Re-elect The People's Ticket Duke and Matt (On Our Re-election)

[sentinel]

Duke, your posts are usually pretty good --but you have a ton of dangling modifiers there and a lot of is out of context.

For instance, you start off with "Welllll that is not entirely true." whats that referring to? Something on this thread, or a quote from somewhere else...?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Duke, your posts are usually pretty good --but you have a ton of dangling modifiers there and a lot of is out of context.

For instance, you start off with "Welllll that is not entirely true." whats that referring to? Something on this thread, or a quote from somewhere else...?

That was a quote from another thread replying to the statement that I was unwilling to consider regional consolidation...

That was not a prepared policy speech or anything. I guess I need to write one for this issue since that response clearly was thrown together.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Loathe as I am to speak against The People, I have to disagree with your harping on Nix's commendable veto of the atrociously bloated mental health bill. With that veto, Nix struck an important blow against the inaccessibility and obtusity of Atlasian legislation and I think it may well go down as the most important symbolic act of his Presidency.

Perhaps it would have been more commendable to state such concerns up front, that way four months of hard work and precious bandwidth wouldn't have been wasted and maybe we could have actually gotten something done for people with mental health problems. And not just Nix. Duke and I started with a blank slate and every Senator had a chance to object to each amendment as it came in sections. Concerned citizens were free to interject at any point, even you could have come in and said, "Hey, don't get too carried with the word 'comprehensive' in here". Our concern was quality and covering the bases, and in the absence of other stated concerns, we cannot read minds to come to know that they exist.

Or perhaps he could have utilized the rewrite process as a means to manipulate the bill back to the debate so we could have pared it down and then passed atleast something for people with mental health problems.

Perhaps the defintion of commendable has been changed and now is to take the path that ensures that nothing gets done and puts off key issues for several weeks/month. I have partials that I have been working on, and I am shocked, shocked I tell you to find that the interest in the piecemeal approach has not been forthcoming. In fact, I got more interest from people willing to help fix and pare down comprehensive bill, then in proceeding piecemeal.

I love Nix and he knows that, but the word commendable just doesn't apply to anyone in the course of this shameful episode.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

The point is, this campaign isn't here to rehash the past. We are about the future.

What is done is done, and my point is that I will work to structure a bill with the senate that will pass and will go into law, one that will target our problems and not weigh down our budget. The problems facing our system are still there, obviously.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

On Regions

Regional consolidation has been a hot button issue for sometime now. Ever since the Wolfentoad bubble burst and a large portion of voters were kicked from the rolls due to inactivity, activity in the regions has plummeted. To combat this, many have proposed reducing the number of regions, which in turn increases the voter pool in each region, as a solution to this problem.

At this time, Matt and I have not endorsed or come to a conclusion one way or the other on what to do in regards to the region question. As someone who began his career resurrecting a region, I recognize that not all situations like this are hopeless and occasionally, someone comes along wit the enery and gravitas to turn a region around. With that said, this ticket is not going to sit idly by while the game dies, clinging to the regional rights moniker while people lose interest and activity plummets. While regional reduction seems like a quick fix, we must respect historical regional traditions and identities as we debate this. This is a major change to this game and how we play it. Endorsing this issue one way or the other is reckless because we have not decided on how many regions, what they will look like, etc. This must be an open conversation for all Atlasians to participate in. While I would favor a 3 region proposal to maximize the goal behind reducing regions, it will not be entirely up to me.

If elected, we will closely monitor the situation. If it apparent that these regions are in dire need of a shakeup, we will take action. I have never been afraid to try new things. I also will push, as we had wanted to during the Marokai/Duke administration, to give each region their own subforum, allowing regional legislatures to organize their business and so these regional legislatures will avoid being shamed like ugly redheaded step children.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I am pleased to unveil our campaign sign and fan page! Please, let's use these to spread our message across the internets and this country!



And our fanpage!

Both of these tools are designed to reach The People, whether it be on Atlasia or elsewhere. Feel free to communicate with us in any manner possible, and we will respond as quickly as we can. Don't be afraid to ask us anything.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I want to publicly thank the Federalist Party for their nomination of this ticket. While it was not the nail biter we thought it would be earlier last month, I am happy nonetheless to have received it with such strong support.

