Vote Purple State/Marokai Blue in June!

[Purple State]

The Purple State/Marokai Blue Platform

Game Reform: Streamlining Forum Affairs (4/29)

The 3-Pronged Attack on Unemployment (4/29)

Game Reform: What Wiki? (5/6)

Sustaining Employment (5/6)

And keep checking back for fresh proposals...


Who Has Endorsed Us? (in chronological order)
Antonio V; Kalwejt; Winston Disraeli; Badger; ilikeverin (ish?); Hans-im-Glück; Happy Warrior; benconstine; Lief; Giovanni; Bacon King; Vepres; hawkeye59; Barnes; oakvale; Sewer Socialist; RG Fritz

*Do you support the ticket but don't see your name here? Just post your endorsement in this thread and it will be added. Thanks!




Original Campaign Announcement

Fellow Citizens of Atlasia:

I write this open letter to you today to announce that I will be a candidate for President of Atlasia in the upcoming June election.

I have given great thought to this decision as I weighed the responsibilities of this office and the needs of Atlasia. As I thought back over my time here, to those presidents that served before, I saw those traits that set the great presidents apart from their peers: a firm investment in an active Atlasia and a willingness to work with friends and rivals to solve problems. I believe that I embody these two attributes.

Since discovering Atlasia, I have given my all to actively improve the game and build a better and more exciting environment for you. I joined Inks and Peter in the Mideast to rewrite the regional constitution; I implemented effective reform of the Office of the Game Moderator alongside Sen. North Carolina Yankee; I pushed for the spread of regional legislatures to inspire broader participation.

My experience spans nearly every level of government in Atlasia. I started in the Mideast Assembly where I took an active role and eventually became Speaker of the Assembly. While there, I passed comprehensive election and education reforms into law while providing for a free-flowing and non-partisan legislature.

Next I served in the Senate where I was part of some of the most productive Senates on record. I championed the cause of our veterans to ensure that our defenders receive a true hero's welcome when they return home. I wrote a workers' Bill of Rights to set forth a clear set of guidelines for employers and for unions and I created a viable workers' compensation and training statute. And each of those passed with resounding support from members of the  DA, RPP and JCP (the three parties in the Senate at the time).

And now I serve as the GM, where I have tried to revive a powerful and long-dormant position and build a strong foundation for future GMs. By providing regular analysis and news that provide neutral commentary on Atlasia, the regions and the world, I have done my best to promote an active government and citizenry.

Shortly, I will announce my running mate. Together we will roll out a comprehensive and game-oriented platform over the coming weeks to explain our vision for reenergizing Atlasia and building a more effective and participatory system. I hope you will join us in the cause.

Thank you all for your patience.

I would now like to introduce my running mate: Marokai Blue.

[Purple State]

Over the past week or so, I've definitely come over to your side a lot. But I need certain assurances. What exactly will you do if elected?

We will be rolling out a pretty wide-ranging platform in the days and weeks ahead. It will address matters from policy proposals to game reforms to presidential actions. Keep an eye on this thread.

[Purple State]

If you win will you commute my sentence to time served?

The President does not have that power per the decision in Xahar v. Lief.

No such luck.

[Purple State]

Good news I wish you both the best of luck. If something stirs, if you think you can seize the moment and make a difference then you should. I can't say anymore as I've not yet thought about what I'll be doing (depends on a few real life issues) come the next race.

Your encouragement is greatly appreciated.

I also want to thank everyone else who has provided positive comments so far. I look forward to working with all of you in the coming months.

You had me until the running mate, sorry.

While I know people may disagree with my running mate, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a more active and hard-working person in this game than Marokai. This ticket won't be about hyperpartisanship, but about hyperactivity. I hope that is something you can eventually get behind.

As a member of the current administration it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment much, though this certainly wouldn't be a bad ticket. I do, however, have some concerns; essentially, I'm not sure if it's appropriate for either of you to run for partisan office while remaining in your current - politically sensitive - posts. It is true that there's form for this sort of thing, but that was actually highly controversial. I'm not suggesting that you both resign immediately, but I do think that a timeframe of some kind would be advisible.

I will continue to serve as GM in as non-partisan a manner as possible (as I always do). If the President believes that the campaign is interfering with my ability to do my job as GM, I will understand if he replaces me.

As for Marokai, I agree and there are currently discussions underway to create clear and public guidelines for his recusal from cases that may be of relevance to the campaign.

