Interactive Election Game: 2016 (TURN 5)

[GoTfan]

Hour 52 of the filibuster

. . .  And I believe we have made our case to the piblic and the candidates for President, as well as our incumbent President. With that, I yield the floor.

[GoTfan]

Ed Schultz: So what do you have to say baout the DNC hacks?

Sanders: Well obviously it's troubling, but I have been made aware of the contents of the leak . . . And well, I'm not impressed at the excuses being offered. Why did the Democratic National Committee not want this information exposed?is there something else going on? I can't even say for certain I will be attending the Convention, pending more document releases.

[GoTfan]

Schedule for Sherrod Brown

July 22
-Fly to Kansas
-Rally in Kansas City

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-Criss-cross Kansas for the day, meeting with voters who have been affected by Brownback's policies

July 23
-Fly to Ohio.
-Rally in Cleveland, Ohio.

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-Rally in Cincinnati, Ohio
-Rally in Columbus, Ohio
-Rally in Mansfield, Ohio

July 24
-Criss-cross the industrial states, speaking to voters about the Democratic vision for America

July 25-28
-Democratic National Convention

[GoTfan]

Sanders: I will not honor a party so determined to maintain corruption

July 25th, outside the Democratic National Convention venue, Sanders addresses supporters with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Shailene Woodley, Rep. Keith Ellison and Fmr. Gov. John Lynch at his side.

These leaks prove one thing: The Democratic Party is not going to change. They have proven that they are not interested in new ideas or new politics. They are only concerned with who is more likely to be sympathetic to their establishment ideas, and evidently, the deemed my colleague more likely to.

This cannot, and will not stand. I will not be speaking at the Convention; I will not honor a party to determined to maintain corruption in our national political discourse. Moreover, why did neither Senator Warren or Vice President Biden announce this themselves? Why did they not reject the DNC emails out of hand?

I have been in politics since the 1980s, and this will not stand. Today, I am officially denouncing the Democratic Party as a whole. Really I should've known that to try and change a party from the inside is a lost cause when a party is so intent on maintaining political corruption.

What happened to the party of Franklin Roosevelt, of John F Kennedy, of Hubert Humphrey? Each one of those men would be rolling in their graves at this news. What has become of the so called 'party of the working class'?

Therefore, with this in mind, I am officially declaring my candidacy as an independent candidate for President of the United States, and I am proud to announce my running mate, Tulsi Gabbard!

[GoTfan]

Thank you, Bernie! Thank you for this amazing opportunity. Lately, we saw the Democratic Party openly make every effort to select one candidate over the other, something that contradicts the name completely. Senator Sanders has started a movement, and there are people who will support him.

I am a veteran. I have seen the cost of war in a way Senator Rubio, Senator Warren, Senator Brown and Mr Pearcy have not. Especially Senator Rubio. Has he seen what happens when he sends American sons and daughters off to fight in a foreign country? No, he hasn't. We need to avoid our wars of regime change that have destroyed our reputation abroad. We need to start scaling down our bloated military budget, and pursue diplomatic solutions over sending Americans to fight and die.

We need to rebuild our national infrastructure. We need to re-commit ourselves to support of democratically elected governments. We need to implement a single-payer healthcare system. We need to reinstate Glass-Steagall. We need to review our trade agreements and withdraw from the TPP. We need to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. We need to end our wars of regime change. We need to abolish overblown tuition fees.We need to commit ourselves to full social and economic justice! That is what Senator Sanders and I are committed to; can you trust the major parties to do the same? 

Following this, Gabbard and Lynch formally changed their status to independent, leaving the Democratic Party. Sanders,
Gabbard, Lynch and Woodley then left the Convention venue with their supporters behind them

[GoTfan]

Statement released by Martin Luther King III and Southern Christian Leadership Conference

We hereby reaffirm our support of Senator Sanders and his running mate, Mrs Gabbard. The Democratic Party has shown that it is not interested in democracy and colluded with the campaign of Senator Warren to prevent him for running a serious campaign. 

