Democratic Convention

[Nym90]

Harry is in the Senate now. Al is the new VP, and will be my running mate.

[The Dowager Mod]

umm do we have a platform?

[Ben.]

 

Harry is in the Senate now. Al is the new VP, and will be my running mate.

good good.... we need speeches from Al and yourself Mr President...

by the way who is chairing this convention?

and should we try and hammer out a platform? address some issues in a broad way...

Defence

Foreign Policy

Budget

Taxes

Health/ Education

Social Issues (Abortion, Gay Marriage etc...)

...the great brains of the DLC are at you disposal, I'm now off on a recrtiting drive for the newly founded DLC...    
 

[ilikeverin]

Well, fellow Democrats, Indepedents, Centrists

I'm afraid all of the Centrists are out there burning effigies of you for signing the anti-UAC petition

[Nym90]

A platform is being designed and written up. It will be voted upon and will require majority approval of party members.

[Ben.]

A platform is being designed and written up. It will be voted upon and will require majority approval of party members.

Excellent...

Could I invite you to join the DLC...[desperate glint in eyes]... it would be a terrific coup to have the president join...  

[Ben.]

CNN: [Camera Pans to delegate crowds chanting "We want AL, We Want AL "]

CNN (Bill Schneider “BS”): Well it appears that all the speeches are done save those of President Nym and the person we believe will be his new running mate former sectary  AL of West Virginia… and the audience seems to be getting pretty anxious for either Al or Nym to appear, but we still haven’t heard any thing about when those speeches are scheduled to take place…

CNN: (Kimberly Guilfoyle-Newsom or “KGN”), That’s right Bill, But now here for a brief comment we have DLC chairperson Ben… (yeah I’m horing myself to the media… what ya going to do )
 
CNN: (KGN), So thanks for coming on…

Ben: Always a pleasure  Kim [beaming smile, almost visibly fighting temptation to place reassuring hand upon KGN’s nee… ]

CNN: (BS) So Ben, what do you think is the most important thing that the democrats have to get across to the voters who are watching this convention?

Ben: Well Bill, I think what the Democratic Party needs to do is to address the newly formed UAC, now I think that there is one important reason that the UAC has enjoyed the support it has, namely that voters are looking for candidates who offer moderate and realistic polices, the best way in my view that the Democratic party can defeat the threat posed by the UAC and the Republican party is to adopt the course which the DLC has argued for, for some time, namely we adopt sensible moderate polices which are informed by our values and beliefs, which I believe are shared by the great majority of Americans.

So this convention should convince Americans that we area a party who has these deep seated principles about the role of government and the place of communities and co-operation between individuals and groups and yet we do not implement these principles through outdated and stale ideological polices but instead adopt radical and inventive polices which reflect both our core values as a party and the realities of politics in today’s United States.

What many on both the extreme right and left seem to have failed to understand is that while the problems which face government remain the same the circumstances change and so our reaction to these polices must change.

CNN:(KGN): So why have you not joined the UAC?

Ben: Well Kim, I feel the UAC lacks any “real bottom”, how is such an ideologically disparate group meant to function in government? Already we are seeing growing fishers within their party about central planks of their platform; In short they have no unifying purpose or set of values, other than a rejection of extremism. While I too reject extremism I believe that the best vehicle to furthering the values which I share with so many other Americans is a party that though broad is united by basic values and beliefs and I believe that that party is the Democratic party and that is what we must convey to the voters in this convention, that we are principled but pragmatic if you will… and I think if we do this the American voters will recognise that we are the only viable choice in this election…

CNN(BS): Well that’s all we have time for, for now, thanks go to Ben chair of the DLC,

CNN(KGN): Yes thanks Ben,

Ben: Thank you both very much …

CNN(BS), and we’ll be right back when we hope to bring you the convention speech by Vice Presidential Nominee Al and then President Nym’s address…  

[Gustaf]

The AFDNC is 1) dominated by pretty radical liberals and 2) by partisans with little interest in fair and clean campaigning. Not all, I'd say not even the majority of members, but the party is clearly going in that direction. That's why I left the party.

