Confirmation hearing: Napoleon for GM (Voting)

[windjammer]

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Napoleon, you have 72 hours to present yourself to the senate.
Senators, you have 72 hours to ask him any questions.

An additional time of 48 hours may be given if 2 senators wish to continue the debates.

[windjammer]

First question Nappy:
Why do you think you would be a good GM?

[Lumine]

Mr. President:

-Could you give us your opinion on what is working and what isn't in regards to the position of GM?
-Do you have any concrete ideas for the position that you would like to enact?
-And, the key question... is there any chance you could promise not to write about aliens?

[Napoleon]

First question Nappy:
Why do you think you would be a good GM?

That's a broad question...I suppose the short answer would be that I've been good at everything else I have done, so why not GM? But yeah I have been around a while so I've seen things that work and don't work and I understand the importance of the position. I wanted to run for a leadership position in the Labor Party but upon my application for this job I decided to suspend all political activities unrelated to my current office in the northeast. So you're getting an active and creative guy that is willing to put in the time and effort to make this game more fun and interactive for everyone involved. I'm going to emphasize storylines much more than previous GMs and I will do updates weekly at a minimum that offers at least one relevant piece to each region, the feds, and cabinet peeps.

[Napoleon]

Mr. President:

-Could you give us your opinion on what is working and what isn't in regards to the position of GM?
-Do you have any concrete ideas for the position that you would like to enact?
-And, the key question... is there any chance you could promise not to write about aliens?

1. I haven't had a very high opinion of recent GMs to be honest. The tools are there but the execution hasn't been. One thing that's very important is credibility and if people aren't going to buy in then I won't waste my time. If I say, for example, that unemployment is rising in the mideast then unemployment is rising in the mideast. Dont accuse me of having political motives because that's not going to be the case. Another problem has been ignoring the gm. When I was in the senate I even had trouble being bothered to check the gm thread. So I will try to make things fun and interesting. In the past I have been fairly good at getting attention as a senator reminded me last night, ibwill tryb to use those skills.

2. I want to have a press registry for papers that I can work with to get information out, provide different angles or perspectives and stuff like that. I also will not spoon feed you guys numbers like past GMs may have. What ibwould do is provide two or three figures from different "sources" and its up to the lawmakers to decide. I'm not doing anyone else's job for them.

3. I really don't want to promise anything but I wouldn't expect aliens. Everything I do will be realistic. You won't see unempliyment go from 5% to 34% in two months, Peru isn't going to start World War III and we probably won't have space invaders. I will be creative, yes, but within an acceptable scope of realism.

[bore]

In both your 2nd terms in the senate and in the presidency you had, to put it politely, extreme activity issues, what's going to make the GM job different?

[Napoleon]

In both your 2nd terms in the senate and in the presidency you had, to put it politely, extreme activity issues, what's going to make the GM job different?

It'd be easy to simply say "not this time", but I could say that every time. Ultimately, I think there's issues that come up that have affected our activity levels at some point or another (during my absence as president i left the veep in charge/resigned from senate). The President, thankfully, has the power to easily replace an ineffective Game Moderator. I noticed a bill proposed to take that power away and I caution each of you not to do it-the position is too important to make a change so difficult. I trust and encourage the President to replace me if I am unable to competently fulfill the duties required of me.

[Napoleon]

This thread is a good example of what to expect. Of course, mine will probably be more fun and less wordy but the same general ideasbapply.

[TNF]

I strongly support Napoleon's nomination. I have no questions for you, comrade.

[bore]

I too have no further questions, and will support this nomination.

[Marokai Backbeat]

For whatever this carries, I hope the Senate will confirm you.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

My only concerns is frustration motivated activity and/or some of kind like motivated stunt (ie last December). I am fairly satisfied on both counts with regards to the private communications we have had and at least with the former in regards to the public answers in this thread. Would you mind giving us a public assurance on the latter as well.

I am currently in favor of confirmation. 

[sentinel]

What is your position on the SOEA and the SOIA (as a position itself)? How would you utilize these  people/positions as tools of the GM?

