The Political Tracker (June 2015 Election Special)

[Lumine]

New Theme, totally not stolen from Alfred Hitchcock

Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Like General MacArthur on the Philippines, the Political Tracker is now back!

For those who remember, the original Political Tracker ran from May to August 2014 and its aim was to cover elections and politics in Atlasia, thus trying to encourage an active media. Today we have a great newspaper in the Mideast Record Courier, but I do believe having more media in Atlasia could really help the game, and I've been interested in bringing this back ever since some controversies convinced me that suspending the Tracker was the best choice then available.

To quote the original idea of the Tracker:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

This version of the Political Tracker is bound to be less objective than the first one, but I will try to remain neutral whenever possible. Most of the old rules still apply, as quoted here:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I never revealed my sources during the past year, not even when there was a good deal of pressure to do so, so I hope Atlasians will be able to trust me on that as the sole person involved in writing this... ehh... newspaper? show? Whatever.

Finally, I'd like to explain that the past versions of the Political Tracker have been split between Season One (May-June 2014) and Season Two (July-August 2014), thus making the current one Season Three, the title to be decided after we're done with this season. Season One was focused on the June 2014 Election, and thus it will go by the title of "The Dolphin and the Boar". Season Two covered the first half of DemPGH's term, and thus it will go by the name of "Rise and Fall of the White Rose".

I have some announcements and rules to be released, so stay tuned!
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List of Articles and Seasons:

Previous Seasons:

Season One: The Dolphin and the Boar
Season Two: Rise and Fall of the White Rose

Season Three:

April 8: Changing of the Guard
April 13: It's Controversy Time!

[Lumine]

Info:

The Political Tracker will try to release publications as often as possible, but of course this is bound to my schedule and how events develop in Atlasia. Both the Federal and Regional Governments will be covered, with a focus on elections as they come by the release of analysis and profiles of the candidates.

Of course, the Political Tracker will be offering its services to those who are interested, services like sponsoring debates, holding interviews, running polls and so on. I will also do those on my own, but people are welcome to ask in case they are interested.

[Lumine]

Hopefully you won't be browbeaten into shutting it down again as you shamefully were before!

Of course, that's a mistake I won't repeat, xD

It's good to see another news source in Atlasia!

Thanks, I hope we will see even more of these as time moves forward!

[Lumine]

Changing of the Guard:

Atlasians both leave and return to the political stage:

April 8th:

SWE Resigns, Lief appoints DemPGH: Following Adam Griffin's resignation to become Registrar General, the Senate has once again lost one of its members with the sudden resignation of Senator SWE, so far an unexplained resignation which might be motivated by the Senator's low activity levels and approval rating (34% according to the last Survey Atlasia poll). Senator and Labor Chairman Lief took a highly unexpected step and appointed Former President DemPGH to SWE's seat, making this DemPGH's first public role since his resignation during the crisis of October 2014. As of this article it seems the Former President will only serve for the remainder of the Senate session.

Of Resignations and Retirements: It seems Atlasia will have to face a number of losses when it comes to voters and officeholders, as several citizens have announced their retirement from their current positions or the game itself. SWE's resignation aside the past days have seen Former Presidential Candidate Winfield announcing that he would not seek reelection or any other office for the time being, Former President Tyrion/Ogis/Persepolis resigning as Archduke due to high inactivity levels, Former Senator Pingvin announcing his definitive retirement of Atlasia (and criticizing both sides of the political spectrum over their negative message) and Former Assemblyman Thomas from NJ deregistering from the game.

Is terrorism gone from the nation?: Despite the crushing defeat of the PMA at the hands of the Federal Government, the ghost of terrorism still seems to be present both home and overseas, the nation still shocked at the deadly attack against the Atlasian embassy in Baghdad and worried for the recent quarantine at the Southern Legislature. While an FBI investigation of the supposed terrorist group Extreme Reality has confirmed that such an organization doesn't exist, it remains to be seen if the wave of violence that started last October is truly over for Atlasia.

[Lumine]

April Northeast Assembly Poll:

Results:

Assemblyman Clyde1998 (Lab-MA) - (31.8%)
Lt. Governor Pikachu (TPP-NJ) - (13.6%)
Citizen Castro2020 (TPP-CT) - (13.6%)
Former Assemblyman Altsomn Stmarken (Fed-ME) - (13.6%)
Northeast Speaker DKrolga (CR-MA) - (4.5%)
Not from the Northeast - (22.7%)

Total Voters: 22 (5 not from the Northeast)
% in regards to the voters: 39.53%

[Lumine]

It's Controversy Time!

Citizens rally against Senate proposals, Mideast Governor resigns, and Dr. Cynic is back!

Note from the Editor:

The past days have seen attacks on this paper by two prominent Atlasians, similar to the attacks launched when the Political Tracker was closed. I remain convinced that the citizens of Atlasia have a right to be consulted and that there's nothing wrong with running opinion polls to see what they think, and so we will continue to work as always. Furthermore, I strongly reject any pressure forced on the Political Tracker.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

April 8th:

Governor TDAS04 resigns: Citing the need to address real life issues Mideast Governor TDAS04 resigned his office a few days ago in a surprising announcement. New Governor MadmanMotley praised his predecessor and took office as soon as possible, announcing that he was starting the process to find a new Lt. Governor. While no names have been proposed so far, it is believed that the Governor might appoint a figure from the center-left to continue the bipartisan administration of the past months.

