional circumstances.

You asked why I "vigorously" oppose it. There's no exception for rape, incest, or health and well-being in the bill.


The exceptional circumstances are typically the most critical. Pandering to the right on social issues to try and get second preferences isn't going to suddenly give an awful argument a logical thread tying it together.

Your logic boils down to "there's such a small number of (insert gay people , late term abortions or whatever) that it's okay to ban (insert gay marriage, late term abortions or whatever)". I don't care about the numbers- I care about the people. And there are people who will be negatively affected by the bill as its currently written.

I don't understand why you come to ridicule Snowstalker's campaign in his thread by attacking people that have nothing to do with the ticket. If I was running for office I would have looked that up, but I am too lazy because it has no benefit for me. I suggest you start acting more civil in your opponent's threads. As always someone is an [inks]hole.

In a nation which has government-sponsored health care and when a woman has clearly known that she is pregnant for quite a while by the third trimester, why should you not be able to access an abortion clinic at that time? Though I oppose Ben's amendment, I will still support the legislation, as it provides the most important exceptions, that being to protect the life of the woman or in cases of severe birth defects. As President, I hope to extend that to women with health problems.

I am hereby appointing Northeast Speaker and soon-to-be Senator Alfred F. Jones as my campaign manager.

Thank you, Smiling King of the Snowstalkers of Pennsylvania, Who Was Almost A Senator. I look forward to enjoying this campaign and the Snowstalker/Redalgo administration.[/propaganda]

I looked this Taft-Hartley Act thingy, I didn't know what it was. So was it or was it not repealed in Atlasia after all ?

I read that it prohibited federal employees and local authorities employees to strike. That's just unacceptable.

It was, but I intend to go further and legalize closed-shop unions, which are currently banned in Atlasia.

Get out and support Alfred, friend of the Atlasian working-class! :)

Woo! Go Labor! Yay!

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Allo people of Atlasia! I am so glad to speak before you today. My heartfelt thanks go all who have lent their support to me as a contender for the vice presidency of our glorious federation of republics!

Snowstalker can easily hold his own on this stage, of course, so let us focus for a moment on my vision for the future, interpretation of the vice presidency, and accomplishments in public life. There shall be no promises, lies, or manipulation. I am going to be completely square with you and, if you do not like what I would bring to the table in your next administration, I urge you to please vote accordingly. That having been said, I would like to discuss with you why I think it is important to vote Labor in this upcoming election.

To begin with, the vice presidency affords one an opportunity to be a close advisor for, confidant to, and auxiliary leadership figure working in concert with or at the behest of the President. This post is one I would thrive in. I have a keen sense of intuition, treat others with concern and respect, expect excellence from myself, and apply a coherent set of principles to decision-making processes. I relish opportunities to be of help to others, and would be like an angel of conscience o’er the shoulder of a Labor President.

Mine is a pursuit of virtue extending into political life. Sure, it would be foolish of me to go so far as to claim incorruptibility. If you afford me a chance to prove myself you will see for your selves, however, that my ambitions are for the advancement of the People’s interests first and foremost. If allowed to ascend into the office of the vice presidency, a priority of mine will be to push our President to do likewise at all times.

Perceptions of morality permeate the positions I take on political issues. Mine is a heart full of compassion and a love for humanity undeterred by the artificial boundaries folks erect betwixt one another. Our world is filled too much with pain and suffering, so mine is a crusade to ensure every individual has dignified living conditions and opportunities enough to fruitfully strive for a satisfying lifetime of self-improvement.

A vote for Labor is a vote for freedom that is real - freedom that does not require you to first become a privileged, potent wrangler of capital to enjoy the benefits of autonomy at their greatest. Without enough rights we are vulnerable to being subjugated by our fellow citizens. Without enough regulations we are the means by which the manipulative try to achieve their ends. Without a fair set of rules laid out in the game that is life we shall be a downtrodden lot whether the government is big or small or exists at all.  

My ultimate objective is a global union of republics with power enough at the top to find and enshrine those rights and liberties held in common by most of humanity while taking care to delegate other responsibilities to sub-administrative districts so each nation is able to translate most of their social norms and values into state policies which apply to them. I am an advocate of animal rights, workplace democracy, providing for all the most basic necessities of life, and minding the interests of generations yet to come.

