Fall 2007 Progressive Primary Convention - Official Convention Thread

[Robespierre's Jaw]

As a Northeast delegate, I cast my vote for former Governor of the Mideast, Jack Polnut!!!

[bgwah]

Oh, and a reminder, candidates can be delegates!

I'm not sure if I can vote since I didn't in the first round, but I do have one more Pacific delegate... so I vote for ColinW if applicable.

As I mentioned, if you have vacant delegates, they can still vote in this round. You can't vote for Colin though as your first vote as he doesn't have any vacancies in the Pacific, however you may vote for yourself

-------------------
Also for everyone's info, I am extending voting hours until roughly 3:30pm

FFFINE, I vote for myself..

[CultureKing]

Pacific Delegate for: Colin W

[Bacon King]

southeast delegate: gporter

[Peter]

Mideast delegate: Colin Wixted

[Hatman 🍁]

southeast delegate: gporter

There are no write-ins allowed.

[Bacon King]

southeast delegate: gporter

There are no write-ins allowed.

aw

Colin, then.

[minionofmidas]

I think I'll stick with Colin.

That's what you think.

[Hatman 🍁]

Ok, I'm leaving shortly, so I'll close the voting.

ColinW - 12
Polnut - 7
Jesus - 1

Colin has a majority of voting delegates, and is therefore the winner of the Progressive Primary!

[Sensei]

Ok, I'm leaving shortly, so I'll close the voting.

ColinW - 12
Polnut - 7
Jesus - 1

Colin has a majority of voting delegates, and is therefore the winner of the Progressive Primary!

Congrats, Colin.

[Hash]

VICTORY!

[Sensei]

VICTORY!

You do realize its Colin who won, right?

[Hash]

VICTORY!

You do realize its Colin who won, right?

You do realize I support Colin?

[Sensei]

VICTORY!

You do realize its Colin who won, right?

You do realize I support Colin?

You do realize it was a joke, right?

[Colin]

I would like to thank the Progressive Coalition for endorsing my presidency and my re-election. I would also like to thoroughly thank Governor Jesus and his delegates for their support. While the Governor and myself have disagreements I still believe that we both agree on the same basic needs for the Atlasian state.

A full speech will be delivered tomorrow. I'm too worn out from classes today to do much.

[Lief 🗽]

While it's somewhat disappointing that the election has become a coronation, congrats to Colin.

[Hash]

While it's somewhat disappointing that the election has become a coronation, congrats to Colin.

An incumbent-free primary could be interesting... I hope that there will be a February 2008 Progressive Primary

[TomC]

OK, did I miss something? We had an 11 page primary thread, regional votes, then this 7 page thread of delegate voting, and I see nothing that resembles progressive ideology or any ideology for that matter. I saw a post about a progressive debate sponsored by Emirates News, but I'm not seeing that anywhere. Am I wrong to be disappointed?

What would an Atlasian progressive be for? What are we supposed to be pressuring our candidates and officials to support?

I don't blame anyone and I thank Earl for doing a lot of work on this, but what could we do to inject more substance into the progressive caucus?

At least one reliably progressive Atlasian provided a thread to insist the public has a right to know where the candidates are. Thanks, Ebowed!

[HappyWarrior]

I dislike this coronation.  Colin needs to be opposed by someone more to his left with a credible chance of winning.  Polnut, I hope you will continue you're campaign despite this setback.  And if you do not, I hope that someone else will enter the race and bring you're ideas into the election.

[Hatman 🍁]

I dislike this coronation.  Colin needs to be opposed by someone more to his left with a credible chance of winning.  Polnut, I hope you will continue you're campaign despite this setback.  And if you do not, I hope that someone else will enter the race and bring you're ideas into the election.

What's the point if he can't garner the support of the left? It's unfortunate that my candidate lost, and it's unfornate that the JCP didn't rally behind him like I had hoped. I guess the JCP isn't the party for me.

Anyways, congratulations Colin. I wish you the best of luck. We would like to hear a speech!

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Congratulations on the victory Mr. President. Governor Polnut I really hope you decide to continue your Presidential campaign of yours. Keep the Faith Governor.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Governor Polnut walks to the Podium - somewhat unexpectedly


Fellow progressives,

I first wish to give my congratulations to the President on his victory here. No matter how much you want to let this whole game of politics wash over you, you don't get involved unless you really care. Because I do care, this is a diffcult night for me.

From the beginning, this campaign has been about you. I have travelled all over the country and seen what is truly there. People want real leadership, they want to be challenged. I have made sure that this campaign had a message, a pragmatic progressive one. If anyone were unsure about my positions, the HQ was full of information.

I didn't run to oppose the president, I ran because so much more needed to be done, and it still does. Without policy, you get nothing. What is the point of the drama over the referendum and these reforms if there was nothing to use the system for? This is why I ran.

I hope the message of this campaign has gotten through to many. We need vision, we need courage, to always follow the road of moderation, leads you to nothing but half-measures. Everything I said in this campaign was the truth, I believed in it with every fibre of my being, and I still do.

