Parliamentary America - The Game (TURN 13)

[AuH2O Republican]

Could I take Rand Paul for the Independence Party please!

[AuH2O Republican]

Has the Tea Party existed and/or had any kind of influence? If so, were they exclusive to one party or spread throughout?

[AuH2O Republican]

Has the Tea Party existed and/or had any kind of influence? If so, were they exclusive to one party or spread throughout?

As a result of the 2012 general election (which had some similar aspects to the 2010 midterms in real life), the Nationalist Party surged in support, with most of its new proponents coming from disenfranchised wings of the Conservative Party. Rather than being a movement on its own, the "Tea Party movement" in this universe was basically a transfer of a lot of voters from a center-right party to a far-right party that occurred around the same time the Tea Pary surge did in actuality. Most political analysts attribute the movement to the unpopularity of the Obama Ministry and coalition within some sections of the right.

Thanks. Would this mean that members of other parties who RL had the support of the Tea Party did not count on their support in this TL? As Rand Paul, I'm just checking as obviously he rode on Tea Party support in RL.

[AuH2O Republican]

Has the Tea Party existed and/or had any kind of influence? If so, were they exclusive to one party or spread throughout?

As a result of the 2012 general election (which had some similar aspects to the 2010 midterms in real life), the Nationalist Party surged in support, with most of its new proponents coming from disenfranchised wings of the Conservative Party. Rather than being a movement on its own, the "Tea Party movement" in this universe was basically a transfer of a lot of voters from a center-right party to a far-right party that occurred around the same time the Tea Pary surge did in actuality. Most political analysts attribute the movement to the unpopularity of the Obama Ministry and coalition within some sections of the right.

Thanks. Would this mean that members of other parties who RL had the support of the Tea Party did not count on their support in this TL? As Rand Paul, I'm just checking as obviously he rode on Tea Party support in RL.

The anti-establishment sentiment in the 2012 election helped basically all of the parties but the Conservatives, meaning that the Nationalists, Jacksonians, and Independents all got at least some sort of boost in support. However, by far the majority of the new support went to the Nationalist Party, which is composed of most of the congressmen who were supported by the Tea Party in real life.

Thanks mate. I will presume that Rand Paul got some of their support in his victory...

[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Paul Launches Independence Leadership Bid

Rand Paul, Kentucky's At-Large MP, today announced his campaign to seek the leadership of the Independence Party. Rand Paul has been an MP since his election in 2010 and has quickly risen up through the ranks of the party, to the point that he now serves as its Deputy Leader.

At his announcement speech, Paul acknowledged that there were divisions among America's newest party, but declared he was the candidate to bring the party together:

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Asked by a journalist why he thought he was the unity candidate, his response was:

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The most notable chapter in Rand Paul's career is his 12 hour filibuster in the House of Commons on the Obama Ministry's drone policy. He is also a minor star on the internet. A video of him chainsawing the current U.S. tax code at a BBQ in Detroit went viral on YouTube, and his put-down of a New Jersey political official on marijuana policy earned him praise among many across the political spectrum and in liberal media.

Campaign Schedule

January 13th
- Announcement speech in Bowling Green, KY.
- Fly to New Hampshire.
- Open campaign HQ in NH.
- Rally in Manchester, NH.

January 14th
- Travel to Maine.
- Speech in Portland, ME on taxation.
- Open up campaign HQ in ME.
- Travel to Massachusetts.

January 15th
- Barnstorming in Suffolk County and Middlesex County, MA.
- Rally in Boston, MA.
- Speech at MIT on civil liberties.
- Travel to New York.

January 16th
- Speech in Buffalo, NY honouring Jack Kemp's policies on enterprise zones:

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- Travel to New York City, NY.
- Appearance on Sean Hannity's show on FOX News, debating foreign policy:

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January 17th
- Travel to Washington, DC.
- Fulfill standard parliamentary and Deputy Leader duties.
- Rest

January 18th
- Travel to Virginia
- Speech in Richmond, VA on oppressive governments:

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- Fly to Florida

January 19th
- Press conference in Miami, FL
- Fundraiser in Miami, FL

[AuH2O Republican]

I'm not going to be able to get started on Turn 3 until about 8:30 PM EST tonight, so please try to get everything in by then if possible.

Because of a weekend-long stag do, I'm behind with Rand Paul. Will do my hardest to have his responses and schedule up by tonight but if I can't, how much is it worth in continuing?

[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Paul Debate Answers and Schedule

Schedule

January 20th
- Travel to New Orleans, LA
- Rally in New Orleans, LA.
- Travel to Des Moines, IA.

