Atlasian Messenger

[Ebowed]

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Interviewed

BATON ROUGE; ATLANTA-- The Southeast's two declared candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Q (a Georgian member of the Constitutional Union Party, and our current Lottery Commissioner), and BrandonH (a Louisianian member of the Atlasian Conservative Alliance, and our current Lieutenant Governor), have both been kind enough to grace this newspaper's current Southeast correspondent with an interview.  Both interviews are displayed below, and we would like to express our great thanks to both of the candidates for doing this.

Southeast Interview #1: Lieutenant Governor BrandonH
Ebowed: Welcome Brandon, and thanks for coming here today to speak with me.  My first question for you today is, why do you believe that you are the best candidate for Lieutenant Governor in this race?

BrandonH: Serving as the current Lieutenant Governor, I have helped the current Governor Dubya out. I have let him know if there is something that should be addressed and he has asked for my opinion on some issues. And while Dubya and I have worked together well and have similar philosophies, I will do what I can to work with Cosmo Kramer or anyone else who will get elected, as the main interest of all of the Southeast's Officers should not be themselves or their party, but the Southeast itself.

Ebowed: How would you describe your experience as Lieutenant Governor since your term began?

BrandonH: The office of Lieutenant Governor's responsibilities only come if either the Governor is unable to fulfill the duties or if the Governor assigns certain duties to the Lieutenant Governor. The only assigned duty I was given was to be on the team Governor Dubya put together to reduce the deficit. Dubya mentioned recently that he will take an absence in the future but did not say when it would be effective, so I did act as governor and certify the voting for the initiatives this past weekend.

I have also been stuck in controversy through no fault of my own. As you know in the April election, as the result of a tie, Dubya and States Rights agreed to split the term and appoint each other as Lt. Gov. Between States Rights announced Presidential run and the nullification crisis, Dubya appointed me as Lt. Gov instead. But States said he could handle Lt. Gov. while campaigning for President, which, as I stated unless something were to happen to Dubya it would not be a problem. So I stepped down after two days as I believed it was in the best interest of the Southeast to honor States and Dubya's agreement, despite the reasons mentioned.

The other lesser controversy occured at the end of June. Dubya and StatesRights tied again. Since Dubya, who was then known as WiseGuy, changed his name, he served the first a half of this term. Since it was another split term, regardless of the order, Dubya had the right to appoint his own Lt. Governor while States shall have the right to do so when he takes office. Some believed that since Dubya was serving consecutive terms, that he was forced to keep StatesRights as his Lt. Governor. So there would be no question about this in the future, this was one of the main reasons I supported the initiative to allow the election of the Lt. Governor, which was introduced by Q. Interestingly enough StatesRights opposed this initiative.

Ebowed: Could you please summarize for our readers your social, economic, and foreign policy beliefs, and how these beliefs will influence your decisions as Lieutenant Governor?

BrandonH: Being a member of the Atlasian Conservative Alliance, I am a conservative. More specifically I consider myself a paleo-conservative rather than a neo-conservative but am libertarian on some issues.

On social issues, I believe abortion is wrong as it is violating an individual's right to life which should be the governments job to protect. While I have always opposed gay marriage, I now believe the government has no business at all being involved in marriage. Having to pay the government money for a marriage license is just another way governement gets involved in something when not necessary. I am a firm believer in the right to bear arms, but I do believe guns should be registered and that by committing a violent crime, a person forfiets their right to bear arms.

On economic issues, I support the free market "laissez faire" capitalism. One person's dollar will provide more service for that individual than that same dollar going through the governement to provide that service would. If a service must be provided by the government for the people, then I would prefer it comes from the regional government rather than the federal government. This would keep Southeasters' money in the Southeast.

Foreign Policy is more of a federal than a regional issue, but I consider myself a realist, which is between interventionist and isolationist. Being part of the Southeast is on the border, I oppose illegal immigrants coming through the Mexican border.
 
Ebowed: You have been endorsed by Dubya and seem to be running on a de facto ticket with him.  What would you like to say to voters who support Cosmo Kramer for Governor but are undecided in the Lieutenant Governor race?

BrandonH: Dubya and I are both conservatives from the ACA. Cosmo Kramer is a populist while Q is a libertarian (using the 2D Nolan Chart). I won't be surprised at all if some populists vote for Kramer and myself while some libertarians vote for Dubya and Q, based on how all of us fall on the political spectrum. Of course it is still early in the race and I am expecting more candidates in the race. I'm expecting the SAP to field a Lt. Gov. candidate as well.