Furthermore, we wish to correct Congressman Lewis. Congresswoman Gabbard does not support Assad, rahter that if he disappears, then ISIS fills the void. Has the Democratic Party not learned the lessons of Iraq and Lybia? We toppled foreign leaders and ended up bogged down in useless wars.

Senator Warren, if you or your surrogates wish to attack Senator Sanders, make sure you put them in context, or you will be called out.

Signed, Martin Luther King III

Charles Steele, Jr. Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

[GoTfan]

Summary:

Sanders campaigned in several states, such as Vermont and New Hampshire, hoping to uoset the duopoly in those states. He also campaigned in Hawaii, taking every opportunity to appear with his running mate, Tulsi Gabbard. Finally, he campaigned extensively in the industrial states, where he assumes that people will be more receptive to his populist message on trade, as well as meeting with several local liberal activists. He also attacked Warren's honesty, questioning why she did not reveal the emails sent to her by the DNC immediately.

Moreover, Sanders began preparing a summit in Detroit, Michigan called Empowering Third Parties and Offering New Solutions. Much to the Senator and Congresswoman Gabbard's delight, fellow independent candidates Ron Paul and Andrew Napolitano have agreed to attend the summit.

[GoTfan]

How much longer does this turn have? I may need an extension.

[GoTfan]

I'll need an extension

Same here.

[GoTfan]

Sanders campaign summary

Sanders campaigned extensively throughout New England, focusing heavily in Maine and New Hampshire, where he hopes his proximity will lead to a strong showing in those states. Moreover, he also attended sevsral events for the Working Families Party, openly saying that he is considering running as a Working Families candidate in future elections. Moreover, he also held a major rally in Honolulu, Hawaii, where 10,000 people arrived just to see him speak.

Sanders also hosted "Empowering Third Parties and Offering New Solutions" in Detroit, Michigan , alongside Dr Ron Paul, where he advocated for the abolition of the 15% requirement to be in the Presidential debates.

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In addition, Rep. Gabbard toured her district with Nick Hanauer. During this, she openly attacked Warren for saying she supported Assad, again bringing up the phrase "Who would you rather have in charge? A brutal dictator or the leader of ISIS?" She also advocated for the wuthdrawal of US forces from the Middle East, and also notably officiated a gay wedding between two of her constituents.

[GoTfan]

The following ad is to air in all industrial and New England states:



Elizabeth Warren claims to have the same experience as President Obama in 2008, but does she? Before his election to the Senate, Barack Obama had been a State Senator since 1997. Where was Senator Warren's experience in the State Senate?



Marco Rubio claims to be more experienced, but has only been in the Senate for a single term, and served just 8 years in the Florida House before running for the Senate.



Bernie Sanders has over 35 years of experience in government. Whether as Mayor of Burlington for 8 years, a Congressman for 16 years, or a Senator for 10 years, he has been fighting for the American people. The only candidate with executive experience, Bernie Sanders will build a future to believe in, where all Americans are created equal.

This year, vote for the proven steady hand. Vote Bernie Sanders for President

I'm Bernie Sanders, and I approve this message.

[GoTfan]

The following ad is to air in California, Washington and Oregon



Elizabeth Warren claims to be honest and transparent. If she is, why did she not disclose that the DNC had been in contact with her to prevent Sanders from running a strong campaign?

Why has Senator Warren been so eager to dodge questions on the subject and blame another country, instead of admitting she was wrong?

Senator Warren. Unable to answer questions. Lacking in experience. No major legislative accomplishments. Refusing to accept responsibility for her actioms. Refusing to reveal her undemocratic contact with the Democratic National Committee.

Can you trust her judgement? Can you trust her to be an honest and transparent President?

Elizabeth Warren. She's just not ready.

I'm Bernie Sanders, and I approve this message.

[GoTfan]

Sanders continued his campaign in earnest, campaigning in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois extensively. Notably, he visited several impoverished neighborhoods and even what might be termed as "ghetto" suburbs, where few candidates dare to go. Sanders also toured several abandoned factories in Detroit, where he promised to restore and protect American manufacturing.

