Truman for Mideast Assembly! (VOTE!)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

HARRY S TRUMAN
—Mideast Representative—

Speeches

Announcement Speech (7/7) Indianapolis, IN
On Domestic Policy and Reform (7/8) Charleston, WV
"Begin the World Anew" (7/9) Louisville, KY
On Inactivity (7/12) Bloomington, IN
VOTE! (7/16) Indianapolis, IN

Endorsements

Southern Legislator Darthebearnc (TPP-NC)
Senator Kalwejt (Lab-OH)

Fmr. Northeast Governor Winfield (Ind-RI)

Campaign Song

Swing, Swing, Swing (Glen Miller)

Campaign Banner

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Endorsed

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Endorsed and for the first time I'll be able to vote for you

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Nyman, D.C.

MY FELLOW MIDEASTERNERS:

The fate of our nation hangs in the balance. Apathy, selfishness, and a general lack of public involvement threaten to tear our Republic asunder, and a growing group of citizens now advocate for the dissolution of the current government. The troubles and weaknesses that for years have bubbled just beneath the surface of Atlasia are quickly coming to head, and I fear that unless we quickly change our stance, we will not be prepared to meet it.

I stand before you today to announce that I am a candidate for reelection to the Mideast Assembly in this month's election. I am in this race because I believe that Atlasia can change for the better. That change will not come easily - it will require much sweat, tears, and compromise on the part of all Atlasians - but it is possible. Already, such distinguished citizens as Cris, Windjammer, Lumine, and Bore - Atlasians who have a proven record of achievement - have committed themselves to the cause radical, meaningful reform, and many more have added their voices to the teaming throng of citizens clamoring for a new order in Atlasia.

If reelected to the Assembly this month, I will do everything in my power as a citizen and as a public servant to make this vision a reality. Over the past four months, I have worked alongside my colleagues in the Assembly to revive activity and interest in our Regional government. During that time, our Region adopted a new, better Constitution, took action to build a green energy economy for the future, and stood firm against the worst that the world could throw at us. As we prepare to take on the much harder task of shaping the future of our Republic, the time has come to summon that resolve once again.

Over the next two weeks, I will travel across this great Region, speaking with my constituents as I lay out my plan for reviving Atlasia. As always, I would be delighted to answer any questions you may have, either over PM or in this thread.

Long Live the Republic!

Harry S Truman, Speaker of the Assembly

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Endorsed

Thank-you, Legislator!

Endorsed and for the first time I'll be able to vote for you

Thanks very much, Senator!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Charleston, WV

Hello, West Virginia! It's been two months since a separatist insurrection attempted to cleave this great state from the Mideast, and while the effects of their reign of terror can still be seen, I am happy to find time to talk with the people of this state in more peaceful circumstances. In my last three campaigns for elected office, I have made a point of presenting a detailed plan of action to my constituents, and this time will be no different. While the current debate over the future of our Republic has obscured most other issues, I have not forgotten the profound effect that everyday problems have on the lives ordinary citizens and will continue to serve the Mideast accordingly.

My domestic program for my third term in the Assembly is, fittingly enough, threefold. First, I support using part of the $9 billion surplus created by the 2015 Budget to fund reconstruction efforts in the State of West Virginia. Terrorist activities by the so-called "C.A.S." this past spring wrought real and severe damage in this State, and it is vital that we take action to repair this damage. Second, I will sponsor legislation to liberalize abortion laws in the Mideast. Currently, Mideast law prohibits abortions after the 16th week of the pregnancy, and requires women seeking legal abortions to first jump through a series of bureaucratic hoops. If reelected to the Assembly this month, I will introduce legislation to legalize all abortions before the 20th week of the pregnancy and to strike down attempts by the Regional government to prevent citizens from receiving legal abortions. Third, I will support legislation to curb excessive testing in our public schools. This is an early initiative of mine that got pushed to the back burner as I led efforts to reform our Regional Constitution, but with those projects now complete I feel confident that we can at last have this important and necessary discussion.

Of course, none of these actions will matter if there is no government to enforce them, which brings me to the subject of Constitutional reform. The symptoms of the current malaise - a disinterested public, idle Regional governments, and a stagnant party system - are well known to all. Yet while our current batch of politicians has shown themselves to be quite adept at pointing out the problems with the current system, few have offered any real solutions. This is troubling, because without a comprehensive strategy for combating inactivity, we have hardly any chance of achieving meaningful reforms.

