Atlas Star: Federalist primary debate

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Federalist Presidential Primary Debate

Welcome to the Federalist Presidential primary debate between President fhtagn and Former Justice/Senator Oakvale.

This debate will consist of:

-24 hours for opening statements
-48 for questions
-24 hours for rebuttals
-24 hours for closing statements

I wish both candidates the best of luck!

Commentary thread: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=272706.msg5822047#new

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Opening Statements
We will open the floor for opening statements.

I invite both candidates to please post their opening statements in the next 24 hours. 

[Oakvale]

Friends, Federalists, President Fhtagan,

My first duty is to thank Progressive Democrat for hosting this debate. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the fate of the Federalist Party, and of our nation, will be decided in the coming days and weeks.

When I returned to Atlasia the thought of running for President didn't so much as cross my mind. I've been down that road - it's gruelling, as it should be - before. But when I stared in despair at the state of the union, it became clear that something had to give.

Look around you.

The Senate is fossilised.

The House is in collapse.

The regions are moribund.

The Presidency is ignored.

The Cabinet is crippled.

The parties are practically indistinguishable.

The game is dying a slow and undignified death.

We simply cannot go on like this.

We need to stand up as one people and say "enough!"

I've worked at every level of government in Atlasia over a long and chequered political career. I've been an executive, working to rebuild shattered regions. I've been a legislator, holding the powerful to account and reforming constitutions. I've twice had the honour to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, serving as a bulwark against unchecked federal power and the erosion of the Constitution. One of our greatest leaders and finest Federalists, President Duke, awarded me the nation's then-highest civilian honour, the Order of Atlasia, for my work in salvaging the late, lamented Pacific region from anarchy. I know what it takes to turn this country around.

You know, we've had plenty of Federalist presidents in our time, but very few conservatives. The incumbent President is well-liked, but lacks the experience and vision to turn things around. She is the preferred candidate of the backroom bosses and cigar-chompers who know they can rely on an inoffensive, unspectacular administration to run out the clock on, if, by some miracle, she manages to defeat Crooked Harry Truman, a vicious operator.

When the Supreme Court banned federal legislation on abortion, I was the author of that ruling, the greatest victory for conservatism in a generation. When Labor tried to nationalise our energy system, I was there, leading the fight against a government takeover. When an out-of-control executive disgraced his office, I was there, leading the charge to strip him of his powers. And, look, I don't have the most orthodox conservative credentials in the world, I'll be the first to admit, but I'm not the one who journeyed from borderline communist to centrist in a matter of weeks. You can always count on me to defend limited government, because I genuinely believe the regions are the lifeblood of Atlasia and, when they become merely a proving ground for federal candidates, the game dies.

Folks, it's clear - if you want a Federalist nominee who'll represent those old Federalist values and restore conservatism to Nyman, I'm your only choice. I'm running for the Federalist Party's nomination because I think you deserve a President with the stature and the skill to defend those values in the nation's capital.

In Atlasia, with all its liberal leanings, there's nothing as radical as an honest conservative. And, yes, we need radical solutions to our malaise.

Let us slash the state. Let us return power to the regions. Let us reform a bloated bureaucracy. Let us come together, as a nation, and get Atlasia working again.

I'm running for President because that's what I want to do - make Atlasia great again. We will face challenges. We have before, will again. But none are insurmountable if - if - we have the courage to change.

Thank you.

[fhtagn]

Good morning, everyone!

I want to first take the time to thank 1184AZ for taking the time to moderate this debate, the Atlas Star for hosting it, Oakvale for suggesting it and coming out, everyone else who is reading now or takes time to read this later.

My opponent is here to tell you everything that is wrong with Atlasia, to paint a doomsday narrative that strikes fear into the voters in hopes of getting votes not because they truly believe in him or his ideas, but because they fear a situation that he is creating. I am not under any delusions that the game is free from issues. I realize that there are things that need to be fixed. But that doesn't take away from everything that we have accomplished, and it doesn't mean we cannot continue working towards bettering Atlasia. While I may not be able to boast about spending years in this game, I have a proven record that is worth just as much, if not more.