Ebowed: What is your biggest concern for the Southeast?

BrandonH: In politics, you often have disagreements. Conservatives and Liberals, Populists and Libertarians, Moderates and Extremists. But the disagreements are not personal. Now there is another disagreement going on. It's not about ideaology, but about our Southern Heritage. And the disgreements are starting to get personal. I'm concerned that the arguing between the Southern Alliance Party and HtmlDon could tear the region apart. Things seemed like they were about to get worse when HtmlDon formed the True South Coalition, but have instead quieted down. I hope it's over but I'm not going to hold my breath. If it does get worse, then I believe it's up to the officers of the Southeast to help ease the tension and help bring back unity to the region (through diplomacy, not though policy and law).

Ebowed: Thank you for speaking with me, and good luck next month.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

[Ebowed]

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST

Southeast Interview #2: Lottery Commissioner Q
Ebowed: Welcome, Q, and thanks for speaking with me today.

Q: Thank you for this opportunity to speak with the Messenger.  Great newspaper you’ve started here.

Ebowed: Why do you believe that you are the best candidate for Lieutenant Governor in this race?

Q: Southeastern politics have long been the most tumultuous and, frankly, the most interesting, politics in all Atlasia.  I hope to follow in the tradition of our leaders who have sought what they believed was best for our region, and I will always maintain tact and diplomacy in the face of a challenge.

The voters of the Southeast will remember the five successful initiatives I authored that passed, each by large margin, in this month’s vote.  The subjects of my initiatives, I think, are telling of how I would serve in the office of Lieutenant Governor – my aim is never to single out specific individuals or groups, but to focus on those values we share, rather those qualities that differentiate us.  Should the voters of the region elect me as their Lieutenant Governor, I will strive in my every action promote unity and not division.

Should I be elected, I will endeavor to build a coalition of consensus.  Already in the first few days of the campaign, I have attracted a broad base of support, publicly and privately, from the citizens of the Southeast.  From those with red avatars as well as blue, from across the ideological spectrum and the range of parties, from the quietest of citizens to respected regional leaders.  I believe foremost in an inclusive government that accentuates the greatest qualities of the people of the region.

Ebowed: How would you describe your experience as Southeast Lottery Commissioner, and will this experience help you if elected Lieutenant Governor?

Q: It has been an honor to serve the region in this capacity.  I’ve had a lot of fun with it.  Governor Dubya’s appointing me as Southeast Lottery Commissioner was my first experience in Atlasian government, and so I credit him for introducing me to how things work around here.  I’ve tried to bring an air of levity as well as an enthusiasm for non-controversial government to my role as Commissioner.

In the same vein, I will be an active Lieutenant Governor.  The office has largely been relegated to inconsequential, and the only time it has ever been in the spotlight was during controversy over appointment to that very position.  I hope to change the nature of the office to a more active one, and I already took the first step toward this end by proposing the legislation to change how the office is elected.  The voters of the Southeast agreed with me on that, and I hope we will take the next step together also.

Ebowed: Could you please summarize for our readers your social, economic, and foreign policy beliefs, and how these beliefs will influence your decisions as Lieutenant Governor?

Q: Our regional Constitution ensures that the stances on policy of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor will be regulated by the citizens of the region, but nonetheless I feel it is important for citizens to know where their leaders are coming from.

Above all, I believe in a less intrusive government and hold individual sovereignty sacrosanct.  I think all my views on specific issues are true to this ideal.

On social issues, I would say, let the people do as they choose, unless an individual’s action has direct negative impact on the well-being of another’s life, liberty, or property.

Economically, I believe the freer the market, the freer the people.  I support economic opportunity for all citizens, and my vision of an ideal society would be one in which every person can find gainful employment and earn enough to ensure quality of life for his or her family.

Ebowed: Do you have any specific plans for what you would do if elected?

Q: I have learned a lot about the laws of the Southeast, starting with the Regulations governing the Southeastern Lottery.  However, one issue Brandon and I have discussed was whether or not this election would even be able to take place.  It seemed for a time that the lack of coordination among the Constitution, the various Initiatives, Regulations for various subjects, and now the possibility of a separate process for Constitutional Amendments (which I support), would have prevented this election.

