Atlasian Messenger

[Ebowed]

Hobbes announcement muddles an election picture out west, where there are now 2 Gubernatorial candidates, both of whom have de facto running mates, which makes for 3 Lt. Governor candidates. Whether Hobbes will be able to court support outside of himself is unclear, although he is the only socially conservative candidate in the Lt. Governor race, and if he can get enough votes from the conservative bloc, a former President may be left scratching his head over another lost election.

John Ford's choice of True Democrat was a good one since he needed to attract non-conservatives to the ticket.  But frankly I have to question the validity of True Democrat's claim to be a "true" Democrat when he is the de facto running mate of a neoconservative, and he consistently seems to support some candidates based on odd, inexplicable hatred of other members (i.e. in an election between Dubya, StatesRights, and Harry, he endorsed Dubya).  And he just resigned as Secretary of Forum Affairs citing a lack of competence and time; after losing a Senate seat why would he resign the position he was able to hold on to?

[Ebowed]

I will answer all of your questions.  I support peple not only based on ideology, but also because of ability and moral character.  I am a "True" Democrat because I support people who are able to reach out to all sides and not be corrupt.  For example, in the Southeast Governor's race, I supported Dubya because he didn't enjoy secession or racism (Statesrights) or corruptness (Harry).

Your charges of racism and corruptness are quite severe; would you care to back them up with some concrete evidence for everyone else to see?

I believe he has led the Southeast to the future.  In the real world, there is probably no way I could support Dubya, but this is a game.  I continue to support people like John Ford, ColinW, and other conservatives because they are able to work with the left to compromise.

Fair enough.  But I just hope that you won't compromise on important issues where the left and right cannot agree.  Although considering your views on the Iraq war, I guess you've already done that.

To answer your last question, the SoFA position takese a lot of time and energy, which I don't have over the summer.  However, being Lt. Governor does not take nearly as much time.  This is the reason I decided to run for Lt. Governor and not Governor or stay SoFA.

You decided to run for Lt. Governor and not Governor-- you do realize that the Lt. Governor should be prepared at all times to assume the Gubernatorial spot should the Governor resign?

Also, one other question: considering your main opponent is a member of the same party as you, and has considerably similar leftwing views on social issues, do you not feel like you're putting your party in an uncomfortable position?  I certainly would question the legitimacy of any campaign that was launched only to give some needed support to a rightwing gubernatorial candidate.

[Ebowed]

As for my similar views to Bob a.k.a. Robert Goldwater, I do not want people to vote against Goldwater, but to instead vote for me.  I believe I could serve better than him because of my experience in the past, however, once again I stress that my supporters should not be anti-Goldwater.

But um, as you stated earlier this is just the Lt. Governor position.  I don't think you need a lot of experience to handle the position, and frankly I'm a bit surprised that a Lieutenant Gubernatorial election could be based on what experience the candidates have.

[Ebowed]

I said before one doesn't need much time.  I don't think experience is necessary, but I believe it is helpful.

And as I stated beforehand, the Lt Governor should be prepared to assume the Gubernatorial spot at any time, unless John Ford has promised he will not resign in office under any circumstances, which kind of takes away any appeal of a leftist to vote for Ford just because you are running with him.  In regards to experience, does one need to be a former president and failed senate candidate in order to serve as Lt Governor?  No; in fact, experience really shouldn't be an issue at all.  It's a non-issue that people who have held more offices use to drum up support.

I have a question for you.  Why are you putting so much emphasis onto the Lt. Governor's race in the Pacific instead of the Redistricting issue that is going on or other important issues in Atlasia?