Since joining the game, we have accomplished so much we can be proud of. From my time in the South, I aided in setting up for the largest nuclear power plant in the nation to lay the path towards nuclear energy in the region. I sponsored legislation to build the Southern Regional Medical Center, and drafted the portion dedicated to being the largest drug and alcohol treatment center in the region. I helped bring the South into the 21st century by co-sponsoring the Transgender Rights Act, to ensure that ALL are treated equally, regardless of gender identity. In the House, I helped draft the largest portion of the Preservation of Our Future Act, which is intended help keep our waterways clean, and our nation beautiful. I drafted the Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest Act, which is intended to improve relations with our allies and continue promoting peace between nations. I also co-sponsored the Reforming and Regionalizing Public Health Care Act, which makes health care more accessible, and more affordable for the people of Atlasia. This is only a small handful of the many things we have done together, and with your support, we can make this list grow.

My opponent is also here to sculpt this scenario where I am nothing but an "empty vessel, a puppet of the shadowy party hacks and cosy cronies that have stabbed us in the back"[sic]. But the people of Atlasia, especially the people of the Federalist Party know that is completely untrue. I am someone who has done many things for both the party and the nation. Many of you who are new to the party either knew me as the one who brought you here, or as that first friendly face to welcome you to the party. Many of you know the efforts I placed in the election and re-election bids of several Federalists and our allies in the Atlas Conservative Party. And most importantly, many of you know me as someone who has put in more time and effort than my opponent into getting things done and hearing out the concerns of ALL in the party in recent history. Unlike my opponent, I have been here for today's Federalist Party. I know and understand your views and what you wish we can accomplish together.

To my fellow Federalists: don't be fooled by false narratives. Your choices are clear: a strong leader who cares about the well-being of ALL of Atlasia and has done/will continue to do everything in her power to get the job done; or a man who knows nothing about his opponent, is out of touch with today's Federalist party, and who would rather sit back and complain than roll up his sleeves and get to work.

I am running for President because I am so much more than just an "empty suit". I have a proven record that more than speaks for itself. I have ideas that have helped the people, and will continue to help the people. Atlasia is already great - let's work together to make it even better.

Thank you.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Thanks to both of you for your responses. I will post some questions later today. You will get 48 hours from when I post the questions:

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Questions

I open the floor for 48 hours for both candidates to answer the questions listed below.

For All:

Do you believe the GM is a generally useful position and why? Are their any changes you would make to it?

What is one thing you would change about the fourth constitution? and how will it improve the game?

Does free trade generally benefit the economy positively or negatively? Is their any changes you would wish to make to are trade deals?

Are you generally supportive of the most recent healthcare bill (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=270082.0 ) ? Is their any changes you would make to this bill?

From tmthforu94

What do you see as the biggest threat to regions? and how will you promote regions as President?

What kind of reforms to the Atlasia tax code would you make if any? How will you balance affordability with balancing the budget?

How will you balance natural resource distraction with helping protect the environment?   Would you support a carbon tax as President?

For both of you what is more important: Having a member of congress  that is active and fully engaged in debate  but from Labor  or an inactive Federalist that misses several votes and contributes little to debate?

For fhtagn:

How do you respond to criticisms from some Federalists that you are to liberal or hand picked by the establishment? How will you unite all factions of the party?

For Oakvale:
How do you respond to Atlasians that may have trouble trusting you to lead the country after on multiple occasions have openly supported and even campaigned for regional succession of Atlasia?  How do you quell peoples fears that you will attempt to dissolve the game based on some of your past actions such as leading A new Start?
 

[fhtagn]

How do you respond to criticisms from some Federalists that you are to liberal or hand picked by the establishment? How will you unite all factions of the party?

