DDNN 1st Presidential Debate

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Hello and welcome to the first DDNN Presidential Debate! This is open to all declared candidates, currently MB, WB, S019, Ishan, HCP, Cao, and Spark. Please do not post on this thread if you are not a candidate, there is a commentary thread on this board for you to use. Also use that thread to submit a question for this or the next debate.

Candidates are encouraged to respond within 24 hours for each round, but the schedule is built so we have the flexibility to allow up to 48 if needed.

First, we will allow time for candidates to make opening statements. Then there will be several rounds of questioning on domestic policy issues. Candidates may go back and forth and rebut each others points as they wish.

Candidates, please proceed with your opening statement.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

All right, thank you. As a note, any other candidates observing are more than welcome to chime in at any time and rebuttals are welcome throughout:

Questions for All Candidates:

1. Lots of candidates talk about activity, but fail to deliver. Perhaps because of a general lack of care for the game, or perhaps because it is more pleasant to deal with an inactive legislature of supporters than an active legislature of opponents, many have ended up only managing the decline rather than actually making a difference. What assurances and evidence can you give the public that you actually still care about the game and will work to make it more reliably active?

2. COVID-19, while in a weakened state, remains a potential threat to Atlasia in the coming months. Do you believe our nation is currently mounting an effective response to the virus, and are there any additional measures, such as a vaccine mandate, that you believe should be enacted?

3. Should the next administration seek to reinstate the assault weapons ban or enact other gun legislation? If not, how should we respond to mass shootings beyond offering our condolences?

4. In the event of a vacancy on the Supreme Court, what standards would you use in evaluating who to nominate? What weight would ideological consistency hold as compared to fitness for the role? Would you condition your decision on an agreement to vote against any current precedent of the court?

Question for Cao: You have served in a variety of offices and have had lots of time to try to enact your ideas. Given the current fairly depressed state of the game, why should voters go for more of you rather than voting for someone who has not had as much influence?

Question for S019: When in the Lincoln Legislature, you often proposed regional tax increases on everything from corporations to toll roads. You once supported forcing government employees to take dubious online tests measuring "implicit bias". Further, your gun reform bill had to be stripped of extreme elements before it could pass, such as a "adequate reason" requirement to own even the simplest firearms. Now, we have your stated desire to "reform the regions". Why should voters believe that "regional reform" would mean anything except forcing your ideological agenda onto the regions regardless of the views of their elected legislatures?

Question for Spark: In the October Election, you were emphatically rejected, receiving only the votes of yourself and your running mate. Why should voters go against that consensus now?

Question for Ishan: During your time in the game, you have leaped around the parties, at times being in Labor, but at other times creating or joining various smaller third parties. Do you have an actual consistent ideology, and if so, what is it?

Question for MB: Your Party platform states: "10. The Revolutionary Communist Party stands with the working class in this struggle for socialism and freedom, and we must win!". What does the word "Socialism" mean to you?

Question for WB: Your previous presidency was an unmitigated disaster. Why on earth should voters even consider you?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Next round will be up later tonight.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Questions, Round 2

1. The Neolib Administration has presided over an expansion to the presidential cabinet, namely the reinstation of the Secretary of Internal Affairs and separating the offices of SOFE and RG. Do you agree with these changes? If so, would you seek to further expand the cabinet by say adding back the national archivist or adding a deputy GM?

2. Was Politics Fan vs The South, which says there is a right to abortion in the Atlasian Constitution, correctly decided?

3. Do you believe Atlasia is currently doing enough to fight climate change and develop renewable energy? If not, what additional measures would you enact?

4. What reforms, if any, should Atlasia enact for its police force to help prevent events of "police brutality"? Is it appropriate to "defund" the police (figuratively or literally)?

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I am going to go ahead and post the final round for this debate now. You will have through the Afternoon of June 13 to answer (and catch up on previous rounds). The second debate will start at that time.

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Questions, Final Round:

1. Do you see our society as systemically racist? To what extent, if any, is it appropriate to teach "critical race theory" in schools? If so, define the term and how you would want it to be taught.

2. In light of the challenges faced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic, do you support any measures to forgive student loan debt? If so, how much would you forgive?

3. What focus, if any, would you put on expanding space exploration? Is it appropriate for us to be funding this while we are still running a deficit?

4. Generally speaking, to work towards a balanced budget, should we be looking at tax increases, changes to entitlements, cuts to defense spending, or cuts to discretionary spending? Why?


You can also provide a closing statement for this debate. Thanks for your participation!