January 21st
- Barnstorming in Des Moines, IA and surrounding counties.
- Fundraising lunch in Des Moines, IA.
- Open up campaign HQ in IA.
- Debate appearance
- Travel to Detroit, MI

January 22nd
- Major policy address on enterprise zones in Detroit, MI.

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- Joint rally with Justin Amash in Detroit, MI.

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- Travel to Bowling Green, KY.
- Rest.

January 23rd
- Breakfast/brunch barnstorming in Louisville, KY.
- Joint rally with Thomas Massie in Louisville, KY.

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- Fly to Houston, TX.

January 24th
- Joint rally with Ron Paul in Houston, TX.

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- Barnstorming in San Antonio, TX.
- Fundraiser in San Antonio, TX.
- Travel to Montana.

January 25th
- Rest during the day.
- Campaign rally in Billings, MT.

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- Travel to Denver, CO.

January 26th
- Open up campaign HQ in CO.
- Barnstorming in Denver, CO and surrounding counties.
- Speech in Denver, CO on the nature of federalism.

Debate Answers

1) The Independence Party has continued to grow since its founding in 1984. As more people have grown disaffected with Washington, they have seen from us the answers they agree with, policies they agree with, and have voted for us in line with that. Of course, we cannot rely on the disaffection of the American people alone. We must offer a vision for how we as Independents would like to see our country work. We cannot offer them the generic career-orientated Washington politician and the rhetoric that comes with that. We must offer them real action. Most of the American people are concerned about budget deficits, about the national debt, about the high levels of entitlement spending and do not want a government telling people how to live their lives. When people see that the platform we will run on tackles these issues head-on, we will see growing support for our party.

2) The first issue we must come to grips with is the national debt. It is near treasonous what successive Ministries in Washington have done to the future generations of this country, to shoulder them with such crippling debt. We do not want our children and grandchildren to look at us and ask us why we did nothing to fix such a crisis.

Second, the civil liberties which are the bedrock of this country. Our founding has been a beacon of freedom for many others around the world, but the national security establishment has worked with successive Ministries, regardless of party, to continue to erode these. I will not stand for it. Our founding fathers did not envision Americans being spied on without suspicion, with intrusive searches of body and property when travelling freely, and with torturing people. We do indeed face a dangerous world with people who hate America, but we cannot go down a path which betrays America's founding principles, as it is these principles which will win the day.

Third, the plight of our cities. I am off to Detroit soon to address my policy on enterprise zones in more detail. But cities such as Detroit have been burdened with corruption at its highest levels, a gross mismanagement of public finances, and a drain of private sector jobs and opportunities. By giving cities such as Detroit this enterprise zone status, they can look at creating an environment which welcomes back private sector jobs, which brings their monstrous debts and deficits into line, and all this without interference from any Ministry in Washington. The people of Detroit know what is best for their city and so we should give them the tools to eliminate their plight.

3) The first aim for any Leader is to form a Ministry in your own right and that is what I will aim to do as Leader. I want an Independent majority and I refuse to lock us into any kind of agreement today that could hamper such efforts or give other parties the impression that we are willing to pander to them for the slightest sniff of coalition government.

4) I must give Rob credit for his start to this campaign. He obviously has a lot of energy and I commend him for that. He has also been a part of Washington a lot longer than I have and so I imagine his face is a little more familiar than mine. This campaign has just started. I have not yet touched the many towns and cities of this country that I wish to visit, to put forward my views and, more importantly, my answers to the problems facing this nation. I believe that the more the American people hear what I have to say, the more they will realise that we share so many concerns and so many solutions.

[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Paul Heads West, Then Onto Iowa

January 27th
- Travel to Los Angeles, CA
- Open up Southern California campaign HQ in Los Angeles, CA
- Campaign rally at UCLA
- Media appearance on Bill Maher
- Travel to San Francisco, CA

January 28th
- Meet with tech companies in Silicon Valley, CA
- Press conference in San Francisco, CA
- Open up Northern California campaign HQ in San Francisco, CA
- Speech in San Francisco, CA on social issues
- Travel to Portland, OR

January 29th
- Open up campaign HQ in OR
- Barnstorming in Portland, OR and surrounding counties
- Travel to Seattle, WA
- Rest

January 30th
- Campaign rally in Seattle, WA
- Open up campaign HQ in WA
- Travel to Iowa
- Campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, IA

January 31st
- Barnstorming in Iowa City, IA and surrounding areas
- Barnstorming in Washington, IA and surrounding areas
- Campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, IA

