America After Trump: An Election Game (Gameplay Thread)

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(image is from Flickr and confirmed public domain by Google)

POLIS 2024
      For a Brighter Tomorrow

GOVERNOR POLIS ANNOUNCEMENT SPEECH
Denver, CO, May 12, 2023

Polis: Hello, Denver!

(crowd cheers)

I'd ask how you all were, but it seems you've already answered my question.

(good-natured laughter)

When I entered into politics, there was no Obergefell v. Hodges. But in 2008, with your help, I became the first openly gay man who wasn't an incumbent to be elected to the United States House, only the second LGBTQ+ person, after my good friend Senator Tammy Baldwin, to accomplish that feat. In 2018, with your help, I repeated that feat on a gubernatorial level, after Former Governor Kate Brown, another friend of mine!

(crowd cheers)

Once again, I am not the first member of this vibrant community to tread this ground, nor, this time, even the first man from that community. However, I do intend to be the first member to take us further than we've ever gone before, all the way to the White House!

(crowd roars)

Ladies and gentlemen, we've seen a lot of changes in the past twenty years, many of them good, but many of them problematic, as well. Climate change has worsened, despite our efforts to combat it. A woman's right to choose is now in jeopardy on a level not seen in fifty years. The rights of the community of which I could not be a prouder member may soon join it.

Thus, while I respect and support President Biden, I believe that the time for incrementalism is over. We are in crisis now. We need radical change now. Dare I say it, against what for many years I would have called my better judgment, we need a revolution on these issues now! Because climatologists have told us that it's now or never. If we wait even until 2030 to bring our carbon emissions down by an order of magnitude, it will be too late! Every second we sit on our hands could be the second a woman breathes her last in an illicit abortion clinic because she didn't have access to a safer alternative!

Even now, bigots hiding behind supposed "religious convictions" want to strike down my right to be married to the man I love. To them, I say God IS love! 1 John 4:8, look it up!

(crowd shouts its approval)

I won't stand idly by as the Republicans plot to destroy our nation's values and our planet for their own political and economic benefit. We need a Green New Deal, we need to reverse the hideous decision of SPLC v. Marshall, and we need to introduce a New Bill of Rights to the Constitution, so that these basic human rights can never be credibly threatened again!

And, with President Biden electing to retire, I believe we need in his successor someone who is willing to fight to the bitter end for all of those things. Which is why I am proud to announce that I am running for President of the United States!

(crowd erupts)

And I'd like to welcome to the stage another good friend of mine, the Senator from our neighbors to the south, Ben Ray Luján!

(more cheers)

Luján: Good morning, Denver! Buenos dias, mis amigos!

(crowd cheers)

It is so great to be here today to tell all of you that I am endorsing Jared for President of the United States, because he will fight for the interests of the poor working family over the corporate magnate, the interests of the minority youth who just wants a shot at the American dream over the white nationalist who would literally kill them to prevent that!

(crowd roars)

The woman terrified of giving birth to the child of the man who raped her over the lunatic who says it was a punishment from God! The low-income Floridian whose house is at real risk of being underwater in the next few years over the oil and coal industries! The LGBT individual who just wants acceptance over the bigot who will stop at nothing to ostracize, stereotype, and humiliate them, or even, in extreme cases, murder them! It is this fight that we face, and it is this fight we will win if you join me in making Governor Jared Polis el próximo presidente de los Estados Unidos! Thank you!

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POLIS 2024
     For a Brighter Tomorrow

POLIS CAMPAIGN SCHEDULE, MAY AND JUNE 2023

May 12-18: Kickoff and Washington

• May 12: Campaign kickoff rally in Denver, announce endorsement of Senator Ben Ray Luján
• May 13: Complete immediately pressing gubernatorial duties before flying to Seattle overnight
• May 14: Rallies in Seattle, Renton, Kent, Federal Way, and Tacoma
• May 15: Rallies in Lakewood, Olympia, and Redmond
• May 16: Rallies in Bothell, Lynnwood, Snohomish, Everett, and Marysville
• May 17: Rallies in Arlington, Stanwood, Mt. Vernon, Burlington, and Bellingham
• May 18: Fly to Spokane, rallies in Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Airway Heights

