Second Presidential Debate, Feb. 8 - Feb 12 (CLOSING STATEMENTS)

[tmthforu94]

For the second time now, thank you, Archangel, for hosting this debate. And thank you to Oakvale, as well as any future candidates, for agreeing to do this debate.

I’m running in this election to give Atlasia an active, center-right administration. I have outlined various positions of mine throughout this campaign, and I hope to be able to go more in-depth on some of them during the debate. One new issue I think needs to be addresed in the game - with the departure of the member in charge of “Introduction to Atlasia”, I think it is essential that we quickly establish a new introduction thread. I hope to be able to expand on the current Intro thread by showing a list of clearly defined rules to the game - qualifications for running for various offices, how to get on the “Do Not PM list”, and many others.

A lot of the problems currently facing the game deal with game reform, and will have to be solved no matter who the next President is. I hope to use this debate to work with my fellow candidates on discussing and debating possible solutions to the problems we face.

Thank you, and Dave Bless!

[tmthforu94]

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I think my biggest accomplishment would be to reform the Game Moderator position. Several ideas have been presented before me, all of them very good. I hope this debate will be just one of many instances where we can discuss and debate which idea is the best. The idea I originally had consisted of creating two GM’s, each with different focuses. Another idea I’ve heard, which I really like, is possibly making the SoEA and SoIA either “Co-GM’s” or assistants. It’d certainly bring some relevance to the positions, especially SoIA, a position many want to do away with.

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I think most would agree with me that a private ballot would be the most ideal, however, it’s unrealistic. The chances of fraud would be very high in that situation. Therefore, I’d never support changing the current system of public ballots.

[tmthforu94]

What is the usefulness of the Wiki in your eyes?

The Wiki is extremely useful for anyone who wants to learn about the game’s history, as well as if a new member who wants to learn how things operate. If I am ever talking to a newbie, I always make sure to refer them to the Wiki.

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I do. As Governor, I made it a priority to keep the entire Mideast page as up-to-date as possible, making at least an update or two every couple of weeks. I think the bill proposed by Senator Bgwah for a Wiki Article of the Month is a great way to encourage user involvement.  Hopefully, no matter who is President, we can try and get more active citizens involved in updating the Wiki, and hopefully we’ll see less and less stub articles.

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I’d say so. On any important piece of legislation that reaches my desk, I’ll make a few sentence comment on why I’m signing or vetoing the bill. I did something similar to that as Governor of the Mideast region, and I think it’s a great way to try and get citizens to
understand what the bill will do.

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Hopefully one way to help get activity going in the government is to reform the GM position so both the Senate and regional legislatures can have more to work with. On top of that, I would support a small reduction of posts required to join Atlasia to try and avoid spamming. Perhaps 69 would be a good number?

Something else that was discussed earlier in this campaign was the idea of a “Welcoming Committee”. I personally love this idea, and will lead a charge to get that started up within the first week or two of my administration. This program would help smooth the transition for new members interested in getting active in Atlasia, and hopefully instead of newbies voting a couple times then falling off the rolls, they’ll stay active. I think a great way to encourage that activity is encouraging them to run for regional legislatures. I have first hand experience in that area, and I know that regional legislatures are a great way to get a newbie active.

I’m sure my opponents also have other ideas I may not have mentioned on how we can stimulate the game. I don’t care who proposes the idea, if I like it, I’d try and implement in my administration. This election should be about a collaboration of ideas, and that’s what I hope to make it.

[tmthforu94]

We will continue from where we left off yesterday, to finish off game reform.

Do you believe that Atlasia is oversimplified or overcomplicated?

Especially compared to other political simulations, I don’t think this game is overcomplicated. Obviously, it’s a bit overwhelming to someone new to the game, but they should be expecting that. I think the Introduction to Atlasia thread is a great service for new members, as I remember using it myself. I also think the idea of a Welcoming Committee could also be very beneficial to helping new members get adjusted.

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I would like to see Atlasia more active, and I think just about every candidate would great that’d be a prime objective. By the end of my Presidency, I’d like to at least see substantial reform to the GM position, a better transition for new members into the game, and more of a focus on foreign policy than the current. We also need more buildings in Atlasia named after Senator Duke!

[tmthforu94]

Didn't see deadline until a few minutes ago!

Is Atlasia's national security adequate?  Have the latest terrorist attacks proven just how vulnerable we are?

I’m generally pleased with our national security system, though I do believe security should be strengthened in all federal offices to help prevent another bombing in the future.

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If we had a larger and more active body of citizens, I would support creating a second chamber. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re at the activity levels needed to support that, so it’ll take a backburner in my administration. I support keeping the status quo in the Senate of 5 regional Senators and 5 at-large Senators.

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No. I would only support war currently if we were attacked by another country or posed a serious threat. As I’ve said before, I support cuts in the defense department, and I think we’re currently spending way too much there, specifically in funding for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I will be outlining those specific cuts later on in this debate.

[tmthforu94]

Didn't see deadline until a few minutes ago!

Is Atlasia's national security adequate?  Have the latest terrorist attacks proven just how vulnerable we are?

I’m generally pleased with our national security system, though I do believe security should be strengthened in all federal offices to help prevent another bombing in the future.

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If we had a larger and more active body of citizens, I would support creating a second chamber. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re at the activity levels needed to support that, so it’ll take a backburner in my administration. I support keeping the status quo in the Senate of 5 regional Senators and 5 at-large Senators.

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No. I would only support war currently if we were attacked by another country or posed a serious threat. As I’ve said before, I support cuts in the defense department, and I think we’re currently spending way too much there, specifically in funding for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I will be outlining those specific cuts later on in this debate.

In accordance with previous Presidential actions actually I believe we are already out of both.

Yet it was still included in the recent budget.

[tmthforu94]

1.  What is your opinion of the recent events surrounding the major political parties of Atlasia?

I think the emergence of a new party has certainly breathed some life into the game. While many feel this election has consisted of much drama and silliness, at the same time, this has been one of the most active election cycles in recent memory.

I hope that the levels of activity currently being displayed by all political parties will continue on into the next four months, but be used in a more positive and less dramatic manner.

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My administration will place more of an emphasis on reforming the game itself, but we're also going to try and play the game as well. Both of these work hand in hand, so I can't really say I'll exclude one of them in my administration.

[tmthforu94]

Though this debate was short, and policy wasn't discussed like I hoped for it to be, I'd like to personally thank Archangel for still doing this debate.

Throughout my time as both Governor and Senator, I have held a record - a record of being consistently active. As a Senator, I would make the effort to spark debate and provide bills/amendments as often as I could. More recently, as Governor, I've fulfilled each role of my job effectively, and was an active part of debate in the Mideast Assembly. As President, you won't see me disappear for a couple of days every now and then, and if I ever do have to leave, it's probably an emergency and I'll have announced a LOA.

Many of the issues facing this game go beyond ideology, GM reform as the key one. During these difficult times facing our nation, we need an active leader who is truly committed to improving this game. I believe I am that leader.

During this campaign, I've received support from all different ideologies. Regardless of yours, if you want to see an active, bi-partisan administration, I ask you to support this ticket. If you want a President and Vice President who are active in debate and pushing the Senate along, I ask you to vote for this ticket.