[Purple State]

So a vote for one of my favorite Atlasians is also a vote for Marokai. Oh, why must I suffer so!

Vepres, you know my favorite thing in the world is to torture you.

Must say I have one key complain as a partisian hack. Why JCP, which is regaining a key position, is accepting a role of junior partner to party which get their asses badly beaten last election, was kicked out of Northeast and is not in good condition at large?

If some should be V.P. nominee, that should be DA-er. JCP-er should led the ticket. As much as I respect Purple State, that's weird.

And are unity ticket working at all? Just don't start with Afletisch/Smid, they were insurgent against their own parties. Bgwah/Meeker and Lief/BC were able to win on all-JCP ticket. BC/HW was a fiasco.

I will admit that I struggled with this and so did some other JCPers, but this ticket isn't about party, it's a statement that the JCP isn't obsessed with power as some people think we are, and a recognition on my part that activity, intelligence, dedication, should not be bound by party affiliation. I believe Purple State and I can be a force for good in office, and an effective left-wing ticket for that matter, and that's really what matters, to me.

Also, Meeker was once part of the RPP. When Bgwah and Meeker first ran for office, it was a unity ticket.

Just to echo this, I don't want this race to be about party politics or petty personalities. Marokai and I are running on our combined experience, our past accomplishments and, most importantly, our activity.

If you want an executive that will follow and respond to the issues of the day, take a role in policy and put forth a solid agenda, this is your ticket.

[Purple State]

Can I just say that Kalwejt's DWTL impersonation is hilarious and confusing. For a second I thought the PS/MB ticket rolled DWTL out of his grave and back into the game.

Also, let's try to keep party/personal fights in the other "Announcement" threads, a'ight?

[Purple State]

Happily Endorsed

Good to know that you at least support one DA candidate once in a blue moon.

Interesting. I thought the DA didn't have a party line.

We don't. The hope is that interpersonal relationships with fellow DAers will make you want to vote for other DAers in their elections. Kind of a comraderie. I don't think this thread is the place for this conversation though.

[Purple State]

Can I ask a question?

You just did. Out of the kindness of my heart, I will grant you another.

[Purple State]

Hypothetically speaking, you win and have to replace Marokai on the Supreme Court. What kind of justice will you nominate to the court?

That search will not begin until a vacancy occurs, but I will give you a rough sketch of the type of person I would view as qualified to serve through the lens of my experiences before the Court.

I have argued a good number of cases before the Supreme Court, winning a few and losing many more (on many different grounds). In every instance, I have found myself most satisfied with the ruling when I believed that the majority opinion was fair and thorough. Even when my arguments were not adopted by the Court, the knowledge that the Justices fully considered my brief in their decision was what enshrined my respect for the body.

My main criteria will be someone who understands the laws and precedents of Atlasia; this is a must. Beyond that, anyone that I appoint to the Court must be fair-minded and willing to fully weigh alternative viewpoints in making their decision. I will also consult extensively with the Senate and other Atlasian officials and longtime members to ensure that any nominee is not just someone that Marokai and I deem acceptable, but someone who can garner broad support.

I hope this answered your (second) question.

[Purple State]

Announcement

You may have noticed that I have changed the name of this thread to the more revealing title it has now.

With the sudden surge in the number of threads titled "Announcement," I figured I should sell high (after all, I bought very low). Rest assured, the vestiges of the original thread title shall be enshrined in the title of this announcement.

I hereby declare that this announcement be forever titled "Announcement."

That is all for tonight. Comments and questions are always welcome.

[Purple State]

Announcement

You may have noticed that I have changed the name of this thread to the more revealing title it has now.

With the sudden surge in the number of threads titled "Announcement," I figured I should sell high (after all, I bought very low). Rest assured, the vestiges of the original thread title shall be enshrined in the title of this announcement.

I hereby declare that this announcement be forever titled "Announcement."

That is all for tonight. Comments and questions are always welcome.

Funny, I see the title "Re: Vote Purple State/Marokai Blue in June!"

Now it is double-titled "Announcement," just to cover all the bases.

[Purple State]

Purple State, I have a big problem with you serving as GM while running for President, and I have a bit of an issue with Marokai remaining on the Court while running for VP as well. I know you mean well, but I can't see how you can realistically be expected to be impartial while serving as the guy who literally defines the game universe when running for the leader of said universe.

