Life in Gotham: A Gotham City Municipal Election Series (2014).

[Bigby]

The Children of Arkham:

During the third term of Falcone, Arkham Asylum was fully retooled into a supervillain detention unit while the mentally ill were quickly sent to the newly constructed Leland Mental Health Hostpital. Named in honor of its first Director, Dr. Joan Leland, this new institution existed to heal mentall illness in regular patients without exposing them to metahumans or vigilantes. While this project went overbudget, it went ahead of schedule by half the time. Rather than waiting until 2014 to begin operations, Leland Hospital opened up on July 30th, 2012. While many supervillains remained at large, this new institution for the non-powered benefited Gotham substantially. Violent crime from average humans slowed down, more illnesses were efficiently treated, and the quality of life for both the mental inmates and the hospital employees skyrocketed. The construction and opening of the Leland Hospital turned out to be an objective plus for the people of Gotham City. Arkham Asylum remained open, but was less successful in its new mission. While the captured villains saw longer detainment times and escaped less often, incidents remained too high for citizens to be comfortable.

District Attorney Harvey Dent and Philanthropist Bruce Wayne at the opening of the Leland Hospital on July 30th, 2012. This is the last image of Dent and Wayne together on good terms.

Arkham Asylum faced another issue: terrorism. A group of vigilante-styled thugs known as the "Children of Arkham" began to terrorize the denizens of Gotham City. Their leader, a masked and heavily costumed woman by the name of "Lady Arkham" condemned her city as "flooded with hypocritical lunatics who foolishly believe that they are not the insane ones;" she proves her point using an inhibition-removing drug known commonly as "the White Rose." Initial victims of White Rose injection turned into rabid monsters that attacked everything around them indiscriminately until dead, but later incidents proved even worse. The drug became refined to retain the victim's cognitive abilities and skillset, but forced them to act out their deepest, darkest desires, whether good or ill. Lady Arkham has used her White Rose to create new or modified existing rogues to ruin the Batman's life. For example, a former Arkham psychiatrist, Harleen Quinzel, became a psychotic, scantily-clad jester villainess by the moniker of Harley Quinn. In another example, Catwoman was injected with White Rose, which made her decide that she was an actual catgirl rather than a costumed vigilante. Lady Arkham's main focus has been breaking out existing villains out of Arkham and causing general chaos for the institution rather than creating new woes, however.

The Children of Arkham remain invincible in their avoidance of the law's grasp, though District Attorney Harvey Dent has landed several convictions for individual low-level members. What troubles the public about these convictions is that numerous Children of Arkham members have been revealed as current or former Wayne Enterprises employees. Dent has yet to find evidence condemning Bruce Wayne or his wife Vicki Vale Wayne, so he has publicly reminded Gotham not to correlate these incidents as an indictment of the Wayne family themselves. However, Bruce Wayne has not taken Dent's prosecution of the Children of Arkham well. Despite the District Attorney's insistence that he believes the Waynes themselves are innocent of any CoA activity, Wayne believes that Dent is profiling his employees as a personal attack against the Waynes. When the police began questioning Vicki Wayne over how well she learned information about the Children, Bruce's anger bled to the entire city government. Bruce Wayne's media following fully believe and condone his tirades against Gotham City for supposedly singling out his family, but the public at large sees Wayne as a crybaby. Bruce always acted rather cynically thanks to the death of his parents, and Alfred's death at the hands of Dr. Strange further soured the billionaire, but Bruce was finally stooping to new lows.

Bruce Wayne has lately been using his wealth and influence as a means to combat what he sees as threats from everyone around him. His political strong-arming pushed the District Attorney's election to the odd year in between normal elections rather than on the midterm year as was already law, which got passed thanks to a veto override from some suddenly wealthier Councilmen. (Harvey won the 2013 D.A. election in a landslide over Bruce Wayne's backed candidate.) Wayne soured at the Cobblepots because of their son Oswald's friendship with Dent, causing him to believe in a Cobblepot-Dent conspiracy against him. As a response, Wayne waged market war against the Cobbelpots, only for this war to blow up in his face monetarily. Vicki Wayne ran smear campaigns against Falcone, Dent, and Cobblepot, but only the true believers in the Wayne cult of personality took these hit pieces seriously. Bruce Wayne finally won a battle as evidence of an adultery scandal for Deputy Mayor Renee Montoya opened, forcing her to decline a run for Mayor. With that, Bruce Wayne became the first 2014 Mayoral candidate. While no other major challengers seemed feasible against such a wealthy juggernaut, District Attorney Dent jumped into the race with the backing of everyone slighted by Bruce Wayne. Two former friends had become political enemies, so this race turned negative instantly.
Dent and Wayne have revealed themselves in both policies, reasoning for running, and in rhetoric to be as different as night and day. Dent condemns Bruce Wayne as a spoiled manchild while Bruce Wayne considered Harvey Dent no more than a jackbooted zealot.

