1980 Presidential Election: Four More Years? (GAME THREAD)

[Potus]

BREAKING NEWS:

REPRESENTATIVES OF GEORGE BUSH HAVE LANDED WITH READY-TO-GO BALLOT PAPERWORK IN THE MARCH PRIMARY STATES. TELEVISION CREWS HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE.

[Potus]

AMERICANS FOR BUSH

My friends,

An era of division has fallen upon our party, our nation, and our hearts.

I have watched politics for most of my life. I celebrated with my countrymen of every color and creed when victory was declared in World War Two. My service in that war bound me to brothers of every description. These times were America at its greatest.

I've also seen a time where our street were racked by ideological violence, we shunned our fellow man for no other reason than race, and violence was met with more violence. These times marked America at her worst.

However, the nature of our politics today is different. We are unified in our frustrations and divided on our margins. Every American feels the pain of the grocery. They feel the pain of the gas pump. They feel the threat of Communism and fear our nation's weakness. We are divided only by ideology, rhetoric, and style.

President Carter, swept into office by good intention and a thirst for honesty, has regretfully failed to rise to the challenges of our times. Crises, both domestic and abroad, have not been tempered by a responsible leader. Though he is my President, I do not believe he should be returned to the White House this fall.

A Republican is best suited to seize the promise of the next decade. However, rather than addressing the concerns and struggles of every day Americans, my fellow Republicans have chosen to press onward with the politics of division.

Congressman Anderson and Governor Reagan, both honorable men, have been advised by their consultants and their donors and their handlers that division will win them the nomination. Anderson's advisors tell him to unite the center and focus on the urban voters. Reagan's advisors tell him to fight for conservatives and bring in the marginalized right wing of the Democrat Party to put him over the top. Moderates be damned, the strategy goes.

This is not a politics of solutions. It is not a politics of peace. Not of prosperity.

Voters should not be faced with a choice between malaise and division. Republicans should not be faced with a men who differ mostly on style and marginally on values.

The time for unity in this country is now. The time for healing is upon us. For every life, there is a purpose. All of us, at one time or another, receive our call. Be it our work, our families, or, in my case, our country. I have received my call.

Tonight, I am putting my name forward for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. I will run hard and our message of peace, prosperity, and unity will deliver us the nomination and eventually the White House.

I hope to have your support in this endeavor. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America.

[Potus]

Strategic Memo #001

The attached document is to be circulated at every visit by the candidate, event held by supporters, and meetings of friendly organization meetings Iowa, New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico. These are instructions as to how to cast your ballot for the Director without seeing his name on the ballot. Though we have no expectations to place first in any of these states due to lack of ballot access, a strong showing despite our obstacles will allow us to win the narrative over our opponents.

We have compiled a list of the filing deadlines for weekly newspapers around Iowa and New Hampshire. Communications is currently drafting a press release to get out just before the filing deadlines of every paper on the list. Due to our proximity to the filing deadlines, our strategic department is confident our press release will be printed with little to no revision.

The Director's schedule is engineered to take advantage of the high levels of press coverage our late entry is receiving. Events are to be scheduled in town exactly two days following the printing of our announcement press release in their weekly paper. If events are scheduled in time, event detail should accompany the press release to the newspaper offices.

We are attempting to arrange around a dozen phone interviews for the Director in the March states. Some radio shows are willing to allow us to record when time permits and play it on air the following morning. We recognize the higher risk nature of on-the-fly radio interviews in which hosts guide the questions, however, the Director's patriotism, love of family, and convictions are beyond pale. We are confident there will be no sort of ethical impugning take place, just as we are confident radio listeners will get the opportunity to listen to the Director's voice and know who he is.

Early analysis of the data and the predictions being floated in the media give us much-better-than-50-50 odds of carrying Masschusetts and Vermont on the 8th of March. The 17th of March predictions show us starting with a lead in Maine, Illinois, Connecticut, and Kansas. If our lead materializes and holds in these states, we are prepared to make a heavy investment in Colorado and Wyoming to give us a clean sweep, along with the 226 delegates awarded.