May 19-30: South Carolina

• May 19: Fly in from Washington, rest
• May 20: Rallies in Charleston, North Charleston, and Mt Pleasant
• May 21: Rallies in Orangeburg, Sandy Run, and Columbia
• May 22: Town hall in Columbia
• May 23: Meet and greets in Columbia, Forest Acres, Woodhill Estates, and Dentsville
• May 24: Meet and greets in Cayce, Springdale, Oak Grove, Lexington, Red Bank, and Pine Ridge
• May 25: Meet and greets in Seven Oaks, St. Andrews, Denny Terrace, and Crane Forest
• May 26: Speak at Brooklyn Baptist Church about how God created us all equal, and how racism is "just another of the devil's schemes to drive people apart"
• May 27: Speak at University of South Carolina, drive back to Charleston, hold town hall in Charleston
• May 28: Meet and greets in Charleston, North Charleston, James Island, and Morris Island
• May 29: Hold open air rally in Sullivan's Island with free food available
• May 30: Meet and greets in Mt Pleasant; fly to Detroit

May 31 - June 10: Michigan

• May 31: Hold rallies in Detroit, Dearborn, Southfield, Royal Oak, and St Clair Shores
• June 1: Hold rallies in Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, Warren, West Bloomfield Township, and Farmington Hills
• June 2: Hold rallies in Novi, Plymouth, Westland, Redford Charter Township, and Dearborn Heights
• June 3: Hold rallies in Taylor, Southgate, Brownstone Charter Township, and Wyandotte
• June 4: Drive to and hold rallies in Ann Arbor; speak at University of Michigan
• June 5: Drive to and hold rallies in Flint
• June 6: Drive to and hold rallies and meet and greets in Saginaw
• June 7: Return to Flint for a town hall and meet and greets
• June 8: Drive to and hold rallies and meet and greets in Lansing
• June 9: Return to the Detroit metro area; hold meet and greets in Pontiac, Troy, Sterling Heights, and Warren
• June 10: Hold meet and greets in Southfield, Redford Charter Township, Dearborn Heights, and Detroit; fly to Denver overnight

June 11-14: Colorado

• June 11-13: Perform gubernatorial duties and rest from campaigning
• June 14: Hold rally in Denver before flying to Las Vegas

June 15-24: Nevada

• June 15: Hold rallies in Las Vegas, Spring Valley, Paradise, and Henderson
• June 16: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Henderson and Enterprise
• June 17: Hold town hall in Las Vegas
• June 18: Senator Luján joins Polis in Las Vegas for a Recuerda votar aquí en Febrero! rally
• June 19: Polis and Luján hold more Recuerda votar aquí en Febrero! rallies across Clark County, including rallies in Enterprise and Paradise and meet and greets in Spring Valley and Henderson
• June 20: Polis and Luján drive to Reno, livestreaming much of the trip
• June 21: Hold Recuerda votar aquí en Febrero! rallies in Reno, Sun Valley, and Spanish Springs
• June 22: Hold meet and greets and a town hall in Sparks; Senator Luján returns to Washington
• June 23: Hold town halls and meet and greets in Reno and Carson City
• June 24: Fly to Manchester

June 25-30: New Hampshire

• June 25: Hold rallies in Manchester, Concord, and Nashua
• June 26: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Portsmouth and Dover
• June 27: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Laconia and Gilford
• June 28: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Woodstock, Lebanon, and Hanover
• June 29: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Littleton and Franconia
• June 30: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Lancaster and Berlin

[Cabbage]

 POLIS 2024
      For a Brighter Tomorrow

POLIS CAMPAIGN SCHEDULE, JULY THROUGH OCTOBER 2023

July 1-9: Oregon

• July 1: Fly into Portland from New Hampshire; rally and meet and greet in Portland
• July 2: Rallies and meet and greets in Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Gresham
• July 3: Rallies and meet and greets in Tigard, Woodburn, and Keizer
• July 4: Meet and greets and a town hall in Salem; major rally with Governor Kotek in Salem, where she announces her endorsement
• July 5: Rallies and meet and greets with Governor Kotek in Albany, Corvallis, and Eugene
• July 6: Rallies and meet and greets with Governor Kotek in Springfield, Pleasant Hill, and Creswell
• July 7: Rallies and meet and greets with Governor Kotek in Cottage Grove, Rice Hill, Sutherlin, and Roseburg
• July 8: Rallies and meet and greets with Governor Kotek in Myrtle Creek, Azalea, and Grant’s Pass
• July 9: Rallies and meet and greets with Governor Kotek in Central Point, Medford, and Ashland

