Executive Election:
[ 1 ] Clinton1996/Siren
[   ] ZuWo/Cathcon
[   ] Drj101/Write-in: __________

Legislative Election:
[ 1 ] Odysseus
[   ] Inks.LWC
[ 4 ] HoosierPoliticalJunkie
[ 5 ] MilesC56
[ 2 ] a Person
[   ] LumineVonReuental
[   ] Oldiesfreak1854
[ 3 ] Shua
[   ] Gass3268
[   ] TNF
[   ] Write-In: __________
[   ] Write-In: __________

[60-70]

Assuming he's viewed as a relatively successful president, probably around a 60-70. If the American public has decided that he has failed as president, then probably he'll have about a 30-40.

Aye on both.

I would like to ask a broad question about the topic of game reform at the regional level. Are there, in your view, parts of the regional constitution which should be amended? Or more generally, are there any aspects of the game which we should change?

I think the game itself is fine, and game reform has a history of failure in Atlasia. Time spent drafting bills for game reform might very well be time wasted, in my opinion, however interesting the reform concepts might be.

I would like to ask all of the Mideast Assembly members what they would do with the current surplus that is available via the budget, and why you would do so?

I agree with LumineVonReuental that some of our surplus should spent on transportation and high speed rail, but I also believe that we should place some of our money into the Mideast's education system. The education system, the transportation system, and the information and infrastructure systems of the Mideast should be given more money from this excellent surplus that we currently have due to our budget.

Abstain

[OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN STATEMENT (April 30, 2013)]

OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN STATEMENT (April 30, 2013)

As we move closer to the elections for the Mideast Assembly this May, I'd like to do a few things that any good and honest politician might do. I'd first like to wish everyone luck in the upcoming elections - both my opponents and my colleagues. This has been a very fun and enjoyable experience on Atlas, and I've conversed with a lot of people I would not have even seen or heard from other wise. I'd also like to remind everyone of my presence and existence by bumping this thread, of course. In recent days, things have become far less cynical on a number issues.

Most notably: the Mideast budget amendment crisis. I'm happy to report that following two votes on this issue, I've become fairly satisfied with the situation. I believe that the amendment that has most recently been passed is a fine addition to the Mideast constitution. Hopefully, it will settle this matter for quite some time.

Finally, I've been notified by some that a debate might be held between the Assembly hopefuls, including myself, my opponents, and my colleagues. I would be happy to attend such a debate, in order to both provide the people with a venue for the varying beliefs of the candidates, and to meet with the candidates themselves to discuss the issues.

Rockefeller would never be on the ticket with Goldwater under any circumstances.

God no. Addiction is an issue of mental health, not criminal justice.

As a fellow friend from AH.com, I wish you the best of luck!

You're on ah.com?

Yeah. Under the same username as here.

As a fellow friend from AH.com, I wish you the best of luck!

GOP: Santorum, Gingrich, Huntsman, Perry, everyone in the tea party caucus, Steve King, Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn etc., Palin, Ted Cruz, Allen West, Rob Portman, Ben Carson, Herman Cain and I'm tempted to say Chris Cristie as well.

Dems: Napolitano, Biden, Mike Beebe, Elizabeth Warren, Jerry Brown, Bill Richardson, Howard Dean, Kerry, Villagarosia, Wasserman-Schultz.

Man, who does that even leave as possibilities? Like three people?

Never - The GOP will begin to become competitive with Hispanics before Florida (a swing state) and Texas (a solidly Republican state) are solidly Democratic.

I bet one of the actual eventual nominees has been mentioned in this thread.

AT-LARGE SENATE

[ 7 ] Alfred F. Jones of Puerto Rico
Labor Party

[ 4 ] HagridoftheDeep of South Carolina
Federalist Party

[ 2 ] Kalwejt of Vermont
Liberal Party

[ 1 ] Matt from VT of Massachusetts
Federalist Party

[ 6 ] MaxQue of Colorado
Labor Party

[ 5 ] Mr. X of Ohio
Independent

[ 3 ] Napoleon of Connecticut
Liberal Party

[ 8 ] Poirot of New York
Independent

[  ] Write-in:______________________________


[  ] None of the above

Aye

Nay

Napoleon (Liberal-SC)
[X] Aye
[] Nay
[] Abstain

Alfred F. Jones (Labor-PR)
[X] Aye
[] Nay
[] Abstain

HagridOfTheDeep (Federalist-SC)
[X] Aye
[] Nay
[] Abstain

Kalwejt (Liberal-VT)
[X] Aye
[] Nay
[] Abstain

Thanks for the kind words, and I wish you luck as well.

[OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN STATEMENT ON THE ISSUES (April 11, 2013)]

OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN STATEMENT ON THE ISSUES (April 11, 2013)

      The campaign for Mideast Assembly is beginning to kick into high gear, and it's time I begun to state clearly my positions on the issues. I am a member of the Light Party, and you will undoubtedly notice similarities between my beliefs, other Light Party members, and indeed the official platform of the party. However, I can assure you that you'll definitely find differences between my beliefs and the Light Party's beliefs – no one political institution is going to completely represent any one person's belief.
      
