Senate Confirmation Hearing: Sestak for Deputy GM (Confirmed)

[Lumine]

I, Mr. Reactionary, by the authority vested in me by the Laws of the Republic of Atlasia as Game Moderator, first officer of the game engine thereof, hereby nominate and submit the candidacy of JK2020 for Deputy Game Moderator to assist Scott with stories.

- R

The nominee has 24 hours to make an opening statement.

[Sestak]

Thank you.


So, to put it plainly: after I rejoined, I noticed the slower pace of stories from the GM Department. I reached out to Mr. R to see if I could help in any way, and after we discussed it a bit, he nominated me for this position.

My understanding is that the GM Team is still operating under Mr. Reactionary's master list of stories, so I'd mostly be writing those. As with Scott, I also plan on abstaining from stories targeting Fremont specifically.

Ideally, I should be able to do several stories per week pretty consistently - this should hopefully give all avenues of government something more to do.

[Lumine]

Senators, you may now question the nominee.

[fhtagn]

Not a Senator, but just wanted to state that as someone who previously served as Deputy GM, I understand the backlog of stories needed to put out, and how hard that can be to get done when real life takes priority. I do have some concern with the fact that the two most recent additions (Scott and Sestak) are both registered in Fremont, and both intend to be in office in Fremont. So I fail to see how this really helps with ensuring equally represented stories can be posted when the two new additions focusing on stories won't be able to post Fremont stories due to conflicts of interest.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Not a Senator, but just wanted to state that as someone who previously served as Deputy GM, I understand the backlog of stories needed to put out, and how hard that can be to get done when real life takes priority. I do have some concern with the fact that the two most recent additions (Scott and Sestak) are both registered in Fremont, and both intend to be in office in Fremont. So I fail to see how this really helps with ensuring equally represented stories can be posted when the two new additions focusing on stories won't be able to post Fremont stories due to conflicts of interest.

If the Deputies can get content out regularly I will pledge to write up 5 or 6 fremont stories my next free weekend to have content ready.

Sestak is also offering to assist with the audit.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Not a senator, but I have two questions to which the answers I believe would add meaningful content to this process.

When you left the game last, you left it during a time when people were quite frankly counting on you. It was two weeks before the last presidential election. The ticket that you were the leader of had been formally nominated by the Labor Convention, and was favored to win according to the overwhelming majority of the polls. You also served as the PPT of the Senate. However, one day, without warning, you announced your departure from the game, saying it was negatively affecting your grades and serving as a drain on your life. Put simply, you made a big commitment to the game - but ultimately failed to have a life that allowed you to keep that commitment.

I am not objecting to your return in and of itself, but I do note that you are quickly seeking to take up a large role in the game once again. Not only are you seeking office in the Fremont Parliament once a seat opens up, but you are also seeking this office - part of the game engine, the very entity which makes this game possible. Collectively, these two positions make up a significant amount of time that you will be expected to commit to the game. Given the short amount of time that has passed since your departure and the fact that you cited your large role in the game in the past as part of the reason you were forced to leave it, What assurances and evidence can you offer to the Senate that your life now allows you to take a large role in Atlasia without neglecting the essential elements of your life - not just for the summer when you may have more time on your hands - but for the long haul - and that you will not find yourself leaving the game again?

Second, about two weeks after you left the game, you made a brief re-appearance in which you accused the then-Vice-President-Elect of manipulation of the electorate. Following mass criticism, you recanted, stating (as I understood it) that you had witnessed the occurrence of a glitch. I'm not here to re-litigate the specifics of what you did or did not see. But, given that you will be in a position of some authority should you be confirmed, What assurances can you give that you will not make spurious accusations with little or no evidence while you serve in this office?