Look at my record in the Senate and recall those comments made by me in other spheres of public life. In the past few months alone I have managed to:

- Draft and revise a new constitution for the Midwest Region...
- Oppose flawed bills of my own design, to advance the public interest...
- Oppose an attempt in the Senate to dissolve the Midwest...
- Oppose slavery in the criminal justice system...
- Oppose an authorization of war against Iran...
- Oppose Atlasia’s geopolitical alignment with Israel...
- Oppose constitutional restrictions to collective bargaining...
- Oppose IDS expansionism in Antarctica...
- Oppose a stimulus package for the sake of fiscal restraint...
- Oppose the ability of unions to co-opt workers against their will...
- Serve in the Senate Committee on National Security...
- Support consolidation of social democracy in the Midwest Region...
- Support reduced restrictions on voting rights...
- Support extension of equal rights to those in the LGBT community...
- Support a national university system...
- Support voluntary service in the armed forces...
- Support servicepersons unfairly discharged from the military...
- Support freedom of the regions from federal overreach...
- Support judicial and electoral reforms in the Senate...
- Support unification of Atlasia and Canada...

I stand by these actions, and only regret not having been wiser and more effective in advancing my causes.

That being said, there are many issues where you likely have yet to learn of my stances, so at this time I would like to encourage you to pose your queries. Almost nothing is off-limits, so please do not hold back if you are at all curious. At a later date I intend to offer comparisons between myself and the other candidates. For the time being it shall have to suffice for you to know a vote for the Labor ticket will also be a vote for me to have your blessings in serving as a close advisor in support of President Snowstalker.

May ours be a fellowship that withstands the test of time!

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- Support a national university system...
- Support freedom of the regions from federal overreach...

How do these work together?

No, I will not be running for re-election to the Senate during the next cycle.



The sentiments are mutual, my friend!



Hopefully I will be able to help on this matter in due time but alas, for now I do not have a clear enough understanding of the Napoleon/Nathan ticket’s objectives to offer to you a helpful analysis of on which issues the tickets substantively differ! Perhaps there should be presidential and vice-presidential debates to assist with this?



My stance on this issue is in lockstep with what was described by Snowstalker.



I do not know any of the candidates in the race on a personal basis well enough to provide for you a fair and objective answer to this question.



I did not watch but am confident that I would, indeed, have had thoughts on the Mideast gubernatorial debate had that not been the case.



Were Snowstalker elected to office, I would be serving at his pleasure and would not be working in cahoots with members of any party without his knowledge. However, in the event of me learning about promising ideas or strategies proposed by Whigs or Liberals, I’d be sure to pass them along to and discuss them at length with the President.



If a link could be made available to the Whig platform I would gladly provide some kind of rationalization in response to this question. To be honest, I tend not to keep tabs on the internal dealings of parties with which I do not strongly sympathize. :)



I am not opportunistic or results-driven in campaigning. Principle comes first. If elements of the Atlasian right deem aspects of Snowstalker’s agenda or mine to be attractive that is great and I would be glad to have their support, but I do not say things because I reckon it is what people in strategically-important demographic groups want to hear.



I believe employees should be allowed to decide for themselves whether to join unions, in most industries own most if not all shares in their respective enterprises, elect all their managers and administrators, benefit from profits being awarded to them in a just fashion, be in organizations where the least compensated workers earn no less than one-tenth the value in salary and benefits of the organization’s best-compensated member(s), and personally desire some degree of codification for the Rochdale Principles – pending exhaustive deliberation and debate with opponents to identify and try to address potential problems that could arise from doing so.



If that is what the act does, my reaction is the same as yours.



I strongly oppose closed-shop businesses, for the record, but on the bright side our core values strongly overlap - if not always in policy prescriptions at least in the general thrust of their objectives in the greater scope of things in politics. Of course, I will support your Presidency as best I know how if our ticket prevails, even when our views on some issues drift out of harmony. It is a great honor to serve the public at your side!



Upon further consideration I must say they do not in any satisfactory way. I think education is primarily the responsibility of the regions and would look favorably upon efforts to transfer control of these universities to the regional governments. At the time the university bill was first proposed my perspective was that it was a matter of supporting increased accessibility of educational opportunities, and did not until just now notice the ramifications within the framework of our federalist system.

I am a creature of many flaws but do my best to learn from my past experiences. As a general rule, my intent is to support regional discretion in educational matters with the one major exception that comes to mind being matters of religious interference, where there is an overriding interest in stopping some social groups from using state assets to legitimize their faith, discredit others, and/or marginalize those who dissent. Providing for the defense of human rights is a national responsibility, in my perspective.