I think your making a mistake Ben, sorry to say so.

And the UAC is not more disparate than the 2 major parties, I believe. We do have fundamental beliefs and members don't have to agree to every section of the platform.

[Ben.]

The AFDNC is 1) dominated by pretty radical liberals and 2) by partisans with little interest in fair and clean campaigning. Not all, I'd say not even the majority of members, but the party is clearly going in that direction. That's why I left the party.

I think your making a mistake Ben, sorry to say so.

And the UAC is not more disparate than the 2 major parties, I believe. We do have fundamental beliefs and members don't have to agree to every section of the platform.

I'm sorry to offend Gustaf... I don’t intend to, I'm just going to try and make a stand for this Party I "will fight, fight and fight again to save the party i love"... I'm pretty sure the radicals can be defeated... then again the way things are heading it looks as though we might soon have four major parties...  

[Gustaf]

The AFDNC is 1) dominated by pretty radical liberals and 2) by partisans with little interest in fair and clean campaigning. Not all, I'd say not even the majority of members, but the party is clearly going in that direction. That's why I left the party.

I think your making a mistake Ben, sorry to say so.

And the UAC is not more disparate than the 2 major parties, I believe. We do have fundamental beliefs and members don't have to agree to every section of the platform.

I'm sorry to offend Gustaf... I don’t intend to, I'm just going to try and make a stand for this Party I "will fight, fight and fight again to save the party i love"... I'm pretty sure the radicals can be defeated... then again the way things are heading it looks as though we might soon have four major parties...  

Don't worry, I'm not offended...but I will fight, fight and fight again to defend the party I love.

4 major parties would be good...and preferential voting.

[Nym90]

The President is backstage putting the finishing touches on his acceptance speech, and will speak as soon as VP Al is done making his acceptance speech.

[Ben.]

The President is backstage putting the finishing touches on his acceptance speech, and will speak as soon as VP Al is done making his acceptance speech.

CNN: (BS)-... the tension here in the convention centre is palpable… in this very competitive fight for re-election President Nym will need to not only excite and enthuse the loyal Democrats assembled here in Pittsburg but also reach out to the millions of undecided voters who will view this speech from their homes this evening...

[ilikeverin]

*incognito, heavily disguised*

Num-ber-two!  Num-ber-two!

*holds up a sign saying 'If there was preferential voting, Nym would be my #2!'*

[Fritz]

A platform is being designed and written up. It will be voted upon and will require majority approval of party members.

Bump.

So, how about that platform???

[Nym90]

CNN Breaking News

As the delegates in the convention hall grow restless, word has just reached the floor that VP Al's limousine got stuck in a traffic jam in the Ft. Pitt Tunnel, as all eastbound traffic has been blocked by the rollover of an 18-wheeler that apparently was full of masking tape....what a *sticky* situation they have there....He will be addressing the convention to accept the VP slot as soon as he can.

Thereby, without further adieu, the President has decided to take the stage, to the amazement of those inside Mellon Arena, to which Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" had already been repeated ad nauseam....

Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Atlas Forum!

*Thunderous cheering*

Thank you, thank you.

*Crowd chants "Four more months! Four more months!"

Thank you. It's my pleasure to be here this evening. First off, I'd like to thank the residents of this fine city of Pittsburgh for putting on a wonderful convention. Some may call this area the Rust Belt. There are those who would say that the industrial heartland of this country is dying, and that the future of this nation lies in the South and the West. But when I look out upon this city, upon this part of the country, I see not dismay, but hope. Hope of a new beginning, of a better tomorrow. I see a vibrant people, hard working, honest, knowing the value of a day's work. Folks who are struggling to get by in this era of corporate downsizing and outsourcing. I see a people who are decent, honest, compassionate, and above all love this nation. Folks, this is the real America. The industrial heartland is what built this great nation of ours into what it is today. Let us not turn our backs on the problems of our great cities. In order to revitalize this nation, we must build upon the greatness of these industrialized areas. We need to foster and renew this sense of hope that springs eternal here, and not turn our backs on these folks. That is why, as President, I will never let the working man down. I come from a long line of union workers, and I grew up in the heartland of our nation, where the average citizen would be much more likely to know the price of a loaf of bread than that of a new BMW. I pledge to all of you, who have been hurt by corporate restructuring, that I am on your side. I strongly support the rights of union workers to gather, organize, associate, and make their voice heard. There are those who would like to limit these rights, who say that unions are no longer relevant. My fellow Americans, this could not be farther from the truth. The union workers in this country are what made this great nation what it is, and I will always be a staunch advocate of organized labor and its interests.