As I have said before, I support a Constitutional Convention as the best first step towards rebuilding Atlasia from the ground up. While some of my fellow citizens have called for the immediate dissolution of the current Republic, doing so would achieve little outside of destroying our last, best hope for inclusive reform. If the government is dissolved, there would be no legal procedure for replacing the Constitution; the result would be a game built around the desires of the loudest among us, rather than the democratic consent of the governed. By contrast, a Constitutional convention would include multiple perspectives and ideologies, ensuring that the resultant Constitution has as much support as possible.

In the coming days, I will lay out my own plan for our new Constitution and explain the changes I think should be made to the structure of our Republic. It is important that all citizens take part in this discussion, however, and so I encourage my constituents to take part in the Washington Society, AUFACC, the Hooverites, and other groups dedicated to proposing and debating solutions to our country's ills.

Long Live the Republic!

Harry S Truman, Speaker of the Assembly

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Louisville, KY

"We have it in our power to begin the World anew,"          -Thomas Paine

Yesterday, I spoke on the need for holding a Constitutional Convention to completely rebuild our national government. I support this measure because a democratically-summoned Convention is the only fair way to enact comprehensive reforms to the structure of our Republic. Once a Convention has been called, however, it will be of the greatest necessity that we quickly agree to a plan for rebuilding the national government. While we do not yet know the identity of the delegates to such a Convention, it is crucial that we start this dialogue now so that we do not become bogged down by competing visions for Atlasia when the time comes to build our new government.

This is what I would like to see come out of a Constitutional Convention:

I. The National Government
The scaffolding of the national government would remain the same: a three branch government with a President (executive), a Senate (legislative), and a Supreme Court (judicial). Broadly speaking, the national government would have authority over issues relating to foreign policy, election law, currency and national fiscal policy, the federal Bill of Rights, national defense, trade and interregional commerce, energy, conservation, interregional transportation, and public safety. (NOTE: This is a fluid list. I am perfectly willing to discuss removing or adding items to it.)

The President would continue to serve as both head of government and head of state. He would therefore continue to manage the executive departments, approve (or veto) legislation passed by the Senate, and otherwise serve as a national figurehead. The position of Vice President would be abolished, as most the the duties held by this office (presiding over confirmation hearings in the Senate and providing counsel to the president) could easily be transferred to other officials (the Speaker of the Senate and the cabinet, respectively). The president would continue to be elected every four months by a direct vote and would be ineligible to serve more than two terms consecutively.
The Senate would be the most changed of the three branches. Under the new system, there would be three classes of senators: Class A would consist of senators elected by the Regions, Class B would consist of senators elected per a district system, and Class C would consist of a single At-Large Senator who would serve as the chamber's ceremonial presiding officer much as the Vice President does now. In the event that the president leaves office before the end of his term, the Senator At-Large would assume the office of president. (NOTE: These changes include Regional Consolidation, so the number of Senators would actually decrease under this plan.) Senators would continue to serve four year terms, with elections for Class A held in presidential election months and elections for Classes B and C held two months afterwards.
The Supreme Court would retain its powers under the current Constitution: judging all cases that occur under federal law, interpreting the Constitution, and judging cases under Regional law when the effected Region does not have an established judiciary.

II. The Regions
First and foremost, we need to shrink the number of Regions through consolidation: there simply isn't enough interest right now to sustain five Regional governments. At the very least, I would like to see a four-Region map, though three Regions would likely be better. In addition to increasing the likelihood that every office will be filled, consolidation would also lead to more competitive elections, even if current activity levels remain constant.

In an effort to promote interest in Regional affairs, the Regions would be given authority over all issues not under federal jurisdiction (see Part I). Likewise, the Regions would have the power to order their own governments, just as they do now.

III. The Game Engine
The Game Moderator would be granted the authority to simulate the economic, social, and international effects of governmental actions as well as the actions of foreign governments and non-registered citizens. These simulations would be given the force of law.

Summary: I support a federal system, with the national government composed of a president, a Senate (1/2 elected by the Regions, 1/2 elected by the districts, plus a single at-large Senator), and a Supreme Court. The number of Regions should also be reduced.

Keep in mind that these are just my ideas: ultimately, the content of the new Constitution will depend on the democratically-expressed will of the people. I am always happy to speak with my constituents on matters of policy, so if you have any questions or comments  about this plan, feel free to contact me either by PM or in this thread.

Long Live the Republic!

Harry S Truman, Speaker of the Assembly

[Lincoln Republican]

Endorsed enthusiastically by former Northeast Governor Winfield.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Endorsed enthusiastically by former Northeast Governor Winfield.