On a related note, I love consistency in and neat interconnectivity of ideas, so if my actions or statements ever seem contradictory it is helpful for me to know so I can sort out what is awry, why, and then fix it before moving on. Thanks!

Thanks for coming back, Redalgo, and excellent answers. Though I disagree with a few of the things my running mate said, we share the idea that a government should work in the interests of its people, not big business and special interest groups. We feel that the power of grassroots democracy is unmatched in a free nation, and we feel that all Atlasians have a duty to work together and help each other.

The official campaign theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCPjeOPjH5Y

And Yelnoc's suggestion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ihPOTDxMfE

I oppose the Right Wages for the Right Regions Act. When people are just getting back on their feet and need a living wage just to pay for their rent, I feel it is inappropriate to remove the current minimum wage.

Proud to endorse my friend Oakvale for Pacific Senate!

On one hand, he has a point. I won't use executive orders as president. On the other hand, it's an extremely minor issue. JCL is effectively trying to give someone the death penalty for speeding.

Who wants a sig banner!

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The Mideast, my current region, is a manufacturing center and ground zero for the organizing rights of Atlasian workers. I condemn the 2012 Union Liberation Act's veto by Governor Tmth, among President Napoleon's biggest cheerleaders. As President, I will support a national version of the failed Mideast legislation. Will the incumbent do the same, or will he side with his anti-worker allies? ;)

Im being attacked by the ticket that has proposed putting right-to-work in the Constitution because one of my supporters unrelated to my campaign vetoed some bill?

It's not an attack, Mr. President. It's a challenge.

And there's a reason why it ain't Redalgo/Snowstalker. :P

(no offense to my buddy :P)

Could you tell me what that Union Liberation Act would have said and enforced ? As a worker I don't always have the time to follow each piece of regulation passing (or not passing, in that case).

1) What is the position of your ticket on the role of OSHA and WHD, and don't you think their powers should be reinforced and their personnel greatly increased in order to ensure good working conditions and labor law respect for workers ? (Is Atlasia even a member of the ILO and has it ratified its 81st and 129th conventions ? Would you propose it ?)

2) What is the position of your ticket on the role of the UNO, and how can Atlasia work to ensure that the institution is given the means to work its goals ? What reforms would you advocate, especially regarding the Security Council membership and General Assembly resolutions methods of passing ?

3) What is your ticket's position on how to treat disabled people that are unable to perform substantial gainful activity ? What are your key measures to better treat disability as a whole ?

4) Would your ticket try and organize an international convention on climate on our soil to gather all world leaders and finally take a collective consciousness that we are striding towards the edge ?

5) What's your ticket's position on civil nuclear energy, and should countries like Iran get it if they want ? And Qatar ? And Saudi Arabia ?

Well, for now, that should be all, I am posting all of this on Napoleon-Nathan's one as well. I won't be voting for anyone else than the four of you so...

Zanas, I'll get to your question.

I like Kalwejt, but his campaign doesn't seem to be a serious one. Thus, I give my endorsement to my friend and fellow Labor member, JulioMadrid! :)

Wow, I'm actually doing a lot better than I thought!

And I will make a declaration right here. If I am elected President (I still have my doubts, but anything can happen...), I will NOT seek a second term. My top priority shall be my work.

You're a good man, Snow. I sincerely wish you the best of luck and I hope to work closely with you on many things in the future. :)

Thank you, everyone! I woke up this morning knowing full well the result, but unlike in April, I don't feel bad. We ran a good campaign. I have regrets, but now is not the time for "shoulda coulda woulda". I am proud simply to have been the candidate of the Atlasian people, from the single mother trying to put food on the table to the laid-off factory worker trying to find a job to the migrant farmer hoping to fund his family through hard work in Atlasia. We fought hard, but we can't always win. I'd like to thank Alfred, AdamGriffin, and Seatown; your work was what gave our campaign a surprise second place (I really expected to get third). And thanks to my great running mate, Redalgo.

Nor is now the time to burn bridges. I congratulate President Napoleon on his re-election (though did you have to do it by stealing my base? :P), and hope that work will be accomplished during his second term. Congrats to candidates Jbrase and Xahar as well. Jbrase, you're good and the game will get stale fast without a right-wing; please don't leave! I will already rule myself out for a Februrary run for President, but don't worry, I shall return soon...