*Applause*

There are those who say that we have not been active enough, that this administration has not had any significant accomplishments. Well, I don't know about you, but I consider the creation of a fully functional and working Constitution and Government to be a pretty good accomplishment. These have been trying times for our Forum. We have gone through upheaval. Strong words have been bandied about. There are those of us who have had great differences of opinion as to what direction the Atlas Forum should take. I pledge to you tonight, that if I am reelected, I will work towards common solutions that will work for all Atlas citizens. We have done great things, but there is more to come. I support having the Atlas Government work in the most efficient manner possible, with the fewest possible positions in order to accomplish our goals and needs. My background is in Engineering, with a focus on efficient operations. These are things that I have fought for throughout my entire careeer. I am very committed to reinventing the Atlas Government, and reducing bureaucracy and red tape.

*Cheers*

Above all, I want to move this Forum forward. We have had much success in our first term. For a while, we were being bothered my members of a party calling itself the "Jesus Christ" Party. This name offends me, as I did not see how these members were upholding the values of Jesus, and it offended many others as well. Also, its members seemed (with a couple of exceptions) to be joining the Forum simply to join this party only. Now, we do not hear from them anymore. This has been a success of our administration; we have helped lift the level of discourse and rise up above petty bickering and name-calling, and have gone a long way toward eliminating excessive trolling. Make no mistake about it; this Forum is better off than it was 4 months ago!

*Thunderous applause*

We still have much work to do in this nation. Our fundamental civil liberties are under attack. We must, above all, not allow a war on terrorism to beat us. How will the terrorists defeat us, you may ask? They will not defeat us by tearing down our buildings, or by destroying our vital infrastructure. No, the American spirit is too resilient, and the American people are too strong-willed to be defeated in this manner. They will beat us, however, if they force us to change our culture. If we become a nation under the constant watchful eye of government, and lose our civil liberties, we will lose our very identity. I love freedom. Freedom is what makes America great. Let's not give in to the terrorists. Let's not sacrifice more freedom in the name of "security". America, we are and will always be secure as long as we uphold the vital freedoms that make our country great. Civil liberties, and the freedom to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that's what makes America the greatest nation on Earth. As President, I will always be a staunch proponent of civil liberties, in order to keep America great. The terrorists will never beat us unless they take away our freedom!

*Rousing applause*

There are also those who would turn back the clock on fundamental civil rights, as well. The right to choose an abortion. The right to be with whomever one chooses, in a loving, committed relationship for life. Fundamental freedoms to dictate whether we will continue to be able to uphold the values that our nation was built on. All Americans must have these freedoms, or else all other fundamental rights that we hold dear are placed in jeopardy, as well.

*Applause*

We also must continue to protect our environment. I support raising fuel efficiency standards, in order to decrease our consumption of oil. Oil is the lifeblood of the Middle East; if we want to decrease our dependency on the Middle East, we must consume less. It is a matter of national security, to reduce our oil consumption, and we must institute higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards in order to ensure this. I am also strongly committed to protecting our current environmental resources. Let's not destroy the vestiges of untapped wilderness that remain. Let's protect what we have, and not sacrifice our planet at the altar of corporate profits.