July 10-24: California

• July 10: Rallies and meet and greets in Yreka, Mt Shasta, and Redding
• July 11: Rallies and meet and greets in Red Bluff, Chico, and Yuba City
• July 12: Rallies and meet and greets in Sacramento, Roseville, and Folsom
• July 13: Rallies and meet and greets in Stockton, Manteca, and Modesto
• July 14: Rallies and meet and greets in Turlock, Merced, and Gilroy
• July 15: Rallies and meet and greets in San Jose, Mountain View, and Palo Alto
• July 16: Rallies and meet and greets in Redwood City, Bair Island, San Mateo, and South San Francisco
• July 17: Town hall and meet and greet in Daly City; nationally televised rally in San Francisco
• July 18: Rallies and meet and greets in Alameda, Oakland, and Berkeley
• July 19: Rallies and meet and greets in Richmond, Concord, Walnut Creek, and Antioch
• July 20: Rallies and meet and greets in Livermore, Pleasanton, Hayward, and San Leandro
• July 21: Rallies and meet and greets in Union City, Fremont, and Milpitas
• July 22: Rallies and meet and greets in Hollister, Los Banos, Chowchilla, and Madera
• July 23: Rallies and meet and greets in Parkwood, Highway City, and Clovis
• July 24: Rally, meet and greet, and town hall in Fresno; fly to Denver overnight

July 25 - 29: Colorado

• July 25: Arrive in Denver; hold rally in Denver
• July 26-29: Gubernatorial duties; fly to Michigan overnight on the 29th

July 30 – August 6: Michigan

• July 30: Arrive in Kalamazoo; rallies and meet and greets in Kalamazoo and Portage
• July 31: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Battle Creek, Jackson, and Ann Arbor
• August 1: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Brighton, Fowlerville, and Lansing
• August 2: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Portland, Saranac, and Grand Rapids
• August 3: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Grand Haven, Norton Shores, and Muskegon
• August 4: Drive back to Grand Rapids for a town hall at Western Michigan University Grand Rapids Beltline
• August 5: Drive back to Lansing for a town hall at Michigan State University
• August 6: Town hall in Detroit with laid off auto workers

August 7-23: Ohio

• August 7: Rallies and meet and greets in Toledo, Rossford, and Northwood
• August 8: Rallies and meet and greets in Walbridge, Maumee, and Holland
• August 9: Rallies and meet and greets in Bowling Green, North Baltimore, and Findlay
• August 10: Rallies and meet and greets in Arlington, Carey, and Upper Sandusky
• August 11: Rallies and meet and greets in Marion, Delaware, and Westerville
• August 12: Town hall at Otterbein University; rallies and meet and greets in Huber Ridge and Minerva Park
• August 13: Rallies and meet and greets in Worthington and Dublin; nationally televised rally in Columbus
• August 14: Rallies and meet and greets in Summerford, Northridge, and Springfield
• August 15: Rallies and meet and greets in New Carlisle, Huber Heights, and Dayton
• August 16: Rallies and meet and greets in Kettering, Miamisburg, and Germantown
• August 17: Rallies and meet and greets in Middletown, Hamilton, and Fairfield
• August 18: Rallies and meet and greets in Springdale, Sharonville, Blue Ash, and Kenwood
• August 19: Rallies and meet and greets in Norwood, Milford, and Withamsville
• August 20: Town hall and major rally in Cincinnati
• August 21: Drive back to Columbus for meet and greet and town hall
• August 22: Rallies and meet and greets in Hebron, Zanesville, and Cambridge
• August 23: Rallies and meet and greets in St. Clairsville and Wheeling