Let the next campaign begin!...whenever BK gets expelled. :P

Well done, good sir. Expectations were exceeded and that is a success in itself.

I said soon...and it's soon. I may have been defeated by the President, but I always want to continue my work in serving the Atlasian People. Therefore, with the resignation of NVTownsend, I intend to seek the now-vacant seat when a special election does occur as the nominee of the Labor Party. I may have been knocked down last week, but I get up again... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc)

Two open at-large seats, huh? Remember the last time that happened?

Endorsed!

A fascist got elected?
 And I think Pingvin won, too.

;)

Good luck, my friend! I hope that our campaigns will lead to a reflection and consolidation of liberal and conservative Atlasians alike!

Endorsed!

Question:

Would you agree to fight Napoleon to death for the benefit of The People?

If it is for the good of The People, I will put my life on the line.

Proud to endorse LiberalPA/Speed of Sound for second preference.

And another reason to elect me: Seriously, can I have this as a consolation prize? I got second place, after all. :P

In seriousness, I will take The People's questions preceding this debate.

Oppose unless it's me and my wives are Scarlett Johannsen, Eva Longoria, and Sofia Vergara.

As you never had the chance to answer my questions to Snowstalker the Presidential candidate, I will ask them again to Snowstalker the Senatorial candidate, just in order to annoy you. ;)

Sorry, dude. :P

1. Doubtlessly, the rights of labor need to be enforced and protected. If there is any evidence that these agencies have insufficient power, I will work to solidify them.

3. If I remember correctly, Atlasia has all American legislation before 2004, which includes the Americans With Disabilities Act. If this is insufficient, I will look into additional reform.

4. Without a doubt, the energy and climate change crises are the most important issues facing us in the long-term. If it has not already, Atlasia must ratify the Kyoto Protocol. I would support a new international convention of world leaders and top scientists, whether it is on Atlasian soil or not.

5. Nuclear energy, despite its bad reputation, is cleaner, safer, and more efficient than almost any other form of energy today (though solar may displace it in the future). Any country should be allowed to develop civil nuclear energy, though I remain unconvinced that it is Iran's only goal in their nuclear project.

I welcome the addition of Mr. Federalist to the race.

So, Snowy, why should I vote for you?

How would you vote on the current Abortion bill?

We share the same social-democratic spirit to move Atlasia forward. I will answer any grievances you have with my positions.

I thought about it, and would vote against it unless it included exceptions for rape and incest. In that case, I would vote for it. So I would vote Nay.

I apologize that it took me so long to respond to this; I greatly appreciate your support! Although it isn't really in the spirit of my campaign to give big, official endorsements, it may as well be known that if the election were today, you would be my second preference. Best of luck, my friend! :)

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Not sure if I've done this yet, but:

I encourage any likely voters to closely read the Senate debates, which are going on now.

Might as well make it official - everything I've seen and learned over my career in Atlasia tells me that Snowstalker would make a fine Senator, and I urge everyone to lend him their support. We don't agree on everything, but he's a decent guy, a hard worker, and I would be proud to serve alongside him in the Senate.

Get out the vote! :D

Polling and current results show that my endorsement for second preference, Mr. Speed of Sound, is probably going to be elected to the Senate. Best of luck to him, but if you're supporting me and him, remember that I need first prefs too! :P

Snowmentum

If you support the Party of John, John support your race & will campaign For you with Ronald Reagan on NBC.

I am hereby dropping out of the Senate race and endorsing Mr. Engle.

not really...

Congratulations, Mr. Senator!

is it bad that I went through the source code to see what you said there?

Well, I won! Feeling good about having won my first political office since I was Northeast Governor. :P

I hope to serve Atlasia and her people well. Good job to all my opponents for a great race.

Congratulations! :) I'm sure you'll do a great job.

Congratulations, Snow! I know that you'll make us all proud. :)

Thanks to everybody!

...now when do I swear in?

Here (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=36934.0).

Yes, it's great to have another Senator from the Mideast Region. :)

Many congratulations, Snowstalker! Best of luck to you.

A belated congratulations, I know you will make Atlasia proud :)

Open.

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In response to recent...scandals, these shall be given out for free to be put in signatures.

When a Labour candidate gets my second preference, you know there was something wrong with the Liberal. I'm glad I was right. ;)

What a nice little idea! ;D

Senator,

I know (and you know) that there can be at this time but one question that's at the centre of the mind of any of our patres conscripti. This is an important matter for all of us, and for those of us who are civic-minded in particular. It's a question by which this Senate will be judged for decades and centuries to come.

