True Federalist for Senate - Campaign HQ

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

National Press Club - Nyman, DC
(loud whispering heard from backstage as the gathered press waits for True Federalist to appear before them)

Please.  Can't I just tell them I've come to my senses?

It's too late for that now.  You already filed to run.  Don't worry.  It'll all come back to you.  In no time at all, you'll be enjoying Atlasian politics again, just like you did in the old days.

That's what I'm worried about.

(A spokesman comes out and addresses the press.)

The National Press Club is pleased to present next one of the candidates in this weekend's special election for the Senate, Retired Justice Ernest.

(polite applause, but no one comes out)

Justice Ernest

(more applause but still no one comes out)

Justice Ernest

(At last someone comes out, familiar to the veteran reporters, but with a touch of gray in his hair since they last saw him.)

Thank you.  For the benefit of those of you who aren't familiar with the record I achieved before taking a long break from Atlasia, let me start by going over what I have done.  Besides having twice been nominated and confirmed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, I've served at various times as a Governor, a Senator, Attorney General, and as the longest serving Secretary of Forum Affairs, back before the job was split into two.

While I have at times delved into the sillier side of Atlasian politics, I have proven that I am a thoughtful personage, and indeed, as Southeastern Governor was instrumental in a case that besides serving to secure the principle that the Regions are cosovereign with the Federal government, also had the unintended result of forcing the calling of a constitutional convention to deal with the deficiencies of Atlasia's first constitution.

However, before I open this up to questions, let me clarify one thing.  Ernest is not running for the Senate.  That was the name I registered for the forum under long ago, back in the days when one could not change one's display name at will.  However, for a long time now, I have consistently used the display name True Federalist, and that is the name I am running for Senate under.  That name exemplifies my approach to politics and to life.  Anyone who tells you that he has a one size fits all approach to solve our problems is either gravely mistaken, or is lying to you.  That's why the core of my political philosophy is federalism.  Some problems are best dealt with at a national level.  Some are best dealt with at a more local level, and thus we need a strong separation between their spheres of activity.  This is not just to protect local government from the excesses of a remote national government, but also to protect the national government from overextending itself by trying to deal with every single issue.

Questions?

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I too believe in the value of federalism, and believe we need more in the senate who see its importance. I plan to give you a high preference.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I don't like the whole "regional rights" stuff and "federalism".

Not endorsed due to irreconcilable political differences.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     While I greatly admire the role that you played in authoring many comprehensive & well-written initiatives as Southeast Governor back in 2004/2005, I have concerns about your lack of activity during your stint in the regional Legislature. If elected to the Senate, what level of activity are you willing to pledge?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

     While I greatly admire the role that you played in authoring many comprehensive & well-written initiatives as Southeast Governor back in 2004/2005, I have concerns about your lack of activity during your stint in the regional Legislature. If elected to the Senate, what level of activity are you willing to pledge?

Attendance, debate, and voting are what I am willing to pledge.  I'm less certain about whether I will be authoring any bills.  In my previous Senate stints, many of the bills I proposed for debate were intended to remedy what I perceived as defects in the law Atlasia inherited from the United States. I think that in the past seven years Atlasia has diverged sufficiently from the United States of seven years ago that such bills are in general no longer a practical use of the Senate's time.

[Dancing with Myself]

I may look foolish but who's seat are you running for?

[Associate Justice PiT]

     While I greatly admire the role that you played in authoring many comprehensive & well-written initiatives as Southeast Governor back in 2004/2005, I have concerns about your lack of activity during your stint in the regional Legislature. If elected to the Senate, what level of activity are you willing to pledge?

Attendance, debate, and voting are what I am willing to pledge.  I'm less certain about whether I will be authoring any bills.  In my previous Senate stints, many of the bills I proposed for debate were intended to remedy what I perceived as defects in the law Atlasia inherited from the United States. I think that in the past seven years Atlasia has diverged sufficiently from the United States of seven years ago that such bills are in general no longer a practical use of the Senate's time.

     Alright, thanks.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I may look foolish but who's seat are you running for?

Unless I've missed something, Franzl intends on running the special election as if it were a normal election for the at-large Senate seats, save that only 3 will be elected instead of 5.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Under current law succession of at-large seats when more the one is vacant is determined by party/ideology. Therefore say Shua, True Federalist and Oakvale were to win. Then in that case TF would likely get BK's seat (There both somewhat centrist) while shua gets Dallas' (First because both are pop and secondly both are Libertarian) and Lief's would go to the most liberal candidate which is probably Oakvale amongst the three. 