First of all, I have made my views on redistricting clear in the appropriate thread.  Am I not allowed to focus on any other issues?  Do you not consider an election where you are a candidate important?  I am not interfering with an election; I just have some questions for the candidates.  If you are trying to attract leftwing and left-of-center voters to the Ford/True Democrat ticket, you should be prepared to answer questions that any leftists have, whether or not they are in your region (think about party, caucus, and league endorsements).  If you would like me to ignore your election for other issues, I'd like to see why.  I'd also like to see you respond to the questions you ignored, such as this one:

I will answer all of your questions. I support peple not only based on ideology, but also because of ability and moral character. I am a "True" Democrat because I support people who are able to reach out to all sides and not be corrupt. For example, in the Southeast Governor's race, I supported Dubya because he didn't enjoy secession or racism (Statesrights) or corruptness (Harry).

Your charges of racism and corruptness are quite severe; would you care to back them up with some concrete evidence for everyone else to see?

[Ebowed]

I'd like to announce that I am now on the staff of the Atlasian Messenger as a Pacific correspondent.

[Ebowed]

New Coalitions Across Atlasia

Recently a slew of new coalitions, leagues, and caucuses have sprung up across Atlasia.  Several weeks ago Southeast resident Q successfully revived the Atlasian Civil Liberties Caucus; this week, as a response to the Southern Alliance Party, former Southeast Governor htmldon started the "True South Coalition," which Don describes as a "multi-partisan, multi-ideological effort that seeks to support and elect southern leaders who want to move our region forward and make it the best region in Atlasia."  He adds that the coalition would have to "regretfully" oppose candidates who are at odds with the goals of the coalition, or in more blunt terms, any members of the Southern Alliance Party or its supporters.  Don also subtley accuses his unnamed opponents of not sharing his "patriotism for our nation" and "what it stands for" and ends his introduction of the coalition by inviting "real Southerners" to take a stand.

This week also saw the beginning of the "Heartland PAC," which former Mideast Judge, Senator, and current Attorney General Al started with Ben.  It is a "moderately populist multi-party organization and membership is open to anyone who shares our general aims and philosophy" that "represents the views of the people of the Heartland" and will aim to "bring the problems the Heartland faces into the open and to propose real solutions" to these problems.  This was greeted with a slew of compliments and already has 10 members.

And finally today, July 17 2005, saw the introduction of the "Liberty Institute" by Pacific Lt. Gubernatorial candidate True Independent (formerly True Democrat).  It aims to be "an insitute that will advocate smart foreign policy decisions that will ensure freedom for all people around the world while at the same time making certain Atlasia is protected."  Some of its admirable goals include "stopping human rights abuses around the world" and attempting to end poverty in Africa.  Although there were some suggestions and criticisms, the institute was met mostly with warm words.

[Ebowed]

Secretary of Forum Affairs Confirmation Heating Up

Following the resignation of True Democrat as Secretary of Forum Affairs, Siege40's pick for the Cabinet spot, ILikeVerin, has met opposition in his Senate confirmation hearing.  Although all of Siege40's other Cabinet nominations were unanimously confirmed, ILikeVerin has been criticized by some Senators for a lack of experience and competence.  Currently 4 Senators have approved of making ILikeVerin SoFA; they are MasterJedi, Cosmo Kramer, DanielX (who, despite his affirmative vote, stated "I don't like Verin that much, but he seems qualified enough"), and MHS2002.  Three Senators have voted against it: King, Colin Wixted, and Sam Spade, all members of the Constitutional Union Party (Sam Spade being the party chairman), leaving the total 4-3 in ILikeVerin's favor.  MHS2002 is the lone Union Senator who voted in favor of the confirmation; however, Pacific Regional Senator FuturePrez, a member of the Union Party, has yet to vote.  Senator PBrunsel, of the Atlasian Conservative Alliance, is expected to vote "Aye," and Senator Gabu, an Independent, is currently taking a short vacation from the forum.  We project that this confirmation will pass, despite solid opposition.

NEWS UPDATE (10:56 PM EST): Senator PBrunsel has voted "Aye," putting the current tally at 5 to 3 in ILikeVerin's favor.

[Ebowed]

Now it can't be totally true that the True South is against the SAP, as I am a member of both

Perhaps not all of the members of the True South are against the SAP, but that was definitely one of the intents of the coalition.

[Ebowed]

The July Archives of The Atlasian Messenger have been updated through to the latest article.