The question is simple: are you with the people or are you against them? If on the Senate floor there rolls that aborted love child of degeneracy and castration, a proposal to impeach our President, without any constitutional wrongdoing on his behalf whatsoever, will you vote it down, or will you back this monstruosity? Will you demonstrate yourself a statesman worthy of our trust, or will you forever mark yourself as belonging to them?

I thank you in advance for the time and trouble you'll no doubt take to answer my simple question.

Senator Snowstalker, like all of the members of the great legislative body known as the Atlasian Senate, is for the people (regardless of how he answers that question).  You may agree with him or you may disagree with him, but I don't think any of us can deny that he (and his fellow Senators) are acting in what they believe to be the best interests of the people (even if they are sometimes wrong about what is in the best interests of the people).  I say this as someone who would strongly opposes impeachment.  Good people can disagree.

I support the people. I am currently undecided on whether I would support a hypothetical impeachment effort; the question is not whether there was wrongdoing but whether it warrants removal from office.

Perhaps I have quite quickly fallen out of the loop....

Despite his terrible approval numbers, I haven't seen anyone suggest impeaching the President. I'm not sure I understand the fiery rhetoric of Insula Dei here and elsewhere as I haven't seen the slightest implication that an impeachment movement is upcoming or that it would have any support.

()

Indeed the question is not whether there was wrongdoing; there was none. This means the second bit of your reply is nonsensical.

Look, here's how it is, the Senate shall be at the service of the People, or it shall cease to be.

It's something of a statement to suggest that this President has recently been at the service of the People, wouldn't you say?

I will add one thing: At the moment, Napoleon's conduct does not warrant impeachment, but the constitution does not list the reasons for impeachment. There is no mention of "high crimes and misdemeanors" as is present in the United States constitution.

To say that it is "something of a statement" is putting it quite mildly.

I'm a man of gentle words, Mr. Assemblyman. This 'Rally' doesn't want to find out whether or not the same applies to my actions, I assure you.

Though I have already filed for re-election, I intend to kick off my campaign very soon. As always, I will answer The People's questions.

Get out and vote!

The good news is that it seems as if Barnes will be elected to the Senate! I'll be proud to work with him. However, given his and my positions, if you were intending to vote

[1] Barnes
[2] Snowstalker

, then why not flip it? :P

I echo my friend, Senator Snowstalker - don't elect just half of the Labor team! :)

Sadly, Labor has yet to turn out in full force. Let's change that.

While you came up just short in your reelection bid, you will always remain a hero for Atlasian progressives and I hope you will remain active in National and Mideastern politics. We need your presence and ideas to enrich the country. Dave bless you, and continue fighting!

I want to join Assemblyman TexasDem in urging you to remain active in Atlasian politics.  You were a worthy opponent and ran a fine, issue-driven, and civil campaign.  Win or lose, Atlasia can always use more folks like you, Senator :)

Sorry about that whole losing thing, Snow. Labor is consistently denied its fare share of the Senate. We deserve three.

I honestly would have preferred you stay in, as you did an excellent job and recognize the greatness of John Engle. I hope this isn't the last we see of you!

No you don't.

Why not? Proportionally it would be 3 Labor, 3 Liberal, 3 Federalist, and maybe 1 TPP or something.

And elections would be totally unnecessary.

Exactly. In a perfect world, though, everyone would subscribe to my viewpoints, and we'd have 10 Labor and no other forms of ideology would exist. A man can dream...

I'm sorry to see you go, Snowstalker. You fought a great campaign, and I look forward to our paths crossing again.

Snow is unlucky in elections.

Well, we all face setbacks in our careers, and this is one for me. I congratulate the duly elected winners and hope to serve in the Senate again someday.

I was hoping you would somehow make it in, but unfortunately my polling about you being in trouble proved correct. :(

Sorry.  I wanted you to win, Snow. :(  Best of luck in the future.

Shame you lost, my friend. :( I do hope you'll stick around and be an active force in Atlasia. You've been a good Senator.

Admittedly I was reluctant to do so earlier. However, I am now confident that Senator Marokai has the experience to lead Atlasia forward. I thus endorse him for President.

As for my own political future, I continue to survey my options. ;)

Could we get an announcement from you in the near future?