That said, assuming those issues are resolved I'd love to vote for the two of you. I'm only sad that if you win Atlasia won't ever have as good of a GM.

This is to reply to Mr. Moderate as well.

I promise to step aside when President afleitch appoints my successor.

I fully understand your concerns and I am not opposed to stepping down or being replaced as GM if the President or two-thirds of the Senate feels that my campaign creates the potential for impropriety. However, given how early this campaign was announced, the last thing I want is for the Office of the GM to lay dormant for two months. If you have any ideas about how to address this situation, please PM me and we can discuss your thoughts further.

Hypothetically speaking, you win and have to replace Marokai on the Supreme Court. What kind of justice will you nominate to the court?

Even more importantly, how are you intending to replace yourself as GM. I think most people here can agree that there are few people who could do half the job you do as GM. So do you have a poster i mind? Several? Will you assure us that the position as GM won't fall back into the state it was in before Brandon, and later you, took over and reserected the office?

Oh and good luck to you both obviously. I'm sure that you guys will take this one home.

There are obviously names I have in mind, but any real search for a replacement would be, I believe, a bit presumptuous. I still have to win this thing.

As for a rough outline of any future GM, I believe they must be both active and unbiased.

The job of GM is really just that, a job. It's tough work, especially when you are first building your credibility and very few people take your stories seriously. Future GMs need to be willing to put in the effort, day in and day out, to follow developments in the game and create relevant news to make things interesting and exciting. You need to be active to know what is going on and what sort of stories are best for pushing the game forward.

That brings me to the second key element. I use the word unbiased, rather than neutral, for a very specific reason: the GM shouldn't be neutral. At times you will need to decide that one policy is better than another or that a decision was harmful or beneficial. You need to be willing to call people out for failing to act. But that doesn't mean that personal motives or biases should ever come into the job. News needs to push the game one way or another, but it shouldn't reflect subjective standards.

Of course, these two factors rest on one very important tipping point and that is respectability. Future GMs need to be respectable Atlasians that the people trust and are willing to follow on issues ranging from the economy to foreign affairs to regional news.

[Purple State]

A banner contest sounds like an excellent idea! Let's have entries open until Thursday, May 6 at noon EST. Then I will open a poll for all Atlasians to vote and the winning banner will go into my sig for the rest of the campaign.

Let's see what you all can do!

[Purple State]

As Marokai alluded to earlier, today we will be rolling out two pillars of our platform to give you a taste of our intentions if elected. This post that I have written involves game reform for the Department of Forum Affairs. Marokai will post a document he has written on getting our economy back on track in the post-recession world.

We welcome any and all questions and comments.

Game Reform: Streamlining Forum Affairs

We currently face a crisis in the fundamentals of the game that, if left unaddressed, can create the opportunity for confusion and decay in our institutions. This problem is not one that can be solved by a presidential decree or a simple resolution, it is not one that any individual can solve on their own.

The Department of Forum Affairs has become too big and too complex for most Atlasians to understand and we can only fix this problem with a sustained, collective effort to streamline and simplify the process.

The guidelines for the two divisions of the DoFA, the Census Bureau and the Department of Federal Elections, are scattered throughout the game and Wiki. Some pages meant to centralize this information are woefully out of date and may actually mislead Atlasians that genuinely wish to learn the system. This not only makes our game increasingly difficult to manage effectively, but it also discourages new members from getting involved.

Before I go any further, let me give you a visual image of exactly what I mean when I say that our system is too complex and too scattered. The chart below is a representation of those parts of the Atlasian Constitution (not even looking at the statute) that govern the DoFA:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

There are at least 11 clauses in our Constitution that impact the DoFA and have been amended at least once. Of those, 4 have been amended more than once. This doesn't include the clauses that have not been amended, nor does it go into the various changes to the statutes that the DoFA must understand and abide by. This wouldn't be a problem if it were all labeled correctly and centrally located. It is not.

Such a system is untenable and so we must respond with urgency. If elected, my first act as President will be to call for the creation of an emergency DoFA reform task force empowered by the Senate to streamline the system. This task force will first identify and remove redundancy and contradictions within the system, as well as compile a single document that clearly and comprehensively centralizes all DoFA related statutes. That compilation will the be placed on the Wiki and in the first post of every DoFA thread henceforth to provide ease of access.