[Ebowed]

Two Candidates for Southeast Lt. Governor

ATLANTA—Today saw the announcements of Southeast Lottery Commissioner Q and current Lieutenant Governor BrandonH that they would run for the Lt. Gov. position this August, following the 9-1-1 passing of an initiative that made the position an elected spot, as opposed to being appointed by the Governor.  Governor Dubya is likely to support BrandonH for the spot, while Senator Cosmo Kramer's vote is unknown.  Since both of the Gubernatorial candidates are away this week, no de facto tickets have been formed as of yet.  Endorsements from Union Party chairman and Senator Sam Spade, as well as Secretary of Defense Ebowed, greeted Q's announcement, while Lt. Governor BrandonH is expected to recieve the endorsement of the Atlasian Conservative Alliance if they hold a convention for next month's elections.

Meanwhile, as the Governors have approved a redistricting plan that groups Virginia with the rest of the South, Senator MHS2002 of the Union party faces three, and possibly four, candidates: Bono (an Independent minded conservative libertarian from South Carolina), Ben Meyers (from the Atlasian Conservative Alliance in Florida), and Ernest (a South Carolinian who moved to Hawaii for the Presidential elections, and has now moved back to South Carolina to run for Senate as an Independent Liberal).  In the absense of any economically liberal candidates in the race, Harry has formed an exploratory committee and is likely to run also.  If he does enter the race, this may become the most interesting Senate race in the August elections, with a 5-candidate showdown that would divide libertarians, liberals, conservatives, and moderates into different voting blocs.

[Ebowed]

Editorial: Libertarian Party On Its Last Days?

HELENA--The Libertarian Party of Atlasia is down to only three active members.  The party leader, CheeseWhiz, who is also Governor of the Midwest and will be running for re-election next month, has pleaded for new members and is exploring the possibility of leaving the party for other options such as the Constitutional Union Party or Independent Liberal Party.  Georgia Resident John Dibble, who ran for Vice President on a ticket with Senator King in June, has been a member of the Libertarian Party for a long time and suggests that rather than killing the party, all that is needed is reform.  He says, "give it a new name and a facelift.  I think big-tent libertarianism might be the way to go rather than the somewhat restrictive philosophy we have now."

Despite this public exploration of abandonment options, Governor CheeseWhiz is still asking its member where the party's next convention should be held.  And despite the party's ups and downs over the last year, the party should be able to stick it out.  Centrist parties have come and gone; why should libertarians abandon their true party for them?

NOTE: The views expressed in this editorial are soley those of the author and are not necessarily representative of The Atlasian Messenger management or other staff.

[Ebowed]

The Atlasian Messenger: Notice of Upcoming Feature

[/b]

We expect to have interviews with Lt. Governor candidates Goldwater and Mr. Hobbes within the next week, followed by interviews with Lieutenant Governor BrandonH and Southeast Lottery Commissioner Q, who are both running for Southeast Lt. Governor.  Please remember that these interviews may not be posted in that order and that all of this is tentative.  Stay tuned.

[Ebowed]

An Interview With Hobbes[/u]

SACREMENTO-- What follows is an interview between Atlasian Messenger writer Ebowed and Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate Mr. Hobbes, an Independent from California.  We have also sent questions to Goldwater, a member of the Constitutional Union Party from Oregon, who was the first announced candidate in next month's Pacific Lieutenant Gubernatorial race.  We anticipate to have that interview posted soon.  We also invited True Independent, of the Constitutional Union Party, to be interviewed to the newspaper, but he never responded, and some days later he announced he was taking a short vacation, so we will assume this was the reason he did not reply to us and leave it at that.

Ebowed: Thanks for taking your time to grace this newspaper with an interview, Mr. Hobbes.  We'll keep this interview relatively brief for the sake of our readers.  My first question for you tonight is, what prompted you to begin an Independent campaign for Lieutenant Governor of the Pacific?