February 1st
- Barnstorming in Davenport, IA and surrounding areas
- Joint rally with Thomas Massie MP and Justin Amash MP in Davenport, IA
- Media appearances on CNN, FOX and MSNBC
- Travel to Sioux City, IA

February 2nd
- Campaign rally in Sioux City, IA
- Meet with local religious leaders and voters in surrounding areas
- Travel to Des Moines, IA
- Campaign rally with Ron Paul and other members of Rand's family

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[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Paul Concedes

An emotional Rand Paul delivers concession speech to his supporters in Iowa

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AP -- Coming off a surprise 4th place finish in Iowa, Deputy Leader Rand Paul delivered the above remarks to his supporters in Iowa before setting off for New Hampshire. The state is seen as the perfect place to make a comeback, with New Hampshire's "leave me the hell alone" attitude in line with Rand Paul's libertarian-lite philosophy. A campaign spokesperson confirmed that a schedule would be released to the media soon, whilst the campaign readjusts itself for the next contests.

[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Paul: "Stand by me 'Leave Me The Hell Alone' voters"

Rand Paul speaks to supporters at a 'Welcome Back Paul Family' rally in Concord, NH

AP -- In a desperate plea to New Hampshire voters to help get his campaign back on track, Rand Paul appealed to New Hampshire's libertarian streak to back him to victory. Calling the state the perfect home for "leave me the hell alone" voters, he reiterated his support for their low tax policies and the non-partisan Free State Project.

"New Hampshire has always been friendly to the Paul family. I know you have given great support to my father in the past, and tonight I ask you to rally one more time around the banner that my father and I stand for. New Hampshire voters, I ask you to stand by me in this campaign of ours."

Schedule

February 3rd
- Arrive in Boston, MA
- Campaign rally in Boston, MA
- Fundraiser in Boston, MA
- Travel to Vermont

February 4th
- Barnstorming in Burlington and surrounding counties
- Open up Vermont campaign HQ
- Campaign rally with students at University of Vermont
- Travel to New Hampshire
- 'Welcome Back Paul Family' rally in Concord, NH alongside Ron Paul

February 5th
- Barnstorming in Merrimack County, NH
- Barnstorming in Strafford County, NH
- Campaign rally alongside Justin Amash MP in Dover, NH

February 6th
- Barnstorming in Rockingham County, NH
- Campaign rally alongside Thomas Massie MP in Brentwood, NH
- Travel to Boston, MA
- Speech at Harvard University on civil liberties

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- Travel back to NH

February 7th
- Barnstorming in Hillsborough County, NH
- Fundraiser in Nashua, NH
- Campaign rally alongside Raul Labrador MP in Manchester, NH

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February 8th
- Barnstorming in Merrimack County, NH
- Barnstorming in Sullivan County, NH
- Campaign rally alongside Ron Paul in Concord, NH

February 9th
- Barnstorming in Belknap County, NH
- Barnstorming in Grafton County, NH
- Barnstorming in Coos County, NH
- Fly back to Concord, NH for an evening campaign rally alongside Ron Paul, Raul Labrador, Thomas Massie and Justin Amash

[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Comes Up Short In NH, But Secures Sandoval's Endorsement

Despite another last place finish, Rand Paul struck a more defiant tone with Southern primaries to come.

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[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Paul Schedule

Rand Paul listens to voters in the Shenandoah Valley, characteristics of which are similar to his native Kentucky.

February 10th
- Arrive in Virginia
- Campaign rally in Richmond, VA
- Speech to students at University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA

February 11th
- Barnstorming throughout Shenandoah Valley with Thomas Massie MP
- Travel to Louisiana
- Campaign rally in New Orleans, LA
- Fundraiser in New Orleans, LA
- Travel to Mississippi

February 12th
- Campaign rally in Jackson, MS
- Forum discussion with African-American community leaders on impact of incarceration on young African-Americans in Jackson, MS
- Travel to Alabama
- Fundraiser in Birmingham, AL

February 13th
- Campaign rally in Montgomery, AL
- Travel to Georgia
- Campaign rally in Atlanta, GA with Justin Amash MP and Raul Labrador MP
- Interview with CNN
- Travel to South Carolina

February 14th
- Barnstorming throughout Richland County, SC
- Barnstorming throughout Lexington County, SC
- Campaign rally in Columbia, SC with Ron Paul

February 15th
- Barnstorming throughout Greenville County, SC
- Barnstorming throughout Anderson County, SC
- Rest

February 16th
- Barnstorming throughout Orangeburg County, SC
- Address to students at Claflin University in Orageburg, SC
- Return to Columbia, SC for closing rally with family

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[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Paul Statement On Elon Musk's Kidnapping


Rand Paul waits to address reporters at his South Carolina hotel regarding the kidnapping of leadership rival Elon Musk.