I consider myself a bit of an Atlasian Whack-A-Mole; I get bonked down, but always pop back up. I've spent some time continuing to push the Labor Right Act while surveying my options. Senator JulioMadrid, a friend of mine, has chosen not to run for re-election in February, and I have answered calls from some to run for his open seat. The Midwest has a proud tradition of electing Laborites, and I hope I will be able to represent this great region. However, I am not eligible to move until the 28th (thankfully, the election is next month), but after that I will be a Midwest resident.

Endorsed. I look forward to working with you when you're back in the Senate.

Endorsed! Altho I'm somewhat sad to have you leaving the Mideast.

Endorsed. I'm hoping we'll be close working partners if I'm elected as well. :P

Endorsed. You'll be a great Senator for our region.

Endorsed.

Endorsed. :)

Endorsed, even though it's said you are leaving the Mideast.

You have my endorsement. I hope that if you are elected, you will work to revitalize the Midwest and fight for Atlasian workers in the Senate.

Wow, thanks for all the support! Hope this translates to victory next month.

I think The People would be pleased by your return to the Senate.

Endorsed.

Where do youbstand on dogs?

There is literally not a single issue in Atlasia which I care less about.

I'm starting to think dogs need their own lobbying group >:(

Not endorsed.

Strongly Endorsed. Double endorsed, actually, since I already endorsed you.

What is your opinion on the execution of John Engle?

Cease these outrageous accusations at once, Mr President; Snowstalker would never stand on a poor little dog. >:(

Despicable. I will visit the monument in Des Moines on the 28th.

I'm confused, didn't that fail?

John never fails.

So it passed?

You stole the joke I was about to make. :-(

Now that I am an official Midwest resident, the campaign begins!

Though I hope to again return to the Senate to fight for the working Atlasian nationwide, I would also represent the great Midwest region. Though I adore its voting habits, it is sadly plagued by low population and low activity. I believe that a Midwest assembly should be created; otherwise, I would be open to a wide range of proposals from differing perspectives on how to revitalize the region.

Oh, wasn't aware you moved here!

Well, welcome in the Most Serene Republic of the Midwest!
*hughughug*

Don't be creeped, that's just Midwest traditions! You have surely heard about them (because of them, people of other regions call us wierdos)!

As I'm the Regional Kommissær and Lord of the Cakes, so, half of a governor, we will have to work together to improve the region, so, I hope we will be able to put tensions on the side in order to reach that greater goal.

()

Unveiling the banner of the Midwest's workers and farmers!

It's slightly ridiculous that a senator that failed to get reelected can carpetbag to another region and face uncontested election.

Indeed, it is.

What are some of the specific ideas you have in mind to revitalize the Midwest Region? You mentioned creating an Assembly, for example, but in what form would you like that accomplished?

The specific proposal Griffin and I were working on, though I don't think it's final.

As there is now an actual race, I am officially endorsing my friend, Senator Oakvale, for the Pacific Senate seat.

Dawg, who're you running against?

I'm unopposed. Oakvale is running against LiberalJunkie (I think that's his name)

It'll be good having you back in the Senate - and even better knowing the Midwest is on the cusp of a revival. Let the voting begin (at some point in the very immediate future)!

Midwesterners, go out and support Marokai, Griffin, and Snowstalker! :)

()

To those who bothered to vote for me in an uncontested election, thank you for that support. I'm proud to represent the workers of the Midwest and fight for truth, justice, and the Atlasian way in the Senate. To those who wrote in against me, I'd be happy to sit down with you as your new senator and see how we can improve the Midwest and the nation. Once again, thank you to my supporters, for giving me the opportunity to once again serve in the Senate. :)

You better work your ass off. :P

Congratulations Snowstalker, I am sure we will be talking about how to help our great region, the Midwest!

Could have used your vote in the Mideast, but nonetheless  congrats on making it to the Senate! :)

Congratulations!

Trust me, I'll be worth 3 Labor senators. ;)

Many congratulations, Snowstalker!  Here's hoping to a productive (and hopefully civil) Senate session for you guys. :)

Congrats Senator-elect Snowstalker :)

Despite our past quarrels, since we are stuck together for the next couple months, Senator Napoleon and I have decided to get to work. The minimum wage as of right now is too low to keep many above the poverty line, let alone enough to cover the cost of living. With this minimum wage increase, we hope to assist working Atlasians in getting back on their feet while making sure that no one who works a full week should be in poverty.

Correction: Senator Napoleon ;)

That will be a fun debate.

