WE'RE GOING TO THE BEACH in February!!! Convention (Bylaws Discussion)

[Maxwell]

Federalist Convention probably automatically endorses JCL, but if I could make remarks.

I have done more to advance Federalist policy in Atlasia than just about anyone in the game. I have a domestic platform that calls for the things you support. I know JCL, he's a man of strong principle, but I feel you need someone who can get things done. I've represented the Federalist Party many a time, and I hope you at least consider opening up the nominating process to an old fellow who has done the party good in the past.

[Flake]

I have to agree with Maxwell, in order for your party to survive (or the right for that matter), y'all cannot run a far right ticket that's most likely going to be JCL-Cassius. Maxwell's one of the people that can effectively unify the right wing and the libertarians, and I think it'd be for the good of your party for you to nominate him. He's an accomplished legislator, he's recently been the Governor of the Midwest. You can't really go wrong with Maxwell, and I really don't see a way for your party to survive with JCL as your leader (no offense JCL).

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I have to agree with Maxwell, in order for your party to survive (or the right for that matter), y'all cannot run a far right ticket that's most likely going to be JCL-Cassius. Maxwell's one of the people that can effectively unify the right wing and the libertarians, and I think it'd be for the good of your party for you to nominate him. He's an accomplished legislator, he's recently been the Governor of the Midwest. You can't really go wrong with Maxwell, and I really don't see a way for your party to survive with JCL as your leader (no offense JCL).

No offense taken Flo. I have no intent on fielding a "far-right" ticket. If any of the parties moderate members will be my running mate I will be more than greatful. Furthermore this person would have a big say on domestic policy.  The last time I ran for president I tried to find a centrist/liberal running mate but no one would extend their hand towards me. I hope this time that would not be the case.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Chairman Yankee,

How about a complete reform overhaul including name change? TBH I would never support a disbandment, but it is true that we need to save face. I'd say need to rethink how we do everything. We need a new face. We need a new name. A new party. Saving spirit, but saving face. We need for everyone to come back together. We need to reinvent ourselves. Shave the ideas that we've already tried and form a completely new coalition. From the far right, to the left of centre. In order to change the game, we need to change ourselves.

Thank you.

I think you may be right about an overhaul but I would caution that when the RPP reached its lowest point the road to near ruin began with a divisive name change vote. We must therefore keep that in mind and try to seek a broad consensus on a potential new name. Federalist Party just like Regional Protection Party is a name that avoids references to real life parties and real life ideologies and that some members may take issue with. Libertarians with Conservative Party, Democratic and Indy members with Republican etc etc.

[Prince of Salem]

^Agree with Mr. Chairman

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Why don't you just call it the Regional Protection Party, then? Its core tenet would be something that everyone in the party could get behind and might actually serve to unify a group that is sometimes TOO ideologically diverse. Refocus and unify around something real. Makes sense to me.

[Foucaulf]

Of all the parties in Atlasia, the only one that comes close to supporting regional rights is the Federalists. I joined the party for that reason. But this farce going on at the Convention is ridiculous.

No one in this party wants to organize it. A lot has been thrown at Yankee from time to time, but he is the only person trying to lead an organized campaign of any sort. A new party will not solve anything if no one will put in the time to be a leader.

It's time for party stalwarts to man up and take some responsibility upon themselves.

I'm a Midwesterner before anything. I've taken a region as my home. I don't have a need for any Atlasian party if all they can do is faff around mildly with federal elections. Where was this party when I launched my case against federal legislative overreach? Where was this party when radical regional governments across this country pushed forth an activist agenda? Can't you see these are causes worth fighting for?

I would endorse Maxwell as President for obvious reasons, but the conversation must go one deeper.

[Foucaulf]

TNF has just dared to propose to abolish all regions and the Presidency with a Communist Politburo. He is proposing to forcibly displace Atlasians in order to ensure a permanent majority for his communist agenda. If the Federalists can't get their act together and condemn this, then let it burn for all I care.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Of all the parties in Atlasia, the only one that comes close to supporting regional rights is the Federalists. I joined the party for that reason. But this farce going on at the Convention is ridiculous.

No one in this party wants to organize it. A lot has been thrown at Yankee from time to time, but he is the only person trying to lead an organized campaign of any sort. A new party will not solve anything if no one will put in the time to be a leader.

It's time for party stalwarts to man up and take some responsibility upon themselves.

I'm a Midwesterner before anything. I've taken a region as my home. I don't have a need for any Atlasian party if all they can do is faff around mildly with federal elections. Where was this party when I launched my case against federal legislative overreach? Where was this party when radical regional governments across this country pushed forth an activist agenda? Can't you see these are causes worth fighting for?

I would endorse Maxwell as President for obvious reasons, but the conversation must go one deeper.