Thanks, Governor!

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Bloomington, IN

Good day to the people of Bloomington! It's truly a pleasure to be once more amongst my fellow Hoosiers as I continue this campaign across our great Region.

I recently spoke to a meeting of the Washington Society on the subject of inactivity and, more specifically, what can be done to fight it. If returned as your Representative this Friday, making these proposals a reality will be my first priority.

I agree 100% that inactivity is the root of the current crisis. The other problems that have been noted here and elsewhere are real, but that is the cause. That makes reviving Atlasia much more difficult, because you can't simply legislate inactivity away. Combatting it will require we ourselves, as citizens, to make a conscious effort to change how we play the game.

1. Active, public campaigning. It is rare to see candidates for office making their case in the public forum; more often, they rely on personal messaging to turn out inactive voters and make little or no effort to maintain an active campaign thread. This is especially true for major party candidates, who can rely on their base and party infrastructure to put them over the edge. The problem with this is that, when the entirety of a campaign is conducted behind closed doors, there is very little opportunity for a public dialogue - this drives down participation (because there is little to participate in) and fuels what we might call 'robotic voting' (that is, voting for a candidate based on their party rather than their ideas or experience).

In short, candidates need to make more of an effort to campaign publicly. A handful of users  do this already (Lumine, TNF, and Polnut come to mind), but in order to revive Atlasia this needs to become the rule, not the exception.

2. More parties. When one or two large coalitions dominate Atlasia, the tendency to rely on party infrastructure instead of actively campaigning is fueled. The most obvious solution to this is to increase the number of parties. If no party has a numerical advantage over the others, candidates are forced to take their campaigns out into the open and win over the opposition. This in turn lends itself to more competitive elections and thus more fun.

I should note that I am not blaming folks like Griffin and Yankee for building successful party structures. That said, it would be good to see more small parties springing up, as opposed to having all the center-left users join Labor and all the center-right users navigate towards the Feds/ CR.

These two suggestions, if adopted by the citizenry, could do much to revive activity and interest in the game. That said, we cannot adopt a policy of "try harder and hope someone cares"; therefore, action must be taken to make the game more sustainable in the event that activity does not increase. To that end, I would recommend a general reduction of the number of offices, both at the federal and the Regional level. Why? Because if there are fewer offices, ambitious users would be forced to compete for positions in the government; this would lead to more competitive elections, even if activity levels remain constant. The easiest way to achieve this would be Consolidation, which would reduce the number of Senate seats in addition to the number of Regional positions.

The bottom line here is that the fate of Atlasia rests in the hands of its citizens. Lawmakers and civic leaders can do much to increase interest by starting discussions about policy and governmental reform, but in the end only the collective determination of the electorate to take part in the game can make this game, or any game, successful.

Long Live the Republic!

Harry S Truman, Speaker of the Assembly

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Indianapolis, IN

Ladies and Gentlemen, the hour of truth has come. As of 7:38 EST this evening, the polls are now open across the Mideast. It is now up to the people of this Region to select the men who will represent them in our Regional Assembly for the next two months.

In the past several days, I have traveled across this great Region as I have in each of my campaigns for office, speaking to the people of the Mideast on my vision for our country's future. I did this because I believe that the people deserve to know what their representatives are doing, and because Atlasia is only as great as the effort we put into it. Of the four men who will appear on your ballot this weekend, I was the only one to actively and publicly campaign for office, a fact that I think is very telling about the state of our Republic.

The past several weeks have seen many citizens propose new and promising ideas for our country's future. These effort are heartening, not simply because they promise to stir new interest in Atlasia, but because they show that the people of this country are willing to do the work to rebuild this Republic. I have never claimed, and I will not now, that the job of reviving Atlasia will be easy. We will succeed when, and only when, the Atlasian people join forces to defend our battered union.

If reelected to the Assembly this month, I will commit myself to building a new, stronger Republic for ourselves and for future generations. I will do this in two ways: by working to achieve meaningful, comprehensive reforms of our national government and by proposing legislation in the Assembly that engages and interests the public. And because I cannot do this alone, I urge my fellow Mideasterners to reelect my colleagues, EarlAW and Vivaportugalhabs, to the Assembly this weekend. Over the last two months, these individuals have shown their commitment to making our Regional government active and efficient, and I would be honored to continue to serve alongside them in the coming term.

The day is our own! Onward!

Harry S Truman, Speaker of the Assembly