*Loud applause*

There are those who say that we have gone too far to the left in this Administration. We currently have 3 members of the United Atlas Centrists in our cabinet, and 2 on the Supreme Court. Folks, our administration truly does look like the Atlas Forum. This has been a promise of mine from day one, to form a cabinet and an administration that would representative of all citizens, their concerns, their hopes, and their dreams. In this mission, we have succeeded. We have reached out to the members of all parties, have heard them, have listened, and have followed through. We have kept our word!

*Rousing cheers*

If I am reelected, I pledge to fight for these values in a second term. I will continue to have a cabinet and administration that is representative of all views. I will continue to fight for my core fundamental values, which are also the fundamental values upon which this nation was founded. I will continue to work hard, each and every day, for the downtrodden, those who have been left behind, the forgotten, the working people who work hard each and every day to put food on the table, to raise a family, to educate their children. I will continue to fulfill my passion of fighting for better education. Above all, I will fight for YOU, the citizens of the Atlas Forum, and for YOUR interests. Thank you, and good evening!

*Cheers*

*Al and his spouse finally show up...completely unharmed other than some tape on their shoes*

*Nym, Al, and spouses gather on stage, and wave to the crowd, as confetti falls*

[Ben.]

CNN Breaking News

As the delegates in the convention hall grow restless, word has just reached the floor that VP Al's limousine got stuck in a traffic jam in the Ft. Pitt Tunnel, as all eastbound traffic has been blocked by the rollover of an 18-wheeler that apparently was full of masking tape....what a *sticky* situation they have there....He will be addressing the convention to accept the VP slot as soon as he can.

Thereby, without further adieu, the President has decided to take the stage, to the amazement of those inside Mellon Arena, to which Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" had already been repeated ad nauseam....

Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Atlas Forum!

*Thunderous cheering*

Thank you, thank you.

*Crowd chants "Four more months! Four more months!"

Thank you. It's my pleasure to be here this evening. First off, I'd like to thank the residents of this fine city of Pittsburgh for putting on a wonderful convention. Some may call this area the Rust Belt. There are those who would say that the industrial heartland of this country is dying, and that the future of this nation lies in the South and the West. But when I look out upon this city, upon this part of the country, I see not dismay, but hope. Hope of a new beginning, of a better tomorrow. I see a vibrant people, hard working, honest, knowing the value of a day's work. Folks who are struggling to get by in this era of corporate downsizing and outsourcing. I see a people who are decent, honest, compassionate, and above all love this nation. Folks, this is the real America. The industrial heartland is what built this great nation of ours into what it is today. Let us not turn our backs on the problems of our great cities. In order to revitalize this nation, we must build upon the greatness of these industrialized areas. We need to foster and renew this sense of hope that springs eternal here, and not turn our backs on these folks. That is why, as President, I will never let the working man down. I come from a long line of union workers, and I grew up in the heartland of our nation, where the average citizen would be much more likely to know the price of a loaf of bread than that of a new BMW. I pledge to all of you, who have been hurt by corporate restructuring, that I am on your side. I strongly support the rights of union workers to gather, organize, associate, and make their voice heard. There are those who would like to limit these rights, who say that unions are no longer relevant. My fellow Americans, this could not be farther from the truth. The union workers in this country are what made this great nation what it is, and I will always be a staunch advocate of organized labor and its interests.

*Applause*

There are those who say that we have not been active enough, that this administration has not had any significant accomplishments. Well, I don't know about you, but I consider the creation of a fully functional and working Constitution and Government to be a pretty good accomplishment. These have been trying times for our Forum. We have gone through upheaval. Strong words have been bandied about. There are those of us who have had great differences of opinion as to what direction the Atlas Forum should take. I pledge to you tonight, that if I am reelected, I will work towards common solutions that will work for all Atlas citizens. We have done great things, but there is more to come. I support having the Atlas Government work in the most efficient manner possible, with the fewest possible positions in order to accomplish our goals and needs. My background is in Engineering, with a focus on efficient operations. These are things that I have fought for throughout my entire careeer. I am very committed to reinventing the Atlas Government, and reducing bureaucracy and red tape.