Dr. Cynic returns to the game: After a few months out from the game following his successful tenure as Game Moderator, former President Dr. Cynic returned to Atlasia and joined the Labor Party once again, announcing a run for the Northeast Assembly after a brief period of consideration. A new poll will appear to see the impact of his entry on the race.

Controversy on Senate legislation: It seems the time for debate is back, as two proposals currently discussed by the Senate have brought an interesting amount of reaction's from the citizens. Both the Affirmative Consent in Post-Secondary Education Act and the Policing the Police Act have been criticized by Federalists, TPPers, CR's and DR's due to several concerns (included perceived unconstitutionality, regional rights and a perceived attack on the law enforcement system). Polls on the subject seem to indicate a wide rejection of the public to the current proposals, and Labor officeholders have started a counteroffensive against critics of these bills. On a side note, a debate has also started on whether citizens should be allowed to post on Senate threads, a situation that should develop in the next couple of days.

[Lumine]

Policing the Police Act Poll:

Results:

Approve - 31.4%
Disapprove - 62.9%
Undecided - 5.7%

Total Voters: 35

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Affirmative Consent in Post-Secondary Education Act Poll:

Results:

Approve - 20%
Disapprove - 80%
Undecided - 0%

Total Voters: 25

[Lumine]

You reversed the Approve and Disapprove numbers on the Affirmative Consent in Post-Secondary Education Act Poll.

It seems I rushed too much, mistake corrected!

I want to remind our viewers that later today the Political Tracker will release an At-Large election special today, and we will do our best to provide coverage through this weekend. Hopefully we will also be able to interview candidates and prominent figures as well.

[Lumine]

The Fighting of Elections:

At-Large Election Special, covering all six candidates!

April 16h:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of the year again. Once again the citizens of Atlasia are set to go to the polls to determine the fate of half the Senate, an exercise that is often used as a "referendum" of sorts regarding political parties or presidents. And indeed, the past two At-Large elections were to that effect: August 2014 was used as a narrative against President DemPGH based on TPP gaining a seat from Labor, and December 2014 was likewise used against President Lumine with Labor gains against the Federalists. This election might be different based on President Bore's apparent popularity and the fact that Labor will only field two candidates despite currently holding three seats, but all the same Monday will probably be a day of political discussion, analysis and probably some degree of deeply partisan comments.

The campaign has been relatively slow in memorable moments, with few polls and no debate, but most of the candidates have been quite active in the campaign trial, two of them dropping out before the actual election (current Game Moderator Kalwejt from TPP and now Mideast Governor Madman Motley from the DR's).

With that said, let's take a look at the candidates:

Senator Blair (Labor Party): Hailed as a rising start by many elements of the Labor Party, Blair entered politics shortly ago, briefly serving as a Northeast Assemblyman and Speaker before being selected to replace Registrar General Griffin as an At-Large Senator. Apparently media savvy and issue-focused, he has run on support for Kurdistan, massive decentralization in Iraq, anti HIV/AIDs programs, the environment and law enforcement reform. Endorsed by the Mideast Record Courier, polls show him with similar levels of support than Lief, and should Labor turnout hold his chances are strong.

Senator and Former President Polnut (The People's Party): A two-term President who served in non-consecutive terms as a member of the JCP and the Liberals, he has been a consistently strong voice within TPP with a large public role over the past months. Hailed for some as a “voice of reason” in the Senate, Polnut has served since August 2014 winning reelection in December, and to the shock of many he announced that this would be his final campaign for At-Large Senate. Articulate, pragmatic and opinionated, he has run on law-enforcement reform, education and the environment, and if the TPP base stands firm behind him then he should probably sail to a final term without many problems. The Senator has been endorsed by the Mideast-Record Courier.

Former Senator Yankee (Federalist Party): The longest serving Senator in the history of Atlasia and current Federalist Chair, Yankee lost in a dramatic match with HagridOfTheDeep in the February 2015 South election, leading to rumors that it might the end of his long career. Yankee has disproved said rumors by running on the At-Large election as the sole Federalist candidate, and the once known as “Senator Reclutant Nay” has been much more spoken as of lately, often clashing with Registrar General Griffin and Senator Lief. Running on regional rights, legislative reform and against nationalization, Yankee has a good chance to return to Nyman if conservatives turn out to the polls.

Senator Cris (Civic Renewal): The current Party Secretary of Civic Renewal, Cris started as a detailed pollster and then served as Midwest Representative and Archduke, and as President Lumine’s White House Chief of Staff before being elected in his third Senate run in December, having lost before to TNF and Bacon King in two close elections. Pragmatic and active, he left the Federalist Party on February 2015, and announced his reelection campaign with a focus on activity, transparency, common-sense and electoral reform.  While Cris is at a disadvantage when compared to the potential turnout of Labor and the Federalists, he has put focus on building a potential coalition to secure his victory, making turnout once again the key to Nyman.

Senator Lief (Labor Party): A two-term Former President and current Labor Chair, Lief originally ran for Northeast Senate with the Vermont National Party on a strong anti-incest campaign, losing to Bore. After winning in the December At-Large election Senator Lief was a very harsh critic of the Lumine administration (denouncing it as the Lumine regime), eventually becoming Labor Chair. Controversial, outspoken and often denouncing people or institutions, he has run on a platform of pragmatism and a fight against special interests, and he has been one of the strongest defenders of the original Policing the Police Act. Once again, if Labor turnout holds then Lief will almost certainly win reelection.