Once this job is complete, the task force will be given the job of ensuring that all Wiki sections dealing with the DoFA, including amendments to the Constitution, provide correct information and are labeled properly.

Some of you may ask if this is possible. They say the system is too big to change! They say the problem is too large to fix! They say we don't do "comprehensive" well! But I know that this can be done, because I have done it before.

[Purple State]

Thanks everyone for the support. If you have any comments or thoughts about our policy proposals, feel free to post here or get in touch privately.

I think others are capable of doing the job, Vepres.

Nope.

Well, they better start training then, because PS isn't going to be here forever either way.

Oh, I have no doubt that No One is training right this minute!

They should get started soon.

As MB said, whether I win in June or not, I can't do the job of GM forever; it wouldn't be right to make it "my" office. Other people deserve the chance to gain that experience and leave their own mark on the game. So prospective GMs: Start...your...engines!

[Purple State]

I'd be willing to serve as Game Moderator.

vane IS hamilton.

[Purple State]

I'd be willing to serve as Game Moderator.

vane IS hamilton.

if you have a point, make it.

BK made it for me.

And I will not further engage with you as I have better things to do and apparently you do not.

[Purple State]

Serious question: Why did Purple State stop posting around the forum once he got into Fantasy politics? Well over 90% of his posts are on the Fantasy elections and fantasy Government boards. It just seems odd for someone to join the site posting like a normal person and then stop once they register in Atlasia (let's pretend that his entry to Atlasia wasn't at all suspicious).

LOL

LOL LOL

You are seriously insinuating that PurpleState posts on the forum just because of his ambition to become the powerless head honcho in an imaginary political game, and that this desire has led him through years of planning, Machiavellian strategy, and extreme personality-masking? You, of all people, are suggesting this? You, Hamilton, the man that joined Atlasia, recruited zombie voters galore, personally destroyed the RPP from within, attempted to make political deals to give PiT the presidency, masterminded a vote-shuffling plan that put the entire northeastern region in your pocket?

I'll admit that PurpleState's push to restart the GM Office seemed a bit self-serving, considering he's been GM ever since- but that's really irrelevant; when he was trying to restart the office he let it be known to everyone he thought he could make a great Game Moderator- and look, he has! Without a shred of personal gain, I might add. Really, PS has always been one to put Atlasia first and himself second, always trying to make the game more fun rather than, I don't know, plotting to have the most power in a pretend politics game on the internet.

This is like "the pot calling the kettle black", except instead of being black the "kettle" is actually a rather large white chinaware plate with a fancy blue pattern around the edges. Also, the pot's been thrown out the window because it was moldy and giving the kitchen a bad smell so now it's shouting its accusations by pretending to be a baking tray.

Now you know why I eat bacon with my eggs instead of ham.

Screw a banner contest, you win best pun of the campaign.

[Purple State]

Campaign Banner Contest

Remember to enter your best submissions in the Purple State/Marokai Blue Campaign Banner Contest before noon on Thursday, May 6.

A poll will be made for the 5 best banners and the winner of that will get their banner (and name) in my signature for the remainder of the campaign.

Good luck!

[Purple State]

Getting the thread back on track a little bit.. I'm pretty sure tomorrow will mark another day we publish some more of our goals, PS on game reform of course, and myself on domestic policy. The last I heard we will be doing that every Thursday for sure, though that won't prevent us from posting more ideas on another times. That might not last the entire campaign, since at some point we'll pick up the pace closer to the election, but for now that seems to be the plan.

I'm also probably going to change my first post in this thread and move my opening speech down a little bit, and use my first post as a table of contents for all our proposals so they can be easily navigated.

Yes, all this. I may actually sneak two interrelated game reforms into my post.

[Purple State]

What do you think the long-term prospects of the Democratic Alliance are?

Predictions in Atlasia, especially those about the fate of political parties, are a fool's errand that I won't take part in. Members of the DA are widely respected not for our ideology, but for our records in the game, and I intend to make that commitment to activity and policy the foundation of my campaign and, hopefully, of my administration if elected.

[Purple State]

Game Reform: What Wiki?

The Atlasia Wiki is possibly the most crucial element of this game; it is where we form a common history and shared knowledge, where our contributions can outlast our presence in the game. Unfortunately, it is also the most difficult aspect of this game to maintain.

Containing information accumulated over the years, the Wiki has become a complex and unmapped world unto itself. Navigation beyond the most basic elements is often difficult, if not almost impossible.