I’ve learned that all these various laws and quasi-laws floating around out there need to be better coordinated and perhaps simplified, or at least better codified.  Former Governor Ernest and others did a great job writing legislation and regulations, but over the course of the many changes in administration, the code of laws has become rather tangled. 
The Pacific and now the Northeast are currently revisiting their Constitutions, and I think it might be a good idea to examine whether we might be able to make any changes that will improve the quality of life in the Southeast, as well as have the practical effect of guiding us better in times of adversity.  A few vague passages in the current document have facilitated near-crisis on several occasions.  I believe it would be in the best interest of all to confront these problems head-on, rather than waiting to see if any problems spring up in the future and then having to deal with them at that time.

Ebowed: Dubya and BrandonH are running on a de facto ticket together.  What would you say to voters who will support Dubya for Governor but are undecided on the Lieutenant Gubernatorial race?

Q: Firstly, I am no one’s running mate.  I’m my own man, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to work well with our next Governor, whoever he may be.

I am beholden to no special interests, no particular coalition, and I will owe my election only to the good faith of the people of the Southeast.  I aim to appeal to people on an individual basis, not by forming binding alliances but by working with them for the best outcome for our region.

I will serve as an independent Lieutenant Governor, not as the Governor’s lieutenant.

Ebowed: Thanks for speaking with me today, Q, and good luck next month.

Q: It's been a pleasure.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Margin of Error is set at 14.3%.

[Akno21]

Sam Spade Interviewed

NYMAN--Sen. Sam Spade (U-AL) is a popular and influential member of the Union Party. He is also the Southeast's Senator. He agreed to be interviewed, as he plays a big role in the issues that face us today, and his views should be known.

Akno21:  You had indicated a willingness to be interviewed for The Atlasian Messenger, so here we go.

Sam Spade:  Thanks for the interview, Akno.  It's always a pleasure..

Akno21: Would the Union Party be best served by reaching out to more radical libertarians and attempting to gather them into the party? If so, would you be willing to move out of the center to accomdate them?

Sam Spade:  Well, Akno, first of all let me say this.  I believe very much in the opening words to the Union Party's bylaws, written by our founder Htmldon, which says and I quote, "The Constitutional Union Party is a libertarian party of the center-right and we accentuate personal liberty, a strong national defense, and capitalism.  Unlike other political organizations, though, we encourage our members to always support ideas that have strong merit and proof of effectiveness, regardless of their ideological foundations. We believe that ideology often gets in the way of progress and unnecessarily divides people by cultural, racial, and religious boundaries. Science, reason, and common sense are our primary values."

One of the reasons why I believe the Union Party has been the longest-running, most successful centrist party is because we are confident in where we stand and what we believe; no matter where our members stand for in the broad political spectrum of what these ideals cover, we are all united behind the same banner that this party represents.

I view myself as not being a party chairman, but rather a steward of this vision.  Certainly, our membership changes as time moves on; we might become more conservative or certain issues and more liberal on other issues, but our fundamental beliefs stay the same.  And at no time will I abandon these beliefs in order to pander to a particular political group in order to gain members or to curry influence within a certain organization.

This does not mean that others are not welcome, those who do not agree with every last word the Union platform offers.  As I have said countless times before, we are a tolerant, thoughtful party that  welcomes all Atlasian citizens who agree with our basic vision and values.

What this means I think, is that the Union Party and I, as party chairman, respect what our members believe above all else.  They are the ones that drive this party forward.  They are the ones who define what those words that Htmldon said in the Party's statement mean in specific terms.  And they are the ones who will keep this party unified and growing in the future.

Would you be willing to run as a Vice-Presidential candidate, or would you only leave your Senate seat to run for President?

Sam Spade:  As I have consistently said from the moment the wonderful citizens of the Southeast elected me Senator, I will only serve two terms and will not run for re-election this upcoming October.

As to the possibility of me running for President, Vice President, Governor or any other position in the Southeast or Atlasia, let me first and foremost say that I have not ruled out running for any of these positions come October, depending on what circumstances may arise.  I have only ruled out running for re-election to the Senate.

My interest in any position in Atlasian elected life must occur from an inner need to exact new and fresh from the position and I will not run for any office unless I feel that need.

As a resident of the Southeastern Region, do you believe that the Southern Pride movement is a positive for the region, or does it have too much risk of causing rifts between the South and the rest of the country?