As one of the party stalwarts I'm trying to man up and take responsibility. Problem is I can't do this alone. I need people to stand behind me. As an assemblyman in my native Mideast I've fought for sensible policies to improve the lives of not just Mideasterners but by extension all Atlasians. I've fought for victims of the indignity of sex trafficking and in a unusual and constituitional way brought the federal government and the regions together across party lines.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Why don't you just call it the Regional Protection Party, then? Its core tenet would be something that everyone in the party could get behind and might actually serve to unify a group that is sometimes TOO ideologically diverse. Refocus and unify around something real. Makes sense to me.

Theoretically, Federalism should have served the same purpose, or at least I thought it could. It incorporates regional protection but into a broader understanding and focus.

The irony about this party is that it has no bad history to overcome and no scandals to make up for. Some of the things the RPP did back in the day were downright dirty, but that made fixing it easier (Duke and I dumped Mr. Clean all over the place). This party is held back by collective perceptions of failure and the vicious cycle such creates when played out through the actions of people motivated by such perceptions forming a self-fulfilling prophesy. Taken from a distance, it is all rather pathetic and stupid when compared to the dire straits past parties have faced.

Duke would kill me.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Leave the RPP to rest in peace. This party will never be the RPP. The closest thing to it was The People's Party's first run. The RPP had something special about it that hasn't really been replicated since.

The problem with the federalists is lack of engagement. I was a member for a while and I really felt like Yankee and I were the only two people in the party. In private avenues for communication, Yankee and I would talk and no one else would participate. He can't save this party alone. He needs help. The great thing about the RPP was it was full of active members who cared and wanted to make it better.

This party has held the white house for three terms and failed to accomplish anything in those terms. I was almost thrown out rather than being embraced, and I wrote my own bills and did everything separate from the Federalist Party, and while I can't really speak for lumine, but I haven't seen a big federalist engagement with his presidency either. Granted, having like 2 senate seats doesn't help either.

But if this party wants to continue, help Yankee. He seems to be the only one with the passion to keep it going, and I know he can't do it alone.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Of all the parties in Atlasia, the only one that comes close to supporting regional rights is the Federalists. I joined the party for that reason. But this farce going on at the Convention is ridiculous.

Its got nothing on this:
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=103165.0

No one in this party wants to organize it. A lot has been thrown at Yankee from time to time, but he is the only person trying to lead an organized campaign of any sort. A new party will not solve anything if no one will put in the time to be a leader.

It's time for party stalwarts to man up and take some responsibility upon themselves.

Part of the problem was that the "Stalwarts" spent much of 2013 fighting each other behind the scenes in several concentric circles of opposition over different issues. Conservatives against Duke, Regionalists against Duke, Tmth and Maxwell, and so on and so forth. It is not surprising that some ended up leaving, though one would anticipate one side winning and the other losing, virtually all have left.

New people have to take their place and that can be intimidating. Many have done well like Cris, JoMCar and so forth. But we need more of them and then more lateral communication and collaboration.

I would recommend reviewing past Parties and past actions. Public campaigning, caucuses, and intriguing conventions were part of the norm. Most every Federalist convention has been boring even when the Party was doing well.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Leave the RPP to rest in peace. This party will never be the RPP. The closest thing to it was The People's Party's first run. The RPP had something special about it that hasn't really been replicated since.

The problem with the federalists is lack of engagement. I was a member for a while and I really felt like Yankee and I were the only two people in the party. In private avenues for communication, Yankee and I would talk and no one else would participate. He can't save this party alone. He needs help. The great thing about the RPP was it was full of active members who cared and wanted to make it better.

This party has held the white house for three terms and failed to accomplish anything in those terms. I was almost thrown out rather than being embraced, and I wrote my own bills and did everything separate from the Federalist Party, and while I can't really speak for lumine, but I haven't seen a big federalist engagement with his presidency either. Granted, having like 2 senate seats doesn't help either.

But if this party wants to continue, help Yankee. He seems to be the only one with the passion to keep it going, and I know he can't do it alone.

You objective with the TPP in its first run may have been so, but only engulfing the right would have made it so and that didn't happen. The RPP was never any thing but a right of center Party and the TPP has always acclaimed to be centrist far more like the NLC and DA then the RPP.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Leave the RPP to rest in peace. This party will never be the RPP. The closest thing to it was The People's Party's first run. The RPP had something special about it that hasn't really been replicated since.

The problem with the federalists is lack of engagement. I was a member for a while and I really felt like Yankee and I were the only two people in the party. In private avenues for communication, Yankee and I would talk and no one else would participate. He can't save this party alone. He needs help. The great thing about the RPP was it was full of active members who cared and wanted to make it better.

This party has held the white house for three terms and failed to accomplish anything in those terms. I was almost thrown out rather than being embraced, and I wrote my own bills and did everything separate from the Federalist Party, and while I can't really speak for lumine, but I haven't seen a big federalist engagement with his presidency either. Granted, having like 2 senate seats doesn't help either.

But if this party wants to continue, help Yankee. He seems to be the only one with the passion to keep it going, and I know he can't do it alone.

You objective with the TPP in its first run may have been so, but only engulfing the right would have made it so and that didn't happen. The RPP was never any thing but a right of center Party and the TPP has always acclaimed to be centrist far more like the NLC and DA then the RPP.

