Marokai Blue/Purple State for Atlasia, Campaign HQ

[President Marokai]

Proposal: Making the Game Moderator more effective.

Purple State, Campaign Promise: This is what we mean...


Hello there, Atlasia, and Happy New Year!

I've spent alot of time thinking about this, since October; thinking about the state of the game, and my future here.

Under the Purple State/Marokai Blue Administration, we accomplished several critically important things.

• A regional government childboard was kicked off under our Administration.

• Massive and unprecedented amounts of wiki consolidation were undertook.
• We penned and fought for a broad legislative agenda that most other Administrations would shy from.
• Elections the process behind them were streamlined.
• And we fought tirelessly for and eventually got ratified, a brand new Constitution.

A great deal of things were done, but not everything we wanted to accomplish could have been done in our single term. Many things in Atlasia remain to be reformed, and many more things need the incentive to be as active as they need to be.

I am announcing that I will be running for President to try and finish that job.

Purple State joins me in this effort, and I've considered him a close friend in Atlasia after our time working together. He is hardworking, persistent, and needs no introduction. You all know the workhorse that Purple State is. His accomplishments speak for themselves, and I will let him speak on his own behalf.

You also know my experience, my efforts, my past. I have been Attorney General (twice, and during this time I took initiative to overhaul the intro thread), Supreme Court Justice (penning several lengthy opinions myself), Senator (passing alot of important legislation), and Vice President (remaining very active in the role). This doesn't factor in all my other small roles.

I care about Atlasia a great deal, and making this game work well and be more fun to play is one of my passions. I like to think that I've proven, time and again, that I'm up to the task, even when things get in the way. Like, say, my cat ruining my laptop after I was re-elected Senator last year in August, leaving me with nothing but a terrible computer that overheats after ten minutes.

I've quoted this paragraph from Lief alot in the past, and I'd like to do so again, because it really resonated with me ever since he said it, in early-mid 2009.

By refocusing the debate on real world economic and social issues and by working towards coherent policy, we will make the government side of the game more engaging; we will make campaigns more meaningful, shifting them away from personality contests or party-line votes to votes based on political and ideological issues; and we will spur greater political debate, as Senators and voters are forced to make real decisions.

Myself and Purple State are not running to take part on a personality contest. We are running to do hard work once again and fix the problems that plague Atlasia. It's not about silly little personal issues, nor should we be content with votes based on party or ideological lines. There are many problems and we've got to fix them without reacting in a reactionary or bitter way.

Over the next few weeks I will outline in detail, what exactly it is that I plan to do, if elected. On the list? Senate reform, alterations made to executive powers and responsibilities, amending the CCJA to allow for exceptions such as Mint, alternatives to the way we elect Senators now that don't step on too many toes, GM reform, continued Wiki consolidation, domestic policy proposals, especially in regard to further credit card laws, making our best effort to force the Senate to respond to the concerns and statements of the GM, and much more.

So stay tuned, and feel free to ask any questions you like.

Onward to February!

[Purple State]

Well, I'm back.

After wandering through the wilderness of Atlasia in my post-presidency daze, I realized that my work was only partly complete. While we had a new Constitution, a much better organized Wiki, clearer election rules, and an improved GM position – along with the right people to maintain those reforms – what we lacked was excitement in the game.

Once I realized that something was draining the fun from the game, it didn't take very long to figure out what the source was: the Senate. And I don't mean the individual senators, who in most cases make good faith efforts to have meaningful and productive debate. What I mean when I say that the Senate is sapping the life from Atlasia is that the institution has become too unwieldy and too old and decrepit to bring any sort of excitement to the game.

Case in point is the recent economic crisis in Atlasia. For nearly a month we have heard news from the GM about our deteriorating economy. Soon after it was clear that this wasn't a one-off event, but a crisis, I urged the federal government to start caring about the economy. But has the Senate acted? Well, they have tried. But despite the urging of the President, the Secretary of Internal Affairs and the President Pro Tempore, there has been progress, but no final resolution. And even if you believe that the slow nature of the Senate is a useful way to promote productive debate, we can all certainly agree that the debate in that thread is not what any of us have in mind.

