Cao for Great Lakes Senate – Ain't No Mountain (We'll Be Back)

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

A very good evening to my fellow Atlasians; wishing you the best in these turbulent times.

I would like to begin by thanking Representative cinyc for his long service to the people of Atlasia, and I wish him the best for his retirement. cinyc has been an outstanding public servant and an independent and principled voice in Nyman and Congress has been the better for it. It is particularly imperative in these difficult times that the good people of Atlasia are able to continue enjoying the confidence of such voices in the halls of Congress. Therefore, after much reflection, I have decided to run for the House of Representatives in the upcoming elections.

The nation is suffering, and not just under the economic and societal burden of the coronavirus crisis. Just look at recent polling, where the present state of Atlasia is variously described as “sad”, “stagnant”, “machine-dominated”, and “too uncompetitive”, and a plurality of the nation believes we’re on the wrong track. And how better to combat this systemic dissatisfaction than to play the game as it was always meant to be played – to vote for people who you can trust to stand up to the machines and look out for the interests of the common man and woman; who are principled but willing to reach across the aisle in an amicable manner; and who believe in the potential of Atlasia as a nation where all are able to access opportunities to build a better future for themselves and their families?

I genuinely believe we can get things done for Atlasia and improve the lives of our fellow citizens, and that we can look past party affiliation to do so. It’s why I joined the game, and why I chose to mount an uphill run in a by-election that my party wasn’t expected to contest. It’s why, if elected, I will seek to lower taxes for the middle class, promote renewable-energy development, pursue better healthcare and electoral reform, and make sure everyone – both my rural Illinoisan relatives and my friends in the liberal Windy City – gets a say in the decisions made in Congress. And it’s why, at this critical juncture for the future of the game and the country, I am pledging to take up the values cinyc has set as an example – to be an independent, productive, and principled voice in the House of Representatives, and to promote policies that benefit the people regardless of whether they are labelled as either “Labor” or “Federalist”.

We can all agree that the nation needs public servants who, rather than resorting to hatred, choose instead to love and to work with those of all political stripes. I hope that in the coming weeks I’ll be able to persuade you that I fit the bill, as well as to support me – to bring the energy and “compassionate conservatism” of a new(ish) player to Nyman.

[Joseph Cao]

Proudly endorsed 

Endorsed for high preference!

Endorsed for highest federalist preference

Endorsed, excited to have you on the team!

Endorsed for highest federalist preference

Endorsed, good luck!

Strongly endorsed!

Thanks for all your endorsements!

As always, it is nice to see new people involved and running active campaigns. I hope you win a seat in the House (but hopefully remain in the minority party )

And that's obviously beyond the control of any individual player (I think), so I'm sure you'll have nothing to worry about. Glad to have your support in one area at least, though!

[Joseph Cao]

You will get a high-ish non-left preference from me.

Endorsed, and best of luck.

Endorsed!

Endorsed for a fairly high preference!

Appreciate the support!

[Joseph Cao]

[Transcript of remarks delivered via Facebook Live from candidate HQ in Bloomington–Normal, Illinois]

Good morning, Atlasia! Or afternoon, as the case may be. Thanks for tuning in; I’d like to take this opportunity to expand on a few of the priorities I’d pursue if elected to the House of Representatives.

The coronavirus pandemic is far from over, and I trust that the citizens of Atlasia are continuing to maintain proper social distancing and adherence to our public health and safety measures. While the stimulus bill and various other measures passed by previous Congresses and signed into law by President Pericles have contributed to an alleviation of the economic fallout, it’s important not to rest on our laurels – not while many millions of hurting individuals, families, and communities continue to struggle to stay afloat. As it is the duty of federal and regional governments to exercise their considerable legislative initiative on behalf of the citizens of Atlasia, I promise to critically examine and refine any and all such bills up for debate. Measures such as the working- and middle-class tax cuts and the temporary UBI have done much to give the working people of this nation a solid base of economic support, and I hope to continue this work. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that these are fundamentally interim measures that will eventually have to transition to a broader economic and societal rebuilding of our nation. It’s my hope that this will be a top priority of future sittings of Congress. If elected, I will do my best to drive this conversation so that we can give this nation the best means required for a strong recovery and ascent to greater heights.

And this isn’t the only crisis facing our nation. Climate change remains a very real threat to the livelihoods of millions of Atlasians; it’s imperative that we do all we can to mitigate this at both the federal and regional level. Even symbolic measures like the recent bill to ratify Atlasia’s participation in the Paris Agreement are important steps in establishing this nation as an international player and world leader in the field. On the domestic front, I would favour a reappraisal of the carbon tax as a useful and cost-effective measure to substantially reduce carbon emissions. Meanwhile, although renewable energy in general must be a keystone of our economy going forward, the very real economic impact of the job losses this would incur in the fossil-fuel industries must be delicately dealt with; these are human livelihoods that deserve our fullest support and it is important that they are provided for, particularly in these lean economic times. At its core, my environmental stance is forward-facing while aware of the need for every Atlasian – to the fullest extent possible – to have a proper seat at the table in the coming energy revolution.