[YE]

First of all, this is what Sestak had to deal with before he left:

Senator
PPT of the Senate
Deputy COS of a highly inactive admin
Chairing Labor, a party he literally built up from ground up months earlier, and a position that historically makes one a polarizing figure in the game
Running for president in what had become a highly turbulent campaign with lots of ticket adjustments on the Fed side that resulted in constant discussion and strategy changes

Running for Fremont Parliament and publishing stories as Deputy GM pale in comparison to above, especially the last two and the second.

[Former President tack50]

Honestly, my biggest worry would not be that Sestak is not qualified for the job; but the fact that it may affect his own mental health and RL situation. We must never forget that this is a game and RL comes first.

He seems to be rising fast again. Of course if he can cope with that, it's great, but he should be careful. However, that's a call for him to make of course.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Honestly, my biggest worry would not be that Sestak is not qualified for the job; but the fact that it may affect his own mental health and RL situation. We must never forget that this is a game and RL comes first.

He seems to be rising fast again. Of course if he can cope with that, it's great, but he should be careful. However, that's a call for him to make of course.

The confirmation process exists for a reason. The Senate should seek all the information it needs and desires from the nominee about why Atlasia now works in his life when two months ago his life forced him to abandon all ties with Atlasia. It should only confirm the nominee if it believes the nominee can be active for the long haul. For while RL takes priority, there is a difference between RL taking priority and RL taking over. The game does need an active GM team, and IF the nominee's outside life prevents him or seriously threatens to prevent him from executing the duties of this position, the Senate should reject.

[YE]

Trying to equate this with what Sestak had to deal with pre-departure is quite misleading for reasons I’ve outlined above. The above post gives an impression that his departure from the game was really sudden and surprising when it really wasn’t if you think about the workload that he had to deal with and outlined above. How many players in the game had as much on his plate as Sestak did? Burnout and a need for an emotional break of sorts from the game is understandable to a large extent. I’m also not sure why activity per se (actually I know why - it is because activity was unfairly brought up during his Senate re-election and by a particular political opponent in his presidential run) is noted above as a concern given that Sestak was certainly an active poster on the AFE board prior to his departure.

I think a much larger concern is his jumping on to conclusions in regards to Lumine on the third day of the last presidential election, especially considering Lumine is Vice President now. I realize it was at a point in an election cycle where people in general do not have the greatest judgment but given that seems the basis of Lumine’s opposition and he is the sitting VP, it certainly bares some weight, or at minimum should drive the discussion here.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Surprising isn't necessarily the right word for his previous departure, but Sudden is. I mean, it's not as if anyone outside of his inner circle had advance knowledge of his departure. And go through history - Prior to February, how many times have we seen a major candidate drop out that close to the election? The Feb Election, with all the dropouts and random short third party runs, was an outlier. Past elections generally haven't been that crazy. It's easy to say with hindsight that it was an obvious event, but at the time it occurred, it's not as if the average member of Labor had seen it coming.

[YE]

Surprising isn't necessarily the right word for his previous departure, but Sudden is. I mean, it's not as if anyone outside of his inner circle had advance knowledge of his departure. And go through history - Prior to February, how many times have we seen a major candidate drop out that close to the election? The Feb Election, with all the dropouts and random short third party runs, was an outlier. Past elections generally haven't been that crazy. It's easy to say with hindsight that it was an obvious event, but at the time it occurred, it's not as if the average member of Labor had seen it coming.

I don't disagree per se but sudden departures during a presidential campaign have happened before. In fact, it happened to the current president in October 2016. Point being is in hindsight his departure was understandable and the circumstances between what had happened just before then will in all likelyhood not be comparable to what he does if confirmed.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

I believe Sestak will reach out to you soon (and he was going to before you made this statement fwiw) and I hope you do choose to talk to him.

Any word from the VP or Sestak on how this conversation went?

[Lumine]

I believe Sestak will reach out to you soon (and he was going to before you made this statement fwiw) and I hope you do choose to talk to him.

Any word from the VP or Sestak on how this conversation went?

I can confirm I haven't heard anything from the nominee.