I am not the most conservative member of the Federalist Party, and I never claimed myself to be. The Federalist Party is a very diverse party, with a large moderate wing, which I realize is where I generally fit on most issues. But rather than only cater to just one wing, I have a history of working for both ends of the party's ideological spectrum. What I have brought to the table, and continue to bring to the table is a path to pave the way for the future success of everyone, including the conservatives within the party. The fact of the matter is, for virtually this entire year, Labor has had an enormous registration edge. To combat this, I've put an immeasurable amount of time and effort into ensuring our party's candidates and allies get elected into positions they are running for, and empowering them to get active and do more for Atlasia. I've spent countless hours working with members of all ideologies within the party, and even with our allies in the Atlas Conservative Party to determine which approaches we can reasonably accomplish in the offices I've held. These are not only things I've done in the past, but something I presently do, and can assure I will continue to do in the future.


Does free trade generally benefit the economy positively or negatively? Is their any changes you would wish to make to are trade deals?

I feel that free trade generally has a positive benefit to the economy, but I would like to see a push to focus on empowering marginalized people, ensuring they are offered a safe workplace and a decent wage, and the addition of some regulations to protect the environment. We should not have people suffering, or the only planet we live on being destroyed in the name of financial reward.


How will you balance natural resource distraction with helping protect the environment?   Would you support a carbon tax as President?

Many folks know me as someone who campaigns heavily on helping protect the environment. It has been a primary focus of mine in every office I have run for, and firmly believe that should be one of the primary focuses in my Presidential administration. It's not something I shy away from, nor is it something I should apologize for. I have come out many times saying that climate change is one of the most serious threats facing our nation and our planet today, and every reasonable action must be taken to protect our planet and it's natural resources. This is why I have supported measures such as working with former Atlas Conservative Party Chair Ben Kenobi to pave the way for nuclear power in the South, assumed sponsorship of the Renewable Energy Rebate and Subsidy Act, and helped my fellow Congressman Haslam2020 by drafting the largest portion of his bill, the Preservation of Our Future Act. This is why I also plan to support the Carbon Tax Act, so that we can start holding ourselves accountable for the damage we are causing to our planet, and work towards reducing our carbon dioxide emissions.


Are you generally supportive of the most recent healthcare bill (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=270082.0 ) ? Is their any changes you would make to this bill?

As someone who was originally a co-sponsor of the most recent healthcare bill in the House, I think it's safe to say that I am generally supportive of it

As far as any changes, I feel that we can do more to help the people, and have discussed with my newly confirmed Secretary of Internal Affairs his plans on his ideas on how we can aid in reducing the cost of prescription drug prices, a plan that still has details to be worked out, but that we hope to have introduced soon.


Do you believe the GM is a generally useful position and why? Are their any changes you would make to it?

When the GM is active, and the people take them seriously, I think the GM is a very useful position because they offer unbiased hurdles that really challenge the officeholders and help keep the game progressing. They offer officeholders the opportunity to respond to realistic situations, rather than just winning elections and passing some bills.  As far as changes, I would just want to be sure that the GM remains active, maintains a reasonable flow in the game, and keeps the stories that happen as realistic as possible, and offer more ways that we can hold them accountable for that.


What is one thing you would change about the fourth constitution? and how will it improve the game?

At this time, I don't really see anything that I would consider an issue pressing enough to change about the Fourth Constitution. In my opinion, we have much more important things to worry about than nitpicking something that is working just fine. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

This is not to say I would have any issues revisiting this in the future in the event that there is an issue.


What do you see as the biggest threat to regions? and how will you promote regions as President?

I would say the biggest threats to the regions have little to do with laws or how the government operates, and more to do with activity level and the availability of candidates to run in regional elections, and serve in their elected positions. In my time as Southern Speaker, I set an example for expected activity level, and did everything in my power to keep the other delegates engaged in debate, brought them out to vote no matter how many PMs it took, and even mentored the current Southern Speaker TimTurner, who took the position when I left for the House. To this day, he has publicly praised me many times for the example I set, even going as far as saying that he wishes to model his speakership style after the way I ran the position. I also have taken an active interest in getting new players not only involved in voting during regional elections, but have always reached out to those who are interested in running for positions, and actively aiding in their campaigns and "get out the vote" operations.


