Is the South seceding? And does the federal executive/legislative branches support it?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

While this is uncharted territory and I cannot predict anything with complete certainty, I think I can confidently say Yankee and Cao both have huge incentives to make it be known at least privately that independence is off the table, and that greater autonomy is clearly something that the South's regional leadership can at least credibly claim a mandate of some kind for. But that does not mean that it will inevitably happen. Terra incognita, everyone!

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

In any case, on a lighter note, if everything goes south (pun intended), the jokes write themselves. The South? Trying to secede? I mean come on...

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

While this is uncharted territory and I cannot predict anything with complete certainty, I think I can confidently say Yankee and Cao both have huge incentives to make it be known at least privately that independence is off the table, and that greater autonomy is clearly something that the South's regional leadership can at least credibly claim a mandate of some kind for. But that does not mean that it will inevitably happen. Terra incognita, everyone!

I've been hearing whispers to the contrary with regard to our current President. Granted, it is hearsay and I cannot speak for him personally, so I welcome public forum clarification on the matter.

Yankee and I have been dueling for more than a decade, but we do have a core of commonalities and I feel confident in saying that the Past, Present and/or Future King of the Federalist Party would never endorse outright succession under any circumstances.

I was assuming that since the Federalist Party is basically at least ordinarily unelectable without its Southern voters, there's no way the President would allow the South to leave. But I don't know Cao as well as I know Yankee, so...

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

While this is uncharted territory and I cannot predict anything with complete certainty, I think I can confidently say Yankee and Cao both have huge incentives to make it be known at least privately that independence is off the table, and that greater autonomy is clearly something that the South's regional leadership can at least credibly claim a mandate of some kind for. But that does not mean that it will inevitably happen. Terra incognita, everyone!

I've been hearing whispers to the contrary with regard to our current President. Granted, it is hearsay and I cannot speak for him personally, so I welcome public forum clarification on the matter.

Yankee and I have been dueling for more than a decade, but we do have a core of commonalities and I feel confident in saying that the Past, Present and/or Future King of the Federalist Party would never endorse outright succession under any circumstances.

Problem is, how much sway does Yankee actually have on his membership? Given that his party voted for secession despite him personally voting No, and that YT won despite a number of higher-up federalists backing a write-in candidate, it does not seem that the King is controlling the commoner.

The South voted for some unspecified "change", not secession, and these referenda were basically not debated much at all. To date, it's probably inaccurate to say the South consciously voted for secession.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Problem is, how much sway does Yankee actually have on his membership? Given that his party voted for secession despite him personally voting No, and that YT won despite a number of higher-up federalists backing a write-in candidate, it does not seem that the King is controlling the commoner.

Which is why we need clarification from our CiC. I'm quite confident where Yankee stands on the matter.

I was assuming that since the Federalist Party is basically at least ordinarily unelectable without its Southern voters, there's no way the President would allow the South to leave. But I don't know Cao as well as I know Yankee, so...

One would think...but even allowing "autonomy" sets what kind of precedent? What if another region doesn't want to pay taxes? What if another region wants to make beheading mandatory for jaywalking? There is no logical explanation for why you can give certain leeway to one region and not allow them for all.

In reality, you're either in or you're out: we've already had this debate years ago in terms of what flexibilities each region gets to enjoy. We've also already experienced what happens when a certain segment of players wants to experience their own environment. To them, I say this: frig off.

The only thing I can imagine is - in conjunction with the far-right's other recent, aggressive moves toward the federal government - is that they want to install a regional Electoral College where every region gets equal say but not equal contribution.

Ultimately (even under their ideal regional dreams), neither they nor I can see a scenario where this doesn't end up being 10-15 Mr R types residing there, with 5-7 of them debating about circumcising infants with crucifixes or whatever & falling into utter inactivity beyond the levels of what any federal or regional government has experienced thus far. Because that's what this will end up being in the end if allowed to occur.