Former Representative Poirot (Independent): Breaking JCL’s record of elections, Poirot has always been a consistent independent, often involved in a quest to win a seat in Nyman in the Northeast Senate, At-Large Senate elections and even the Presidency, his strongest performances being on the Presidential at October 2014 and the most recent special At-Large Senate race. Colorful and unorthodox, Poirot has run the most active campaign, holding events abroad (in places like London and Paris) and running on government reform and his proposal for the Olympic styled “Atlasia Games.” Unlikely to win, he was arrested a few days ago on the executive order of Governor Simfan, leading many to shout: “Free Poirot!”

[Lumine]

Well, that look a long time to write... I asked some of the candidates for potential politicians to represent them, so we will include said pictures during the interviews I plan to take during the weekend (or add them to the current profiles).

Anyway, our first interview will be with sitting Senator Blair, so stay tuned! (And yes, we will also cover the Northeast and South elections as well)

Keep up the great work!

I'm ok with Gardner.

Thanks, Cris!

[Lumine]

Election Night Special:

Lumine: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is former President Lumine, bringing you The Political Tracker's Election Night Special. From today until the weekend we shall do our best to bring you updated results, commentary and interviews as we move forward. As of now we will see four different elections: the At-Large Senate race, the South Gubernatorial election, the Northeast Assembly election and the public vote on the Fairness in Cabinet Obligations amendment, four elections that might bring out quite a few surprises. Polls will be opened in less than two hours, so let's get started!

[Lumine]

Lumine: Our first interview was going to be with Senator Blair, but due to a slight delay we will start with an intervew to Northeast Speaker Dkrol. As you know, he is running for reelection tonight, having just ended his campaign at the Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.

An interview with NE Speaker Dkrol:

Northeast Speaker Dkrol (CR-MA), running for reelection tonight:

Lumine: Speaker Dkrol, great to have you here. Do you feel anxious for tonight's election?

Dkrol: Thank you for having me. I'm not as anxious now as I was about the March Special Election I ran in, as there were quite a few curve balls in that race. I'm cautiously optimistic about my chances at winning a mandate from the people and a full term in the Assembly.

Lumine: It seems polling has not been particularly reliable for this race, as the first poll had Altsomn Stmarken and you behind and yet the second one indicates a surge in support. What do you make of this?

Dkrol: I think it just shows the unpredictability of Atlasian politics. I hadn't really made my case to the electorate when the first poll was run, but the race also had a separate dynamic. There were only 5 candidates running then, for 5 seats. I think some people didn't feel the need to make a firm vote, to pick who they'd really support, since we were all assured a victory. The second poll included 6 candidates, forcing voters to really think about who they were going to support.

Lumine: Despite an earlier controversy regarding the Special At-Large election, it seems you have a good relationship with current Governor Sawx. How would you describe said relationship?

Dkrol: Governor Sawx and I have a strong relationship. We are both friends and co-workers in the pursuit of a better region. He and I had only a small dispute over the March Senate election - he told me only a few hours after the fight broke out that he still respected me, and I still respected him. The extend of the spat was spun far out of proportion.

Lumine: It seems the Fairness in Cabinet Obligations Amendment has passed the Senate and we will be voting on it as well. How do you plan to vote on this issue?

Dkrol: I plan to vote against it, at least at this moment. I feel that, by creating yet another position for Senators to hold, it concentrates power within a small group in Nyman. I've always supported the Regions and feel that more power should be vested in them, and I think that the amendment would serve to counter that goal.

Lumine: I would like to finish this interview by asking you about the new Northeast Budget, which was passed a few minutes ago by the Northeast Assembly. What is your take on the new budget?

Dkrol: The new budget, the brainchild of Governor Sawx, is a strong budget. It creates a relatively large surplus and prepares our region for a successful fiscal period.

Lumine: Well, I suppose that is all for the night. Is there anything you'd like to say to the viewers to end this interview?

Dkrol: I'd like to thank Governor Sawx for helping me get where I am and for supporting me, and I'd like to thank my fellow Representatives for allow me to serve as Speaker of the Assembly. I'd also like to thank the people of Atlasia for tuning in tonight, and over the course of the whole campaign, and listening to my pitch. Lumine, I hope the next time we talk I'll have an electoral mandate behind me.

Lumine: Best of luck to you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for being here.

[Lumine]

The Polls are Open!

Lumine: And the election truly begins! Both the South Gubernatorial booth and the April At-Large booth are open, so it's time for Atlasia to vote. The Political Tracker will cease it's coverage until tomorrow morning since the former President is dying to get some sleep, but we will be back tomorrow!

[Lumine]

Lumine: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It’s time for Friday’s coverage to start, and we have our first results; some eleven hours after the polls were opened:

April At-Large Election:

Turnout: 17,77% (32 voters - Last Voter: angus)

Polnut (The People's Party): 40,62% (13)
North Carolina Yankee (Federalist): 18,75% (6)
Cris (Civic Renewal): 12,50% (4)
Lief (Labor) 12,50% (4)
Write-in: Spiral (Democratic Republican): 6,25% (2)
Blair (Labor) 3.12% (1)
Poirot (Independent) 3.12% (1)
Write-in: Dr. Cynic (Labor): 3,12% (1)

Lumine: Turnout is still below 20%, but we do have a couple of interesting trends to note, the most obvious one being Senator Polnut propelled into a commanding lead by outnumbering his rivals, having broad support across the political spectrum. The second will probably change as we go, but there seems to be an interest in write-in candidates, at least judging from the votes for Dr. Cynic and Spiral (the latter of whom surpassing both Blair and Poirot). It’s impossible to know whether that will become something serious, but it is an interesting situation.