Now, onward and upward!

Anyone who has any questions about our ticket, please feel free to ask!

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

On Civil Rights and The Worker

Civil rights are an important topic to all Atlasians, big and small, black and white, gay and straight, and woman and man. Over the course of our history, we have seen the erosion of barriers for all of these groups, and today, our society is much more accepting of difference than in the past, when we simply turned our cheek, or worse, persecuted them.

I am here today to tell you that this administration will continue to fight for the civil rights of all Atlasians and we will not roll back federal laws. If anything, we will look to further them. No child should grow up in a world of regression. During my career, I have made it a point to fight for those without a voice, those who have been oppressed or hurt by the cruel majority.

We also must focus on the worker and protecting the worker from oppression. While we respect the rights of businesses to make their own personnel decisions, we also favor requiring businesses to provide reasons when laying off workers. Right to work laws which allow companies to fire employees for trivial reasons - like they are not a fit for their social group - is an archaic method and must be addressed. We must also explore ways to provide incentives for businesses to pay a fair wage, whether it be through tax breaks or other areas. Raising the minimum wage every year is a start, but we must make sure it does not hurt employment in the long run. I am aiming to create a fair environment for everyone. A strong economy will help all income levels prosper.

[Poirot]

Anyone who has any questions about our ticket, please feel free to ask!

Are you a member of the Federalist party ? I know you won the endorsement of the party but you are listed as Ind on the census list (could be an error).

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Anyone who has any questions about our ticket, please feel free to ask!

Are you a member of the Federalist party ? I know you won the endorsement of the party but you are listed as Ind on the census list (could be an error).

I am not. I have been an independent since The People's Party dismantled itself. I merely won the Federalist nomination. The voter rolls are correct.

[Sopranos Republican]

We are both firm believers in Progressive Income Tax:

This is something I wanted to add to Duke's above points. Let me share something that I have very much evolved on: Flat Taxation rates, are not fair taxation rates. The top Atlasians have an abundance that most of us wouldn't even comprehend what to do with, so no, we do not believe 10% of $3 Million is the equivalent of 10% of $10,000 (in terms of financial impact). Now, being a former Senator, I am pleased to inform you that Atlasia is far ahead of the U.S. on this issue. However, if we wish to indeed keep the budget in order, we need to ensure that we continue progressive taxation. Making working class, and Atlasians in poverty pay for our spending, is not a path Duke/Matt is willing to take.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

On the Court

There has been a quiet debate recently on term limits with the Supreme Court justices. Many argue that the current crop have outgrown their welcome and we need new blood. To fix this problem, many have proposed term limits on the justices.

I want everyone to know that I oppose any sort of term limit on our Supreme Court justices. Being a Justice is no easy task. It takes legal knowledge and the ability to weigh facts. The pool for Justices is not large, and putting unneeded limits on how long these justices may serve only makes it that much more challenging to have an active court. Imagine having to replace them every few months? A nightmare.

We must allow these justices to continue to serve as long as they wish, and hope that if they are unable to continue their jobs, they will step down on their own.

[President Tyrion]

What is your opinion on the Judiciary Branch Realignment Amendment?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

What is your opinion on the Judiciary Branch Realignment Amendment?

I think it presents some interesting ideas from what I have read of it. The People's Court has such a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

The main problem surrounding the current judicial system is activity, and besides that is actually finding people who are interested in serving on the Court. We can't implement term limits if it only will kick good justices out and replace them with disinterest ones "just because." I would favor stricter activity requirements for starters.

I think adding a People's Court may have merit in the sense that it could make these court cases more mainstream. As it stands now, many Atlasians don't pay attention to the Court or what it does, and when Marokai and I moved to replace them a while ago, no one said anything because it didn't matter to them.

So in short, I would be open to trying something like this for sure. It would be interesting to have a court to hear cases before the SC hears them, and to give the loser a place to appeal.

Hope this makes some sense to you. I think we both agree we need to reform the judicial system in some manner, and perhaps adding The People's Court is the right step!