My final word (for now) comes in relation to a more concrete aspect of governance: the interplay between federal and regional government. Our regions are key drivers of the game and the nation, and as a Federalist running for national office I’d like to bring some efforts by the federal and regional governments more into synchrony with each other, which would help facilitate better governance at both levels in areas relevant to national matters. Representative Encke’s recent statement regarding the disparity between the Lincoln and federal coronavirus relief measures only serves to highlight the mess that can ensue when the federal and regional governments fail to listen to each other. I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to streamline legislation and policy implementation; it’s clear that more careful legislation is needed, particularly for the life-or-death matter of coronavirus relief, and at the federal level I’d do my best to factor as much legislative precedent and public feedback (from constituents and concerned citizens) as possible into my decisions.

Finally, I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Speaker Thumb21 for his invaluable and impeccable service to the House and the nation at large, and I wish him the best for his future plans. We can only hope that the next Speaker – of either party – can measure up to the legislative initiative he has shown in his time occupying the chair; he’s set a great precedent for both sides of the aisle to emulate.

Wishing you all the best of days ahead, and thank you once again for your time.

[Joseph Cao]

Although we don't seem to agree on much, I am impressed by your efforts. Endorsed for a high preference .

Endorsed!

Endorsed!

Thanks for the kind words!

Polls have now opened and it’s time for you, the citizens of Atlasia, to get out and exercise your civic duty. This campaign has been founded upon that same sense of duty: to the nation; to the game; and to you the people – to everyone whose lives I believe I will be able to benefit and lift up in the halls of Congress. I'm very proud of the fact that this has been a clean and substantive campaign that's attracted support from all sides of the aisle. Sincere thanks go to my fellow House candidates for running similarly substantive and civil campaigns; regardless of party affiliation, I know you are all motivated by the same sense of duty, and I wish you all the best of luck no matter the outcome of this weekend.

Most importantly, I thank all of you for the interest and the words of encouragement you’ve shown over the past several weeks, and ask once more for your support at the ballot box – to deliver energy, independence, and a voice for all of you to the halls of the Capitol.

The best of weekends to you all.

Signing off (for now),
Joseph Cao

[Joseph Cao]

Well, here we are at the other end of the election! My commendations and heartfelt thanks go out to all those who exercised their democratic right to vote this weekend, and to those who chose to place their trust in my campaign by voting for me. I’m proud of the great and substantive campaign that I ran and aware that the responsibility now lies with me to realise those aims and to be a voice for all of you – those of you across the aisle as well as those who voted for me on the basis of party. I’ll do my best.

It is not lost on me, of course, that I will be entering Congress alongside left-leaning supermajorities in both houses. Once again, I’d like to congratulate all of my fellow candidates for their efforts over the past several weeks. To my fellow Federalists: I urge you all not to lose the hope or energy that continues to be a key driver of the game. Our predecessors survived previous bad cycles, and we’ll do it again. To my Labor friends (and now, colleagues): I fully welcome the opportunity to work alongside you to make Atlasia the best that it can be. To all voters, of whatever partisan or nonpartisan affiliation: let it be known that my basic goal – to be an independent and principled voice for all of you – has not changed. I will continue to make it a priority to scrutinize every bill and introduce new legislative efforts to bring constructive benefits to Atlasians of all stripes.

The road ahead is going to be bumpy. But it’s a road ahead regardless, and we’ll continue wherever the trail may lead – to a brighter and better future.

My thanks once again to all of you; Dave bless you all, and Dave bless Atlasia.

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

Good evening, Atlasia, and thanks for listening in. It's a busy time for most of us, so I'll keep this brief.

Ever since they and countless others across this nation put their trust in my candidacy and sent me to Nyman, I've made it back to my hometown in beautiful central Illinois and kept in touch with my constituents on a regular basis. This community has given me an enormous amount of love and support throughout my life and it's only right that I should now use my position to do my best for them in return. Constituent work really has been a pleasure; it's something I think everyone gets to benefit from, for a very simple reason. It is of course virtually an axiom of mine and of the Federalist Party's principles that we in government need to keep our work grounded on a human basis and in the everyday lives of Atlasians. Because that's when government works best: when we in the halls of Congress are not simply faceless bureaucrats who arbitrarily interfere in ordinary folks' affairs, but rather are the ordinary folks who can justify our work in terms of how it lifts up all Atlasians and advances this great nation through the preservation of liberty and justice for all. Government needs a face in order to be a force for good in everyday Atlasians' lives, and I'm happy that my constituents know that.

