Truman for Senate! (Concession Speech)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

TRUMAN!

The People's Candidate for At-Large Senate

The Candidate

Harry S Truman of Indiana
Member of The People's Party
Speaker of the Mideast Assembly since June 4, 2015
Mideast Representative since March 27, 2015
Editor of the Mideast Record-Courier since January 7, 2015

Speeches

Announcement Speech (6/30) Philadelphia, PA
On Consolidation, the Wiki, and National Parks (7/1) Raleigh, NC
On Foreign Policy and Poverty (7/2) Denver, CO
Concession Speech (7/5) Indianapolis, IN

Endorsements

Pacific Senator Turkisblau (TPP-NM)

Northeast Governor Sawx (TPP-NH)

Campaign Banner

[Türkisblau]

You have received an endorsement from a man charged with treason! Good luck.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Philadelphia, PA

Thank-you, thank-you all, for coming out here today! It's truly a pleasure to be in the great city of Philadelphia, just steps from the room where delegates to the Continental Congress gave birth to what would become the first great modern Republic. That Republic has since passed from the stage and a new one taken its place, but the principles that were declared to the world here nearly 239 years ago remain, and it is in defense of these principles that I launch this campaign for the Atlasian Senate!

Our Republic is caught up in a crisis of inactivity. Absent officeholders have sent Regional governments careening towards their collapse; public disinterest and partisan stagnation have yielded increasingly predictable elections; the Wiki, our National Archives, has gone untended for nearly two months; and while a number of citizens have proposed radical reforms to the system, none address the troubling tide of apathy that has settled over Atlasia.

I am a candidate in this election because Atlasia desperately needs a change. Yet another bland contest between a Laborite and a generic conservative will do nothing to revive activity or engage the electorate. What this country needs is not tired faces but fresh ideas, not radicalism but pragmatism. My opponents, respectable citizens though they are, cannot provide this. I can.

As a member of the Mideast Assembly, I have worked hand in hand with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to achieve meaningful reforms. In the past three months, I have spearheaded efforts to clarify and condense my Region's Constitution, to make government more accessible, and to promote a renewable energy economy that benefits both businesses and the environment. When a devastating tornado leveled Kansas City earlier this month, I was the first in the Regional government to respond, taking the necessary action to commit $400 million in disaster relief funds.

As your Senator, I will work with my colleagues in all parties to preserve the rights of the Regions and tackle the pressing issues facing our country. With three months' service in the Mideast Assembly under my belt, I know the importance of carefully balancing power between Nyman and the Regions. This does not mean, however, that the Senate should simply pass the buck, and I firmly believe that the federal government can and should take action where the Constitution allows it.

In the next several days, I will travel across our Republic as I lay out my plan for our nation's future. Until then, I am more than willing to answer questions from my fellow citizens, either here or over PM.

Long Live the Republic!

Harry S Truman, Speaker of the Assembly and Candidate for At-Large Senate

You have received an endorsement from a man charged with treason! Good luck.

Many thanks, Senator!

[Lincoln Republican]

Mr. Speaker Truman, do you have a plan to tackle poverty in Atlasia?

If so, can you elaborate for us, or will the reduction of poverty be part of your platform that will be announced at a later date?

Thank you.

[free my dawg]

Endorsed.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Endorsed.

Thank-you, Governor!

Mr. Speaker Truman, do you have a plan to tackle poverty in Atlasia?

If so, can you elaborate for us, or will the reduction of poverty be part of your platform that will be announced at a later date?

Thank you.

Thanks for the question, Winfield. While government action alone cannot completely eliminate poverty, the Senate can and should take action to ensure that every Atlasian has a fair shot at life. The most obvious way to do this is to create an economic environment in which well-paying jobs are readily available: this means maintaining the current minimum wage (quite adequate at $15/ hour) and lightening the tax burden on the small businesses that create the bulk of new jobs. We also need to continue to invest in education, working with the Regions to develop curriculums that emphasize writing, reading comprehension, and the analytical skills that allow our students to be successful members of the workforce. Lastly, we need to maintain the social safety net. While there are limitations to what government can realistically do to lighten the burden of poverty, no citizen should be deprived of their basic human needs by a fluke of the job market.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Raleigh, NC

The Truman Plan (Part I)

On Consolidation
Present troubles in the Midwest and the Pacific have convinced me that the consolidation of these two Regions is the only way to effectively combat inactivity there. While this is by no means a perfect solution, I can think of no better way to address this problem, and I will therefore support efforts to unite these Regions under a single Regional government.

While some have called for a complete redrawing of Regional boundaries, I am forced to oppose this measure as both impractical and illegal. We cannot forecast how things will stand two or three years into the future, but at present the Northeast, Mideast, and South are all reasonably active and thus should be allowed to continue as they are now. Most importantly, the citizens of these Regions do not support a merger with their neighbors, and I cannot justify so drastic a step when neither the facts nor the people demand it.