What kind of reforms to the Atlasia tax code would you make if any? How will you balance affordability with balancing the budget?

At this time, I don't think any ideas I could possibly have for the Atlasia tax code are relevant as we currently do not have a budget, and have not had one since 2014. I've come out numerous times expressing that I do not approve of this, and find it unacceptable. We have no way to know what is going on, and what we are looking at surplus/deficit-wise. This is why I am a strong supporter of The Budget Process & Control Act, so that I can work closely with my Secretary of Internal Affairs, and the members of the Budget Process Committee to not only establish and balance the budget, but to set the standard for how we approach this each year going forward.

For both of you what is more important: Having a member of congress that is active and fully engaged in debate but from Labor or an inactive Federalist that misses several votes and contributes little to debate?

While ideally I would hope that our party doesn't elect a candidate that remains inactive, misses several votes, and doesn't contribute to debate, it surely is an issue that we have seen many times on both sides.

One of the biggest killers in the game is inactivity, and is such an easy thing to avoid. There is no reason for excessive inactivity, and I would much more proudly support someone who is actively contributing and getting work done, regardless of their party affiliation.

[Oakvale]

Do you believe the GM is a generally useful position and why? Are their any changes you would make to it?

No, I don't - and I think history has proved that I'm right on this - as I've mentioned before that the game went nearly two years without the position and those were some of the most engaging, active and productive years we've ever had. The vast majority of the time the position slowly dies off as the holder of the office loses interest and realises no one's paying any attention.

This isn't an indictment of you, or of any particular GM. As far as I can see you've been doing the job as best it can be done - but the inherent problems in the role are too large for any one person to overcome.

I think there's one way in which a GM could arguably be useful - as a kind of CBO scoring mechanism. But the obviously problem there is no one in their right mind is going to want to such a tedious job, and in any event I think it'd be more entertaining to have everyone squabble over the costing of legislation.

So, look, it's a noble idea but it just hasn't worked. Never had, never will. If elected as your President, I'll move to abolish the position of GM on my first day in office.


What is one thing you would change about the fourth constitution? and how will it improve the game?

I don't know if there's one single thing that needs changing - the current Constitution is, frankly, a semi-literate mess, riddled with loopholes.

Again, this isn't really any single individual's fault - the mechanism of a Constitutional Convention is absurd and byzantine and leads to lousy results. Can there be a better example than the fact we forgot to include Arizona in the original?

I've authored several constitutions in my day. Within one month of my inauguration Vice-President Potus and I will introduce an amendment to the Congress that would replace the current Constitution in its entirety and create a Fifth Constitution of Atlasia. The House and Senate can then hammer out concerns and issues in a dignified, manageable and transparent process, in stark contrast to the quagmire of a convention. We’re going to fix this mess, and we’ve got the experience and the skill to do it. Mark my words.

Does free trade generally benefit the economy positively or negatively? Is their any changes you would wish to make to are trade deals?

I might be running on a MAGA platform but I am and have always been unapologetically pro-trade and will be so in the White House. It makes us more prosperous and more secure. I understand my opponent’s instinctive sympathy for the plight of workers in our trading partners, but let me be absolutely clear - as your President, I will aggressively and selfishly promote our national interest. Period. Remember - what’s ultimately going to be best for the sweatshop worker is increased trade and the increased prosperity that results, and for all the liberal handwringing about the working conditions in some of these foreign plants they’re a hell of a lot better than a population living off subsistence agriculture.

Are you generally supportive of the most recent healthcare bill (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=270082.0 ) ? Is their any changes you would make to this bill?