So I'm back here to announce that I am running for a second term in the House of Representatives. The concerns of my constituents have been my top priority, as I have supported legislation that will improve their lives and the lives of many others who also fall under my responsibility as a representative for all Atlasians. I've sponsored and passed bills that will give ordinary people a chance to give back to their communities, just as my own community gave me that chance; and I've been an active member of Congress, voting on every bill and taking every opportunity to make House legislation better and more effective. And I'm proud to have done this while remaining a happy warrior – it has been my great pleasure to be able to work amicably with all my colleagues, whether Labor or Federalist or Democratic Alliance or otherwise. The jangling Discords of our nation may plague us yet, but I've elected to ignore them. There's more work to be done.

My thanks to you, my fellow Atlasians, for your time. I ask for your vote.

[Joseph Cao]

Great speech! Endorsed!

I've enjoyed working with you, best of luck.

Endorsed

Endorsed after the DA candidate/candidates!

I do appreciate the work you're putting into the House. Good luck.

Enthusiastically endorsed!

!bɘƨɿobnƎ γllɒɔiɈƨɒiƨυʜɈnƎ

Strongly endorsed.

Endorsed! Best of luck in the campaign.

Endorsed for a high-ish preference!

Enthusiastically endorsed!

Endorsed

Endorsed!

Endorsed!

Endorsed

My sincerest thanks to everyone here, and to those who reached out to me in PMs! Proud to be getting tripartisan support from Atlasians around the nation.

I was away from Nyman for a few days recently, getting across Lincoln and keeping in touch with constituents in my great region. I also made an address in Green Bay which my office has decided to release, since it probably counts as a pre-election stump speech of sorts.

Before I begin in earnest, I just want to say it was a pleasure bumping into Poirot yesterday in Fond du Lac and listening to his plans for the Liberals in Wisconsin. I'm sure you've all heard of the Lake Michigan bike trail by now. And I gotta say, as an Illinoisan, I'm not the right person to comment on whether Wisconsin will take him up on the offer, but I hope my fellow Feds across the border can get behind the idea as part of the Lincoln Federalists' multi-year plan to improve and augment our regional infrastructure, and I hope you'll give the idea some consideration as well. It's funny that Poirot brought that up to me first, in fact, because I happen to love cycling. I cycled a lot around my home town of Bloomington–Normal and along the roads of central Illinois prior to my election to Congress; it's been a great way to stay fit and continues to be even during this pandemic, because it's an outdoor exercise that make everyone get the heck out of your way if they don't want to be sent flying. Flippancy aside, I think there's an analogy to be made between bikes and Atlasia.

In my time participating in politics, I've seen lots of my fellow Federalists and others to my right speaking up about the concept of liberty and its central role in our system of government. At the same time, there's been much talk from people to my left about justice for the ordinary man – social justice, economic justice, environmental justice, and the like. And there've been people on the fringes, hopefully excluding the vast majority of my fellow participants in politics, insisting that either of these is the be-all end-all of our political system, that we must prize this or that above all else, or that Atlasia will go down the drain without prioritizing one or the other. I suppose you good folks know me well enough by now to guess that my opinion on this is fairly different, and you'd be right, because guess what it says in that Pledge of Allegiance we recite all the time, including at the flag-raising that kicked the proceedings off this morning? We shouldn't pursue liberty at the expense of justice, or justice at the expense of liberty; after all, the phrase is "liberty and justice" – and, more crucially, for all. Liberty and justice go hand in hand, and who prizes one must also cherish the other. Good government is based on a firm understanding of this principle: it appreciates the role of checks and balances in the system we designed to combat threats to either of these foundational values – or, to circle back to the analogy, either of the wheels that keep the bicycle of Atlasia moving forward, without either of which it would most assuredly fall.

And what makes this good governance visible in the lives of the citizens whose liberty and justice it is meant to preserve? If I could be permitted to further butcher my metaphor, I took some liberties with that bit about the wheels earlier. It isn't just the wheels that keep the bicycle of Atlasia moving forward, because if we had just the wheels we wouldn't have a functional bicycle. All those gears and pedals and chains – not to mention the frame, handlebars, and seat – make sure all the energy of everyday Atlasians is channeled into lifting this nation ever upward. And, crucially, all of this stuff is out in the open for the cyclist to see. Does that make it much more exposed to the rain and mud and other elements than if it was covered up? Of course, and the state of my bicycle is a testament to that. But that also makes it much easier to fix if anything in the bicycle's workings goes wrong, or becomes stuck, or gets out of alignment. Which is why I and other Federalist candidates all across Wisconsin and the nation have and will always continue calling for greater government transparency. The government and its workings and impacts need to be a visible, observable presence to the people it serves.