All debates will hopefully be fun debates. :)

I definitely support the increase to $12.50, but I am undecided on the rest of the bill (and how I will vote on the bill itself).  I look forward to an informative and vigorous debate regarding this proposal :)

Haha, I'm a senator again!

I will hereby announce that I support all the President's cabinet appointments. Not only do I feel that they are all fine choices, but I believe the president should have leeway in picking a Cabinet.

<3

Why do you support Bacon King for AG?

1. I believe Bacon Kingman, Attorney At Law is superbly qualified for the office.
2. I believe the President should be given leeway in his Cabinet appointments.

1. Why, specifically, is Bacon Kingman, Absentee At Law, in any way qualified for the office?
2. Does the Senate have no role to ensure that the Cabinet, y'know, functions? For the good of the nation?

I'm confident Bacon will be back at some point, though I may change my mind on confirmation if he fails to show up.

I've PMed him. If he fails to show up by this time tomorrow, I will withdraw his nomination myself.

Changing nominees, I am sure you are supporting Adam Griffin for GM, but please keep fighting for his nomination. I think he's eminently qualified for the job, and, while there is the possibility of a conflict of interest, through his constant data and graphs that he has provided and presented through GriffGraphs I think he has proven he can play in a non-partisan and non-ideological field just as well as he can in a partisan battlefield.

Then, please, lobby on Griffin's behalf to the Senators directly in the confirmation thread! You can use my hall pass. :P

To clarify the earlier "scandal", I do not actually have any intention of going to war with Germany. That was a joke. The resolution has been scrapped.

Since Atlasia is a 24/7 campaign trail, I hereby reiterate that this thread is open to questions and commentary from my Midwestern constituents.

So it seems as if I...accidentally voted to ban hunting for sport. Usually I attempt to read bills as thoroughly as possible, but this was a genuinely dumb mistake, and I apologize for voting for the legislation in the form in which it passed. I have introduced an amendment to the Animal Protection Act of 2013 to correct this, and to once again allow hunting for sport.

I am proud to support my friend, Snowguy716, for the coming At-Large special election. An Atlasian veteran only recently returned, I'm confident that he will be an effective Senator and a representative of the Atlasian worker.

What is your view on Napoleon's "Let's Make things really interesting" amendment? If your thoughts are anything but "I whole heartily agree.", what are your plans, if any, of game reform or interesting development for the game at hand?

Though some have considered it sucking up to an old "enemy", I'm proud to support this legislation, which I think will help spur activity and encourage more people to seek higher office. Atlasia's population needs simply mean that we need more representative federal government, and the district idea is a fun and effective way to do it.

In the at-large Senate race being voted upon now, I intend to support MaxQue and Alfred, fellow Laborites who I feel are both strongly qualified to serve alongside me (probably a lot more qualified than I am :P). But I'm saving my vote for later, because I'm not entirely sure who to give #1 and who to give #2.

Third preference is up in the air, so go ahead and bombard me with PM's.

As many of you already saw, I have made the decision to not seek re-election to the Senate. This came not out of a desire for a higher office or fear of losing re-election, but because of the fact that in the recent days and weeks I haven't pulled my full weight in the Senate. I successfully co-led the charge for fair wages and sportsmen's rights, but I've noticed that I've been absent or only somewhat present in Senate debates. Some of this is mere forgetfulness on my part, but most of it comes from preoccupation from various other activities. I'm proud overall of my work representing the Midwest, but not proud enough.

Hence, I have decided to step down at the end of my term and endorse the (so far) sole candidate in this race, my friend and fellow Laborite TNF. Until my term ends, I will make an effort to improve my presence in the Senate.

I will be seeking the Labor nomination for President. I have nothing else to do, so why not? I'll endorse Nix when I lose.

I will refrain from making an endorsement of either you or Senator Nix until the party has voted, but nevertheless I wish you well in your campaign, Senator.

Greetings, comrades. This is our campaign thread I guess.

I will confirm that I am running on this ticket, but I will neither not not endorse nor not not not endorse this ticket.

A bipartisan ticket! Good luck!

Snowstalker leaks!