[Lumine]

Lumine: And now we move to an interview with another officeholder, Senator Blair, currently fighting the At-Large Senate race.

An interview with At-Large Senator Blair:

At- Large Senator Blair (Lab-MA), running for a full term in the Senate

Lumine: Senator, thanks for accepting this request.

Blair: It's fine, I appreciate having the opportunity.

Lumine: First of all, how do you feel a few hours before the election? Are you confident about the potential result?

Blair: Well the first results are coming in, and it looks like it's going to a tight race. I always expected it would be competitive with so many good faces involved. I'm hoping that we can start to pull ahead not just in the senate race but also in the Northeast Assembly. You never feel great on election night, but I'm a happy warrior.

Lumine: In a contrast with other At-Large elections there hasn’t been a debate or a lot of polling, and yet most candidates have released some detailed agendas. How would you describe your experience in the campaign trail?

Blair: It's been a low key campaign from me, but I've been the only candidate to stake out a clear policy on the big issues that face our society. We hear a lot of generalizations in the campaign, about how people want to re-define politics. My campaigns been focused on areas of policy that I feel I can deliver on. Hopefully if elected I can put this into action because really that's what people want. They don't want a campaign that ends on sunday night.

Lumine: A bit of a cliché question, I know, but what is your view of the other five candidates?

Blair: Well I'm a relative newcomer to this so I'm still getting to know people. Lief's a very able senator, and I hugely respect him for all his work for labor both in the senate and in the party. If I lose, at the very least I can thank him for giving me a month in the senate-which I'm grateful for.

I've think Cris is a very able senator, I mean we have disagreements on policy but I have to praise him for keeping such a high profile throughout his service. I always appreciate it when people post updates about their senate work because sometimes people feel isolated from the Senate.

Polnut is a popular dedicated senator, he's doing well in the polls. He's always been friendly with me, and happy to talk. I just hope we can get to work on police reform if we both get re-elected because I honestly feel that there's some progress to be made on that bill. I'd say the same with Yankee, he's a dedicated senator and has committed himself well to public service. I hope both of them will continue this hard work if they get re-elected.

With Poirot I hope he's recovered from his time behind bars. He's one of the good guys in this race, and everyone loves a perennial candidate.

Lumine: There has been some controversy regarding current candidate Poirot and his incident in the Pacific, his current status a bit confusing. How do you feel about this situation?

Blair: I think it's awful, everyone should have a right to campaign peacefully no matter what party they belong to. I'll leave the legal arguments for the lawyers but there's a whole host of stuff going on after the recent election there which ended in controversy. I'm glad that they released Poirot on bail, at the least.

Lumine: I would like to move to your current job now, seeing as you have served in Nyman for two weeks already. How would you describe your time in the Senate so far?

Blair: It's been exciting. It's given me some meat to put on the bone, and I hope people know now that I've got the experience I need to serve another term in the Senate. I've got lots of ideas if I get re-elected, I just hope the Senate could move a bit faster in getting stuff through. It's stupid that it's taking 4-6 weeks to pass a bill when we've got real issues like HIV/Aids that need to be discussed.

Lumine: It has been said, Senator, that you are a rising star in the Labor Party, especially considering your quick rise to Speaker and Senator.  Do you share that assessment?

Blair: Haha hopefully I won't be a dying star after this weekend. Everyone in labor has been beyond amazing to me, that's all I can really say. They've helped me get settled in quickly, and I'm happy that I've had the opportunity to serve now. We need more fresh faces in Atlasia, and I think that's part of my appeal-I'm not the old guard.

Lumine: Thank you, Senator.

[Lumine]

Lumine: A few hours have passed, and we have another series of updates:

April At-Large Election:

Turnout: 29,44% (53 voters - Last Voter: ilikeverin)

Polnut (The People's Party): 39,62% (21)
Lief (Labor) 20,75% (11)
North Carolina Yankee (Federalist): 16,98% (9)
Cris (Civic Renewal): 13,20% (7)
Blair (Labor) 7,54% (4)
Poirot (Independent) 3,77% (2)
Write-in: Spiral (Democratic Republican): 3,77% (2)
Write-in: Dr. Cynic (Labor): 1,88% (1)

Lumine: It's tempting to call Polnut's victory but it would be imprudent to do so given the polemic earlier this year when it came to the media predicting early victories. Still, with that kind of margin something really bizarre would have to happen for Polnut to lose the election, so... Well, let's move into the South:

South Gubernatorial Election:

Turnout: 75,86 % (22 voters - Last Voter: Miles)

Flo (The People's Party): 54,54% (12)
DeadPrez (Federalist) 31,81% (7)
Write-in: Mechaman (Coalition of Radical Democrats): 9,09% (2)
None of the Above 4,54% (1)

Lumine: Well, this is... unexpected, to say the least. With an astounding turnout so far most of the South has voted even before the first day of voting is over, and Flo looks like the man to beat, having taken a wide lead against DeadPrez. The voters left are enough to make up the difference in a potential second round, but the advantage goes to Flo as of now.

