Labor Party Standing Committee thread: Endorsement voting

[Napoleon]

Comrades, I address this party today in hopes of earning your valuable endorsement for this critical presidential election, an election which leaves us at a fork in the road with more at stake from our choice than ever before.

In the April Senate elections we witnessed the rise of the far right beyond the expectations of even the wildest imaginations. The Right has nominated someone honest about his intentions and committed to moving his agenda forward. In other words, Clarence is not a quitter and if we hope to win, the Left must unite behind a ticket that can match his passion and fervor, or even surpass it. I stand before you today because I believe I am the only candidate in this race who can fight this fight, will fight this fight, and will win this fight.

My friend 20RP12, whom with I worked across party lines to accomplish reform in the Northeast region while we were both political amateurs, offered some words about my candidacy that I really appreciated and would like to reemphasize here because it really grasps at the heart of this race.
 

Napoleon is a left-winger who garners bi-partisan support for being active and fulfilling his promises.

A President must be a leader- someone we can trust to be upfront with us,  stick to his word, and never give up. I have seen this best this game has to offer and the worst this game has to offer but I can proudly say I never quit on her and will never quit on her as President. Snowstalker's ticket is entirely Labor and Oakvale's entire ticket is former Liberal leadership (in retirement?). My ticket bridges the gap and unites the Left by brining together founders of the Liberal and Labor parties on one ticket. We have a real record of getting things done. My proposal to increase the minimum wage is about to pass despite a conservative-leaning Assembly. In the Senate, I didn't accept the premise that it was to be a slow-paced institution: instead I brought my own passion and energy forth and worked to pass numerous bills, which I will demonstrate through the campaign.

I hope this party will join me in this fight to win. This may be our last chance.

[Napoleon]

Awww Napoleon Cheap shot

Not at you! You never quit.

I am sorry for having the best ticket.

[Napoleon]

I wrote it, actually.
Any questions surrounding the bill you may have, I would be delighted to answer.

[Napoleon]

Well the RPP tried to blame Winfield for Duke losing, but Winfield earned every vote he received.

[Napoleon]

Presumably my Labor campaign manager would be supporting me.

[Napoleon]

In theory Labor party should disband if we don't get 75% support for our own candidate, since we are really doing nothing productive.

Like how the Liberal Party got 0% in the last Senate election? Again, I fail to understand your desire for hyperpartisanship for the sake of hyperpartisanship. What happened to Atlasia first?

[Napoleon]

You have a candidate with a 31% favorability, what do you expect? It isn't the Liberals fault that Labor candidates didn't run a GOTV and you already acknowledged that mistake so I don't see why you are falsely attributing it to anything else. If the Liberals were in the race there was no way you guys would have won two seats, you know. All your candidate is doing is splitting the vote with me and Tweed to help elect a right winger or centrist ticket which is totally counterproductive especially since we know Clarence would beat Snowstalker or Tweed if they happen to get that far. It causes division that isn't needed and takes focus off of the archconservative Whigs.

[Napoleon]

The reality of the situation is that I am the most left wing ticket possible, Tweed and Snowstalker have net unfavorable ratings and perform poorly in match ups. I thought we learned a lesson about the Lefts approach after what happened in April but I guess we will keep electing Clarence, TJ, and Wormyguy to keep ourselves pure. Lattebaggers?

It might have been convent for me to select a Labor running mate but it would be an empty gesture and frankly dishonest. Kalwejt and I both have been great allies to this party, Kal especially as a founder, and I think we have a track record appealing to your party even if we aren't wearing the Labor label.

[Napoleon]

Harsh rhetoric against Tweed? Think again, or even read my response to his video attacking me. But of course we will overlook that because as Bgwah even said:

I see the Atlasian left has reverted to a dysfunctional joke.

[Napoleon]

And you're saying I should focus on Clarence? I am trying to defeat Clarence! The only way to beat Clarence is to beat the unelectable leftist tickets that I am forced to compete for votes with. Who am I more likely to win a vote from, a Clarence supporter or a Snowstalker/Tweed/Oakvale supporter? Think about that. Trust me, I would MUCH rather focus on Clarence, your insistence on preventing that is the problem.

Clarence and Yelnoc have the highest favorabilities. Tweed and Snowstalker have the worst. It is the undeniable reality so don't blame me for saying it. I have no personal issue with anyone in the race but use some perspective.

[Napoleon]

Bgwah is my friend and ally, but I haven't seen any presidential ambition from him. I have a lot of respect for bgwah but I don't believe he wants to be President.

[Napoleon]

With all due respect Seatown, the Labor candidate in this race is more anti-Tweed than I ever was. To say I am responsible for others not wanting to vote for a self-admitted Marxist is absurd. How in the world do I control how people perceive Snowstalker or Tweed? They have made their own beds. What makes you think I would prefer Clarence? The only horse I have in this race is the Napoleon/Kalwejt ticket. The idea that one of them making it to the final round over me is anymore a loss for me as it is for them is untrue but it won't be because of my vote.

[Napoleon]

Nix, you realize the Labor Party voted to endorse me before Seatown intervened right? And I accepted their soul-searching and offered Snowstalker my second preference immediately at his first candidacy but now I don't know what I plan to do. I have stuck by my word, can't say the same for others.

[Napoleon]

Others voted late or endorsed me in my thread Tweed.

[Napoleon]

Checked back a few pages, and now I see what you're talking about. I believe Nathan referred to it as a "tentative endorsement." They also tentatively endorsed Tweed, no? Is it Oakvale's turn now? 20RP12? Who knows?

Anyway, I think that a lukewarm endorsement is worth very little to your campaign. That's why I commented.