August 24 - September 5: Pennsylvania

• August 24: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Washington, Bethel Park, and Green Tree
• August 25: Hold televised rally, meet and greets, and town hall in Pittsburgh
• August 26: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Homestead, Monroeville, Penn Hills, and Ross Township
• August 27: Rallies and meet and greets in Cranberry Township, Grove City, Meadville, and Edinboro
• August 28: Town hall, rallies, and meet and greets in Erie
• August 29: Rallies and meet and greets in Warren and DuBois
• August 30: Rallies and meet and greets in Clearfield and State College; town hall at Penn State University
• August 31: Rallies and meet and greets in Tyrone and Altoona
• September 1: Rallies and meet and greets in Roaring Spring, Bedford, and Breezewood
• September 2: Rallies and meet and greets in Burnt Cabins, Newville, and Harrisburg
• September 3: Rallies and meet and greets in Hershey, Lebanon, and Reading
• September 4: Rallies and meet and greets in Pottstown, Coatesville, Exton, and West Chester
• September 5: Major rally and meet and greets in Philadelphia; fly to Boston overnight

September 6-11: Massachusetts

• September 6: Town hall at Harvard University; major rally and meet and greets in Cambridge
• September 7: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Boston, culminating in a nationally televised one
• September 8: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Quincy, Brookline, Newton, Waltham, and Somerville
• September 9: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Lynn, Salem, and Andover
• September 10: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Lawrence, Haverhill, and Methuen
• September 11: Halt campaign out of respect for 9/11

September 12-16: New Hampshire

• September 12: Rallies and meet and greets in Salem, Windham, Derry, and Manchester
• September 13: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Hooksett, Suncook, and Concord
• September 14: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Bedford, Merrimack, and Nashua
• September 15: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Hampstead, Kingston, Exeter, and Seabrook
• September 16: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Hampton, North Hampton, Portsmouth, and Newington

September 17-21: Colorado

• September 17: Arrive in Denver; hold rally in Denver
• September 18-21: Gubernatorial duties; fly to Texas overnight on the 21st

September 22 – October 11: Texas

• September 22: Land in Dallas, televised rally and town hall in Dallas
• September 23: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Mesquite, Garland, Richardson, Carrollton, and Irving
• September 24: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Grand Prairie, Arlington, Grapevine, Flower Mound, and Lewisville
• September 25: Hold rallies and meet and greets in McKinney, Frisco, Denton, and Fort Worth
• September 26: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Burleson, Hillsboro, Bellmead, and Waco
• September 27: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Hewitt, Temple, and Killeen
• September 28: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Georgetown, Round Rock, Pflugerville, and Austin
• September 29: Hold rallies and meet and greets in San Marcos, New Braunfels, and San Antonio
• September 30: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Luling, Waelder, Schulenburg, Columbus, and Sealy
• October 1: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Brookshire, Katy, Cinco Ranch, and Sugar Land
• October 2: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Missouri City, Pearland, League City, and Baytown
• October 3: Hold rallies and meet and greets in Sheldon, Deer Park, Pasadena, and South Houston
• October 4: Hold meet and greets, a town hall, and a nationally televised rally in Houston, Texas
• October 5: Fly to Amarillo, joined by Senator Lujan at the airport; rally and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Amarillo
• October 6: Rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Happy, Kress, and Abernathy
• October 7: Rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Lubbock, Woodrow, Tahoka, and Lamesa
• October 8: Rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Ackerly, Big Spring, Stanton, and Midland
• October 9: Rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Odessa, Arcade, Monahans, and Pecos
• October 10: Rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Toyah, Van Horn, and Sierra Blanca
• October 11: Rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Tornillo, Fabens, Clint, and a televised rally in El Paso

October 12-16: New Mexico

• October 12: Rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Vado and Las Cruces
• October 13: Rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Hatch, Truth or Consequences, and Socorro
• October 14: Hold rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Polvadera, Bosque, Los Lunas, and South Valley
• October 15: Hold rallies and meet and greets with Senator Lujan in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, San Felipe Pueblo, and Agua Fria
• October 16: Town hall, meet and greets, and nationally televised rally in Santa Fe with Senator Lujan; Senator Lujan returns to Washington following this