[Lumine]

Lumine: Our third interview is here, this time with South Governor Flo, currently fighting a dramatic battle over control of the South. It should be remembered that this is the first election in a long time in which the South elects a "Governor", as the post used to be Emperor not long ago. Anyway, let's see what the Governor had to say:

An interview with Governor Flo:

South Governor Flo (TPP-FL), running for another term against DeadPrez

Lumine: Governor, glad to see you here. It has to be said that the past days have been remarkable. We’ve seen a very active campaign with quite a few duels between prominent Atlasians, and many people will be watching the South during the election. How do you feel at this point?

Flo: I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about this weekend, but there are still 13 people who haven't voted (when I was writing this), so the race could easily shift.

Lumine: Current results do show you ahead of DeadPrez, but what's really shocking to me is the extremely high turnout in a single day, more than half the region. What do you make of said situation?

Flo: That the good people of the South know there's a lot at stake in this election, and they're choosing to move forward with a candidate with activity and big ideas that will make our region stronger and more prosperous than it ever was before.

Lumine: Governor, how do you feel regarding your opponent after these past weeks of campaigning?

Flo: We disagree on a lot of issues, and the people of the South can see a clear contrast between myself and Mr. Deadprez.

Lumine: Issues aside, how do you feel regarding your oponent as an individual?

Flo: He seems like he's a nice person. We're just not in agreement with politics and the direction of our region, and I think that leads to a bit of tension.

Lumine: In what seems to have become an interesting tradition you have once again opened your Mibbit office for political discussion. Any chance you could share with us some info on said debates?

Flo: We've recently discovered a huge oversight of the regional budget, where $130 billion dollars was spent on something that didn't exist anymore, so we've been debating how that money should be spent. People on the right have been saying to end the income tax and the corporate tax. People on the left have been saying to spend that money on programs that get people out of poverty. I'm trying to bring together a commission of people on this (which includes Averroes Nix and Potus) to determine the best way to invest it.

Lumine: I've already asked this in the debate, but in a more personal level how do you feel regarding yesterday's “scandal” on strategic registration? We have certainly seen some pretty harsh rhetoric there.

Flo: I'd like to start off by saying I really have no idea why 4-5 people registered in the South literally the day before the election. I've never seen something like that before, and I hope that the legislature and myself can pass a bill that has a buffer period between someone registering and being able to vote (perhaps five days?). The "scandals" aren't really scandals, since it appears that everyone has attempted to bring people into our region. I'm not liking the nasty attitudes that people have been bringing up in that thread however, and I really wish they would be more forgiving than that, but as you know: (Picture of Issac Asimov saying: "Now remember kids, internet politics are serious business", edited out due to size).

Lumine: Despite having the current lead, Governor, have you considered what would happen if you were to lose? Any alternative plans for the future?

Flo: I'd most likely start a non-profit whose attempt it is to get those who did not finish high school to get GED's, and attempt to find well-paying jobs for them.

Lumine: Well, Governor, thanks for being here.

[Lumine]

Lumine: And the interview system is on a roll! Requests keep coming, and as a result we will release two interviews now: Governor Simfan and Former Secretary Potus. Hopefully tomorrow we will able to prepare upcoming interviews with Senator Polnut and Former President Dr. Cynic as well. Let's go with the governor first:

An interview with Governor Simfan:

Pacific Governor Simfan (TPP-CA), currently dealing with the Poirot situation

Lumine: Welcome to the studio, Governor, I'm glad you could spare the time for this interview. I think the first question is fairly obvious: TPP is fielding three candidates as we speak, Polnut in the At-Large, Castro and Pikachu in the Northeast. How do you think your party will perform?

Simfan: I think we will do very well. Polnut currently has a commanding lead in the Senate elections and I don't see that changing- we'll hold on to that seat, without a doubt, and although I haven't followed events in the Northeast all too closely, I think we would do well to introduce some new blood and I imagine the voters there, as anywhere, would be receptive to that.

Lumine: It has to be said that there are two elephants in the room, Governor, one of them being the past scandal on the Council Election and its ballot. Could you clarify your stance in this situation for the viewers?

Simfan: I don't think there was any real "scandal", just some braying by certain individuals whose petty agendas are a matter of public record. Their venues made it obvious that this was a simply a continuation of a campaign of slanders and attempted controversy stirring. Those with a genuine interest in the region- in good governance- did not join in their charade, at least not for long. The claim that anyone was "disenfranchised" by what amounted to nothing more than a clerical error is ludicrous. The idea that there was vote splitting going on was also absurd, as there were not enough candidates to benefit from vote splitting! Indeed, you'll note that a member of the Legislative Assembly managed to be elected with just two votes out of eleven- surely any vote splitting would have hurt him?.

Lumine: Of course, the other big issue we see right now is that of Poirot, whose arrest brought some criticism to the regional government. Do you still believe it was a good idea to issue that executive order in the past?

Simfan: Of course I think it was a good decision. He was arrested for harming public health and defying a previous order to cease and desist doing such, and he was duly charged and released on bail. By any reasonable standard, at no times were his rights, as such, violated!

Let me note that I was re-elected with 91% percent of the vote. I take this as a decisive statement of confidence in the region's direction, our administration, and the decisions we've made.The People have clearly shown that they approve of the actions we have taken, and for that reason I see no real reason to change direction. Again, it is in the opportunistic attempted subversion of certain individuals and their organs that have spoken about this the most. I see no reason why I should give credence to their agendas.