There’s some good stuff in that bill, which isn’t something I get to say often about Atlasian public policy. Ideally I’d prefer that healthcare was entirely the provision of the regions, but the bill as passed does have some movement in that direction, so I’ll happily applaud those.

A key part of the RRPHA is the regionalisation of healthcare. That’s great. But why is the ‘public option’ administered federally? I’ve been talking a lot about regional rights and I think this topic’s a prime example of the federal government harming regional autonomy in the pursuit of a ‘one size fits all’ policy that’ll look good on a resumé. It’s exciting to think of a world where our regions pursue their own individual public healthcare provisions and the heated debate and - inevitably - controversy that would ensue. Instead, what do we get? We get a bill passed with barely any debate by a unanimous Senate vote because only a handful of people apparently bothered to read the damn thing.

We can have an honest debate about what role the federal government should play in healthcare, and what the appropriate ratio of federal to region responsibility is. It’s a shame the Senate barely engaged on these questions.

What do you see as the biggest threat to regions? and how will you promote regions as President?


The President and I disagree on this issue - sure, the obvious response is a pat 'inactivity', but that's not really the issue when you get right down to it. The root cause of inactivity, the age-old plague of Atlasian politics, is not some kind of moral failure or dereliction of duty for its own sake. People go inactive if the position is powerless and neglected.

The greatest threat to our regions is what it has always been - the federal government.

Our regions have forever been cruelly neglected, their power stolen by an ever-expanding federal bureaucracy in Nyman. Regional government has been shorn to shreds, reduced to a skeleton crew of half-filled offices, a jumping-off point for the ambitious and wily to seek an office that actually counts - on the federal level.

The solution is clear - to fix regional inactivity we must return power to the regions. I want to dramatically reduce the powers of the national legislature - and, yes, the Presidency itself - to make the regions the heart and soul of Atlasia, vibrant and thriving paragons of democracy. Imagine what this game would be like if we could look once more to lively debate from left-wing bastions on our Pacific shores to heartlands of Conservatism in the deep south, instead of this bleak homogenous grey blob of nothing we face today.

The Congress had made some baby steps in the right direction, but it’s nowhere near enough and we’ve seen the consequences.

Give the regions power, and they will thrive. I promise you this. It’s an iron law.

[Oakvale]

What kind of reforms to the Atlasia tax code would you make if any? How will you balance affordability with balancing the budget?

My opponent’s quite right - we don’t have a budget, and as far as I can recall we haven’t had one for years - and in any event never had regular budgets. This is a game mechanic problem - most people find budgets excruciatingly boring and as such avoid working on them whenever possible. It’s also a blast to just make up figures and violently argue for their validity, I guess. This isn't a problem in and of itself - as I've said on the GM issue, that's half the fun of the game. But we run into inevitable issues with double-counting. By the time of the reset I think the wealthiest 1% must have been taxed cumulatively at about 800% of their income. A solution TNF would be proud of.

But the broader question’s not really about the Budget per se. It’s long been a running gag that Atlasia in real life would be like Venezuela or Weimar Germany, old ladies bringing a wheelbarrow full of money to pay for a loaf of bread. This is because many - not all, I will happily grant, but many - of our programs are paid for by magic fairy money.

Therefore I believe the next President should take long overdue steps to building a fiscally responsible society with a simple pledge - to veto any bill that does not clearly and specifically - “raise taxes on the rich, I guess!” isn’t going to cut it - how its outlays are to be paid for.


How will you balance natural resource distraction with helping protect the environment?   Would you support a carbon tax as President?

The environmental debate in this country all too often devolves into bitter accusations and recriminations about the validity of anthropogenic climate change. I think this misses the point. Whether we contribute to climate change or not there are myriad other reasons that it’s in our national interest to address damage to our environment from the exploitation of our rich reserves of natural resources. It’s one of the few true public goods we share. Like such notorious left-wingers like James Baker, I am in principle open to a carbon tax. I think it’s a preferable - and a conservative - solution to more onerous government impositions in response to our environmental challenges. A lesser evil. Naturally I’d have to see the specifics of the final product when it arrived on my desk - anything excessive or ill-planned would become fast friends with my trusty veto pen.