Sam Spade:  In my mind, there is nothing wrong with being proud of the South.  It is a proud Region, filled with wonderful citizens, excellent leaders and a competant government.  What I disapprove of is the rather boisterous and chauvenistic way some members have chosen to exhibit their pride in the South, whether it be through territorial aggrandizement or through pointless displays of arrogant behavior.

However, I am a supporter of reuniting the Southeast.  I believe, through my various conversations, that the citizens of Virginia, Oklahoma and Kentucky wish to be members of our Region.  But I also realize how hard even reuniting even Virginia alone with the Southeast will be.  We, as Southeasterners, must use thoughtful discussion, reasoned arguments and common courtesy to our fellow Regions in order to ever have any chance of reuniting the Southeast.

Simply put, I would rather have Southeasterners who believe in Southern Pride and the re-union of the Southeast use a Southern Sensibility to get things done that will strengthen the South and modernize the Region as a whole.  We must show that we respect and cherish everyone in Atlasia who is not a member of our Region and that we honor their beliefs, needs and wants.  Through this, the reunification of our Region can finally be achieved.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

[Akno21]

Sam Spade Interviewed

NYMAN--Sen. Sam Spade (U-AL) is a popular and influential member of the Union Party. He is also the Southeast's Senator. He agreed to be interviewed, as he plays a big role in the issues that face us today, and his views should be known. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE)

Can the Union Party hold on to the five Senate seats that it has, or is it impossible to sustain such dominance over an extended period of time in Atlasia?

Sam Spade:  Akno, you know as well as I do how volatile Atlasian politics is and how hard it is to simply maintain unity within a party, much less dominance over an institution such as the Senate.  We have two seats coming up for election in August and one of our incumbents, King, has already decided not to run for re-election.  MHS2002 is in a dogfight with four other excellent opponents and will be hard-pressed to win re-election, even though I hope he does so as his record as both Attorney General and Senator has been stellar.

My goal for the present and future of the Union Party is simple, yet deeply important.  Rather than trying to acheive dominance over one institution of Atlasian politics, my goal as Union Party head is to maintain and strengthen Union Party influence in all realms of government, from the Executive to the legislative to the Regional, so that our wide spectrum of ideas and beliefs permeate the whole of Atlasian life and government.  By emphasizing these goals over simple masses of numbers and spheres of power, we can bring out the best in our membership and influence other members of Atlasian society to come to the conclusion that the basic values that the Union Party stands for are the best for Atlasia's future.

Frankly, if the Union Party is able to maintain control of half of the Senate then I will certainly be happy, but I don't view it as being necessary for our party's success and inner stability.

You were opposed to Ilikeverin as SoFA. Who would you rather have seen nominated for the position?

Sam Spade:  First, let me say that I do not think ilikeverin is a bad person or a "meanie" in Atlasian politics; however it is my opinion that the SoFA position is by far the most important position in Atlasian politics, and I felt like that ilikeverin was not qualified to meet the vigorous requirements that the position asks for.  Rest assured, if ilikeverin does a good job as SoFA in the next couple of months, specifically with regards to the August elections, I will quite happy to change my mind on his ability to handle the job.

Two candidates that specifically come to mind right now that I would have assuredly supported are former Supreme Court Justice John Dibble and former Senator Defarge, who appears to have taken a more active role in Atlasian politics of late with his campaign for Senator.

Both of them would have the experience, the qualifications and the ability to handle the position with great ability.

How would you rate Vice-President Emsworth and President Siege at this point into their terms?

Sam Spade:  At present, I think Vice-President Emsworth has done a exemplary job in his running of the Senate during Gabu's prolonged absence.  The handling of the Budget, the PPT vote, and these early votes show to me that he is a politician of the utmost character and shows extraordinary ability in handling the affairs of the Senate.

I think that President Siege's performance so far has been very satisfactory.  His cabinet choices, with the exception of the aforementioned ilikeverin, have been extremely competant, well-intentioned government officials who are extremely qualified and suited for their jobs.  I personally wish that he would have offered with his words a much more of a unified vision for the future of Atlasia in the world, and of his Presidency within the legislative scene, but there still is plenty of time left for him to make his mark in those two areas.

Finally, do you think that from the hard work of yourself, Colin Wixted, Gabu, and others, almost all procedural problems in the Senate have been fixed, and the focus can be on law-making after spending many months perfecting the process?