Lumine: As someone who already served in Nyman as a Senator and in the Cabinet, what is your take on the current situation on the federal government?

Simfan: Moderately positive, but things could be better. Hopefully the election will move it in a right direction. Things are still in a state of flux with the right, in many ways, so that will need to be sorted out. With more CR Senators, potentially, with Federalists, this could mean a political shift. But with Yankee back it could stay that shift. Hopefully the at-Large Senator from the Mideast shall become more independent of his fellow Labor Mideasterner.

Lumine: It seems strategic recruitment is now on the public stage due to the Gubernatorial election in the South, and the debate continues even now. What do you make of this practice and this particular situation?

Simfan: I think it can be healthy for a region, and while I worry about it being attempted in the Pacific by malintentioned political agents, on the whole it can introduce dynamism and vigour into a region where it is necessary. Or it can induce stagnation and atrophy the body politic. Like this Canadian "limited jurisdiction" nonsense. It's an attempt to annex our sovereign neighbor, something that is harming relations- look at the drug row a few months back- and engendering resentment. It's an absurdity that should be stopped and eliminated. This is the sort of thing that emerges from a stagnant political environment. So it can be good or bad.

Lumine: Finally, Governor, I’d like to ask you about the future. The obvious thing to ask is how do you see your own future in Atlasia, but I am also wondering on your thoughts about the future of the nation as a whole. What do you think we might see in the following weeks or months after this election?

Simfan: I see my future in the Governor's office. Hopefully for the nation we will continue under measured, cautious leadership as we have seen under President Boré, and those maleficent political agents will be removed and defeated in this election and further ones. If that can occur hopefully we can take steps towards returning to the Era of Good Feeling- and avoid strategic missteps.

Or those actors can re-assert their dominance and we will return to the dark days we saw under the last Labour presidency- where they ruled with impunity and attempted to pass laws by ramming them through the Senate in complete disregard to the present law or popular opinion. They thought they could do anything, even if it entailed making someone two people from a legal standpoint.

I sincerely hope we do not go back to that and shall fight with all my strength to stop such a thing from happening.

Lumine: Governor Simfan, ladies and gentlemen. The Potus interview will start in a few seconds.

[Lumine]

An interview with Former Secretary Potus:

Former Secretary Potus (Ind-CA), retired from frontline politics as we speak

Lumine:: Mr. Potus, good to have you here.

Potus:: It's excellent to have a chance to sit down with you, Mr. President.

Lumine:: It's election time once again, and as the situation evolves some trends are probably established by now. What is your analysis of the present results overall?

Potus:: As you've probably noticed, I've not been investing a lot of time in the game lately. I'm really only watching the At-Large and the Southern Gubernatorial. The biggest thing I see is the huge turnout in the South with probably benefits Yankee's At-Large campaign more than anybody. Some trends are holding, like high turnout from TPP.

Lumine:: It seems the South Gubernatorial election is becoming the race to watch due to extremely high turnout, would you be comfortable by making a prediction there?

Potus:: Flo will win because he's been a good governor. It's as simple as that.

Lumine:: You already pointed out that you are in some sort of semi-retirement, but over the past hours a potential proposal form you regarding regional budgets has garnered a good level of interest, both public and on discussion chats. Could you elaborate on that for the viewers?

Potus:: Well, I regularly talk with Governor Flo about different policy ideas, basically whatever I've been thinking about that day. I was looking at the Southern Budget to try to make some sort of contribution to his second term when I noticed that the region is spending $130 billion dollars on "healthcare" despite our completely federalized system.  I raised the concern on IRC and Pit was in the room. Now, PiT wrote the Southern Budget for years with Yelnoc. He says that the line item was never adjusted to account for federal abolition of Medicaid and all $130 billion was being spent on a program that doesn't exist anymore. So, that means there is $130 billion in the Southern Budget without a purpose.

Lumine:: Well, assuming steps were to be taken to address this, how would you suggest using said money?

Potus:: There is enough money in the glitch to allow for a complete abolition of personal income, business, and corporate taxes in the region while also increasing the surplus by $26 billion. This kind of tax reform would put the South lightyears ahead of the other regions in terms of quality of life, economic competitiveness, and common prosperity.

Lumine:: One of the suggestions we've seen so far in Flo's election chat is that of an Atlasia Chamber of Commerce, and while we did have one in early 2013 the whole effort didn't got too far. Do you think there is real merit to the idea? And, do you see yourself participating on that?

Potus:: I think a major improvement to the game would be incorporating the idea of constituencies. I, naturally, would like to see a strong network of non-party political organizations spring up on the Right. The Chamber would be a vital one for one simple reason: the Labor politburo wants to see our economy turned into an absolute basket case. Someone, in this instance the Chamber, needs to stand up to those who seek to destroy our economy.

Lumine:: I'd like to draw you away from the budget for a moment as you have mentioned the political situation. Would you share with us your assessment of the current political situation in Atlasia? In a general sense, I mean.

Potus:: If bore was not President, things would be worse than they were under DemPGH and Labor would be staring death in the face. I've got no doubt in my mind that the party leadership has become that extreme. Bore is the only thing holding the left in one piece.

Lumine:: Finally, I'd like to discuss the future as well, at least briefly. I'll try to be blunt, do you have any further ambitions in Atlasia or plans for the future?