Of course this has nothing to do with who someone is running against, such a concept is impractical with this arrangement.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Having cast my ballot, I must say that I am pleased that there was no one I was voting against in this special election, just varying degrees of voting for.  Anyway, now to watch how the votes go as they roll in this weekend.

This brief special election campaign has definitely rekindled my interest in Atlasia, who I think could use someone of my talents, so whether I win or lose this weekend, I am announcing my intent to run for Senate in the April 2011 election.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Scene:In a hotel room in Nyman, DC.  Two men seated around a table, one looking at an iPad.

TF:  Are you certain these numbers are right?

(TF passes the iPad to the other man who puts it down without looking at it.)

Campaign Advisor:  They are unofficial, and they aren't final.  Right now we have you coming in third with a small but comfortable margin over Governor Oakvale in fourth.  That could easily change, and we haven't had anyone do any checking as to whether the people casting ballots are even on the voter list, let alone eligible to vote.  We're also assuming that none of the write-in votes will even be counted.

TF:  This isn't going how I thought it would.  It's obvious a lot of people aren't voting based on party labels, not that I'm complaining given how it's benefiting me.

Advisor:  True.  If those people who had first preffed Shua had second preffed Cocaine Guy instead of you...

TF: (interjecting) And don't forget his pulling an HTMLdon by not giving himself his own first pref.

Advisor:  You don't suppose...

TF: (interjecting vehemently)  Not you too!  We've got far too many people ready to cry "Sock!" as soon as one little quirk vaguely reminds them of what someone else does. ...  Besides, even if I thought HTMLdon would create a sock, he wouldn't have even given himself any preference, let alone a second preference.

[minionofmidas]

What's Don got to do with it?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Scene:In a hotel room in Nyman, DC.  Two men seated around a table, one looking at an iPad.

TF:  Are you certain these numbers are right?

(TF passes the iPad to the other man who puts it down without looking at it.)

Campaign Advisor:  They are unofficial, and they aren't final.  Right now we have you coming in third with a small but comfortable margin over Governor Oakvale in fourth.  That could easily change, and we haven't had anyone do any checking as to whether the people casting ballots are even on the voter list, let alone eligible to vote.  We're also assuming that none of the write-in votes will even be counted.

TF:  This isn't going how I thought it would.  It's obvious a lot of people aren't voting based on party labels, not that I'm complaining given how it's benefiting me.

Advisor:  True.  If those people who had first preffed Shua had second preffed Cocaine Guy instead of you...

TF: (interjecting) And don't forget his pulling an HTMLdon by not giving himself his own first pref.

Advisor:  You don't suppose...

TF: (interjecting vehemently)  Not you too!  We've got far too many people ready to cry "Sock!" as soon as one little quirk vaguely reminds them of what someone else does. ...  Besides, even if I thought HTMLdon would create a sock, he wouldn't have even given himself any preference, let alone a second preference.

We need you, with your writing skills, more on what-if, rather than in Senate, dude.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

What's Don got to do with it?

Back when HTMLDon was active in Atlasia, he generally didn't vote for himself when running for office.

We need you, with your writing skills, more on what-if, rather than in Senate, dude.

What is Atlasia other than one big interactive what-if?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

What's Don got to do with it?

Back when HTMLDon was active in Atlasia, he generally didn't vote for himself when running for office.

We need you, with your writing skills, more on what-if, rather than in Senate, dude.

What is Atlasia other than one big interactive what-if?

Oh, what-if is for creative writers.

Atlasia? You mean that little, hackish, immature, going on for ever bitching fest?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I  probably would be wiser tactically to wait until after the election to say this, but I wish to thank cinyc for his vote.

That may seem odd, since he only provided two preferences, and I wasn't one of them, but at this point, Shua has so many first preferences, and I have so many high preferences on ballots that have Shua as a first preference, that anyone giving Shua a first preference helps me.

As of this moment, his vote ended up causing me to gain about half of a vote, assuming all ballots cast so far are valid.  (The eventual contribution will depend on how much of a surplus Shua has, how big the final quota ends up being, and how many more transfers I end up gaining.)

Conversely, had he given 20RP12 his first preference and Shua his second, I wouldn't have gained a thing.  Indeed, I think he would have cost me some of the transfers I'm getting from 20RP12 when he is eliminated.

The joys of transferable votes.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The eventual contribution will depend on how much of a surplus Shua has, how big the final quota ends up being, and how many more transfers I end up gaining.

if every voter in Atlasia votes, the quota will be 35. i'm just over halfway there at this point, so it's likely but not a sure thing. i'm not taking it for granted.