On the Archives (aka the Wiki)
In the last few days, several citizens have called for the Senate to create the post of National Archivist specifically charged with updating the Wiki. I support this measure. As we have seen from Griffin's success in revamping the Registrar General's office, having an official solely dedicated to record-keeping vastly improves the enjoyability of the game.

This, however, is only the first step in improving the quality of our National Archives. If elected to the Senate this week, I will propose legislation to reorganize the Federal Statute page according to subject, a vast improvement over the current chronological list of every law every passed. By doing this, we would both make our national records more accessible to new users and make it easier for lawmakers to review existing federal legislation on a particular topic. (For an example of how this would work, see this law, a proposal of mine that recently passed in the Mideast.)

On National Parks
I am in favor of expanding our National Parks system and therefore support the National Parks Act of 2015. This act, proposed by Senator Talleyrand, would establish nine new National Parks scattered across all five Regions. In addition to the environmental benefits of placing these areas under federal protection, National Parks are arguably the best way to celebrate our country's unique heritage and culture. If this bill has not passed by the time I take office, I will vote for it enthusiastically.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Denver, CO

The Truman Plan (Part II)

On Foreign Policy
While foreign affairs are largely an executive responsibility, the Senate often plays a crucial role in projecting Atlasia's influence abroad. The Ukraine crisis and the recent coup in Puerto Santos are just two examples of times in which the national legislature was forced to respond to events beyond our borders.

Generally speaking, I am an internationalist - I believe that Atlasia, as the world's premier democracy, has a vested interest in foreign affairs. The days in which our nation could pull up the drawbridge and shutter itself from the rest of the globe are over, and continuing to pretend that we can isolate ourselves from our fellow nations is both dishonest and foolhardy. That said, internationalism does not necessarily lead to interventionism. "Just bomb everything" is not a viable foreign policy in the 21st Century. While there are times when a military response is necessary, we should always be sure to exhaust non-violent means of reaching a solution before sending in the troops.

On Poverty
As I said earlier this week, the best way for the Senate to combat poverty is to build an economic environment that is conducive to high wages and high employment. This means maintaining the minimum wage, lightening the burden on small businesses, and working to ensure that every Atlasian has a fair shot. We also need to continue to invest in education, job training for the unemployed, and our national infrastructure, all of which contribute to the overall health of our economy.

My opponent, Mr. Kalwejt, made an excellent point on the need to rebuild communities shaken by terrorist activities in the last year. I have consistently supported such efforts as a member of the Mideast Assembly and I will continue to do so as your Senator. From rebuilding our infrastructure to helping families and businesses get back on their feet, what Atlasia needs is a domestic Marshall Plan to restore the prosperity and security we enjoyed in the days before October 1, 2014.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Indianapolis, IN

The polls are now open! I urge every Atlasian, regardless of partisan affiliation, to go to the polls and vote in this important election. The race is in your hands now.

Harry S Truman, Speaker of the Assembly and Candidate for At-Large Senate

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Indianapolis, IN

MY FELLOW CITIZENS:

The jig is up. Although a few hours remain in the voting period, it is by this point abundantly clear that I will not be joining the Senate on Monday. While I had hoped to at least run a tight race, this campaign has not come remotely close to doing so. It is therefore time to wrap this up and move on to other things.

I would like to congratulate my three opponents, Poirot, Kalwejt, and Dkrol, on their remarkably strong candidacies. Regardless of which of them wins this election, Atlasia will have an honorable representative in the Senate come Monday. Likewise, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Oakvale, Sawx, Turkisblau, and all those who extended their assistance and support to this campaign. My only regret is that I could not deliver your expectations.

My bid for the Senate ends tonight, but the fight for a better Atlasia continues. As Speaker of the Mideast Assembly and as a private citizen, I will continue to advocate for bold, rational reforms to revive our country from its present troubles. While it remains to be seen in what capacity I can best accomplish this, I intend to remain an active and committed citizen of this Republic.

Long Live the Republic!

Harry S Truman, Speaker of the Assembly

[Blair]

You run a very good campaign Truman, and more importantly an active one. I'm sure you'll be in the Senate soon

[Türkisblau]

You deserve much more than I to be in the Senate and the fact that you were not elected shows how extremely sad the state of Atlasia is at the moment. Party>candidate...

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

You run a very good campaign Truman, and more importantly an active one. I'm sure you'll be in the Senate soon

Indeed, he will make a fine Senator. This race was had a tough choice and all four were candidates I would like to be Senators. I like Kalwejt a lot, but on the flip side I thought Truman ran a great campaign. With limited time (I lost track of time and nearly was too late on voting) I ended up not trying to select one over the other preference wise.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Don't worry, Harry. I'm more than confident that one day you'll make an excellent Senator, just like the original Harry S. Truman.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Thank you all for your kind words.