Sam Spade:  Of course.  I view this as being one of the great lasting legacies from the three Sessions of the Senate that I've had to work with my excellent colleagues, especially the two listed above.  With this reworking of procedural legislation, we have finally created tools with which the Senate can move forward at a normal, reasonable pace and we have finally protected the rights of Senatorial minorities to stop radical legislation from all corners.

It is therefore my hope that every Senate from now on can push forward with law-making, unhindered by procedural concerns or confusion, and make better laws for the whole of Atlasia.  I am also confident that future Senates will use these rules to the fullest of their intent.

Akno21: Thank you very much for your time.

[King]

Margin of Error is set at 14.3%.

That isn't bad for a forum poll.

[CheeseWhiz]

Libertarian Party to fall?[/u]

ATLANTA, GA -- After being one of the most inactive parties for two months, National Chairman and Midwest Governor CheeseWhiz (L-MT) pleaded for more members, saying that without "new members who will be enthusiastic and active in forum affairs, this party can’t survive much longer."  This opened some debate about how to keep the party going, but members did start looking into new parties to join.  CheeseWhiz then stated that they had four options: to become a near duplicate of the Union Party, to dissolve the party, to get a new member (which he is something he has already tried,) or to become the Liberty Caucus.  John Dibble, the oldest member of the party, agreed with CheeseWhiz that becoming a caucus was probably the best idea.  CheeseWhiz has just recently left the AFLP for AMRLP, saying he'd stay there until he decided which serious party to join.  With the move of CheeseWhiz, this leaves the Libertarians down to their last two members, meaning the Libertarian Party could die, again, very soon.

I'm Mark CheeseWhiz, and this has been an Atlasian Messenger report.

[Ebowed]

Actually the LP does have an elected official; John Dibble is the Southeast Magistrate.

[CheeseWhiz]

Actually the LP does have an elected official; John Dibble is the Southeast Magistrate.

Oh yeah, forgot those were elected

[ilikeverin]

Actually the LP does have an elected official; John Dibble is the Southeast Magistrate.

Oh yeah, forgot those were elected

For some reason, that reminded me that I need to write my constitutional amendment.

Hmm.

Anyway, does anyone know if there's a totally updated copy of the Midwest Constitution anywhere? (Heck, I'll take the Atlasian constitution to look up some dates so I can do my sofa job )

It's very odd.  All of the sudden quite a bit of my inertia went *poof*, and suddenly I want to do things.

I think I'll go bump our budget thread

[Speed of Sound]

ok, since i dont many (i actually dont get any) letters to the editor, instead of doing letters to the editor Wednesday, im just to review each letter and release it immedeatly. (i know i spelled it wrong.)

[Speed of Sound]

Letter To The Editor:

"Dear Editor,

Whats it like being editor?

Sincerely,

King"

Answer: Well, its easy. really, really easy.

[Emsworth]

Perhaps the newspaper should run a poll on the approval ratings of all federal and regional officials (like the ones Colin Wixted did last month).

[King]

Perhaps the newspaper should run a poll on the approval ratings of all federal and regional officials (like the ones Colin Wixted did last month).

I am currently polling the President's approval ratings district-by-district and then will compile the results after all 5 districts have been polled.  A national poll using FreeOnlineSurveys sounds like a good idea, however.

[Emsworth]

Perhaps the newspaper should run a poll on the approval ratings of all federal and regional officials (like the ones Colin Wixted did last month).

I am currently polling the President's approval ratings district-by-district and then will compile the results after all 5 districts have been polled.  A national poll using FreeOnlineSurveys sounds like a good idea, however.

What about the rest of us?

[King]

Perhaps the newspaper should run a poll on the approval ratings of all federal and regional officials (like the ones Colin Wixted did last month).

I am currently polling the President's approval ratings district-by-district and then will compile the results after all 5 districts have been polled.  A national poll using FreeOnlineSurveys sounds like a good idea, however.

What about the rest of us?

It will probably be taken by a national poll.

[Ebowed]

BRTD Announces Candidacy, Lags In Polls[/u]

MINNEAPOLIS-- Well-known liberal, BRTD, of the Farmer Labor Party, has announced that he will be running for Governor against popular incumbent CheeseWhiz, who until recently was a member of the Libertarian Party.  BRTD has already released an ad, and appears to be focusing his campaign almost entirely on legalizing prostitution and getting rid of federal and region strip club regulations.  Current polling, while incomplete and unscientific, suggests an easy CheeseWhiz victory, but the actual voting results may be affected by low voter turn out.