You know one way to do that? Get involved. Go run for something, as so many of you here are doing this election; how local the office is doesn't matter as long as you're driven to make change and to stand up for your community. Inform yourself and those around you about how government works at all levels, rather than swallowing Deep State conspiracy theories. Even if you do run – and especially if you don't run – support those around you who are, particularly the new and first-time candidates on the local and federal levels! They are absolutely to be commended. And, of course, if you're looking to support candidates who will always keep true to their communities and constituents; who have a clear and principled vision for the nation; who will put their head down and work towards that moment when all of Atlasia will be able to sing with new meaning "My country, 'tis of thee; sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing"— …well, you've got no shortage of Federalist candidates here in Wisconsin and for the federal House and Senate who fully deserve your support.

Thank you all for your kind words and support these past few days, folks; I will be facing you all again very soon, in about thirty hours, as a name on your ballot for House, and I do hope you'll make an honest evaluation of my hopes for a second term. Good luck with your decision, citizens. Be well.

[Joseph Cao]

Live from Campaign HQ in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois

It's been a really down-to-the-wire election, but now that the Secretary of Federal Elections has officially certified the votes and my own reelection alongside the election of the rest of the Federalist ticket, it's my honor to once again be granted and accept the opportunity to serve in Congress! My sincere thanks go to the voters who came out this weekend to give voice to the events of the past two months; Atlasia is at its best when we elected representatives get feedback from as many of our constituents as we can and we most certainly have made great strides in that over the past few days. To the folks from across the political spectrum who voted for me: thank you for your trust, and I'll do my best to keep up my end of it by being a representative for all of you. To all my fellow Federalists who came out in support of our ticket and got us to where we are now, on the way to higher ground: let's keep up the fight for our principles and for the values that make Atlasia truly great, because we've some way to go yet before we get there. But I believe we will get there.

To my fellow candidates, Labor and Federalist and DA and Liberal and Green alike, those who were elected and those who sadly weren't, it's been a great pleasure to run with you all. I'd like especially to wish Representative gracile and former Representative Poirot well in their future endeavors. While the House is still technically in no overall control, we Federalists are of course open to collaborating with representatives from all parties for the betterment of Atlasian citizens; I look forward to working with my incoming colleagues and to a productive and interesting session. Whatever role I might play, I assure you all that I'll do my best to live up to the responsibility you've given me through my reelection. And I hope this goes to the rest of my fellow representatives and representatives-elect as well, because at risk of being cliché, please note that your power comes with great responsibility.

Let's do our best to hit the ground running. The nation needs us to.

Thank you all, and Dave bless Atlasia.

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington-Normal, Illinois

Good evening, my fellow Atlasians. Thank you for tuning in, and my thoughts go out to you all in these uncertain times.

Four months ago this nation sent a previously unelected newcomer to our nation’s halls of power. My position then and now is entirely due to you all, you citizens of this great nation of ours, and in the course of my six-month journey from uninformed voter to Speaker of the House I’ve made sure never to forget this. The least I’ve been able to do in return has been exactly what I promised then – to be a voice and a listening ear for heard and unheard voices across Atlasia, for rural folks and city slickers, for hardworking men and women and all who struggle each day to make ends meet. It has been a great privilege to be able to work for you all as a representative, and an added honor to serve as Speaker this House session. In both capacities I’ve done my level best to bring honesty and competency and a fair shake for all Atlasians to the halls of Nyman.

And a fair shake is exactly what Atlasians continue to need as a pandemic rages in our daily lives and as we face rising uneasiness at the economic, environmental, and sociological direction of our nation and of the world. It continues to fall to leaders in Nyman and in the regions to provide just that. As our nation heads into a coming period of uncertainty we need, more than ever, steady hands at the helm who will put Atlasian lives above petty partisan squabbles and cooperation over discord. I am therefore once again running for reelection to the House in order to do my part in helping to steady the ship of state.

The Bellman in Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting of the Snark claims a couple of lines down the verse from the portion I have quoted above that “what I tell you three times is true." Like much of what he says, this couldn’t be further from the truth. It certainly isn’t for this speech here at my campaign launch, the third such speech I’ve made in my electoral history. And that’s because it will only be true if you, the people, make it so. If you are up to join me once again as we continue to find out where exactly our nation is heading. If you will once again place your trust in my candidacy as you did twice before.

This ship of state won’t steer itself. Let’s hoist the sails.