We have tried to keep the Wiki organized by "empowering" the Attorney General with the unrelated task of keeping it up to date. But as Atlasia has undergone positive reforms, transitioning from a simple and centralized federal government to a more complex web of decentralized federal management of regional governance, our game has outpaced the ability of any individual to keep up with the many Wiki updates required on a daily basis.

The current state of our history is not the fault of any one person, but rather, it is a result of our collective failure to take ownership of this responsibility.

We can change this, but only if we change how we think about the game. Together we must all encourage an environment of responsibility and shared governance. This involves the rehabilitation of the ”Repair Our Wiki” project in a more sustained way, where citizens are actively encouraged to do their part.

I will make sure that my administration leads by example. In my first week in office I promise to create a set of self-enforced Wiki guidelines by executive order for all officers I appoint, whether to the Cabinet or the Supreme Court. I will only appoint those who have shown a commitment to proper Wiki maintenance in their time here. My Cabinet will be reminded regularly to update (and improve) their specific pages; those who fail to do so will be dismissed from their office.

Some changes can or even must be made from the top down to ensure proper implementation and organization. This is not one of them. The Wiki is a part of this game that we share, regardless of one's status as an office holder or a civilian, as a JCP, DA, RPP, Pop, SDP, Horse..., CMPA, Sam Spade Party, etc., as a federalist or regionalist. The Wiki belongs to Atlasia and all Atlasians must feel responsible for its future success.

[Purple State]

1. I don't have a wiki account.
2. I have no plans of getting a wiki account.
3. I have just done a remarkable job on the census and voter lists, if I do say so myself.  If you are threatening to fire me for not doing wiki work, I suppose that will be your prerogative once you are elected- I think it would be a bad move.

While I think you have done a wonderful job on the voter roll, your refusal to get a Wiki account is troubling. If the most respected Atlasians cannot lead by example for the betterment of the entire game then that respect is simply a waste.

Is there a justification for your position on this?

[Purple State]

If you really want to push this, get an instruction manual published, or provide a link to one.  Like I said, I know zero about this.  If Purple State wants everybody getting involved, we all need some training.

That is a valid concern and one that can be addressed relatively simply. The first step is PMing Peter for an account. Once that is done, I recommend playing around with your page and seeing what you can self-teach. Beyond that, there are always experts on the forum out there who are willing to help.

My intention is not to strong arm people to "get with the program or get out" so to speak. But I do hope that people will take this to heart and realize that letting the Wiki rot is a bad way to keep this game going.

As an example, many of the issues Franzl had in the last election were more a product of an outdated and confusing Wiki than of anything else. This is the Department of Forum Affairs Wiki page. First of all, it is almost impossible to find this page without searching for it in the search bar. Second, it's almost completely wrong. How can we expect new or less experienced members to successfully transition into these positions when the resources to teach are like this?

Just to be clear, the last thing I want to do is make you feel cornered. But at the same time, it is time that the more experienced, more respected members lead by example and change the culture of the Wiki for the better.

[Purple State]

That is a valid concern and one that can be addressed relatively simply. The first step is PMing Peter for an account. Once that is done, I recommend playing around with your page and seeing what you can self-teach. Beyond that, there are always experts on the forum out there who are willing to help.

That's a start, but I'm asking for a bit more.

You're asking me- and pretty much all of Atlasia- to invest some time and energy into learning how to do something.  I ask for instructions, your suggestion is I play around and see what I can self-teach.

In order to post the voter list, I had to learn how to post tables.  How did I do that?  I went to the ?Help link.  It didn't provide much, but it gave me enough to accomplish what I needed.  If there's a similar link for wiki editing, just tell me where it is and I'll shut up.

I hear a lot from people how difficult and cumbersome the process can be.  Purple State, you point out that there are a few "experts" available to help.  My challenge to you, Mr. Candidate, is to find one of these "experts" to write a basic instruction manual.  I'm sure it need not be overly lengthy- a few pages maybe.  If you can deliver that, I promise to get an account and update the voter list there.  Deal?

If it was just for me, I wouldn't be so demanding.  But you are asking for a lot more than just me.  This may make it possible for you to get there.

Fritz, I accept your challenge.

This is the page meant to contain editing help for the Atlasia Wiki. Currently it is blank. My administration will make sure it contains relevant information for Wiki editing.