Potus:: Summer's coming up Lumine. It's an awful lot of fun in the real world, right now. However, if I do decide to get involved again, you and your readers will be the first to know.

Lumine:: Well, that does sound a bit ominous, but interesting all the same. Many thanks, Potus.

[Lumine]

Lumine: We apologize for the lack on coverage through the past hours, it's been a remarkable busy day. Coverage of the election will also include Monday in order to cover the aftermath, and we will have interviews with Polnut, Oakvale and Dr. Cynic before this is over. And now, the last update of results before the polls are closed!

April At-Large Election:

Turnout: 61,11% (110 voters - Last Voter: Foucaulf)

Polnut (The People's Party): 29,09% (32)
North Carolina Yankee (Federalist): 22,72% (25)
Lief (Labor) 16,36% (18)
Blair (Labor) 14,54% (16)
Cris (Civic Renewal): 11,81% (13)
Poirot (Independent) 5,45% (6)
Write-in: Spiral (Democratic Republican): 1,81% (2)
Write-in: Dr. Cynic (Labor): 0,90% (1)

Lumine: With over 60% and less than four hours left until the polls are closed, we are confortable enough to make a projection on the five seats. Normally it would be wiser to wait, but given that there are only six candidates and with Poirot underperforming severly, the Political Tracker predicts that Polnut, Yankee, Lief, Blair and Cris will go to the Senate. Comparing with the current situation on the Senate, this means one gain from the Federalists and one loss for Labor, which means the Senators will be five from Labor, two from TPP (plus Vice-President Nix), one from the Federalists, one from Civic Renewal, and one independent. Let's move to the South:

South Gubernatorial Election:

Turnout: 82,75 % (24 voters - Last Voter: Evergreen)

Flo (The People's Party): 58,33% (14)
DeadPrez (Federalist) 29,16% (7)
Write-in: Mechaman (Coalition of Radical Democrats): 8,33% (2)
None of the Above 4,16% (1)

Lumine: With a dramatic level of turnout the South Gubernatorial election is pretty much decided. While it is true that a potential second round would have created a closer result, given the remaining voters and turnout levels we project that Governor Flo will return for another term in a landslide against DeadPrez. Finally, let's take a look at the Assembly.

Northeast Assembly Election:

Turnout: 47,72 % (21 voters - Last Voter: Mattrose94)

Altsomn Josef Smartken (Federalist) 23,80% (5)
Clyde1998 (Labor) 19,04% (4)
Dr. Cynic (Labor) 19,04% (4)
Pikachu (The People's Party): 14,28% (3)
Castro2012 (The People's Party): 14,28% (3)
Dkrolga (Civic Renewal) 9,52% (2)

Lumine: Turnout seems heavily depressed here, not even reaching 50%. As a result the Political Tracker will not make a projection here, especially when one considers how important second preferences will be to determine the sole defeated candidate of this election.

[Lumine]

I believe Pikachu has 3 votes, these totals add up to 22 voters.

Mistake corrected! (good to know people are following this as well)

[Lumine]

Flo has 17 votes currently, not 14 (as of Yankee's vote, turnout is at 97%).

I didn't count two or three of his voters because they registered too late, although I could be wrong there.

[Lumine]

According to the Southern constitution, you can register in the South anytime before the election (even 5 seconds before the booth is opened) to vote in that election.

And we have ~32 voters so the turnout rate is at about 88% right now, four people haven't voted yet.

Huh. As a private citizen, Flo, I would encourage you to amend the consitution. It would be ridiculously easy to hijack an election in the South, xD

[Lumine]

Lumine: Less than half and hour before the polls close, but it seems we're moving into post-election analysis already. So let's move to an interview with former President Polnut, who has been projected to hold his seat with a rather large margin of victory.

An interview with former President Polnut:

Former President Polnut (TPP-MA), moving towards his final term in the Senate

Lumine: At this point in the election it seems that, besides from winning reelection, you will do so with a very large margin of victory. How do you feel about that, and to what do you attribute it?

Polnut: Obviously, it extremely gratifying to see so many Atlasians from across the spectrum listen and take the opportunity to put policy and progress first. As to what attributed to it? I made it very clear to my colleagues and friends in TPP that this was going to be my campaign. I was getting out there talking to people, I didn't want the heavy-lifting done by others. So I think that personal touch may have helped, but fundamentally I hope it was about the message of my campaign. I think a lot of Atlasians are sick and tired of our politics being driven by the interests of a few individuals and what they want. I was out there talking about those issues that matter to me, but knowing that you cannot undertake reforms unless you take the people with you.

One of the biggest lessons, hopefully, out of the Police Bill is that you cannot claim a mandate to do something when you didn't tell people you were going to do it. I let the Atlasian people know straight up what I'd be focusing on, and if they liked it, then they could vote for me to endorse that agenda.

Lumine: Your party was heavily involved in the three elections of the weekend: Flo in the South, Castro and Pikachu in the Northeast, and yourself in the At-Large. How would you rate TPP's performance?

Polnut: I think TPP did very well this weekend. I congratulate Chair Oakvale and Vice Chair Sawx for their leadership. I think many thought the South race might have been tight, but Governor Flo has done so much better than was expected and its a testament to the work he and the team have done.

I think the Northeast remains a tough call, we have at least one seat, and Castro is in a decent spot to potentially pick up a second.