[Joseph Cao]

Good evening, my fellow Atlasians. My sincere thanks to all of you for tuning in at this late hour.

There is much that has changed since my first run for the House; we’ve lived a further six months under the shadow of a pandemic that continues to gnaw away at this nation and its people, been through nearly an entire election cycle, and witnessed the rise and fall of oceans and empires here at home and abroad. But I still believe now, as I did then, in a government characterized by fairness and reasonableness, one that doesn’t overstep its bounds or promises to do things it can’t do. A government which, through its upholding of our nation of laws, manages to lift up the men and women who make up this nation and who elected us to represent them. In my time in Nyman thus far, as a representative and as Speaker of the People’s House, I have striven to do just that, and it has been a particular honor and privilege to serve the Atlasian people in that latter capacity. The present state of our nation continues to call for people to step up and keep our government focused on those two priorities. To aid that effort and the people who we are elected to serve, I am running for a fourth term in the House of Representatives.

What I have never believed in, and never will, is the cynical political arithmetic that holds that we can add through subtraction or multiply through division. It is in the empowerment of our individuals and the building up of our communities that this nation may ultimately continue to survive and thrive – things that have enabled I and my fellow representatives in the House to work across party lines, to introduce bills and vote on measures that the people here in Bloomington–Normal and in other towns and cities and communities across Atlasia can ultimately benefit from. We work on what unites us and on the issues where we find common cause; I am strongly of the belief that that is where we can ultimately get the most done for the Atlasian people. I’ve tried to do what I can to serve my constituents, to bring a more optimistic outlook for the people to Nyman, and to prove that this nation can still get the good governance it deserves. So I now come before all of you once again in the hopes that you share my hopes and my goals in that regard – and even if you don’t, that you nevertheless agree and believe in the possibility of finding common ground; that ground we all stand on, the past two hundred and fifty years’ history of which has proved that this experiment is larger than any of us or our communities and further reminds us that we public servants are sworn to serve the people and the Constitution to the best of our ability.

Once again, my thanks for listening in tonight, and please know that I’m thinking of the Atlasian people this season as I continue to work for you all. The election is next weekend on the 11th; see you there.

[Joseph Cao]

Our esteemed SoFE has certified the results, and since there are no longer any avenues for steals to be stopped (not that there were any steals to begin with, anyway), I want to extend my warmest thanks to you all. We did it once again, and we did it on the back of a level of support I can only hope continues to build in the future! To those from all across the political spectrum who supported us with endorsements and trusted us with your vote, thank you very very much. It's always been an honor to serve you all, and it very much remains so.

To my fellow Federalists: this is a step forward, and I hope we will do our best in the coming months to continue moving forward and to prove to the nation through our words and actions that this party stands for the best that Atlasia and Atlasians can be. To my colleagues who wear a different letter after their names: it is a great privilege to have worked and to continue working with you all on steering this ship of state. To the people out on the streets or in their homes tonight; those working late shifts, those on the long journeys home, those who will wake up tomorrow with various thoughts of worry or thanksgiving on their mind; those who, in spite of (or because of) all that, came out to exercise their constitutional right and make their voices heard at the ballot box: before you tune out tonight, I want to thank you all for your work, for your efforts, and please remember that you elected me and all the others on your ballot to serve you the people. That was a standard established at the founding of our nation, and it stands today as a reminder for us to fight for you all and to build our nation up.

My office is always open for inquiries or questions – I'll be there working for you all, for Atlasia and for you the people, if you ever need me. Let's get down to work.

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

My fellow Atlasians, a very good evening to you all. No matter where you are right now, your time is of value and I just want to thank you for listening in at this moment.

Right now, across the nation, there will be people getting off work, and people going on the night shift, and people who are at home and getting their rest. There will be millions of things to do and much work to be done tonight or tomorrow; the wide range of human endeavor, much of it hard and thankless, against the backdrop of a pandemic that continues to ravage our society alongside all the other societal ills that afflict us. But the common denominator across all of them is the purpose that they serve: big or small, national security matters or food deliveries, they are getting something done that will help their fellow countrymen and women.

I say all this because I want to be very clear about where my priorities lie. For the past eight months, regardless of what drama is occupying Nyman on any given day, I have showed up to work for the Atlasian people. It is deeply humbling to have been entrusted with the high office of representative and formerly of Speaker of the House. Given this position, I’ve found that keeping my head down has been the best way to stay focused on the people who I swore an oath to serve. And I do mean all of them – the city slickers of Chicago, the white-collar workers of Champaign, and the struggling families of Cairo.