For both of you what is more important: Having a member of congress  that is active and fully engaged in debate  but from Labor  or an inactive Federalist that misses several votes and contributes little to debate?

As I said above - and I’ll be making a speech on this in the coming days - I think it’s a grave mistake to treat inactivity as primarily a moral failing.

Prof. Gary Becker’s landmark 1968 theory of criminality springs readily to mind as an analogy - criminal behaviour’s not some psychological sickness, it’s a rational weighting of cost and benefit. So’s inactivity - inactivity’s a symptom, not a cause of our national malaise. This can’t be stressed enough. With the right reforms, activity will follow.

Now, as to your question - would I rather have an active member from the Communist Party or a deadweight Federalist? Let’s first of all say that I’d hope such a grisly situation would never occur. But the answer’s quite simple - if we had a situation wherein a deadweight member could be easily expelled and a suitably conservative replacement appointed with due haste then clearly it’s a moral imperative to prefer the inactive Federalist rather than bowing down and letting the Communists run roughshod over the constitution.

If we were stuck in some unfortunate series of events whereby our only choice is a Federalist corpse or an active Communist I believe our only option is to close our eyes and pray that they selected a relatively sane soul for the job.


How do you respond to Atlasians that may have trouble trusting you to lead the country after on multiple occasions have openly supported and even campaigned for regional succession of Atlasia?  How do you quell peoples fears that you will attempt to dissolve the game based on some of your past actions such as leading A new Start?
 

I make no apologies for my longtime advocacy of urgent measures to reform Atlasia. As a committed regionalist, I’ve taken that position to its radical conclusion and called for giving the regions a choice on whether to remain a part of the nation. That’s a rational response to decades of federal overreach, and I have zero regrets about it. The New Start manifesto lead to a movement for reform and, then, directly to the ultimate implementation of the Great Reset. Unfortunately we were nowhere near radical enough, and the results amounted to just shifting around the furniture in a burning hotel room.

It’s no surprise that the grubby goons who got us into this mess are trying to spook people about my record in this regard. But I’ve got nothing to hide. I’m proud of my record, and, frankly - look, if some people are concerned, I’ve got two words. Don’t be. The President doesn’t have the power to unilaterally dissolve the federal government, much as some of us might like to. The position’s primary power is in that of the bully pulpit, but President Oakvale is not going to be leading a revolt on horseback  - the revolution I’ll lead is political.

Thank you.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Rebuttal

I would like to thank both candidates for taking the time to answer the above debate questions. I open the floor now for a 24 hour rebuttal. Both candidates will be able to respond to each others debate repossess and engage in an open debate.   

[fhtagn]

So, look, it's a noble idea but it just hasn't worked. Never had, never will. If elected as your President, I'll move to abolish the position of GM on my first day in office.

I'm not going to go into some history lesson about what has happened in the past because:
1. I'm not going to speak on something I was not present for.
and
2. I'm not going to pretend that what has happened in the past should apply to the situation currently.

I think our current GM, 1184AZ and his deputy, Encke, have done an amazing job with their positions, have truly set themselves apart from GMs and their deputies in the past, and have set an example for how the positions should be run in the future. While it is true that more people should take notice on what they do, to say that no one is paying attention is not only completely false, but shows how out of touch you are with how Atlasia is run today.

Have you bothered to pay attention to the amount of activity that surrounded GM stories such as the recent wildfires in Fremont, NLLC terrorism, "Hurricane Harvey" (the Atlasia version that hit FL), and the current crisis involving North Korea? There has been plenty of activity from the President, cabinet officials, Congress, and even regional governments in response to the GM since 1184AZ has taken over, and I have no reason to believe that given the new expectations of the position that whoever takes over after he is gone will just let it fade away.