When I first joined the game, this was clearly not the case. As an up-and-coming player of the game, I dove head first into Senate debates where the great minds of Atlasia debated policy that caught the interest of everyday players. From education to foreign policy to criminal justice, the Senate looked at the issues that mattered to Atlasians. As a result, new members became active at the regional level in the hopes of building a record and someday reaching the Senate, a major indirect boon to overall activity.

This is why I've decided to run for Vice President with Marokai. As President I was able to change the foundations of the game for the better; as Vice President, and President of the Senate, I promise to change the institution that makes the game go 'round.

So where did it all go wrong? That is somewhat harder to identify, but I have some ideas. The Senate burns people out, pure and simple. We are all busy people and Atlasia is a game, and when people spend too much time in the Senate, they run out of ideas and they run out of steam. That is why this ticket will push for a broader discussion on consecutive term limits for federal officials.

It also is apparent that the Senate deals with far too many issues at once, meaning each bill receives too little attention and each senator is expected to juggle too many distinct topics. This can be solved by revising and reducing the legislative slots system. To many of you this sounds like an odd idea, but when the Senate considers seven pieces of legislation at once, it harms the game.

This is just a sneak peak to some of the ideas that Marokai and I have to make the Senate a more exciting place and help build a vital institution of the game. I look forward to working with the people, the Senate and the PPT to make this happen if you vote Marokai/Purple in February.

[Purple State]

Oh, and happy new year everyone.

[President Marokai]

Oh, and happy new year everyone.

Your signature needs editing.

[Purple State]

Oh, and happy new year everyone.

Your signature needs editing.

This will have to do until we do another signature contest.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Happily endorsed

[Sewer]

[Purple State]

You've always been a great supporter Sewer. I'll use that until we hold a real contest, where you will have to compete just like last time. (Hint, hint: everyone start thinking about ideas.)

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

!sdrowkcab si tekict egt GMO

[President Marokai]

Thanks much, Sewer.

[Rowan]

Term limits? Bleh.

[hawkeye59]

GO MB/PS!!!!!!!!

[VP Duke]

This is so confusing to me. PS, why didn't you just run for a second term?

[Yelnoc]

Term limits? Bleh.

My thoughts exactly.  Atlasia's population is too small for term limits; after a few elections we would run out of people to replace the good 'ol boys.  Especially when one takes into consideration what percentage of this citizens are active and willing to run for federal office.

[Mr. Taft Republican]

Term limits? Bleh.

My thoughts exactly.  Atlasia's population is too small for term limits; after a few elections we would run out of people to replace the good 'ol boys.  Especially when one takes into consideration what percentage of this citizens are active and willing to run for federal office.

Well, they could be put off by just joining the game, then having to face off against this established poster. While the population is small, i'm sure theres something that would work.

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

Term limits? Bleh.

My thoughts exactly.  Atlasia's population is too small for term limits; after a few elections we would run out of people to replace the good 'ol boys.  Especially when one takes into consideration what percentage of this citizens are active and willing to run for federal office.

Well, they could be put off by just joining the game, then having to face off against this established poster. While the population is small, i'm sure theres something that would work.

     The beauty of regional offices is that they allow newbies to start off at a lower level, getting their sea legs & gaining crucial allies that will give them a real shot at winning a Senate seat.

[ilikeverin]

Heartily endorsed!

[Purple State]

Our rough draft on the term limits idea would only be "consecutive terms." So as an example, if we set the limit at two consecutive terms, you would run for Senate, win, run again, win, then be capped from running again, but then the next election you could run again.

This way people take some sort of break from office to roam the wilderness (like I did).

And Duke, I didn't run for a second term as president because my work as president was completed. I came into office to reform the Constitution, reform the Wiki, reform the executive branch (mainly SoIA, SoEA and GM) and reform election rules. After four months that was all completed and I wanted people more policy-oriented to come in and take advantage of the foundation built by my administration.