There’s much more to do, for all the people I described above; dealing with the pandemic, our vaccination plan, our looming environmental crisis, the economic prospects of our citizenry, and more besides. We’ve come very far, and yet the job needs to be done. Serving in the House of Representatives has given me an opportunity to tackle these, to bring bills and legislation to the floor impacting millions of my fellow citizens, far beyond what I expected when I joined this game just under a year ago. As I launch my campaign this evening, I reaffirm the pledge I made to everyone here during my very first campaign: to continue looking out for all Atlasians, regardless of what box they check in the voting booth. Though a vote for yours truly would still be deeply appreciated.

The work is there. Let’s get the job done.

[Joseph Cao]

Enthusiastically positively unequivocally endorsed!!!

Endorsed with total support.

Endorsed!

Endorsed!

Endorsed!

This but again

Endorsed!

Endorsed

Endorsed!

Endorsed!

Thank you all, as well as those who reached out to me privately – honored to have your support!

[Joseph Cao]

February 27, 2021, following confirmation of the House election's certification

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

Well, folks, we did it.

I talked about getting the job done, and by way of opening I want to bring everyone's attention to the hard workers running my campaign and those who supported my candidacy in public and in private. You've all taken that message to heart and brought this campaign the high honor of receiving the highest number of votes ever for a House candidate in our nation's history! Thank you all, and most especially thank you to all those who placed your trust in me with your vote; this is as humbling as it is historic. The responsibility of representing the voices of so many people is not lost on me. I will do my best to do so, and I am very much heartened by the overwhelming response I've seen on the campaign trail and at the polls.

At the same time, I am under no illusions as to what caused this massive expansion of the electorate, and there are very obvious danger signals for the coming months in this country. Quite aside from the ongoing pandemic and the other issues coming to a boil, there is a crisis of politics precipitated by an election in which next to nobody came out smelling of roses. At such times, it is extremely tempting to join the crowd and scream for change to happen – any change. There are plenty of ideas flying around to upsize the game; downsize the game; revamp the game; reset the game, even. And as a member of Congress I will continue to exercise my constitutional duty to consider them on their merits, with my priorities being the overall health of the game and the Federalist credo of a more welcoming Atlasia. Our ideals will continue to guide me and the rest of my party as they always have. I will not recklessly rush into any of these. My duty remains the same: to serve the people without getting sidetracked by petty partisan mudfighting.

And on that note, it remains for me to address everyone, Federalist or Labor, DA or Liberal, Peace or Independent: we will keep moving as a nation. And as we keep moving, we ought to pause to consider the fact that what keeps us moving is and has always been cooperation, meticulous attention to detail, and reasoned civil debate. To all my fellow Atlasians, I ask you to look how far we've come. How far we can still go if we focus on the stuff that matters to the millions in our country who continue to work and to do their jobs without the distractions of the daily din of argument in our nation's capital. And as for the job I will be tasked with soon as I swear in for another term serving you all – you the people – that is a job I will certainly do my best to get done.

Thank you, everyone. Thank you for your trust and for listening in. Dave bless you all, Dave bless Atlasia, and have a peaceful night.

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

Well, folks, thank you all for listening in once again; happy Passover and happy Easter to those of you who observe them. I promise I’ll try to keep this short.

I have been registered as a voter for just over a year now. In that time, there have been opportunities to make many good friends and learn far more from you folks and ordinary citizens than I’d have dreamed of this time last year. And it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve you all alongside great friends and colleagues of all parties, to continue to bring bills to the floor and advocate and legislate and do my part in ensuring a better and fairer government that continues to uphold our people by upholding the laws and principles upon which it was founded.

We all often ask ourselves if we are the right people for the job. It has been a consistent danger of the political pursuit to lose touch with those who elected you to represent them. As I continue to serve you all in the House I have done my best to stay in touch with our citizens, with the folks on the ground who need officeholders who will stick by them, and to do my job in Congress knowing why my office is called Representative. Being the right person for this job requires precisely nothing more and nothing less than to know there is no right person for this job, because your service is on behalf of a vast group of people who need the help provided by your position of power far, far more than you do. I don’t mind having continued to doubt myself throughout the past year, as far better and far more accomplished politicians no doubt have done. It is vitally important that our leaders not get carried away on their own supply and continue to be motivated by that doubt to propel those they serve to greater heights.

In my time in the House I have tried to do just that and worked with members of all parties to help Atlasians get through the pandemic, fix our ailing systems, bring recognition to the hard workers and freedom fighters both at home and abroad, and fight for the little guy no matter their situation or standing. That’s because you all know quite well what has motivated me. I don’t trust myself well enough to avoid falling into self-serving politicking of the sort that has stained politics and corrupted the people’s influence on the levers of power. But my oath is to the Constitution, that document that begins “We the People,” and it is the people who have time and again reminded me and many others that they are the reason we continue to fight.