I agree but I want my support in this party to be more than merely lukewarm whether it is first preferences or second preferences. I have been called moderate hero, neoliberal, other terms, and I have been nothing but an ally to all leftists regardless of party. I even offered Snowstalker the CJO position to give him a chance to rehabilitate a positive image for himself and he told me he was taking a break until June and declined. Then he restarted his presidential campaign. The Left is truly a dysfunctional joke right now which is why I think having this conversation will put us back on the same page, or at least get us to a point where we understand how critical winning this election is. I haven't subscribed to the partisanship I see from some so it is foreign to me but it can be resolved.

[Napoleon]

I admire Nathan's ability to enter the thread and settle things with only one post while a good multi-member debate was going. It seems that every one collectively decide to step back and say "okay, that's that" as he demonstrated authority with a much lighter approach than the rest of us were taking. Very impressive.

[Napoleon]

Just one word about the last Senat at-large elections because I see that this topic has been brought up again and again: One very important reason why Labor only managed to get one single seat was the fact that many of your Liberal "friends" chose to give their first preference to Andrew instead of your candidates. Had more members of the Liberal Party actually cared about that left-wing solidarity that they now demand from you, you would have at least 2 at-large Senators now.

Honestly I completely agree with this, despite the fact that I'll be first preferencing Napoleon and have the most confidence in him of all the candidates, it always has bothered me that when it comes to "Left wing solidarity" all it really means is "support the centrist left." That being said, however? I don't see what this has to do with anything.

I'd like to respond, whether or not you are talking about the Liberal Party specifically or past left-wing parties, but I think Andrew won votes from Liberals and center-left independents for a number of complex reasons, including the complacency set it from expecting Labor would win at least two seats in both left-wing parties, and the following understanding that having a pragmatic centrist would have been superior to a Whig, and that it is worth giving him a leg up over the far-right. Snowstalker was also supported strongly by Liberals.

A big reason, for my vote, and others, too, I'm sure, is President Polnut's endorsement. While I did vote for Snowstalker over Andrew in another race, and supported the two equally with my PAC, I had a natural inclination to support the President; I also hope that supporters will respect my endorsements if I am elected. The Liberals are also concentrated in the Northeast where Andrew served as our Governor recently and has many personal connections. It is also likely a factor at play with Snowstalker, where we've supported him. I also had assumed this was Snowstalker's (and your?) reason for voting for Cincinnatus over Nathan back in the day (I voted for Nathan first each time he ran for Senate).

These expectations of victory were not unreasonable. We didn't think Labor's turn out would collapse despite running three candidates and their candidates' lack of a GOTV effort translated to less active Liberals too. The call for "Left wing solidarity" as you term it, is a reaction to this disappointment, and this disappointment is not because of Andrew's victory, either. In fact, despite all the problems at hand, Snowstalker lost by a single vote, give or take. I even spent two hours digging through the votes and electoral law holding out hope for seeing he made it through. In no part is it a hypocritical call for support where it is not reciprocated. I've personally assisted Labor candidates and Labor officers in the Northeast Region. Though some may perceive me as leaning toward the center, my record on worker's rights speaks for itself and I think that with how much is at stake in this election, you can trust Kalwejt and I with the support of this party. I feel there was a lesson to be learned from April.

Consider this a response to both Marokai and ZuWo's instigating statements. I also thank you for your support at this point, I appreciate it and look forward to keeping the fight going during this campaign and if I am fortunate to have the opportunity, four months after this campaign.

[Napoleon]

I suggest everyone votes for Oakvale over Napoleon, go see the debate thread for why. If you can get through reading all the moderate hero rhetoric that is.

Really? I'm not a moderate hero- I didn't pick a rightist running mate or campaign as The Independent ticket.

At least I've stated what I will do if elected, and I think the overwhelming majority of it would be supported by Labor members.

Presidential Policy Priorities

I will seek the creation of a national university system, with campuses in all five regions. This system will give us the capacity to educate more of our young people and expand their opportunities for future careers, with the additional benefit of construction ans education job creation.

I will seek the prohibition of federal "land swaps", a modified version of a previous proposal of mine that will not interfere with regional lands.

I will seek to prohibit using tips or commissions from counting toward an employee's minimum compensation.

I will seek to diversify the tax code and decrease income tax rates if possible. It is too easy to evade an income tax for the very wealthy.

I will negotiate fair agreements with China regarding their currency and work to mediate conflicts in the Middle East through diplomatic means.

I will reconsider our use of drone technology and the moral hazards associated with it.

I will push for programs designed to help those struggling with mental health and disabilities by giving them options for treatment or therapy with compassionate care.

I will reform immigration laws and allow foreign students studying in Atlasia the opportunity to work here and apply for citizenship.

These policies will help Atlasia move forward and I will closely with Senators of any party to ensure they become law, in addition to proposals from individual Senators that may come forward.

I trust most Labor members can look at my record and see that I am the better fit for this party's voters.

[Napoleon]

Now, now, boys, let's not fight. We can tear each other apart after we're done with Clarence and Yelnoc.

Ideally the tearing each other apart business stops once we are done with Clarence and Yelnoc.

[Napoleon]

So...how should I start my political career?

What issues do you focus on? You can propose laws in the Pacific Legislature.

[Napoleon]

Um, is this even a valid vote?

[Napoleon]

Um, is this even a valid vote?

I assume Nathan could weigh in on this, but he did cast a ballot in the endorsement vote.

Then why have a convention?

[Napoleon]

Nix says I should go. Thoughts?

Didn't you already endorse a candidate? Would be slightly improper.

[Napoleon]

I'm not sure if we could actually force people out of the party.

Freedom to assemble?