It's easy to say that because things were bad in the past to just abolish it instead of fix it, but it is a shame that laziness is being mistaken as legitimate policy to run on.

[Oakvale]

So, look, it's a noble idea but it just hasn't worked. Never had, never will. If elected as your President, I'll move to abolish the position of GM on my first day in office.

I'm not going to go into some history lesson about what has happened in the past because:
1. I'm not going to speak on something I was not present for.
and
2. I'm not going to pretend that what has happened in the past should apply to the situation currently.

I think our current GM, 1184AZ and his deputy, Encke, have done an amazing job with their positions, have truly set themselves apart from GMs and their deputies in the past, and have set an example for how the positions should be run in the future. While it is true that more people should take notice on what they do, to say that no one is paying attention is not only completely false, but shows how out of touch you are with how Atlasia is run today.

Have you bothered to pay attention to the amount of activity that surrounded GM stories such as the recent wildfires in Fremont, NLLC terrorism, "Hurricane Harvey" (the Atlasia version that hit FL), and the current crisis involving North Korea? There has been plenty of activity from the President, cabinet officials, Congress, and even regional governments in response to the GM since 1184AZ has taken over, and I have no reason to believe that given the new expectations of the position that whoever takes over after he is gone will just let it fade away.

It's easy to say that because things were bad in the past to just abolish it instead of fix it, but it is a shame that laziness is being mistaken as legitimate policy to run on.

You're quite right that the incumbent GM has done sterling work. And we've had good GMs before - Purple State was a legend for a reason. But they are, sadly, the exception that proves the rule. At some point Progressive Dem and Encke will move on to greener pastures and we'll be forced to search again for some unfortunate soul to take over that thankless role.

The basic problem with the GM position, Madam President, is what I've touched upon already - the benefits for the position don't justify the immense effort expended by the holder of that office. With elected offices the benefit is the prestige, the thrill of engaging in heated debate, the fun of running in close elections and fighting your political foes. The GM gets, what, a pat on the back?

There's no reason that events like hurricanes and so on couldn't be implemented into our fictional world without a GM to declare such. I do pause in trepidation when we move on to foreign affairs, which has since the implementation of 'story-writing' powers in the Secretary of State office lead on most occasions to the holder of the office writing ill-judged self-insert fanfictions about their Nobel Peace Prize winning feats of diplomacy.

The best solution for the GM would, in a perfect world, be to pay them a salary. That'd do it! Since that's - I hope - not an option we're going to have to be realistic about the future of the job. This also applies to the bizarre position of National Archivist - it makes sense in theory to hire someone to handle the dull work of updating the wiki. But what's the incentive? Okay, sure, you'll occasionally find a Tim Turner or a homelycooking who genuinely enjoys the tedious business these jobs require, but it's not common.

It's simple economics - the fundamental flaw in our system of government is that we act as if positions should be filled and active for their own sake, but that's not how human behaviour operates. If you want to ignore history, we can do that, but what's that old parable about those who forget history? Mark my words - in a few months we'll be in the same old position again, doomed forever to repeat without reform.

[fhtagn]

I'm not sure where you are getting the impression that I have said I plan to forget history? I'm not denying what has happened in the past. I think what has happened in the past is definitely something worth learning from. But I'm not stuck in the past. I'm not going to use what has happened in the past with completely different people to make decisions on how things should operate today. I have been here for today's Atlasia, I know the issues we are currently facing, and have worked tirelessly to ensure that even the hardest work gets done, rather than give up because it's "useless". I am not the type of person who just rolls over and says "let's just get rid of it" instead of fixing it. Our party, and Atlasia as a whole, deserves better than that.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Closing Statements
With 24 hours passed and no debate for the last few hours, I open the floor for 24 hours for closing statements. I would like to thank candidates for the time they took to make this a timely and informative debate.