Whether or not I continue in this race does not change what needs to happen. We need policy, we need people who are willing to fight for things other than their personal legacy. I will always fight for those who need support, for our teachers, for the mentally ill, for those who care for the weakest members of our community. I will fight for our environment and the just treatment of those all over the world who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

What has disappointed me in this campaign was the single-minded obsession by many over one amendment. This, I believe, hijacked what could have been a great campaign of the sharing of ideas and values, instead it turned into a multi-partisan juvenile shouting match. I hope the support this campaign received is a wake up call that the people expect and deserve so much better than that.

I have just sent a message to my yet to be announced running mate, Speed of Sound, that this campaign has come to an end. It is not for lack of desire or will, but the cold hard reality that has compelled me to make this decision. I believe that the message of this campaign should be heard, but it's clear to me now, that winning would be very difficult given the support for the incumbent president from all sides of the progressive parties.

I do apologise to my supporters that I clearly was not able to convince enough people that the direction I offered was the right one. But do not let that stop you. What we believe in matters to us, and deserves to be heard. I urge all of you to not let any member of the legislature or executive take your support for granted. Demand leadership beyond constant reforms, let them know that you care about policy. If they don't listen, find leadership who will.

The issue now as is customary at times like these is for me to endorse one of my fellow candidates.

I have decided to not endorse anyone. Not for the sake of pettiness, but because I want my supporters to make up ther own minds. If you support the president by all means vote for him, but the same is true of all the other candidates.

I will close by saying this. Every person has a voice, every person's voice can and must be heard. Demand your leadership listen, because remember they serve you, not the other way around.

Thank you.

[Јas]

I think I'll stick with Colin.

That's what you think.

For my own part, I'd like to thank everyone for taking part and in particular those who support this ticket. I'd also thank Earl for running the primary - it has generated a lot of interest in the race which is good to see.

[Speed of Sound]

To Polnut:


I am deeply saddened to hear this, but respect your decision. I wish you the best of luck in the future, and it was an honor to serve on your ticket (Granted it was for a week or two secretly, but it was an honor none the less )

[Colin]

Atlasians, progressives, and informed citizens,

I would like to thank the members of this Convention for their support for the campaign. I believe this vote has shown that, while I may not be as leftist as some would have wanted, I have the ability to force through a progressive platform and support Progressive intiatives in the Senate. I would like to thank the JCP as well as the voting members of the NLC for their support and for the support of a thoroughly progressive and reformist agenda.

I believe that I have been very blunt about what I want to do for Atlasia and I would hate to repeat myself again to the people of this convention. I do want to say that I will continue a program of social progress, of the creation of a public healthcare system for Atlasia, and for continued forum affairs reform. I am happy to announce that I hope to work with Progressive Senators like Ebowed and Earl in order to create a public healthcare system in this country that all Atlasians can be proud of. I promise to all of you that I will not disregard progressive principals and while many of you are leery of my positions for whatever reason I feel that it would be an obligation of mine to show you that a Wixted Presidency is a true victory for Progressivism and will implement policies of progress that no other presidency, of the left, right or centre, has tried to implement in the past.

I hope to continue to bring new thinking and new ideas to this country, as its leader. I look back on the only other two term President, Ebowed, as an example of how a strong, active, and engaged President can help keep a country together and make things interesting. I also see how a primary such as this can actively encourage debate and involvement from many Atlasians.

As for Polnut's statements what I have to say is that I believe that my Presidency has been the most actively focused on policy since the Porce administration. Our policy for the first term was reform along with support for such progressive measures as the Carbon Tax and Senator Ebowed's Education bill. Now having accomplished most of our policy goals in the area of forum affairs reform, which is one of the most important aspects of the government of our country, it is time to focus on other matters such as health care and helping to foster the progressive ideology in regional governments. To settle foreign affairs issues and become more involved in the world again.

I still believe though that Proportional Representation is a major area in which we should continue to press for reform. Whilst the respected former governor may consider the debates over it juvenile, and in many respects they were, it does not denegrate the need for that change. It does not destroy the vital and rejuvenating nature that changing our form of representation would have. Since the first Senate, when we set into law Atlasia's belief in IRV and giving people an equal chance at getting elected, Atlasia has been focused on creating a fair and open political system. I see PR as just another step in that direction, toward the very ideal of fair representation and giving chances to multiple people from many different parties.

This being said the reason why this was reintroduced was so that a compromise could be formed and more debate could be had. That is why I am very appreciative of the support of the JCP in this election. While Jesus and myself have had our disagreements over policy in the past, and on the nature of the Atlasian state, I think we both have a deep respect for one another. I consider Governor Jesus to be the exemplar of the good regional governor and I hope that he considers me the same way in the office I current hold.

I once again thank all of those who voted for me and for all Atlasians who support my campaign. I would like to thank Earl for hosting this primary and to all those who were candidates, I wish you all the best in future endeavours. To Governor Polnut I must say that you ran a good hard campaign and created quite a stir among the Progressive community, I'm sure that if you remain active you will continue to be a major figure in Atlasian politics.

To all I must say, it has been an honour to serve as your President and it is an honour to have your support.