Hobbes: It's my pleasure, Ebowed.  As to your first question, I believe that the Pacific Region needs a social conservative voice in this election. We've got True Independent and Goldwater, both of whom are social liberals or affiliated with social liberalism, and I believe that the wing of Atlasia that supports a pro-family, pro-God, pro-America stand needs to be taken into serious consideration.

Furthermore, I'm running as an Independent and not as a candidate of the Freedom or Alliance parties because I don't want to be anybody's man, I want to stand alone without special interest involvement.

Ebowed: What do you believe seperates you from your opponents, Goldwater and True Independent, and why do you believe that you are the best choice for the Pacific?

Hobbes: Well, like I said, we need a strong voice for the social conservatives.  Perhaps some think that social conservatism has fallen by the wayside out West, but I firmly believe that a values candidate can win this race...and I will.

Ebowed: Of the two Gubernatorial candidates, Game Moderator John Ford and Lieutenant Governor Immy, who do you intend to support, and why?

Hobbes: Neither.  Like I said, I'm an independent through and through and I'm not going to take sides in the governor's race.  I'm here to preach my agenda for the lieutenant governor's race, not meddle elsewhere.

Ebowed: Could you please give our readers a short summary of your views on economic, social, and foreign policy issues?

Hobbes: Well, generally speaking, I'm a social conservative.  I oppose gay marriage, abortion, support school vouchers, support the Ten Commandments in public building, and so forth.   Economically, I support a value added tax as the sole method of collecting taxes.  I firmly oppose the idea of the income tax and will do what I can to abolish state income taxes in the Pacific Region.  I also support government subsidies for health care.

On foreign policy, I'm a Wilsonist.  I support getting the world's democracies together in a close-knit alliance for the purpose of protecting liberty, human rights, and defeating terrorism.

Ebowed: If you win the election next month, what do you plan to do as Lieutenant Governor?

Hobbes: As lieutenant governor, I plan to be a voice for my social conservative agenda and serve with dignity as Speaker of the Pacific House of Representatives.

Ebowed: Thank you for your time, Mr. Hobbes, and good luck next month.

[Ebowed]

THE ATLASIAN MESSENGER NEWS FLASH

Former Vice President May Run For Senate

PHILADELPHIA-- Former Vice President Keystone Phil, a member of the Atlasian Conservative Alliance, announced the formation of an exploratory committee in regards to a possible Senate run this August.  The only declared candidate in the race so far is LiberalPA, an Independent Liberal, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate against MHS2002 in a Special election several weeks ago.  We expect to have full details when and if Keystone Phil announces that he will be running for the Senate seat.

[Ebowed]

Southeast Libertarians Come Out Against Voting Rights

MEMPHIS-- A Constitutional amendment, which passed 7-0 in the Senate, that would remove a rule requiring someone to show their registered location in either their avatar or signature before validating their vote, seems to be going down in the Southeast with just seven votes in.  Only two Southeast citizens have voted in favor of the amendment so far; they are soon-to-be Governor StatesRights and the Secretary of Defense Ebowed.  Liberal and left leaning citizens in the Southeast are also expected to vote in favor of the amendment, which could make the end result closer.  Current Governor Dubya, who is running for re-election next month, has voted against it as has former Governor HTMLDon and Southeast Magistrate John Dibble, who is an outspoken libertarian.  The current result is 4 "Nay" votes, 2 "Yea" votes, and 1 abstention.  We will provide more details as the votes come in.

[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.

[Ebowed]

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

[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.

[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.

[Ebowed]

Senator Kramer To Resign, Drops Out of Race

BENTON, AR-- Senator Cosmo Kramer has dropped out of the Southeast gubernatorial race citing personal reasons, including a lack of time due to a tougher schedule in the coming months.  He says he will "be here only to regularly vote.  Other than that I am going to take the role of an occasional spectator."

He also says he will be resigning from the Senate soon, "perhaps at the end of this week."

[Ebowed]

Hmm.  I was thinking of him as basically the only person who could win a presidential election for the ACA.  Strike him off the October Watch List, then.