As you know, I believe the SOEA and SOIA should not be players but narrators. While Superique did a fantastic job, he was both the referee and the player so to say -- this is a huge conflict in the game. These positions should be apolitical like the GM in my opinion.

What GM related reforms are you in favor of? Would you be an advocate for these reforms?

[President Tyrion]

What is your opinion of changing employment numbers ex post facto? We are meant to hold the GM's words as fact. Are the GM's most recent words the "most recent" facts, even if they contradict something previously? How do we treat any such contradiction?

[Napoleon]

My only concerns is frustration motivated activity and/or some of kind like motivated stunt (ie last December). I am fairly satisfied on both counts with regards to the private communications we have had and at least with the former in regards to the public answers in this thread. Would you mind giving us a public assurance on the latter as well.

I am currently in favor of confirmation. 

As far as my idiosyncratic behavior, I've been trying to contain it to the 2016 board. You can compare my New role to the ones performed by homelycooking and Fritz.

[Napoleon]

What is your position on the SOEA and the SOIA (as a position itself)? How would you utilize these  people/positions as tools of the GM?

As you know, I believe the SOEA and SOIA should not be players but narrators. While Superique did a fantastic job, he was both the referee and the player so to say -- this is a huge conflict in the game. These positions should be apolitical like the GM in my opinion.

What GM related reforms are you in favor of? Would you be an advocate for these reforms?

I believe the SoIA and SoEA should players, more than narrators. What you might see happen is that an event occurs and in the SoIA's response we learn more details about the event. And I will work with them to fulfill their legal obligations. But you might also see something like the SoIA needing to manage a water crisis in California or hurricane relief in Florida, so I want to emphasize the role as a player for those positions.

I don't know of any reforms I would like to see right now. I'm against removing the Presidents power to dismiss the GM though. I will stay out of political discussions but anything related to game moderation or voting methods you might hear me speak up about. So if I see any good ideas, I will advocate them. Most of the things I want to do are things I already can do.

[Napoleon]

What is your opinion of changing employment numbers ex post facto? We are meant to hold the GM's words as fact. Are the GM's most recent words the "most recent" facts, even if they contradict something previously? How do we treat any such contradiction?

Well I think we may have had some clerical errors in the past, I will go over the numbers and make sure the appropriate figures are presented. And yes, my statements and numbers are to be considered fact- HOWEVER, I am going to be open to fixing mistakes if one is made here or there. If one of my numbers doesn't add up or if I refer to Iraq President Saddaam Hussein, just send me a personal message telling me what the error or potential error is and I will make sure the record is accurate. In an instance of said contradictions, you can PM me and I will either determine myself to be right or wrong and what stands is fact.

[Oakvale]

This thread is utterly surreal. Well, good luck.

[DemPGH]

Fwiw, I also tend to take the view that the department heads should be more then only narrators or spokespeople. If they don't really have the authority to do anything, their positions are really kind of superfluous, I guess. I'd be open to a cabinet reshuffle, but the Senate would have to propose it as an amendment and I'd need to see a blueprint for it. So meanwhile, the trick is picking people who will kind of do things that fit with the administration's goals (E.g., while Superique did a fine job, he was far too hawkish). It's like hiring coaches, ha!

Nappy's aim to follow RL, realistic events as objectively as possible and to give latitude also fits with what I envision of the office.

With the cabinet I have assembled, political views are divergent, but goals and outlook and temperaments and experience are all actually similar, IMO.

[Lumine]

The answers to my questions are technically satisfactory, but the issue of activity and behavior does worry me in terms of potential. You will forgive be for not giving names, but as the director of the Political Tracker I have received two or three messages from rather sound and experienced Atlasians that have stated they disapproval of the nominee after the legacy left by his Presidency, and they are a part of my constituency after all.