Lumine: rather low ones in the Northeast and in general. What do you make of it?

Polnut: Turnout is the great mystery of Atlasia. Each individual election dynamic is different so there's no way of bottling some magic formula. I think it comes down to what's actually going on, on the ground. If there's debate and stuff for people to get their teeth into, then that tends to correlate with increased election participation, but even that's no guarantee. Ideally, you'd have as many people voting as possible, but I've been around long enough to be very Zen about that issue. It ebbs and flows...

Lumine: Senator, your announcement that it was going to be your last term was rather unexpected, but you were specifc in saying it was the last At-Large election. Are there more elections in store for you at this point?

Polnut: Well, I'm going to make it very clear here, and when I speak once the polls have closed. Correct, it will be my last at-large election. But it will also be my last election full stop. When I leave the Senate I will be retiring from elective politics. I know I've said that before and been like Cher and just kept coming back. But you know in your heart when it's truly the right time to leave. Those other times, I think I was confusing needing to take a rest with needing to retire. But this time feels right and I'm extremely comfortable with that decision.

Lumine: So far and through these interviews we've seen arguments in favor and against the current situation in Nyman. How do you feel regarding the current administration and the current Senate?

Polnut: I think there's a lot to be said for those us in Nyman. As I said, I would like to see the President have a larger public profile, but having said that, he's very engaged and I am very happy to have supported him and he's done an excellent job as has the Vice President.

The Cabinet is an active and engaged, sure some things don't go exactly to plan, but when do they?

As for the Senate? I think we're a chamber full of strong views and strong personalities. There are some of my colleagues with whom its occasionally very to work with. While you can't avoid it, I would prefer that there was less external party political interference. But I'm not naive. I think there are good there, I get along well with everybody, so for me, disagreements are never personal. But regardless of the occasional grandstanding and absolutism that sometimes creeps in, we're actually pretty effective at compromise.

Lumine: Finally, Senator, I'd like to ask you a question I asked Blair before. How do you feel regarding the other candidates in the At-Large race?

Polnut: I have the utmost respect for my opponents in this race. I've known a few of them for many years. Some are very new and this campaign has been very good for actually getting to know where they stand. Although I was a little disappointed at the lack of policy agendas out there. I think in Blair you've got a voice for the future, hopefully he shows his own voice and his own ideas. One of the easiest ways for rising stars to flame out is to just become mouth-pieces for others. You need your own identity. I think Mr Poirot would make an excellent Senator, he has ideas and is very thoughtful. My concern for him is that by adopting certain stances and refusing to join a party, he's starting the races with his legs tied together.

But again, I think they're all good and decent people.

[Lumine]

Lumine:The polls are closed, and SoFE Homelycooking, Governor Flo and CJO Rpryor have certified the various results, confirming our earlier projections and stating that victory in the Northeast belongs to Altsomn, Dr. Cynic, Dkrolga, Pikachu and Clyde. Despite most of the Amendment voting booths not being opened yet, we move towards the post-election analysis and our final interviews before we end our non-stop coverage. Please welcome former President Dr. Cynic!

An interview with former President Dr. Cynic:

Former President Dr. Cynic (Lab-PA), back in the Northeast Assembly

Lumine: Mr. President, it's great to see you. I think the first thing to do is to congratulate you in your return to the Assembly, how do you feel about that?

Dr. Cynic: It's good to see you too, Mr. President. It's weird to hear myself called that though considering I had such a short tenure and it was so long ago. It feels good to be back in the Assembly. Honestly, it feels good to be doing anything again. It's been awhile since I was in the Assembly and I'd like to see if I'm still useful to the NE.

Lumine: Overall this election did not bring many surprises, but we did have three contested elections. What is your analysis of this whole process?

Dr. Cynic: Well, three is better than none. The Assembly election would not have been a contest either had I not decided to give it a go. The sad thing though about ours was that one talented person was going to be left out. The Senate election was interesting. We're seeing Polnut's swan song at least for awhile and Yankee back.

Lumine: It seems at this stage that the Northeast will have a government with representation of most parties: TPP, Labor, the Federalists and Civic Renewal. What do you make of this situation?

Dr. Cynic: I think what we're seeing is a center-left coalition style government of Lab-TPP. I have no problem with this. I'm fine with inter-party cooperation and the NE isn't a particularly hyper-partisan region. I think we all try and work together to make things better.

Lumine: There was a broad consensus that you had a rather successful tenure as a Game Moderator, starting the process for the revival of said office. Thus I feel compelled to ask, how do you feel regarding Kalwejt's tenure?

Dr. Cynic: I think the one thing that depresses me is that I didn't want to leave the job. I was enjoying it for the most part. But I barely had internet the last couple of months, usually at hour long intervals. As GM there was no way I could keep up with all I needed to do with only an hour's worth of internet a day. It's a tough job. Kal has been fantastic. He takes a slightly more lighthearted approach to the job than I did. I honestly felt I had to take things seriously or the position was finished. Kal has put his own stamp on things and I really think he's been fantastic. This can only mean good things for the role.

Lumine: Finally, I do want to ask about the future, even if the election has just ended. Is this the beginning of a full comeback for Dr. Cynic?

Dr. Cynic: I hope so. Right now I'm going to focusing on the NE and doing the best job I can there and in a couple of months, we'll see what the future holds. I hope something good for all of us.

Lumine: Thank very much, Mr. President, and good luck in the Assembly.