*Cheers*

Above all, I want to move this Forum forward. We have had much success in our first term. For a while, we were being bothered my members of a party calling itself the "Jesus Christ" Party. This name offends me, as I did not see how these members were upholding the values of Jesus, and it offended many others as well. Also, its members seemed (with a couple of exceptions) to be joining the Forum simply to join this party only. Now, we do not hear from them anymore. This has been a success of our administration; we have helped lift the level of discourse and rise up above petty bickering and name-calling, and have gone a long way toward eliminating excessive trolling. Make no mistake about it; this Forum is better off than it was 4 months ago!

*Thunderous applause*

We still have much work to do in this nation. Our fundamental civil liberties are under attack. We must, above all, not allow a war on terrorism to beat us. How will the terrorists defeat us, you may ask? They will not defeat us by tearing down our buildings, or by destroying our vital infrastructure. No, the American spirit is too resilient, and the American people are too strong-willed to be defeated in this manner. They will beat us, however, if they force us to change our culture. If we become a nation under the constant watchful eye of government, and lose our civil liberties, we will lose our very identity. I love freedom. Freedom is what makes America great. Let's not give in to the terrorists. Let's not sacrifice more freedom in the name of "security". America, we are and will always be secure as long as we uphold the vital freedoms that make our country great. Civil liberties, and the freedom to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that's what makes America the greatest nation on Earth. As President, I will always be a staunch proponent of civil liberties, in order to keep America great. The terrorists will never beat us unless they take away our freedom!

*Rousing applause*

There are also those who would turn back the clock on fundamental civil rights, as well. The right to choose an abortion. The right to be with whomever one chooses, in a loving, committed relationship for life. Fundamental freedoms to dictate whether we will continue to be able to uphold the values that our nation was built on. All Americans must have these freedoms, or else all other fundamental rights that we hold dear are placed in jeopardy, as well.

*Applause*

We also must continue to protect our environment. I support raising fuel efficiency standards, in order to decrease our consumption of oil. Oil is the lifeblood of the Middle East; if we want to decrease our dependency on the Middle East, we must consume less. It is a matter of national security, to reduce our oil consumption, and we must institute higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards in order to ensure this. I am also strongly committed to protecting our current environmental resources. Let's not destroy the vestiges of untapped wilderness that remain. Let's protect what we have, and not sacrifice our planet at the altar of corporate profits.

*Loud applause*

There are those who say that we have gone too far to the left in this Administration. We currently have 3 members of the United Atlas Centrists in our cabinet, and 2 on the Supreme Court. Folks, our administration truly does look like the Atlas Forum. This has been a promise of mine from day one, to form a cabinet and an administration that would representative of all citizens, their concerns, their hopes, and their dreams. In this mission, we have succeeded. We have reached out to the members of all parties, have heard them, have listened, and have followed through. We have kept our word!

*Rousing cheers*

If I am reelected, I pledge to fight for these values in a second term. I will continue to have a cabinet and administration that is representative of all views. I will continue to fight for my core fundamental values, which are also the fundamental values upon which this nation was founded. I will continue to work hard, each and every day, for the downtrodden, those who have been left behind, the forgotten, the working people who work hard each and every day to put food on the table, to raise a family, to educate their children. I will continue to fulfill my passion of fighting for better education. Above all, I will fight for YOU, the citizens of the Atlas Forum, and for YOUR interests. Thank you, and good evening!

*Cheers*

*Al and his spouse finally show up...completely unharmed other than some tape on their shoes*

*Nym, Al, and spouses gather on stage, and wave to the crowd, as confetti falls*

[Off to the side of the stage looking on, standing next to Senator Harry] Ben chairman of the DLC is seen joining he thunderous applause and foot stomping with great gusto and joining in the chants of “four more months!, four more months!” with no heed for the restraint showed by some of his colleagues…  





Ben adressing the Convention earlier in the day (not that much like me, but close enough, if i was older ya, that'd fitl )

[ilikeverin]

Heckuva speech, Mr. President