BRTD ran for Senate earlier this year in a special election following the resignation of Senator Chief of Staff Mike Naso.  Running against Dean, a libertarian-leaning liberal from Wisconsin, the left vote was split and MasterJedi, of the Atlasian Conservative Alliance, won.  Senator MasterJedi, who has remained a healthy level of popularity since being elected, was easily re-elected in the federal elections in June 2005.

In other gubernatorial races, a poll by The Daily Planet suggests no clear winner in the Southeast race between Dubya and Senator Preston Cadwell, and a likely, but not definite, win for John Ford over Lieutenant Governor Immy in the Pacific.

[Ebowed]

Poll Shows Mixed Approval Ratings for Senate, Cabinet

NYMAN-- The results of a poll conducted by the Atlasian Messenger were released today.  The approval ratings for the Senate were mixed, while approval ratings for the Cabinet were mostly high.  The poll had 30 respondents to questions asking about federal positions and an average of 18 respondents to the questions asking about Senators.  What follows is a summary of the results, with added commentary for selected poll questions.

Do you approve of the job Senator Sam Spade has been doing?
APPROVE - 94.7%
DISAPPROVE - 5.3%

Senator Spade of Alabama, who is also chairman of the Constitutional Union Party, has maintained a high level of popularity throughout his career in the Senate.  Although he faced a challenge from Ben Meyers of Florida in his re-election bid last month (who did better than expected), he remains well liked by citizens of all parties both in his region and across Atlasia.  He has the highest approval rating out of anyone polled, and was recently interviewed by the Atlasian Messenger.

Do you approve of the job Senator MHS2002 is doing?
APPROVE - 77.8%
DISAPPROVE - 16.6%

Senator MHS2002, of the Union Party, was elected in a special election a few weeks ago following the resignation of Senator Supersoulty.  Due to redistricting, he faces a tough re-election bid next month against four candidates: Ben Meyers (ACA-FL), Harry (SA-MS), Bono (I-SC), and Ernest (IL-SC).  He was also the running mate of Keystone Phil (ACA-PA) in the last presidential election.  Despite all of this, he has consistently maintained a high level of popularity both as Attorney General and Senator.

Do you approve of the job Senator Colin Wixted is doing?
APPROVE - 73.6%
DISAPPROVE - 21.1%

Do you approve of the job Senator Cosmo Kramer is doing?
APPROVE - 35.0%
DISAPPROVE - 55.0%

Senator Kramer, of District 4, has been a polarizing figure since his remarks regarding the Southeast Nullification Crisis in April 2005.  His unpopularity outside of his home district continued to worsen when he began an attack on what he called a Forum Elitist Conspiracy.  However, he will not be running for reelection next month but will instead run for Governor against Dubya, and has a good chance of winning due to his populist views.

Do you approve of the job Senator Masterjedi is doing?
APPROVE - 68.8%
DISAPPROVE - 25.0%

Senator MasterJedi of the Mideast, while a member of the Atlasian Conservative Alliance, is popular with both liberals and conservatives.  He supported legalizing euthanasia in the Mideast, as well as a secret ballot proposal and other voting reform.  His willingness to cross the lines on certain issues could be one reason for his high approval rating.

Do you approve of the job Senator PBrunsel is doing?
APPROVE - 86.7%
DISAPPROVE - 13.4%

Do you approve of the job Senator DanielX is doing?
APPROVE - 31.3%
DISAPPROVE - 62.3%

There is no clear explanation for Senator DanielX's surprisingly high disapproval rating, though he has been slightly controversial as of late, including pushing for a pro-prostitution initiative in the Midwest that allowed 17-year-olds to visit prostitutes with parental consent (this portion of the initiative was later removed due to the negative reaction), as well as abstaining on important issues such as the Midwest ratification of the Signature & Avatar Amendment.  He was also the only Senator to vote against the Atlasian Wetlands Act.  Still, this is not enough reason to explain a 60%+ disapproval rating.  The result is, in the view of the author, frankly puzzling.

Do you approve of the job Senator FuturePrez is doing?
APPROVE - 31.3%
DISAPPROVE - 62.3%

Senator FuturePrez, of the Union Party, has been almost completely inactive since being elected, and a possible expulsion has been suggested by some citizens.  Senator Gabu, the President Pro Tempore, said he's going to wait for two more weeks before taking any "appropriate action."  Senator Spade has added that he will vote for expulsion if necessary.