You all have kept me grounded and you all know what you’re getting with me. As I launch my campaign this morning and thank you once again for listening, I will be straight with you all: if you want someone who will continue to fight for you and work for you and live up to the office of a Representative of the people, then I’m your guy. And if you all trust me enough to return me to the House and continue working on behalf of you all, then I ask for your vote and your confidence this election.

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

Good evening, Atlasia! It’s good to be able to talk to you all again. Just over a year ago I came before you in similar circumstances on my first run for the House with a promise to bring a sane and representative voice to Congress. I still believe that. Even a monthlong LOA hasn’t stopped me from being an active voice on the floor and continuing to move legislation through the House. And it has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve the people as a legislator, formerly as Speaker of the House, and to stand up for my constituents on everything from healthcare to Hong Kong.

The House has had a renovation, however, and circumstances have compelled me to step once again into the shoes of my past self. As I launch what is technically a re-election bid tonight, and yet also my first bid for the new congressional body, I’m going to make the same promise that lay behind last year’s bid. I firmly believe in the continued need for a federal government that works with the regions, in economic and healthcare policies that respect the constitutional rights of all Atlasians, in continued measures to tackle the effects of climate change, and in a foreign policy that promotes and defends the democratic order worldwide. My promise to you all, once again, is a commitment to bringing that common-sense governance to the halls of power.

I’m under no illusions as to the challenges that we face; nobody’s ever said this was an easy job. And in a unicameral body, that commitment to good governance is needed more than ever. It’s my hope that I’ll be able to gain your confidence to carry that out in the weeks ahead.

[Joseph Cao]

Endorsed!

You got my vote!

Endorsed!!!

Mega endorsed

Endorsed!

Endorsed!

Endorsed!

Endorsed

Endorsed

Thank you for the support, everyone!

[Joseph Cao]

Enthusiastically endorsed!

Thanks!

[Joseph Cao]

As you started after I left the game, I never really got the chance to get to know you. But looking back through your speeches, I've seen that you've put an immense amount of effort into this game -- something we are in dire need of right now. Endorsed!

Super Enthusiastically Mega Endorsed!!!

Endorsed!

Goodluck!

Endorsed!!!

Endorsed!

Thank you all – polls are open now, so remember to go vote and make sure you vote in the correct subregional races! Feel free to shoot me a PM or consult this spreadsheet if you're unsure about which regional elections to vote in.

I delivered a rather long speech in Chicago today, part of which is an appropriate message to all of us as polls open, so here's the relevant snippet:

You all know that polls will open for federal and regional elections this evening… I trust that everyone has been paying attention to what has generally been going on, enough to make a decision on which candidates are best placed to fight for the people and demonstrate it in both their words and their actions. Naturally I have tried to stick to that standard and kept you all informed and in the loop about what I’ve done in the Capitol – you know quite well who I fight for. Hopefully that will be the case at the ballot box as well.

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

Well, we’ve made it once again. I couldn’t be more proud of everyone – my supporters, the folks who ran this campaign, and everyone who supported and voted for me through all this, and once again gave us the most votes out of any of the at-large Senate candidates on the ballot. I’m glad to have your support, it means a great deal, and I promise that will be reflected in my actions in the coming months. This new Congress is not going to be one where I stay silent on any of the issues most pressing to you all, and among my first priorities will be the establishment of a new set of Senate rules to ensure that this session is a successful one.

With the certification of the results must come other acknowledgements. SevenEleven is the next president of these united states. And although I don’t suppose this will satisfy more than a few people, the fact remains that this election very nearly ended in a tie and those of us who wanted to proceed with caution are now obligated to make sure Atlasia remains stable enough for the game to stay playable. This game is not real life, it never has been, I do not want to see this become another USGD, and if anyone here of any party whatsoever is getting the urge to import their feelings about real life into this game I am sincerely begging you to leave that option at the door.

It was back last May, I believe, when I first addressed some of you and urged my fellow Federalists to continue to press on, to strengthen the party, and to build the positive case for what we can do for the people of Atlasia. Obviously that is far more relevant today, and I won’t dwell too much on what it means to put the effort in and come up short – only that coming up short is no excuse to give up. We are a proud party with a long history; those who insist on trashing it should be aware, if they aren’t already, that broad-brush painting is impossible to achieve in a game of less than sixty active players. We celebrate our idiosyncrasies rather than flattening them.

That is a game and a party worth preserving, and worth going back to the start for. Let’s keep it alive and healthy – and if the machinations between players continue, as they likely will, who cares? The people are a bigger priority.

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

Evening, everyone. You’re all busy folks so I will, as a wise man once said, keep this brief.