[Former President tack50]

Trying to equate this with what Sestak had to deal with pre-departure is quite misleading for reasons I’ve outlined above. The above post gives an impression that his departure from the game was really sudden and surprising when it really wasn’t if you think about the workload that he had to deal with and outlined above. How many players in the game had as much on his plate as Sestak did? Burnout and a need for an emotional break of sorts from the game is understandable to a large extent. I’m also not sure why activity per se (actually I know why - it is because activity was unfairly brought up during his Senate re-election and by a particular political opponent in his presidential run) is noted above as a concern given that Sestak was certainly an active poster on the AFE board prior to his departure.

I think a much larger concern is his jumping on to conclusions in regards to Lumine on the third day of the last presidential election, especially considering Lumine is Vice President now. I realize it was at a point in an election cycle where people in general do not have the greatest judgment but given that seems the basis of Lumine’s opposition and he is the sitting VP, it certainly bares some weight, or at minimum should drive the discussion here.

When I mentioned his mental health, I did not mean to say his departure. We all make mistakes; and he made the mistake of taking on too much at once, leading to an impact on his life. That would be fine; a break from Atlasia can be a good thing if one is overwhelmed, and I trust him to be able to handle that (though I can't stress enough that he should be careful).

However, from his farewell post on the New Register Tread, stress doesn't seem like the only reason he left.

Sigh.


Well, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this.

However, at this point, it's become clear to me that this game takes way too much of a toll on me. I've tried to deny this to myself for a while, but with the ups and downs of the last few days it's become clear to me that the emotional connection I have to this is way too strong and extremely unhealthy for me. I've spent days depressed by what happens in here, my grades are dropping, and my entire life seems to revolve around this. I originally started doing this as a sort of fun thing on the side, but it's now clear to me that I basically have to choose between my real life and the game. And I know what my choice is.

It's been a fun time while I was here, and I wish you all the best.

jk2020
Deregister

If he can prove that he is able to take the game as a fun thing on the side, he can be confirmed. In my opinion, the debate shouldn't be on his stress but on his emotional connection to the game.

We all get emotional about this some times; including myself (I won't lie on that); but we must not let that cloud our judgements. His reaction to Lumine was disturbing to say the least. If it was just a one off rage (like say, throwing a controller to the floor with anger when you lose at a videogame), then it's not worrying.

Of course, these are all questions about his personal life, so if he is not comfortable with disclosing them, that's totally fine as well and maybe even a good idea.

And I will end saying this: I have absolutely nothing against jk2020. On the contrary, he was one of, if not the most helpful person when I was a new player that knew nothing; and I was deeply saddened to see him say goodbye. I like having him back on the game, but seeing him rise so fast (and hold multiple offices at once) does make me wonder if we could see the same situation repeat itself a handful of months from now.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I believe Sestak will reach out to you soon (and he was going to before you made this statement fwiw) and I hope you do choose to talk to him.

Any word from the VP or Sestak on how this conversation went?

I can confirm I haven't heard anything from the nominee.

I think he's too nervous tbh because he knows you're mad, heck I am hesitant to message people when I know they are mad, thus why I respected your wishes recently

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

If he can prove that he is able to take the game as a fun thing on the side, he can be confirmed. In my opinion, the debate shouldn't be on his stress but on his emotional connection to the game.

We all get emotional about this some times; including myself (I won't lie on that); but we must not let that cloud our judgements. His reaction to Lumine was disturbing to say the least. If it was just a one off rage (like say, throwing a controller to the floor with anger when you lose at a videogame), then it's not worrying.

Of course, these are all questions about his personal life, so if he is not comfortable with disclosing them, that's totally fine as well and maybe even a good idea.

It's totally fine as far as his general participation in the game goes, but if he's not able/willing to discuss this aspect, then I cannot endorse this nomination. Neither I nor anyone on this thread has asked for every last detail, but he should give a sufficient overview of how his situation has changed and/or how he will avoid making Atlasia more than a "fun thing on the side".