Do you approve of the job Senator King is doing?
APPROVE - 88.2%
DISAPPROVE - 11.8%

In an amazing comeback (Senator King once had an approval rating of less than 30% in his home district), Senator King of the Union Party boasts a very high approval rating.  He has announced he will not be running for re-election next month (and Defarge, IL-NY, has announced he will run for the seat), but may instead focus on a possible run for Northeast Governor.

Do you approve of the job Senator Gabu is doing?
APPROVE - 88.9%
DISAPPROVE - 11.2%

Do you approve of the job Governor MAS117 is doing?
APPROVE - 45.0%
DISAPPROVE - 30.0%

Do you approve of the job Governor Dubya is doing?
APPROVE - 55.0%
DISAPPROVE - 35.0%

Do you approve of the job Governor Joe Republic is doing?
APPROVE - 62.5%
DISAPPROVE - 25.0%

Do you approve of the job Governor CheeseWhiz is doing?
APPROVE - 53.4%
DISAPPROVE - 46.7%

Governor CheeseWhiz, of the Midwest, faces BRTD (FL-MN) in his re-election bid next month.  Since BRTD has soley focused his campaign on strip club deregulation and prostitution legalization, he is not expected to do well.

Do you approve of the job Governor Wildcard is doing?
APPROVE - 87.6%
DISAPPROVE - 12.6%

Do you approve of the job Vice President Emsworth is doing?
APPROVE - 82.2%
DISAPPROVE - 14.2%

Do you approve of the job Secetary of State WMS is doing?
APPROVE - 75.8%
DISAPPROVE - 3.4%

Note: WMS ties with Attorney General Al for the lowest disapproval rating.

Do you approve of the job Secretary of Forum Affairs ilikeverin is doing?
APPROVE - 76.7%
DISAPPROVE - 13.3%

Do you approve of the job Attorney General Al is doing?
APPROVE - 79.3%
DISAPPROVE - 3.4%

Do you approve of the job Secretary of Defense Ebowed is doing?
APPROVE - 53.4%
DISAPPROVE - 26.7%

Do you approve of the job Secretary of the Treasury Supersoulty is doing?
APPROVE - 75.8%
DISAPPROVE - 13.8%

Do you approve of the job President Siege40 is doing?
APPROVE - 70.0%
DISAPPROVE - 20.0%

The full results can be viewed here.

[Ebowed]

Voting Rights Amendment Gains Momentum in South

A popular Signature and Avatar Amendment, which passed 7-0 in the Senate, that would remove unnecessary restrictions on voting rights for Atlasian citizens got off to a bad start in the Southeast, with the region's Magistrate (John Dibble), and then-Governor (Dubya) voting against it.  The other Nay voters were Jake (SA-MS) and hmtldon (CU-TN).  Senate Candidate Ernest (IL-SC) also abstained on the amendment.  After this slew of votes, leaving the tally at 4-0-1 against the amendment, there have been seven consecutive votes in favor of it, starting with Ebowed (FL-SC), and the latest being Gubernatorial candidate and Senator Cosmo Kramer (SA-AR).  The other "Yea" votes are Governor StatesRights (SA-FL), Senate candidate Bono (I-SC), Senate candidate Harry (SA-MS), Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate Q (CU-GA), and TCash (IL-TN).  That leaves the current result at 7 yeas, 4 nays, and 1 abstention.

The amendment is also passing in the Northeast, Mideast (where District 4 candidate, Senator MHS2002 (CU-VA) voted in favor of the amendment), and Midwest.  A poll has yet to be opened in the Pacific.

[King]

This is a Messenger Polling Center News Alert:

New District 4 Poll shows Siege with 63% District Approval as Senate Race "Leans" Harry

This is a poll of 18 likely voters in the 4th District taken from July 22nd-24th. Margin of Error is set at 15.8%.