The Candidates:

District Attorney Harvey Dent - "Bruce Wayne Is A Spoiled Manchild."

Harvey Dent's platform suits the man perfectly: law-and-order styled rhetoric, an emphasis on maintaining checks and balances and the constitutional limits imposed on the city's government, and an appeal to the middle and lower classes. In other words, Harvey Dent's stances on the issues surprise no one. Also unsurprising is his continued support of the vigilante Batman. What surprises everyone is that he is running for Mayor out of what seems like an obligation to the city rather than a desire for a promotion. The District Attorney talks solemnly about leaving the D.A.'s office, but Dent has made his reasoning clear: Bruce Wayne cannot become Gotham's Mayor. Falcone is too old, Montoya is mired in adultery allegations plaguing both herself and her husband, and Wayne's media machine has scared off every other challenger. Dent continues to manage the D.A.'s office while he campaigns, but has become substantially more hands-off to focus on campaigning. While he makes sure to arrive at critical functions, Dent has not been seen as much during nighttime political functions, usually when Batman is active. Speculation has begun from the Wayne camp that Dent and the Batman are in league together, but such speculation was self-silenced when it was revealed that voters liked that notion. Should Harvey Dent win, A.D.A. Dinah L. Lance will become interim District Attorney, and will face full election in 2017, or 2018 if Dent becomes Mayor and restores the original election date.

Billionaire Bruce Wayne - "Harvey Dent Is A Jackbooted Asshole."

Running for fame, glory, and to get back at those he considers against him is Bruce Wayne. The billionaire playboy prides himself in a self-funded campaign, though many voters question its status as a campaign period. Most of Bruce Wayne's time on the campaign trail is spent entertaining fellow wealthy Gothamites, flaunting his wealth and power rather than explaining his politics, and attacking those he perceives as out to get him. This contrast from his loving, thoughtful, and generous persona from his younger years has gained him the unflattering nickname "Brucie Two-Face." Unlike Harvey Dent, Bruce Wayne despises the Batman. Wayne has admitted that he hates Batman for not saving his parents, but considering that Batman did not exist until four whole years after their death in the Owl Hunting, some consider this petty. Wayne seems to despise every metahuman and vigilante in Gotham period, as "[he wants] to see them dead and hanging like the witches they are for what they've done to the city." He definitely seems less concerned about due process than Dent, at least in that regard. Unlike Dent, Wayne definitely shows up to nighttime political events, but has a worse overall presence rate on the campaign trail. At the young age of 27, Bruce barely exceeds the minimum age of 25 needed to run for Mayor, serving as a contrast from the 41 year old Harvey Dent.

You have 48 hours to vote. As a special note, the Children of Arkham intend on attacking both the debate and polling areas, so Gotham PD has quadrupled its presence for those events. Be careful not to feel Lady Arkham's stinging concussion blasts from her staff. (Also, the 2012 election results are coming soon ASAP.)

[Kingpoleon]

Two Face Wayne.

[Bigby]

US Presidential Election, 2012:

Senator Hal Jordan (R - TX)/Governor Rob Portman (R - OH): 355 EVs, 52.5% PV
President Michael Bloomberg (D - NY)/Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D - NJ): 183 EVs, 44.7% PV

President Bloomberg made well sure that his administration remained spotless to contrast himself from his predecessor, Lex Luthor. That worked well for him, but his policies did not. At first, Bloomberg's ability to compromise with moderate Republicans worked for his image and for the public's perception of his administration. However, the particular compromises he made tanked him. To combat the obesity epidemic, President Bloomberg negotiated with Democrats to cut farming subsidies, particularly corn subsidies. This caused a huge regional recession in the western Midwest and parts of the South. A bill that expanded the H-1B visa program at the cost of restoring border limitations with Mexico drove up unemployment and depressed wages. Execution action to open up dialogue about a trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership revived the outsourcing scare and depressed market confidence as a result. The decent economic growth seen after the Second Demon's Awakening ended by early 2011, with the US economy shrinking somewhat or barely growing at all. The American public continued to sour on liberal technocracy.

This dissatisfaction with urban liberalism blessed the conservative-populist wing of the Republican Party. Orient War veteran and distinguished Air Force bomber pilot turned Senator Hal Jordan of Texas ran as the polar opposite of President Bloomberg. Jordan voted against nearly every bill endorsed by Bloomberg or his ideological proponents. This meant having to campaign against the actions of moderate Republicans, but Jordan did so without a twinge of reluctance. Jordan's ardent populism and willingness to attack both parties earned him the ardent opposition of the establishment wing, which was led by Fmr. Vice President John Kasich. Many expected the more humble, middle class, and gruff Hal Jordan to lose against the heavily-funded Kasich, but a string of strong victories in Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada propelled Jordan into the needed amount of delegates by the April 3rd primaries. Jordan secured the staunch conservatives and most of the constitutionalist base, which apparently comprised far more of the GOP than Kasich or the rest of the establishment expected. Critical endorsements from figures like Huntsman only served to help Jordan as well. Senator Jordan seleced Ohio Governor Rob Portman, an enigmatic but charismatic figure stuck in between establishment and conservative-populist, as his running mate.