17:43   Snowstalker   arguably castillian, portuguese, galician, could all be considered some "iberian" language
17:43   Snowstalker   i mean, if we lump all german langauges together

(About Niki Ashton, who I said "she's like 15" and Sen. Snowstalker took it literally and lashed out at me saying she's not literally 15)
19:12   Snowstalker   well she's older than you are

19:22   Snowstalker   at the same time, i'm eager to be a person who changes the world in some way

18:46   Snowstalker   to reject excess self-indulgence (especially when that excess harms yourself or others) and work for the greater good of humanity
18:48   Snowstalker   i guess you could consider it to be social conservatism from a leftist-secular perspective
18:48   Snowstalker   i'm certainly not a socon in the american sense
18:49   Snowstalker   i just see value in monogamy, temperance, etc., and see potential danger in hedonism

Amanda Toddgate
20:04   Snowstalker   from what i read at the time, she had lied, cheated, etc
20:04   Snowstalker   obviously doesn't mean she deserved it
20:05   Snowstalker   but plenty of other suicide victims besides just her

20:09   Snowstalker   but at the same time, my point is that the victim isn't NECESSARILY blameless

20:13   Snowstalker   is that sometimes there can be reasons behind the bullying

20:26   Snowstalker   yes, amanda todd did not deserve to die, and did not bring it upon herself
20:26   Snowstalker   BUT
20:26   Snowstalker   we must not assume total innocence
20:27   Snowstalker   and it was clearly sugarcoated and drummed up by the media

20:30   Snowstalker   guys, i have a career in atlasia
20:30   Snowstalker   can you just take that out of your sigs

20:39   Snowstalker   is that though she didn't deserve to be bullied and driven to suicide, amanda todd should have exercised self-restraint/personal responsibility

Fascism is kewl

17:32   Snowstalker   cogendism was outside the left-right spectrum
17:32   Snowstalker   and i rejected it last week
17:32   hash   just like fascism claims to be
17:33   oakvale   THAT'S WHAT FASCISTS SAY

20:49   Snowstalker   yes, but i'm the kind of fascist who would have backed the allies
20:57   Snowstalker   sadly, it's a legitimate ideology tarnished by the incompetent mussolini and the vile hitler

20:51   Snowstalker   except jews

21:13   Snowstalker   because i just read the wiki article on vargas and liked the first paragraph

Fortunately for Sen. Snowstalker, I do not have the quotes relating to the Rhodesia incident(s), or his claim that he would be classified as a Coloured during apartheid.

SENATOR SNOWSTALKER I AM A MEMBER OF THE PRESS DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THESE QUOTES

19:44   Snowstalker   but the bush administration probably knew that something was coming
19:44   Snowstalker   again   
19:44   Snowstalker   8/6/01
19:46   Snowstalker   the same reason for the reichstag fire or the gleiwitz incident

21:23   Snowstalker   the eternal jew is the greediest of all god's creatures

22:14   Snowstalker   autism is caused by the jew

22:30   Snowstalker   seriously, i've met few people genuinely smarter than i am

17:11   Snowstalker   i also feel my life style and views are objectively superior

20:31   Snowstalker   this isn't about my greatness
20:31   Snowstalker   this is about me being the one chosen
20:32   Snowstalker   perhaps by fate
20:32   Snowstalker   to carry the burden of building the new order

18:49   Snowstalker   i can barely bring myself to do homework, let alone kill a man     
18:49   Snowstalker   it's not the actual killing         
18:49   Snowstalker   it's that i can't bring myself to do it
18:53   Snowstalker   however, if i were hypothetically a murderer
18:54   Snowstalker   i think i'd do a good job at it

I reject the terrible things I may have said in the past (well, a good chunk of the things above weren't really serious).

Anyway, let's talk about building bridges or labor rights or something.

CAN WE TALK ABOUT LAW AND ORDER ISSUES MR SENATOR

21:39 Snowstalker  i doubt society would totally fall apart if we legalized murder/rape/arson/theft etc

Okay seriously, can we stop pulling stuff from the IRC?

But if you want an answer, the context of that was simple; there are other reasons not to commit murder/rape/arson/theft besides their illegality.

Honestly, a lot of that is just amusing, assuming he's kidding.

Senator Snowstalker are you the Zodiac Killer?

Yes.

!!!!

CONFIRMED

Senator Snowstalker, do you plan on turning Atlasia into a one party cogendist state if elected? :P

Yes.

I formally condemn the Snowstalker/drj ticket.

As do I.

Since it's pretty clear that Nix is going to win, and I was supporting him anyway, I hereby exit the race and re-endorse him for the presidency. Drj is still running AFAIK.

Then why, for the love of Dave, did you run?

Why not?

bump because relevant to current events

lol good times