The new Senator label has taken some getting used to, which makes it that much odder to now give up serving in the at-large Senate where I’ve had the privilege of listening to voters from all over the country for the past fourteen months. But to paraphrase the words of another wise man, my home is here in the lowlands of the Midwest and always will be. The Great Lakes are a proud region of people who have seen the best and worst that life has to offer and will elect public servants who can capture the range of those possibilities in their politics. So it is with a nod to all that’s happened over the past couple of months, the RL circumstances and the nevertheless-consistent contributions I have made in the Senate during that time, that I come before my fellow subregional voters to ask for your support this coming weekend.

I think the smaller strokes of the case can be filled in: for the past two months I’ve been one of the most consistently active Senators, written a fair bit of legislation and amended many others, and haven’t missed a vote in the current Senate to date. But it gets back to the overall picture in the end. In the words of one of our fellow Great Lakes citizens, a reclusive man in Cleveland, it’s more fun to blame things than to fix them. And indeed it is! It’s more fun, and more easy, to do many, many things apart from fixing them. Yet another wise man, one of my fellow Senators, is correct that it may be beyond us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try – on my part, to make sure the Senate continues to do the nation proud; on your part, if the suggestion might be made, to get out and vote and take the time to keep the game going however you can and support candidates who will do the same.

I will continue to fulfil my end of the bargain if elected, however much life throws at me, and in the words of the final wise man I will quote this evening, we’re all in this together – so let’s act like it.

[Joseph Cao]

Endorsed.

Endorsed!

Endorsed

Endorsed

Thanks, folks!

Less than 24 hours remain to vote. Let's bring this home for the region, remember to go vote, and make sure to vote in the correct subregional race – that's the GREAT LAKES. Best of luck!

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois, by way of Peoria, Illinois

Good evening, folks! I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and you’re ready for the endless onslaught of Christmas songs. I’m thankful, among many other things, that here in my little corner of downstate we believe in not breaking out “Little Drummer Boy” or that overplayed Paul McCartney song until after Thanksgiving is over. Small mercies!

Another thing I’ve been thankful for is the chance over this weekend, in between overtime shifts at the Capitol, to come home and meet my constituents as I’ve done for the past year and a half. I did it as a representative and now as a senator because those jobs are served at your behest; if I didn’t find out what people needed there wouldn’t be a point in continuing to draw a salary on Capitol Hill. And I’ve met many wonderful people that way. One of them is a Peoria farmer named Paul, a good and decent man who tells me and everyone else that he works with “organic matter.” It is a fantastic operation, to be sure, turning out in bulk the kind of high-quality compost that makes farming country proud, but we kind of know the unspoken substance involved there.

Small businesses like Paul’s are a critical part of our economy and our lives here in the Great Lakes subregion. Which is why, as one of our elected officials, I have a vested interest in stopping our government from putting people like Paul out of business. Yes, Nyman’s been trying its hardest to corner the market on “organic matter”—and believe me there is a lot of it being turned out in the Capitol. I work well with the President and Vice President when our common goal is helping the ordinary people of Lincoln, and even the rest of the Senate when that is the case, but otherwise Nyman has been drowning in a sewer of vendettas, crazy talk, outright unconstitutional proposals, and an unenthusiastic president pro-tempore on top of that.

My time in the Senate has stood against all that. In this sea of muck I’ve been proposing improvements to our educational technology, working with a Peace senator for more humane conditions in prisons, and backing up affirmations of our fundamental rights as citizens, and there’s more policy being written as we speak. My record is as pro-life—from the womb to the tomb—as any you’ll see in our great nation. We have a responsibility to keep our natural resources and wonders thriving and find a path toward more environmentally conscious policies at all levels, just like what Paul's been doing with his business. And above all I believe in a Senate that runs well, works smoothly with the regions, and is focused rigidly on the people who depend upon those critical workings.

I am running for reelection as the subregional Senator for the Great Lakes because our region and our government deserves someone who will focus on those goals. It deserves leadership on the issues facing us in a post-COVID tech-dominated country with a tricky international outlook, not the “organic matter” that defines so much of Nyman’s workings these days. You won’t get any of that from me—leave it to Paul and our other industrious ag workers to do what they do best.

I’ll do what I do best in turn, and I hope you’ll join me. There’s plenty to shovel.

[Joseph Cao]

Endorsed for Great Lakes Senate!

Endorsed!

Endorsed

Endorsed

Endorsed for reelection!

Endorsed!

Endorsed

Endorsed.

you've always been very kind to me Cao, enthusiastic endorsement

Great to see the outpouring of support here — thank you all, you're too kind!

Polls are open until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Sunday night. Let's bring this groundswell out of the Great Lakes to the voting booth and back to the Senate!