Your post reminded me of the autonomy Quebec has within Canada IRL.
Maybe something like that's what the end goal here is. It only really seems possible as a long-term status quo if the Senate votes for it and other regions tolerate it though.
Regarding people leaving...we already saw Weatherboy leave. That's the non-right-leaning share of the electorate going down another 2% or so. Every vote will count in a region that has always had political influence larger than its raw population would suggest.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Your post reminded me of the autonomy Quebec has within Canada IRL.
Maybe something like that's what the end goal here is. It only really seems possible as a long-term status quo if the Senate votes for it and other regions tolerate it though.
Regarding people leaving...we already saw Weatherboy leave. That's the non-right-leaning share of the electorate going down another 2% or so. Every vote will count in a region that has always had political influence larger than its raw population would suggest.

Irrespective of real-life examples, I can look at it cursorily for 5 minutes and tell what they're planning. I might be a has-been and not follow this closely day-to-day, but I have a decade of experience and know a scheme when I see it. It's a veritable coup they're engaging down there, Tim.

You've been a loyal office-holder in the South for what, 7+ years now? This is the first regional election you lost that I can recall. It's the beginning of a purge on their front. Once many realize what they're planning - and if they're allowed to get away with it - they will follow what WB has already done. You'll always have a home elsewhere. Perhaps it's time you move up a ladder into federal government - as much as I know you've always loved regional service, it's long overdue, anyway!

I've lost three Chamber elections (including this one) over the span of almost six full IRL years, one of which ended a period of which I was Dean of the Chamber for quite some time. The first two were quite close, in my recollection. This time, it was by almost three votes, not large, but still the biggest loss margin in my career. Both times this happened previously, I returned within two months (iirc) through appointment. This is, of course, the first time appointment is not a possible course of action, so there's that.
It is true that this defeat has created pathways that previously weren't open for me in my personal career. So there's that.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

While this is uncharted territory and I cannot predict anything with complete certainty, I think I can confidently say Yankee and Cao both have huge incentives to make it be known at least privately that independence is off the table, and that greater autonomy is clearly something that the South's regional leadership can at least credibly claim a mandate of some kind for. But that does not mean that it will inevitably happen. Terra incognita, everyone!

I've been hearing whispers to the contrary with regard to our current President. Granted, it is hearsay and I cannot speak for him personally, so I welcome public forum clarification on the matter.

Yankee and I have been dueling for more than a decade, but we do have a core of commonalities and I feel confident in saying that the Past, Present and/or Future King of the Federalist Party would never endorse outright succession under any circumstances.

I was assuming that since the Federalist Party is basically at least ordinarily unelectable without its Southern voters, there's no way the President would allow the South to leave. But I don't know Cao as well as I know Yankee, so...

It was pretty telling to see people like Yankee and WM voting nay on the 8th amendment. I feel like people are right when they say it hasn't been debated and that people tried to pass it without making much noise and without clarifying what it means or what they want to do.

There might be a vague feeling of "more regionalism" in the air, at least down in the South. At least, there is a mobilized chunk of the political elite (keep in mind I use that term neutrally) in the region behind it. Combined with Discordification and the South being a rather quiet region politically allowing this to more easily go under the radar, that might explain why this passed. Yankee and the like are not in this group and voted Nay; the push for "greater regionalism" just doesn't resonate with them.

Personally, I felt this proposition served no real point and voted Nay likewise. I did not fear it because if 2022 is anything to go by, Nyman is not unwilling to act with decisiveness to keep the country together. In any case, if the basic structure is being tinkered with at the insistence of one player, then others naturally might chime in and demand something in return. Some kind of negotiations needs to happen, but it's up to Southern (and other) regional leaders, as well as leaders in Nyman, to shape it in their capacities as elected officials I suppose. All this referendum really gave a mandate for was negotiations.
Maybe this results in a substantially weaker federal government. That probably is not good for the game from a mechanics POV, because people might not want to run for less consequential federal office nearly as much and that weakens the game.
In the long-run, it seems inevitable some kind of give-and-take will happen if this actually ends up going anywhere.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Adam moving to the South will be interesting to see. Atlasia never disappoints!