Gabbard meanwhile, continued to campaign in her native Hawaii, meeting voters on all the islands. She was to campaign in California, but her National Guard unit, the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was called up for maneuvers , and Gabbard instead decided to report for duty in her capacity as a Major and Military Police Platoon Leader. This earned her praise from the SCLC, MLK III and Rep. Grayson, who referred to Gabbard as putting country over party in a way that was rarely seen these days.

Sanders also released his campaign finance records from the previous month. Sanders, despite running as an independent, broke his own fundraising record, raising  $42 million with an average of $27 a donation. In addition, the unions supporting Sanders flexed their muscles in the industrial states, as their members began to campaign for Sanders in those states, alongside the young activists who form the other part of Sanders' base.

[GoTfan]

I'll need an extension. I had everything written out then my computer crashed.

[GoTfan]

Sanders continued to campaign throughout Hawaii and New England, the latter of which was supported by Former Governor John Lynch, who joined him at several rallies in New Hampshire,  where it is hoped his popularity still exists. Governor Shumlin also joined Sanders for several rallies in Vermont and Massachusetts. Sanders also made several visits to Maine and Connecticut, where he blasted the corruption of Dan Malloy, the incumbent Governor of Connecticut.

Gabbard was unable to campaign this week, as her National Guard training continued for another week. She's expected to have one more week of training before returning to the campaign trail.

Meanwhile, the unions backing Sanders continued to campaign in the industrial states, providing a large pool of volunteers and staffers, as well as funds for the campaign. While this was happening, Shailene Woodley and Emma Watson, new supporters of the campaign, accompanied by a titan of the acting industry, Martin Sheen, campaigned extensively at college campuses throughout the industrial states. Finally, the band Green Day launched another tour in support of the Vermont Senator.

In addition, Sanders had a meeting with several key staffers and supporters in Burlington, Vermont. The nature of the meeting was not revealed immediately, but is expected to be in a matter of days.

[GoTfan]

Sanders toured the industrial states this week, bringing his populist message of protecting US manufacturing to the states most affected by disastrous trade deals. He also visited sveral areas of Washington DC, most of them being poorer areas, where Sanders hopes his message will resonate more. At one DC rally, he openly declared his support for all US territories, such as Guam and Puerto Rico, as well as the District of Columbia, to receive a vote in Congress, saying that they should be able to elect representatives who can represent them properly, rather than just glorified observers.

Tulsi Gabbard, returned from her fortnight of training, hit the campaign trail in Hawaii and California, again targeting poorer areas, where the message of protecting the poor will resonate. She also made several stops in Washington and Oregon, again, visiting poor areas and VA hospitals to tout Sanders' support of veterans. Moreover, she made a campaign stop on Castro Street in San Francisco, the birthplace of LGBTI rights in the United States, openly compared the struggle of the LGBTI population to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

[GoTfan]

Sanders spent Labor Day with the leadership of the unions backing him,  paying homage to Cesar Chavez at a rally in Yuma, Arizona during the week, calling him a man who not just fought for the rights of Hispanics, but also organized the 60s labor movement. He went on to say that he would back unions and workers over foreign trade any day of the week, and pledged to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and provide grants for business startups across the country.

On September 11, Sanders avoided the mudslinging of Warren and Rubio, giving a speech at Ground Zero that highlighted his vote against the Iraq War, while also outlining his strategy of diplomacy with allies to defeat ISIS. He also called for dialogue with China  to try and put pressure on North Korea, implying that China's relationship with its southern neighbor has soured since China began to liberalize.

Gabbard gave an address to supporters near Punchbowl Cemetery in Hawaii, saying that America must commit itself to justice through diplomacy, rather than force. She also met with leaders of the Equality Federation's Hawaii branch, Equality Hawaii, who announced they would be providing volunteers for the campaign in Hawaii and the the State Senator who introduced the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act, Brickwood Galuteria, and been appointed chair of the Hawaii campaign.