I was mainly talking about the sense of community more than ideology. The RPP was so great because of the people in the party and those who worked to make it so much fun. The forums were always active and it was never a one man operation.

[Prince of Salem]

I'd overall have no problem with returning to the RPP name, but:

1. I still like "Federalist" better.

2. A change in the name won't solve the kind of problems we're facing right now.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I think the suggestion was that a name change occur as part of a broader restructuring and overhaul not a whole affair on its own, in which case yes, it would solve nothing obviously.

[Enderman]

I think the suggestion was that a name change occur as part of a broader restructuring and overhaul not a whole affair on its own, in which case yes, it would solve nothing obviously.

This is true.
I understand what you mean. I was thinking of starting off with a clean slate. Rebuilding this party. Making good connections. Making sure that we're getting out the vote. My idea was to clean up everything and make good voting change connections.

Also, I do have another idea I discussed with Yankee a few months ago. Have regional parties take care of regional business. GOTV campaigns, regional platform charters, everything. Leaving the first few waves of burden on them. And leaving the huge things like national charters, endorsements, huge Federalist Parties to the Party at large. (However the huge parties are the Woodstocks for the Federalists, compared to the rock concerts for the regions. If you know what I mean )

[Lumine]

I think the suggestion was that a name change occur as part of a broader restructuring and overhaul not a whole affair on its own, in which case yes, it would solve nothing obviously.

This is true.
I understand what you mean. I was thinking of starting off with a clean slate. Rebuilding this party. Making good connections. Making sure that we're getting out the vote. My idea was to clean up everything and make good voting change connections.

Also, I do have another idea I discussed with Yankee a few months ago. Have regional parties take care of regional business. GOTV campaigns, regional platform charters, everything. Leaving the first few waves of burden on them. And leaving the huge things like national charters, endorsements, huge Federalist Parties to the Party at large. (However the huge parties are the Woodstocks for the Federalists, compared to the rock concerts for the regions. If you know what I mean )

Just to be clear, would that mean turning the party into a coalition of center-right parties rather than a single party with many wings (libertarian, conservative, moderate, hawks, doves, etc)?

PS: Also, what happens with the Presidential race now? Are we going to have an endorsement vote?

[Prince of Salem]

I... don't think we need an endorsement vote anymore

[Maxwell]

Actually you guys still do. Unless rules have changed since I've left the party, you can actually endorse someone not in the party. Duke was an independent when he ran with the backing of the federalist party, and he would've beaten Spamage for it probably had Spamage not dropped out.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I believe we amended the by-laws to remove automatic endorsements for president in the event that an embarrassing fringe candidate from the party decided to run. We agreed that the presidential election was too important not to have an endorsement vote.

Also, FTR, I'm not opposed to coming back to a re-imagined right-wing party, but I would need to see a number of changes. For me and others to join, I think the party would need to completely expunge any of its ties to social conservatism, firmly rally around an anti-consolidation platform, and rejuvenate itself aesthetically (I mean, the party reeks of failure, so something a little newer would be good for morale). If it means sending some people away, maybe that's how it has to happen. It's like rebuilding a hockey team.

Will this party be the butt of jokes that keeps talking about abortions and the elite, or will this party cast itself as something different. That's the question here.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Actually you guys still do. Unless rules have changed since I've left the party, you can actually endorse someone not in the party. Duke was an independent when he ran with the backing of the federalist party, and he would've beaten Spamage for it probably had Spamage not dropped out.

No. I would've lost to Spammage had he remained in the race. I think polls showed me trailing him by a large margin.

I did almost lose to Naso too had it not been for a last minute plea and some changing of votes last minute to push Matt and me over the edge.

[Goldwater]

...
For me and others to join, I think the party would need to completely expunge any of its ties to social conservatism, firmly rally around an anti-consolidation platform, and rejuvenate itself aesthetically (I mean, the party reeks of failure, so something a little newer would be good for morale).
...

There is no way that's happening. A major center-right party can't survive if it is not at least somewhat open to social conservatives.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

You are not the first one to suggest expunging the Social Conservatives, Hagrid. Way back in December 2010, I had a long exchange with Afleitch that basically produced the same recommendation. The problem is, it doesn't work mathematically especially with a firmly emplaced centrist Party like the TPP occupying that section of the spectrum. Back then it would have required the centrist JCPers to join the RPP and turn the party essentially into what the TPP is now, and chances are regionalism would have been sacrificed in the process as well. Which leads me to another point, some of the most fervent regionalists are your diehard social conservatives. If you go firmly anti-consolidation, and expel the social conservatives, you are slicing yourself too thin to compete.

Think of who helped to lead the opposition to consolidation back in 2013 (He was among the first to depart ). The most committed anti-consolidationist in the Party is arguably JCL. I would hazard that 75% of the regionalists are socially conservative.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Unless I am mistaken, we have a primary in the Midwest as well, correct?