The Democratic nomination was far messier and far longer. As it turns out, another populist senator wanted their party's nomination, the youthful and energetic Oliver Queen of Washington state. Queen represented the liberals dissatisfied with the identity politics and technocracy of the Luthor-Bloomberg Democratic Party. What prompted Queen to run was the failed attempt by Bloomberg to sacrifice the Medicaid expansions and preexisting condition removal clauses from the ACA to get Republicans to support the law. While not as wealthy as Bloomberg, Queen was wealthy enough to self-finance whenever possible. Queen energized the youth vote and white Democrats while Bloomberg relied on older Democrats, crossover Republicans, and minority voters. Queen won the majority of delegates, but not enough to secure the nomination. In other words, the Democrats witnesses the 1976 Reagan-Ford confrontation once again. Unlike Reagan in '76, Queen refused to relent and took the fight to a brokered convention. After losing on the 3rd ballot to President Bloomberg, Queen reluctantly conceded but gave a half-hearted endorsement. To appeal to minorities, Bloomberg replaced Vice President Jack Ryan with Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

With Bloomberg continuing to push his technocratic reforms through Congress, Jordan remained the frontrunner for the majority of the race. Bloomberg managed to pull the race close after a "Draft Queen" movement failed to secure ballot access in all states outside of WA, OR, and ID, but Jordan regained his more decisive win status again after a victorious first debate. Bloomberg's minority gambit pulled certain states closer, but these upswings failed to pull for him the traction which he needed most. Turns out that black voters were not too enthusiastic over the idea of the first black *Vice* President. Senator Jordan's populist rhetoric largely offended only those who would never vote for him to begin with, such as his native city of Coast City, California. A genuine landslide win, a strong showing from the Green Party, and surprising squeakers in traditionally Democratic states afforded Jordan a sure win against the incumbent President. Despite Jordan's massive win, Republican margins in Congress decreased. Several Republicans who differed from Jordan sank to Democratic challengers, causing the House GOP share to shrink to 245 members and for the GOP margin in the Senate to shrink from 59 to 55. (One GOP Senator, Lincoln Chafee, switched parties.) Still, the Republicans got to enjoy what could be their last landslide as urban centers solidify under the Luthor-Bloomberg urban liberalism.

After nearly sixteen years in the Air Force and nearly twelve Years in the Senate, Hal Jordan (R - Texas) finds himself as the 46th President of the United States.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Dent. Billionaires who think they're above the law must be brought to heel.

[White Trash]

Dent. Billionaires who think they're above the law must be brought to heel.

[Mr. Smith]

[Bigby]

Reminder that voting ends in about five hours. I will try to post the results tonight, but do not be surprised if they don't appear until tomorrow. The 2015 Finale will likely be posted Monday or Tuesday.

[Bigby]

And Harvey Dent wins in a landslide. I will write and post the results tomorrow, as I've been busy all day today.

[Bigby]

I Fought The Law, But The Law Won:

True to their threats, the Children of Arkham attacked during the one and only Mayoral debate. Despite Commissioner Gordon's best attempts to insulate and protect the debate, Lady Arkham's forces shot, stabbed, and concussion blasted their way through the GCPD garrison. As Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne were welcomed onto the stage, Lady Arkham blew the moderator's head to bits with her staff's blast and ordered her goons to lock down the entire perimeter to prevent anyone from leaving. Her goals were stated clearly and simply by her: expose both Dent and Wayne for their secrets. The accusations of Wayne being a two-faced liar were typical, and thus garnered no dramatic effect. However, she claimed that Harvey Dent was the Batman himself, and was using the vigilante's cowl to defeat injustice when the legal side failed. Both candidates found themselves involuntarily injected with White Rose at staffpoint. However, things did not go to plan for the Children....

A Batman symbol was drawn on Harvey Dent's forehead while Bruce Wayne received a vertical blane line drawn right down the middle of his face. When Harvey Dent spoke, he never grew the eerie blue veins or any other symptoms of the White Rose drug. Instead, he looked perfectly fine. Dent became impassioned, but never revealed that he was the Batman while ever denying it either. Dent's tirade instead condemned the Children of Arkham for trying to undermine both Batman's good deeds towards Gotham City while trying to illegitimize the city government at once. Lady Arkham was prepared to punish Dent for "going off-script," but before she could, a suddenly vein-coated and infuriated Bruce Wayne grabbed her while trying to choke her to death. At first, the billionaire's ramblings where outright incoherent besides mention about an actual dose of White Rose and a placebo. Apparently, the placebo was meant for Wayne while Dent was meant to get the real dose.