[GoTfan]

Sanders responds to Pearcy at a rally in Pennsylvania

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[GoTfan]

Sanders campaigned in New Hampshire this weeek, attempting to use his proximity and primary victory there to swing it his way. He continued to hammer on the point of Warren's honesty, asking as to why she didn't disclose her cooperation with the DNC. He also hammered Marco Rubio on his platform of tax cuts for the rich, shifting the burden to the middle class, to give even more money to an alrewdy bloated military,  and that the renegotiation of TPP he offered was nothing but an empty gesture and a cynical ploy to win votes; he cited Rubio's vote to fast track the TPP as his main example of this.

Tulsi Gabbard meanwhile, visited protestors of the Dakota Acces Pipeline, and spoke out in support of them, as well as strongly against both the DAPL and Keystone XL, citing a statement that these combined would create less than a hundred permanent jobs, saying:

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After Rubio's bellicose statements, she once again accused him of having no idea what he was sending American sons and daughters into when he voted for wars. Finally, she made a visit to the United Kingdom, where she met with Oppostion Leader Jeremy Corbyn.

[GoTfan]

Statement from the Sanders campaign.

Elizabeth Warren continues to use disingenuous atgacks. The record shows that Congresswoman Gabbard resigned from  the Democratic National Committee to endorse Senator Sanders. Again, Warren's honesty remains questionable.

[GoTfan]

Sanders spent the week in New Hampshire and Maine, trying to rally support based on his locality. He also campaigned in Washington DC, where he hopes the liberal population of the district votes his way. Along the way, Sanders promised to give the District of Columbia statehood, as well as lending support to a public referendum to be held in Puerto Rico on its status.

[B/]Sanders inteoduced the District of Columbia Statehood Act during the week, advocating for the District to be renamed as the state of New Columbia, and give it a Representative, Senators and a fuctioning state government [/B]

Congresswoman Gabbard meanwhile, traded barbs with Pearcy, caling out that competitiion does not belong when it comes to essentials like healthcare. She repeated the desire to implement a Medicare-for-all single-payer system, as well as a national infrastructure plan to provide thousands, if not millions of permanent jobs. She also campaigned in her home state of Hawaii, as well as Minnesota and Ohio, the latter of which was supported by Martin Sheen.

[GoTfan]

Sanders once again headed to New Hampshire, this time accompanied by Former Governor John Lynch, hoping to capitalise on any kingering popularity. He also made another visit to New York, where he visited impoverished neighborhoods in New York City with his running mate, Congresswoman Gabbard. He continued to hold major events in the industrial states as well, hoping to position himself as the populist candidate who wants to protect American manufacturing.

Gabbard headed largely to the District of Columbia, talking up Sanders' bill that would grant the District statehood, as well as offering a full referendum on the status of Puerto Rico, and whether they wished to become a state or go independent. She also talked up the need for the Washington DC government to have more autonomy over their district, and that too much control is exercised by Congress over the District.

[GoTfan]

At an interview  in New Hampshire, Sanders addressed the investigation.

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[GoTfan]

Sanders campaigned in New Hampshire and Hawaii this week, continuing tl hammer his theme of populism, while still accusing the investigation against his wife to be politically motivated by the manor parties to ensure that no strong left wing third party candidate  can emerge to challenge the status quo. He also appeared at a major rally in Detroit with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former First Lady of South Africa Graca Machel, widow of Nelson Mandela. Both gave stirring speeches in support of Sanders. An interview with the Archbishop after the rally resulted in this soundbite:

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Gabbard menwhile went to Hawaii and California. In both states, she was accompanied by the author  Michael Lewis, a former banker who quit Wall Street over his disgust with the business model. Lewis became a notable supporter, hammering Rubio and linking him to Wall Street, saying that he witneseed the failure of conservative economics, and Sanders wants to overturn that.

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All surrogates attended a meeting in Burlington, Vermont at the end of the week. The nature was not revealed, but it is suspected that it is about forming the People's Party.

[GoTfan]

My answers will be in soon. Just been insanely busy with Uni.