Odysseus for Mideast Assembly (Campaign Headquarters)

[Penelope]

**

Good evening, my fellow citizens.

I hereby formally announce that I will be a candidate for Mideast Assembly in the May elections.

So let's get the obvious bits out of the way. You may recognize me as one of the newer members of Atlasia. I've only just returned and re-registered this month, and despite my, albeit short, prior involvement with the nation, I never sought politicial office. And thus, my resume is completely blank.

Some may say that electing a man with no prior experience is a frightening proposition. But I believe this is one of the many beauties of the Democratic process. Constantly, the inevitable influx of new people, new values, new virtues, and new ideas, continues. And this, my friends, is exactly why I am running in this election. To provide the people of the Mideast with a new voice.

But of course, the most important question is what is this new voice going to sound like?

Well, I can promise you only what I am. I am a man of beliefs far and wide; some pragmatic, some more principled. I intend to maintain a reasonable and a pragmatic economic policy. I intend to protect the interests of the people in the face of corporate or government intrusion. I intend to further the causes of science and education. I intend to continue our reputation of being one of the most inclusive and free regions of this union. Now I am not nearly mad enough approach hot button social issues which no one can agree upon. But I am mad enough to ensure that the civil liberties of the people of this wonderful region are thoroughly protected.

And now, I humbly ask you, my fellow citizens of the Mideast, for your vote in May. I can only hope that I'm given the noble opportunity to be one of the people's many voices. Vote often, vote Odysseus.

**

Thank you!

[Sec. of State Superique]

Endorsed!

[Napoleon]

Endorsed!! Too bad I'm not still in the Mideast.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Endorsed!

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Endorsed!

[tmthforu94]

Odysseus has been extremely helpful and has provided great insight to my administration in regards to certain pieces of legislation. He would be an excellent addition to the Mideast Assembly, and has my endorsement.

Best of luck!

[HoosierPoliticalJunkie]

Endorsed!

Let's win this together!

[Zacoftheaxes]

You, as a close personal friend and as someone I know to be a wise politician, receive the firmest of endorsements from me.

[Penelope]

I wish to thank everyone for their endorsements. It's a real honor to have people showing their support, even those from other regions. I have only the utmost thanks for you all!

Now, I wish to make a statement on the current continuation of the Mideast Budgeting Amendment catastrophe. And yes, I do call it a catastrophe at this point. After discussing the situation with my fellow Mideast colleagues, it is really just shameful to say the least. This is now a third attempt in a row which has failed. It is truly a massive disappointment to see that the Mideast Assembly has failed yet again to find a reasonable compromise for the people of the region. Now, I can continue going on about this. I can continue to say that many members of the Assembly may be putting politics and ideology over good representation. But it is better to simply say that Governor Tmth has recently released his compromise. And while even I may have reservations about parts of it, I believe it is far better to take a pragmatic approach in this situation.

Gov. Tmth's proposal has my utmost support. It is both a deserving compromise for the people of the Mideast, and a good amendment in its own right. After attempt after attempt, it is time for the Mideast to finally get its rightful budget amendment. And this is the one to support, my fellow citizens. I urge you to vote for Gov. Tmth's compromise amendment. It's time to put ideology aside, put this issue to bed, and give the people of the Mideast some actual results after all these attempts.

EDIT:

I forgot to mention this formally, but I also wish to take this as an opportunity to announce that starting tomorrow, I will be absent from the forum until Sunday, April 7. I am taking a personal vacation with my family for Spring Break.

[Sopranos Republican]

You'll definitely be high on my radar for the assembly. I would love to see you in the Mideast assembly, so ENDORSED.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Will you change your name to "Ulysses" to appease the Latin voters?

[Zanas]

Will be away for war for 20 years as soon as you are elected ?

[Penelope]

Will be away for war for 20 years as soon as you are elected ?

Don't worry, I have no intentions of getting "lost" for 20 years like my name sake.

OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCEMENT: I have decided to return from my absence due to vacation in order to make a response to some recent developments.

I have decided to join Governor Scott's excellent new party, The Light Party. My campaign is based on the support of one party, and I merely change my party affiliation because I have hope that the Light Party can be a successful party, and one better structured to suit the people's needs than the Liberal Party has been as of late. I will still seek the support of anyone willing to support me, and any of my former colleagues in Liberal can still support me - I speak for my own values, and not the one that some political group tells me to approve of.

I also will, like some of my other Mideast Parties, refrain from personal message box spamming in order to win votes. I believe this tactic is unbecoming of someone running for elected office, and I'd rather not annoy the people of Atlasia by filling their PM boxes to the brim with my words.

Thank you -

Odysseus.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Your campaign is one I'll be watching closely.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Campaign Theme?

[Penelope]

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

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Endorsed!

[Penelope]

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!

[Maxwell]

Lumine, you, and Inks shall receive my endorsement.

[Miles]

Good luck!

[Penelope]

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.