Bruce Wayne's sudden lack of inhibition allowed him to reveal his conspiracy with Lady Arkham to the public. With a simple syringe injection, the so-called philanthropist revealed everything. "Vicki, you dumb bitch! Mr. Goody Two-sh**ts Dent was supposed to be injected with the actual drug to reveal that he's Batman, not me! God damn it! I tell you to do one thing, ONE thing, and you fail to succeed. Now everyone knows that I am married to Lady Arkham, and that I have been engineering this entire operation with you so you could reclaim the rightful legacy of the Arkham family line!" Not only has Lady Arkham been revealed to be none other than Vicki Vale Wayne, but Bruce Wayne admitted to numerous crimes while being unable to hold back the truth. The Children of Arkham quickly shot and busted their way out to retreat. While he tried to flee the police, Bruce Wayne was tripped by his wife Vicki and fell on a sharp blade prop in the backstage area, slicing his skin and part of the muscle clean open right on the painted line. Harvey Dent retained his beloved image while any remnant of Bruce Wayne's shattered.

Harvey Dent unsuprisingly won in a landslide, claiming a 75% victory over the newly-admitted criminal Bruce Wayne. Wayne's name remaining on the ballot was merely a formality, and half of his voters admitted that their choice was solely borne out of wanting to keep Harvey Dent as District Attorney. As promised, Dent has immediately stepped down and has allowed A.D.A. Dinah Lance to assume the role of Acting District Attorney. Gotham City is uncertain about the status of the Children of Arkham, as those not arrested or killed during the debate attack fled into hiding along with Vicki Wayne. Bruce Wayne awaits trial while his face gets repaired. So far, the muscle tissue has reconnected perfectly, but a strongly-pronounced scar has formed along the middle of his face and almost became infected from the paint. Wayne has been reportedly mumbling about chance, and may be revealing signs of schizophrenia that could complicate the prosecution's job of getting him convicted. At least Gotham City gets the Mayor it both needs and deserves.

2014 Midterms:

Amidst the 2013 and 2014 crises borne by the Children of Arkham in Gotham City, the United States went to war with the League of Assassins forces in the Arabian peninsula by first declaring war on Assassins-backed Qatar and Bahrain and then joining the Hashemite-Saudi coalition. That war is being won slowly but surely, with Ridayh being liberated by General Eiling under an American-led counterattack. Hejaz remains deeply torn by strong Assassins presence, but the League of Shadows, local forces and rebels, and the United States military has successfully depleted the League of Assassins' funds by claiming the eastern oil fields in their entirety. Only 3,000 American troops have been lost, and more and more League of Assassins members are defecting to the League of Shadows. On the civilian front, President Jordan has fulfilled most of his campaign promises so far, particularly on an ACA repeal that keeps the Medicaid expansion, keeps young adults on their parents' insurance until they are 26, and keeps the removal of preexisting conditions. This is in addition to several other reforms. The economy has picked back up, and American safety is at an all-time high. While liberals and Democrats are enraged by Jordan's policies and rhetoric, the average American is satisfied.

Election Night 2014 witnessed decent turnout but absolutely boring and static results. The margins in the House remained practically unchanged, and the Republicans only gained 2 net seats to a total of 57. The Class 2 Senate seats already favored Republicans, of which there are many in this class already, and liberal areas refused to allow Jordanite advancement into their strongholds. Still, Speaker DeMint and Senate Majority Leader Huntsman were gleeful to retain their positions. House Minority Leader John Lewis and Senate Minority Leader Dianne Feinstein suffered from an increasingly uphill battle to turn Congress Democratic. Everyone finds themselves more intrigued by the 2016 Presidential Election, with Oliver Queen and Cory Booker already at each others' throats.

[Antonio the Sixth]

This is awesome. It was a really fun game to play, thanks.

[Bigby]

This is awesome. It was a really fun game to play, thanks.

Thanks! The finale will be up tomorrow, as some personal things emerged.

[GoTfan]

Have any former Mayors expressed and interest in running for Congress?

[Bigby]

Have any former Mayors expressed and interest in running for Congress?

Regina Zellerbach eventually won the seat her deceased husband filled in 2002, and still holds onto that seat today. Sarah Gordon is currently being considered as a successor to the aging Peter Grogan. Renee Montoya considered running for her mother's old seat, but her dual adultery scandal sinks her from the start. Burton, Sionis, and Hill are too dead to pursue another office.

The 2015 finale is being written now.