Now another four months later, I see new challenges to the game. But I don't believe it requires as much reform as last time. All it needs from the president is policy-oriented leadership, which Marokai has exemplified in his time in the Senate, as Attorney General and as my Vice President. Where the reform is now needed is in the policymaking apparatus: the Senate. And I can best reform that as Vice President.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I should have drank the whole bottle last night, I knew it. Unfortunately it was non-alcoholic of course so it would have only served to make me sicker now. oh well!

[Senator MaxQue]

Oh, a remake of an old TV show.

Well, the first one was good, let's hope than the remake will be as good or even better than the original run.

Good luck, and you are endorsed by an irrelevent former senator.

[President Marokai]

Thanks, Purple State.

Yes, as he said, these are consecutive term limits. It would be silly to conflate consecutive and non-consecutive term limits. There's a simple problem with the Senate: It elects much of the same people over and over again, and this ultimately leads in the long term to much more stagnation and inactivity and predictability than there would be other wise.

If people actually want the Senate to get more interesting, there are very few ways to do that, considering the reactions most people have to changing the way people are elected. One of the simplest solutions would be to just tell people that there's a two-term-consecutive limit. It cycles new people in consistently and keeps things more fresh. People talk and talk about the problem, but no one really wants to entertain how to fix it. We've just got to man-up and talk about the solutions, and that's one of 'em.

And really, it's the least directly impacting and inconvenient, when you think about it. A Senator has a term of 4 months. Setting the consecutive limit at 2 means that Senator can hold office for 8 whole months. I really don't think that's so unfair given the nature of Atlasia. They set out of office for a term and then they can get back in the game, if they can prove to people they deserve to be in over the people that replaced them. It's good for keeping the wheels moving and deserves discussion, I think.

(And thanks for all the support from the people who've endorsed us. And I take delight in Yankee's distress )

[President Marokai]

Term limits? Bleh.

My thoughts exactly.  Atlasia's population is too small for term limits; after a few elections we would run out of people to replace the good 'ol boys.  Especially when one takes into consideration what percentage of this citizens are active and willing to run for federal office.

Well, they could be put off by just joining the game, then having to face off against this established poster. While the population is small, i'm sure theres something that would work.

     The beauty of regional offices is that they allow newbies to start off at a lower level, getting their sea legs & gaining crucial allies that will give them a real shot at winning a Senate seat.

I guess I'm a bit of an anomaly. My first real position was Attorney General, and I went from there. I was never very involved at the regional level.

[VP Duke]

God, the term limit policy is threatening my job security, and I don't want to become unemployed during these economic times. How can this ticket support such a job killing measure, and what benefits will I receive when I'm forced to leave office? Did we extend unemployment?

[President Marokai]

God, the term limit policy is threatening my job security, and I don't want to become unemployed during these economic times. How can this ticket support such a job killing measure, and what benefits will I receive when I'm forced to leave office? Did we extend unemployment?

If cushy unemployment packages for ex-Senators is the compromise we'll need to make, I'll consider it.

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

Term limits? Bleh.

My thoughts exactly.  Atlasia's population is too small for term limits; after a few elections we would run out of people to replace the good 'ol boys.  Especially when one takes into consideration what percentage of this citizens are active and willing to run for federal office.

Well, they could be put off by just joining the game, then having to face off against this established poster. While the population is small, i'm sure theres something that would work.

     The beauty of regional offices is that they allow newbies to start off at a lower level, getting their sea legs & gaining crucial allies that will give them a real shot at winning a Senate seat.

I guess I'm a bit of an anomaly. My first real position was Attorney General, and I went from there. I was never very involved at the regional level.

     My first position was Senator, but my situation was definitely an anomaly. I just happened to ride the resurrection of the Atlasian right-wing to a resounding victory over an established member of the forum. Those circumstances would be difficult, though actually not impossible, to replicate today.

     The point is that it's definitely possible to make it without ever holding office on the regional level, but it's far more difficult & highly luck-based. It's easier if you are established on the forum at-large, but I don't think that should be a requirement to starting a political career in Atlasia.