[Bacon King]

What's Don got to do with it?

Back when HTMLDon was active in Atlasia, he generally didn't vote for himself when running for office.

I got elected to the Senate for the very first time in February '06 thanks to hmtldon giving me first preference over himself. Without his first preference Jake would've won instead of me.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Scene:A familiar hotel room in Nyman, DC. True Federalist is reclining on the bed, sipping a latte.  He doesn't much care for lattes, but since he is part of a liberal party, he is trying to fit in.

Adviser:  Want to hear the current numbers?

True Federalist:  Might as well.

Adviser: Shua has a lock on the first spot right now.  It would take 11 votes, all for Snowguy, just to knock him off leading the first preference count, and 21 votes, none for Shua to not have him exceed quota on the first count.  I don't see either having any chance of happening.

True Federalist:  Looks like others are starting to notice that as well.  Nik changed his ballot within the 20 minute window to first pref Jake Matthews instead of Shua.  I wonder who PMed him.

Adviser: If we find out, we'll send him a thank you note.  You gained from that switch since you were the third preference on his ballot.  It should balance the cuss out note that Franzl might send Nik, because that switch was enough to force him to have to eliminate Sewer and the politician formerly known as "Cocaine Is A Helluva Drug" in separate counts now.  Right now, I can see how either of them or Ogis will be able to escape being the first three to be eliminated.  None of them are getting any transfers from the other two no matter which order they are eliminated in, so the Gurl, Oakvale, Snowguy, and you will be the final four contending for the last two seats no matter what now.

True Federalist:  So what happens next in the count?

Adviser: Barring a last minute surge for both of them, either the Governor or the Gurl will be eliminated next.  Given the way transfers flow from them, the only effect which one is eliminated first has is whether you or Snowguy has the greater surplus on the next count.  Not too surprisingly, the Gurl's transfers flow mainly to you, a fellow UDL candidate, while Oakvale's transfers flow mainly to his fellow JCP candidate Snowguy.

True Federalist:  Unlike what happened with the Populares, where Shua's transfers went mainly to the UDL instead of a fellow Populare.

Adviser: It seems silly, but not totally.  Even with perfect vote management, I doubt that the Populares could have filled two of the three vacancies, so trying to help elect a more congenial adversary makes some sense.  Getting those transfers to happen in an earlier count rather than later does have an effect.

True Federalist: So what will you be doing next?

Adviser: Right now we're going back and checking to see that everyone who voted was eligible to vote.  Unless some votes are disqualified, it doesn't look like the remaining balloting will be able to change the results save for whether you or Snowguy has the bragging rights for coming in second overall.

(True Federalist looks at his iPad)

True Federalist:  Looks like while we've been talking, the Governor has had a bit of a surge.

(Hands iPad to adviser)

Adviser: Interesting, but not troubling unless it continues.  It does open up the possibility that the Governor goes to the Senate instead of Snowguy.  We'll check into that once we've finished our preliminary voter vetting.

(Adviser hands iPad back, then leaves.)

(True Federalist sips his latte, grimaces, and then puts it down on the nightstand.  He gets up, goes to the minifridge and pulls out a Cheerwine and takes a long sip.)

True Federalist: Ahhh!  I'm glad when my RegionCorp conglomerate imploded that I didn't lose this part.

Scene ends, followed by a commercial for Cheerwine, television critics complain about the obvious product placement in their reviews.

[Lambsbread]

Hooray! I was mentioned in a corporate brainwashing mechanism!

[Bacon King]

cheerwine

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Scene: A ballroom in a Nyman, DC hotel - The crowd looks dejected.  Out comes True Federalist to speak to them, looking upbeat and chipper.

It has been an exciting weekend hasn't it.  Considering how late I entered the race, and the fact that I had only recently returned to Atlasian politics, I actually did better than expected when the balloting started, but I would be lying if I didn't say that I wish things had been just a tiny bit better.

However, that they weren't better is no reason to be bitter.  We have all been reminded that it really is true that every vote counts.  Not only because the last vote decided this race, but it appears that for once, no vote is going to be disqualified.

I promised that win or lose, I would be campaigning in the April election, and I hope you will all take some of the campaign banners we've prepared for the race, Because Every Vote Counts.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

You come very close to win, Ernest. As much as I can disagree with you, I hope to see you soon at campaign trail again.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Congratulations for this hardly-fought race, and I hope to see you again in Atlasia.

Also, sorry for contributing to your defeat.