In addition to that, we only have to look as back as December to see the nominee being an inactive and inefficient Senator that had to resign and then caused a bit of a political scandal by trying to select his successor. I don't mean to obstruct the administration or sound petty, but I am worried about the nominee and the potential this has to end in yet another political disaster. Furthermore, I'm surprised some of my colleagues would express strong and unquestioning support for the nominee, specially since Senator TNF was also strongly critical of the Former President back in January and during our Midwest Senate race.

[Napoleon]

I didn't expect this to go without questions regarding past mistakes and I do think those questions are justified. If you do not think you can support me I am fine with that, all I ask is that if confirmed no one does anything that undermines the GM position. I think the actions of the last couple GMs, and the problems that caused Nix's resignation are a major problem and I hope to restore credibility and an apolitical nature to the position.

I respect the courage the President showed in nominating me and while I will not create stories with the goal of being a yesman or anything like that, my activity levels or actions will not be something that will make him look bad for selecting me. I have the support of several former Presidents and GMs, people I may have disagreed with before but they know how important I have always valued the GM position. I remember people anting me to replace shua as GM when I became President because he "had a right wing bent" but I didn't see that and I kept him because I felt he was doing a good job. The President is also someone who has proven to be a no nonsense type of guy as his leadership in the Pacific shows, so if I ever were out of line I know I would be dismissed quicker than you could write an article about it.

That said, only five senators have showed up. Senator, if you or the others would like to ask more questions I am happy to answer.

[Adam Griffin]

The answers to my questions are technically satisfactory, but the issue of activity and behavior does worry me in terms of potential. You will forgive be for not giving names, but as the director of the Political Tracker I have received two or three messages from rather sound and experienced Atlasians that have stated they disapproval of the nominee after the legacy left by his Presidency, and they are a part of my constituency after all.

In addition to that, we only have to look as back as December to see the nominee being an inactive and inefficient Senator that had to resign and then caused a bit of a political scandal by trying to select his successor. I don't mean to obstruct the administration or sound petty, but I am worried about the nominee and the potential this has to end in yet another political disaster. Furthermore, I'm surprised some of my colleagues would express strong and unquestioning support for the nominee, specially since Senator TNF was also strongly critical of the Former President back in January and during our Midwest Senate race.

Senator, how do you defend Simfan while condemning Napoleon?


I've reviewed the dialogue thus far and am in support of the nominee - he'd have to try to be worse than the past few of us GMs. I'll see if I can come up with a question or two for him that hasn't already been covered, though.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

What is your opinion of changing employment numbers ex post facto? We are meant to hold the GM's words as fact. Are the GM's most recent words the "most recent" facts, even if they contradict something previously? How do we treat any such contradiction?

Well I think we may have had some clerical errors in the past, I will go over the numbers and make sure the appropriate figures are presented. And yes, my statements and numbers are to be considered fact- HOWEVER, I am going to be open to fixing mistakes if one is made here or there. If one of my numbers doesn't add up or if I refer to Iraq President Saddaam Hussein, just send me a personal message telling me what the error or potential error is and I will make sure the record is accurate. In an instance of said contradictions, you can PM me and I will either determine myself to be right or wrong and what stands is fact.

Could you say a bit more about how you would treat statements by previous GMs?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The issue of continuity between GMs has been an issue for a long time, we discussed the matter a couple of times on the Gov't Oversight and Reform Committee, though I don't recall if you were on it at time. Piggy backing on what shua has said, What actions will you take to ensure not just continuity with your predecessors but also with regards to those who come afterwards?

[Napoleon]

We have had a long series of short term GMs and we've had a constantly rotating assortment of Cabinet officers. Its a lot of information to handle, even when looked at carefully. I'm not entirely sure continuity has really been maintained throughout. I might be able to make graphs of something like populations or budget. Hmm. I'm mostly going to focus on new stories and impacts of old laws. I know our international affairs is at a significantly different stage than IRL so that will continue.

I'm going to have some indexes created so there will be easy links to data and stories by region or other category. That should help future GMs. I'm also going to establish and keep to a schedule for various things so that will be outlined in my office, which I will keep separated from the update thread. In my office will also be a request form, a suggestion form, and Q  and A sessions.