I would at this point urge the nominee to comment on the ongoing debate here. We're all great Atlasians, but none of us can read his mind.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Having long championed the concept of a rigorous nomination hearing, I must say I find myself largely in agreement with Wulfric here. And with the utmost respect to YE, the questions he posed are valid and we should seek answers to them. In fact it would be negligent on our part not to inquires as to what assurances we have that the past situation will not be repeated and until the nominee answers them in this thread I cannot vote for his confirmation.

[YE]

Just to be clear, the questions Wulfric has asked in a vacuum are for sure valid in its own. I, however, felt the premise of the question to lack full context of the circumstances at the time hence why I interjected.

[Devout Centrist]

I believe that Sestak is highly qualified to be a Deputy GM. Furthermore, his sudden departure is unlikely to occur in the future. The circumstances for his leave of absence were extraordinary and came in the middle of a chaotic election cycle.

As a Deputy GM, Sestak will not be subjected to the burden of coordinating and running a Presidential campaign. I think he can effectively work in this position and I don't see any reason why he would be unable to perform his duties.

For these reasons, Sestak has my support. I hope my colleagues will recognize his lengthy career of public service and vote accordingly.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Having long championed the concept of a rigorous nomination hearing, I must say I find myself largely in agreement with Wulfric here. And with the utmost respect to YE, the questions he posed are valid and we should seek answers to them. In fact it would be negligent on our part not to inquires as to what assurances we have that the past situation will not be repeated and until the nominee answers them in this thread I cannot vote for his confirmation.

I concur with Yankee. Besides, it's not our job to make life easier for the Labor Party.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Having long championed the concept of a rigorous nomination hearing, I must say I find myself largely in agreement with Wulfric here. And with the utmost respect to YE, the questions he posed are valid and we should seek answers to them. In fact it would be negligent on our part not to inquires as to what assurances we have that the past situation will not be repeated and until the nominee answers them in this thread I cannot vote for his confirmation.

I concur with Yankee. Besides, it's not our job to make life easier for the Labor Party.

Im not in the Labor Party ...

[Sestak]

So, to the Senate, I'm currently in the middle of a conversation with the Vice President, and I'd prefer to finish that before answering the questions here....is that OK with the Senate?

[fhtagn]

I believe that Sestak is highly qualified to be a Deputy GM. Furthermore, his sudden departure is unlikely to occur in the future. The circumstances for his leave of absence were extraordinary and came in the middle of a chaotic election cycle.

As a Deputy GM, Sestak will not be subjected to the burden of coordinating and running a Presidential campaign. I think he can effectively work in this position and I don't see any reason why he would be unable to perform his duties.

For these reasons, Sestak has my support. I hope my colleagues will recognize his lengthy career of public service and vote accordingly.

True, he won't be running a Presidential campaign, however he is campaigning for an elected position in next weekend's Fremont special election, and plans to hold office if he wins while being Deputy GM.

How can we ensure both positions won't suffer because of spreading himself too thin, especially given his past of taking on too much at once and leaving the game?

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I believe that Sestak is highly qualified to be a Deputy GM. Furthermore, his sudden departure is unlikely to occur in the future. The circumstances for his leave of absence were extraordinary and came in the middle of a chaotic election cycle.

As a Deputy GM, Sestak will not be subjected to the burden of coordinating and running a Presidential campaign. I think he can effectively work in this position and I don't see any reason why he would be unable to perform his duties.

For these reasons, Sestak has my support. I hope my colleagues will recognize his lengthy career of public service and vote accordingly.

True, he won't be running a Presidential campaign, however he is campaigning for an elected position in next weekend's Fremont special election, and plans to hold office if he wins while being Deputy GM.

How can we ensure both positions won't suffer because of spreading himself too thin, especially given his past of taking on too much at once and leaving the game?

We in Labor will make sure he does not do too much in terms of inter party politics and things like that, something which was a major factor in the last deregistration.