[Talleyrand]

Question from an undecided voter-

As standard bearer of the Federalist Party, do you plan to condemn the deceitful, extreme actions taken by the Governor of the Mideast Region on the "Mideast Abortion Sex Protection Act"? How do you intend to proceed on this issue.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Question from an undecided voter-

As standard bearer of the Federalist Party, do you plan to condemn the deceitful, extreme actions taken by the Governor of the Mideast Region on the "Mideast Abortion Sex Protection Act"? How do you intend to proceed on this issue.

I want to first correct you and say I am not the standard bearer of the Federalist Party. As I said when I began this campaign, I answer to myself and only myself. I did win the nomination of the Federalist Party, but it is a bit disingenuous to try to suddenly paint me as some pawn controlled by greater forces. That may be true of some, but not of me. I get the vibe of your question, so tone it down next time...

Anyway, I have made no secret that I am strongly pro-choice. A woman's vagina is her business and hers only, and if she wishes to get an abortion, she should be allowed to do it without counseling or unnecessary demands to explain herself. It's her body, there is no scientific evidence to support life beginning at conception, and I make my decisions based on facts rather than emotion. If someone is pro-life, the answer is simple: don't get an abortion. I highly doubt God will judge you for the abortions others received during their lifetime.

Will I condemn him? I disagree with his decision. I am sure he is well aware I disapprove of the law, and obviously if I was in the Mideast, I would have opposed it. I feel we need a uniform abortion law at the federal level, which I thought we already had, so we would avoid forum shopping by women. The law itself just makes it inconvenient to receive an abortion and just hurts efficiency, and as an economist, I hate that. 

More to the point though, this game has a lot bigger problems than abortion, and if we are going to make this fun again, we need to begin exploring ways to do that. Abortion needs to simply be safe, legal accessibly nationwide so we can focus on our bigger issues. I am running to make this game fun again for all of us, because it sucks right now, not to spend my time restricting the one woman who plays the game when it comes to her reproductive rights. I understand this may upset some supporters of the law, but these are my opinions, and it's an issue that does mean a lot to me.

Women will have a friend in me. Hope this answers your question! 

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I think the most important question for the next President with regard to the Mideast abortion law is whether they'll support the Attorney General's ongoing efforts to fight the law. How would you proceed? In general, what are your plans for the Attorney General's office?

I think I answered that above. This places an undue burden on the woman seeking the abortion and frankly does nothing to "limit" abortions, which I assume is the intended goal of the authors of the bill because the woman can simply make up any reason to have the abortion [or] go to another region to have one. What happens with the reason she gives? Does the doctor get to decide if her explanation is acceptable? It's hogwash and an invasion of privacy.

So yes, I would fully support a constitutional challenge of the law. I am firmly supportive of regional autonomy, but I am not supportive of allowing unconstitutional laws to stand in the name of regional rights. This question is now one for our judicial branch, and as a budding attorney, I fully support having them examine the law. If it deemed unconstitutional, I think it would be time to make abortion laws uniform at the federal level to avoid something happening like this again, so we can move on to other issues.

As for my plans for the AG's office, that seems a bit vague. I have some candidates in mind, some who have already applied and some who have not. I'm not sure if that's what you're asking..

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

As for my plans for the AG's office, that seems a bit vague. I have some candidates in mind, some who have already applied and some who have not. I'm not sure if that's what you're asking..

I'm more curious about the general approach you'll want your AG to take, e.g. "activist" vs. "bystander," independent vs. more closely tied to the executive's goals.

As someone in the legal field, I ordinarily favor a more independent AG, one that prosecutes the laws fairly and stands up for injustices where they exist because the law very much is impartial and should be void of emotion. I am also a big opponent of frivolous lawsuits.

However, with the AG serving at the pleasure of the President, it will ultimately have ties to the administration, so I suppose my AG, like in AG's passed, would have my administration's goals in mind in many of the things he choses to prosecute. I have never really described my personal style as a super aggressive activist, so I can only assume if I look into my crystal ball, my AG will mirror that unless he/she goes rogue on me, a la Sarah Palin

I am generally a very methodical guy, I pick my battles and fight for what I feel is right regardless of perceived ideology.

[Franzl]

As a private citizen (am I even still a citizen?), I want to briefly break my silence and humbly offer my endorsement for The People's ticket. Although there are no circumstances under which I intend to return to elected office, I feel strongly for the cause of The People and continue to wish them, and their great servants Duke and Matt, the very best.