      CIVIL LIBERTIES & SOCIAL POLICY: As previously mentioned by my campaign, one of my primary goals as an active politician is the preservation of civil liberties when at all possible. I support social progress on a grand scale, and I intend to keep the Mideast's reputation of being socially inclusive. I am one for justice, and equality. I believe that LGBT Atlasians (such as myself) deserve the same rights and privileges as any other citizen. However, on some issues, I must admit neutrality, simply because some issues are just too divisive and 'hot-button' to be worth pursuing. Specifically, gun control, and abortion. Broadly speaking I support very low-level gun control, and wish for abortion to be remain status quo, but these issues are largely not worth the high levels of emotion involved. I believe that freedom is the of the utmost importance to every citizen. Freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, and so on. While I may in fact be a proponent of secular government, this is entirely for the purpose of protecting the religious beliefs of all citizens.

      ECONOMICS: My economic policy is one of pragmatism. As the most recent chapter in the nightmare that is the Mideast Assembly's attempts to pass a balanced budget amendment indicates to us clearly, we cannot allow ourselves to get hung up on the exact numbers when it comes to economics. The past several bills have been largely the same, with mere numerical differences. Currently, I support Governor Tmth's compromise or, in the case that his will not go through, I would support my fellow Assembly candidate and Light Party member a Person's proposal. If worse should come to worse, I would attempt to work with the members of the Assembly in order to pass some sort of reasonable compromise. In addition, the infrastructure of the Mideast, and much of the nation, has fallen into a state of heightened disrepair. We cannot allow this to continue. In the Mideast Assembly, I will offer solutions, and work with my fellow assembly, to correct to Mideast's infrastructure and upgrade it into something that all citizens will be proud of, and something that all citizens will feel safe using. High speed rail, reconstruction and revitalization of our highways, roads, and bridges, and preservation of the still standing and pristine pieces of infrastructure we still have.

      EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY: Education is, perhaps, the most important thing to me after the protection of liberty. It is no secret that our education system, both nationally and regionally, has fallen behind. I intend to help rectify this. The first thing to understand is that our system of standardized testing is hampering the job of teachers – the job of educating our students. High schools, both nationally and in the Mideast, must be revitalized. There is a reason while college degrees are now worth so much more, and while high school diplomas have become worth so much less. It is because our high schools are falling behind, and moving in the wrong direction. Our education system cannot be simply fixed by an assemblyman from the Mideast. It will require many more people than just one man. We need to break the barrier. We require a new entire education motto. The 'taught to test' education system that has developed in our nation and in our region is not the right direction. We are running on the industrial education system, and we're well into the digital age. Times must change. While one national curriculum is a good step, a standardized test based on it is not. Communities require more administrative jurisdiction over their school districts. Teachers require more jurisdiction over their classrooms and their curriculums in general. And, I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to integrate the new technology of this new era into our classrooms.

But what I can most stress perhaps above all else is the need for pragmatism. The need for the ability of our legislators to compromise. The recent balanced budget amendment nightmare has shown us that time and time again.

Odysseus - Mideast Assembly - May '13: Progressive ideals, Pragmatic solutions!

CHAIR

[X] Scott
[] Write-in:___________
[] Abstain

VICE CHAIR

[X] Benconstine
[] Write-in:___________
[] Abstain

PLATFORM - On Adoption
Part I
Part II

[X] Aye
[] Nay
[] Abstain

I would like to step in briefly and express my support of Scott for Chair.

Econ a little too left for me, but otherwise great.

Formally announcing that I have returned from my vacation, and also bumping this thread.

My changes to "Freedom of Speech & Religious Expression" and "Civil Liberties" have not been reflected in the official platform, despite having been approved.

[Civil Liberties]

Civil Liberties
The Light Party stands firmly on the side of civil liberties and views them as fundamental to Atlasia remaining Atlasia. Individual liberties, such as the rights to free speech and association, must be kept paramount. Government must stay out of the private lives of individuals. This is also true for private institutions, such as internet service providers. ISPs, or any other private organization, will not be allowed to monitor customers in any way. Although some revocations of our rights have come in the name of national security, we can remain safe while maintaining due process and the rule of law. Federal investigations must operate under judicial oversight and must provide probable cause before executing searches. Only high-risk individuals should be subject to invasive security procedures, but a legal warrant must still be obtained. Habeas corpus must be respected and individuals must be charged with a crime or released.

Human Rights
Lightists believe that Atlasia has forever shined as a beacon of freedom, and so it must remain.  We believe that speech shall only be regulated to protect the rights, privacy, and security of all citizens.  We also believe that the freedom to practice one's religion or to abstain from any religious activity is a fundamental right. The Light Party believes that religion is a private matter, and that the only way to ensure religious freedom is to ensure the continued separation of church and state. As such, all school students should be allowed to pray in accordance with their religious beliefs. The Light Party also stands firm that peaceful protest and assembly against the government is of the utmost importance, and provides a voice for the opposition in many government debates.

Copyright Law
The Light Party believes that copyright law's recent history of being a tool of censorship is unfair to many citizens. We believe that copyrighted materials can be used fairly by the public, and works containing segments of copyrighted material are perfectly legal as long as the original producers are cited. Full versions of copyrighted works uploaded to the internet for download or viewing will be considered illegal, however. Companies or individuals who are found to be repeatedly abusing copyright claims may be subject to a severe fine.