[fhtagn]

I want to once again thank our Game Moderator, 1184AZ, the Atlas Star, my opponent, Oakvale, and everyone who tuned in and commented. This has certainly been an interesting experience and I hope that my fellow Federalists have learned enough about our positions to make the right decision in the primary this weekend. I hope that I have answered any lingering questions you all may have, but if not, I am more than happy to discuss further via PM or on my campaign thread.

Should I be granted the opportunity to continue serving you all, I promise you that we will leave the past in the past and work on paving the way forward. Let us be the ones who set the expectation for how this game operates in the future. We have already done so much together and made Atlasia great, so let's continue working to make it better.

Vote for me because I am more than just some empty suit. I have always been and will continue to be someone who serves the best interests of not only the Federalist Party, but Atlasia as a whole. I'll be here to implement solutions to lead us into economic prosperity, preventing threats such as catastrophic wars from becoming a reality, and ensuring we do all we can to combat climate change and protect our natural resources. I'll be here to support policies that bring our nation into the future, not weighed down from many years past. I'll be there to roll up my sleeves and do the necessary work to fix what has been broken, not just give up because I pretend there is no need for it.

Vote for me because I know today's Atlasia, and I promise to continue to fight for it, to fight for you. We deserve better than inactive leaders, cuts to important aspects of the game, and empty, unrealistic promises. We deserve someone who has been there for the people, who knows what is needed to be accomplished, and is willing to work tirelessly to get us there.

Thank you all!

[Oakvale]

I thank 1184AZ for generously agreeing to host this debate and for providing such thoughtful and illuminating questions. I trust it's been an informative experience. I'd also be remiss if I did not thank President fhtagn for her diligence in answering and her willingness to debate the issues with me. It's a sign of good character that this was the case when others would have ignored requests and sequestered themselves away in the White House. Most of all, I should thank everyone who's watched, Federalist or not. I hope it's been informative and you've seen some of our dividing lines, and some of the places we agree, too. I think it's clear that, whatever our differences - and they are real and serious - the worst day of either of our presidencies would be better than the best of a Crooked Harry Truman administration. If you've got any further questions my door's always open.

I began this campaign with few illusions about the hurdles such a bid would face. Challenging an incumbent President's never easy, to say nothing of doing so as a member of their own party. But I got in this race because I saw that Atlasia needed a change and the same old way of doing business just wasn't going to cut it any more. I'm an old man and an old hand - I've seen this play out before.

History repeats itself.

Spasms of brief activity subside and are squandered, neglected, suffocated in the crib, by self-interested careerists and party power-brokers who care only about one thing - themselves. I believe President fhtagn's a good person who cares about Atlasia. But she was manoeuvred into office by these very shadowy forces, an unelected president - the second! - foisted upon the nation. Presented to our party as a preset choice. The bosses have rallied around her banner. It's not about party, not really. It's sure as hell not about policy or ideology. And it's not about the President, either. I have no doubt that if I should be your nominee many of these cigar-chompers will desert our party and vote for Crooked Harry Truman, who they trust will uphold the system they've so benefitted from.

Let's not give them the chance.

To all Federalists, and all Atlasians, I say this.

If you want regions that work, bustling with activity, I need your vote.

If you want a bloated bureaucracy shattered, I need your vote.

If you want vigorous debate and political combat, not bland consensus, I need your vote.

If you want a Federalist Party that stands for principle and conviction once more, a true conservative party, I need your vote.

If you want to get this country working again, I need your vote.

This weekend, the Federalist convention will select our Presidential candidate. Let's send a message that business as usual is over. Lend me your vote.

Thank you.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

I would like to once again thank both candidates for actively participating in this debate as well as both efficiently and thoughtfully responding to all questions put in front of them.  This concludes the Federalist Party primary debate. I wish both candidates the best of luck looking ahead for this weekends election. Thanks to everyone that the took the time to read this and I encourage all registered Federalists to make sure you vote in this weekends primary election!