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[AuH2O Republican]

(Apologies for Rand Paul's absence from the campaign trail the past few weeks, had some personal/family matters to deal with and just haven't had the time.)

Rand Returns To The Trail, Comes Out Swinging Against Bill Weld

Rand Paul Appears On Trevor Noah's Daily Show, Explaining His Absence From The Trail

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Schedule

March 23rd
- Campaign rally in Anchorage, AK
- Fly to Idaho
- Campaign rally in Boise, ID
- Campaign rally with students at Boise State University
- Fly to Utah

March 24th
- Campaign rally in Salt Lake City, UT
- Barnstorming in Salt Lake City, UT
- Fly to Arizona
- Rest

March 25th
- Campaign rally in Phoenix, AZ
- Barnstorming in Phoenix, AZ
- Fundraiser in Phoenix, AZ
- Visit to the Barry Goldwater family home in Paradise Valley, AZ

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- Fly to Washington

March 26th
- Campaign rally in Olympia, WA
- Barnstorming with voters in Thurston County, WA
- Campaign rally in Seattle, WA
- Fundraiser in Seattle, WA

March 27th
- Barnstorming with voters throughout King County, WA
- Media appearances in Seattle, WA
- Fly to Wyoming
- Campaign rally in Cheynne, WY
- Fly to Wisconsin

March 28th
- Barnstorming with voters in Madison, WI
- Campaign rally in Green Bay, WI
- Tailgate party at Lambeau Field with Green Bay residents
- Fundraiser in Green Bay, WI

March 29th
- Campaign rally in Milwaukee, WI
- Barnstorming with voters in Milwaukee, WI
- Barnstorming with voters in Milwaukee County, WI
- Fly to Kentucky

[AuH2O Republican]

Rand Paul Soldiers On

Rand answers a question at a forum with students at Penn State

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April 6th
- Q&A forum at Penn State, PA
- Campaign rally in Philadelphia, PA
- Fundraiser in Philadelphia, PA

April 7th
- Guest lecture at UPenn on liberty and the American Revolution
- Campaign rally with students at UPenn, PA
- Barnstorming in Philadelphia, PA
- Travel to Maryland

April 8th
- Speech at U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD on defence issues
- Barnstorming with voters in Annapolis, MD
- Return to Washington, D.C. to fulfill necessary parliamentary duties

April 9th
- Meeting with African-American community leaders in Baltimore, MD
- Barnstorming with voters in Baltimore, MD
- Travel to Delaware
- Campaign rally in Wilmington, DE

April 10th
- Barnstorming with voters throughout New Castle County, DE
- Barnstorming with voters throughout Kent County, DE
- Barnstorming with voters throughout Sussex County, DE
- Campaign rally in Dover, DE
- Travel to New York

April 11th
- Barnstorming throughout New York City, NY
- Speech to African-American church leaders in Harlem
- Media appearances throughout the day in New York City, NY
- Fundraiser in New York City, NY

April 12th
- Campaign rally at State Capitol in Albany, NY
- Barnstorming throughout upstate New York
- Campaign rally in Bufallo, NY
- Return to New York City

[AuH2O Republican]

BREAKING: Rand Paul Withdraws

Rand Paul waiting to announce his withdrawal from the Independence Party leadership campaign

My fellow party members, and to all Americans.

It is with much sadness that I today announce my withdrawal from our party's leadership campaign. I have taken this decision with a heavy heart, but after many difficult conversations with my family and friends, I have come to the conclusion that I should play no further part in this campaign.

I have been a member of the party my whole political life. I have devoted everything that I have to our cause, even when times were tough and we were considered an unwanted "fringe" on the political spectrum. But now we have a permanent voice in the national discussion, and our ideas are resonating with many more Americans. It is my belief in our party's cause that has brought me to this decision. A prolonged leadership campaign will damage our party and I therefore step aside.

To Bill Weld, who will now be our presumptive nominee, I offer my congratulations. However, I am in no position to endorse. I remember the tough campaigns when Bill Weld and his Conservative Party opposed us every step of the way, trying to damage our wish to represent Americans who were let down or failed by the Conservatives.

I will continue in my role as Deputy Leader until I am asked to step aside, and will continue to campaign for Independence candidates across the country.

To all those who supported me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your willingness to volunteer, to campaign for me and take our case to the nation is second to none. I thank you all, and I am sorry that we could not have a better outcome.

God bless you all and God bless America.