1.  Siege40 Approval in 4th District
Strongly Approve   12.3%
Somewhat Approve   50.7%
Somewhat Disapprove   9.9%
Strongly Disapprove   0.0%
No Opinion   27.2%

2.  4th District Senate Race
Round 1
Harry   47%
MHS2002   19%
Ernest   12%
Bono   6%
Ben Meyers   5%
Other   0%
None of the Above   0%
Undecided   11%

Round 2
Harry   47%
MHS2002   19%
Ernest   12%
Bono   11%
None of the Above   0%
Undecided   11%

Round 3
Harry   48%
MHS2002   24%
Ernest   16%
None of the Above   0%
Undecided   12%

Final Round
Harry   48%
MHS2002   40%
None of the Above   0%
Undecided   12%

[Akno21]

Amendment on It's Way[/u]

COLLEGE PARK-- The repeal of The Signature and Avatar Amendment looks to be favored in the Mideast, as it has come for a vote. Since the voting booth opened on Friday Morning, 6 people have voted for the amendment, and none against. Those six are Governor Joe Republic, Senator Master Jedi, Senator MHS2002, Akno21, Frodo, and Lt. Governor Dean.

[Siege40]

That is some very promising polling data.

Siege

[MasterJedi]

Very interesting polling data, very thorough as well. I really liked it and all the articles as well.

[Ebowed]

Peter Bell Forms Senate Exploratory Committee

INDIANAPOLIS-- Former Mideast Governor and Vice President Peter Bell, an Independent Liberal from Indiana, has formed an exploratory committee for a possible District 3 Senate run this August.  Fritz, an independent from Minnesota, announced he was running for Senate against incumbent PBrunsel of Iowa and then did very little campaigning.  He has stated: "I do not wish to split the leftist vote in the District, but leaving voters on the left with the option of an inactive candidate is not acceptable to me.  If Fritz does mount a campaign, I will likely not run."

Due to Former Governor Bell's popularity, if he entered the race, he could potentially beat Senator PBrunsel; however, the Senator remains popular in his home district.  The District 3 race will lie, for now, mostly on whether or not Fritz does any campaigning; if he does not, the race will be open for Mr. Bell or other candidates to run.

As a side note, this newspaper is preparing for an interview with Senator PBrunsel, and we expect to post that sometime this week.  If you have questions you would like to see asked, please send me a private message with the question and I may ask it (this will be my new policy for interviews from this point on).

[Ebowed]

StatesRights Begins Half-Term, Appoints Bono As Lieutenant Governor[/u]

PLANT CITY, FL--StatesRights, a former five-term Senator who resides in Florida, began his term as Governor today after an election last month that saw a tie between himself and the then-incumbent, Dubya (who is seeking re-election next month against Cosmo Kramer).  StatesRights' first act was to appoint Bono, who is running for District 4 Senate, as the Lieutenant Governor to replace BrandonH (who is running in the Lieutenant Gubernatorial election next month).

But what followed the appointment from Bono was a rather surprising resignation, and we shall quote from the resigned Governor himself:

"This weekend started my term as southeast governor and I for one and very humbled by the choice of the people to select me to be their governor. I must tell my friends and supporters that we could have done great things if I had been elected for a full term. But alas, people with bad intentions undermined our effort to do such things."

This section of the speech refers to a group of people in the last election who successfully altered the outcome by convincing StatesRights voters to invalidate their ballots.  We shall now continue the resigned Governor's speech:

"I see I as governor now I no longer have any major support within the southeast with the voters. This saddens me but I feel as if we must move and and try the heal the old wounds.

I have now come to a decision on my status here as a result of my unpopularity. I can see that their is no benefit to me staying in any political office here in Atlasia. People are against me no matter what I do and I no longer have any say in the affairs Atlasia. People who have not been here long oppose me no matter what and have not even looked at the good things I did in helping to found the government in the past and that saddens me as I feel I have not been given a fair shake by the newer folks here. It is therefore with a very heavy heart that I shall resign this half term of my governship effectively immediately. I will not stay in charge of a place that is so hostile towards any actions I make. I will no longer run for any office in Atlasia either. This 'game' has evolved into something I no longer can enjoy and therefore I will not stay in such an enviroment. I ask Sofa Ilikeverin to strike me from the voter rolls immediately as I no longer wish to participate. This is a very hard decision for me but I feel drained by just coming to these boards. I hope my supporters aren't felt left down and I apologize. Thank you for your kind ear folks. And to the people that opposed me no matter what, I hope you may give me a second chance in your eyes. Thanks and good night."

This effectively means that Bono is the Southeast's new Governor.  We at The Atlasian Messenger are sorry to see former Senator StatesRights leave and wish former Senator Bono good luck as he takes over as Southeast Governor.