[Talleyrand]

Just a clarification- I don't doubt that you are not a pawn of the Federalist or an independent thinker, and I have strong respect for your service in Atlasia, as you well know. I just wanted to see what the nominee of the Federalist Party feels about an issue which seems to have consumed Atlasia over the past couple of days and represents a serious abuse of political power by a prominent Federalist officeholder. The vibe wasn't directed at you, and I hope you didn't take it that way.

I do agree that abortion should not be an issue in Atlasia, and I hope whoever is elected President passes nationwide legislation making all first trimester abortions in this nation legal, and bans oddities like the forced explanation to a total stranger we now require in the ME...

Best of luck to you, Talleyrand

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Just a clarification- I don't doubt that you are not a pawn of the Federalist or an independent thinker, and I have strong respect for your service in Atlasia, as you well know. I just wanted to see what the nominee of the Federalist Party feels about an issue which seems to have consumed Atlasia over the past couple of days and represents a serious abuse of political power by a prominent Federalist officeholder. The vibe wasn't directed at you, and I hope you didn't take it that way.

I do agree that abortion should not be an issue in Atlasia, and I hope whoever is elected President passes nationwide legislation making all first trimester abortions in this nation legal, and bans oddities like the forced explanation to a total stranger we now require in the ME...

Best of luck to you, Talleyrand

A lot of the questions surrounding this bill will and should be left up to the Courts. I do not know Atlasian law or its precedent, so I can't comment. Both a law legalizing first trimester abortion nationwide and the law in the Mideast could be unconstitutional. I don't know.

I would like there to be a uniform law, but I could see that as an infringement on regional rights as well. But, as I said, I would favor simply legalizing it nationwide so we can move on to bigger and better things. This debate has been beaten to death in the past. Abortion has been legal for a long time. No need to fight it now. It's a waste of time.

As for my first bit, don't worry. I just wanted to say that so everyone knows where I stand. I am taking orders only from myself (and input from my runningmate) and I want to just make that clear for everyone.

As a private citizen (am I even still a citizen?), I want to briefly break my silence and humbly offer my endorsement for The People's ticket. Although there are no circumstances under which I intend to return to elected office, I feel strongly for the cause of The People and continue to wish them, and their great servants Duke and Matt, the very best.

I hope you are a citizen. We need your vote.

[Sopranos Republican]

As a private citizen (am I even still a citizen?), I want to briefly break my silence and humbly offer my endorsement for The People's ticket. Although there are no circumstances under which I intend to return to elected office, I feel strongly for the cause of The People and continue to wish them, and their great servants Duke and Matt, the very best.

Thank you sir Franzl, you've always been one of Atlasia's finest servants, and a good friend. We promise to always be for The Causes of The People!

Also, I completely agree with Duke on the abortion bill. As a member of The Federalist Party I believe a lot of us have concerns about the bill, I know a good deal of us don't support it, and I don't particularly agree with the way Mideast leadership has handled it. Not trying to step on any toes, and it's certainly nothing personal, but I just plainly and respectfully disagree.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Rather than looking at this controversy as a left v. Right issue, we need to look at it as a constitutional v. unconstitutional one. Like I said, my views are my views as are Matt's views and ZuWo's views, and ultimately it needs to be up to the court to decide, impartially, whether the law stands. I think this is something most of us can agree on. I can do my best within the powers vested in me should I become president to protect the basic rights and privacies I believe ever woman and man should have, but I will obviously have checks on my power.

[Poirot]

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Is it time yet to have some conclusion about regional reform (not a specific map but maybe a number of regions your administration would prefer).

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Is it time yet to have some conclusion about regional reform (not a specific map but maybe a number of regions your administration would prefer).

I have said that if we are to reduce the regions, I want to reduce them to 3 so it will have the effect we all desire. 4 would still be too many and make a minimal effect.

I will introduce a plan later today or tomorrow outlining where I'd like to see Atlasia headed if we are going to change the way we play this game. I will say it's a bit more radical than some of the things we have discussed, but I think it will have the intended effect of "change" far more than the dissolution movement.

I think I echo many people when I say things have grown stale and perhaps it's time we actually discussed a way to preserve the regional aspect of this game while shaking things up before we all just grow tired of doing anything in Atlasia.