October 17-19: Colorado

• October 17-19: Gubernatorial duties in Denver

October 20-29: Illinois

• October 20: Fly into Chicago; meet and greets and a televised rally in Chicago
• October 21: Rallies and meet and greets in Evanston, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, and Oak Lawn
• October 22: Rallies and meet and greets in Orland Park, Bolingbrook, Naperville, and Aurora
• October 23: Rallies and meet and greets in St. Charles, Elgin, Waukegan, Fox Lake, and Rockford
• October 24: Rallies and meet and greets in Rochelle, Paw Paw, Oglesby, Wenona, and Minonk
• October 25: Rallies and meet and greets in El Paso, Bloomington, Morton, and Peoria
• October 26: Rallies and meet and greets in Hopedale, Lincoln, Mt Pulaski, Springfield, and Decatur
• October 27: Rallies and meet and greets in Champaign (speak at University of Illinois), Tuscola, Mattoon, and Effingham
• October 28: Rallies and meet and greets in Vandalia, Greenville, Pocahontas, Highland, and Edwardsville
• October 29: Rallies in Glen Carbon, Collinsville, Belleville, and Granite City

October 30-31: Missouri

• October 30: Meet and greets and a televised rally in St. Louis
• October 31: Meet and greets and rallies in Ferguson, Florissant, Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur, and Town and Country

[Cabbage]

 POLIS 2024
      For a Brighter Tomorrow

Debate Responses

Opening Statement:
Hello, (city)! It’s so great to be here tonight to discuss the issues all of you and all of us care about so deeply. For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been the Governor of Colorado for the past five years now. I am a husband to a wonderful man named Marlon, a father to two beautiful children, Caspian and Corah, and the first openly gay man elected to both the House and as Governor of a state. I’ve proudly served my state and my country in both those offices, and look forward to potentially serving them again as President. And I intend to serve them by bringing about much needed change: a Green New Deal to strengthen and protect our economy and our environment at the same time; a Medicare-for-All system to lift the insurance company’s boot from the consumer’s neck; and, most importantly, a reversal of SPLC v. Marshall, the greatest failing in the past few decades in the Supreme Court, followed by a New Bill of Rights that includes a woman’s right to control her own body, as well as my right to be married to the man I love.

General Question 1:
I’m aware of many of the concerns people have about coattails, and about how we supposedly have to run a moderate to keep the Senate and House from flipping back Republican, but the fact of the matter is that such statements just aren’t true. I won re-election last year as a progressive with no trouble at all. Tammy Baldwin, the Senator up for re-election in Wisconsin, is a strong progressive who was elected as an openly LGBT woman for the first time before Obergefell v. Hodges, and was re-elected six years ago in a state Donald Trump had won just two years prior. Furthermore, we are seeing more every day that immediate progressive change is the only way we can combat issues like climate change and conservative attacks on civil rights, and so I think a progressive will help us hold those key seats you mentioned, and expand our majorities, as well, as people recognize it’s now or never.

General Question 2:
I’ve made clear my support for the Green New Deal in the form that nearly passed in the House earlier this year. And I’m aware I’ve received criticism for being a latecomer to the party, as it were. When I ran for Governor in 2018, I looked at the reports from expert climatologists, and they suggested to me that incremental change was a feasible solution. But then new data came in. Climate scientists pushed their doomsday numbers forward to the point that, if we do not significantly cut our national and global CO2 output within this coming term, our planet will be irreversibly launched toward runaway climate change. With stakes that high, I made the decision, tough though it was, to take a harder stance on this issue. Because I have always supported the evidence, I continue to support the evidence, and I will always support the evidence which says that climate change is real and we need to act on it right now.

Personal Question:
Only insofar as my campaign remembers the icons of this community who came before us. From the Stonewall rioters, to those who fought misinformation during the 1980s AIDS epidemic, to Congressman Barney Frank, to Senator Tammy Baldwin, to Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the first major openly LGBT presidential contender just four years ago, to all of the hardworking LGBT men, women, and non-binaries who have, both in and out of the political limelight, put themselves forward and fought to advance the community they live and love in. So this campaign is dedicated to those people, to the people waiting to see if this will be the year we elect a gay President, and to all the LGBT people I hope and pray will grow up in an environment where they are accepted for who they are and judged only by their ethics and their willingness to work and fight for this great nation.

Closing Statement:
Well, it’s been an exciting night, folks. We’ve heard numerous different perspectives on the issues you need to know our stances on before you make a decision. I hope we’ve each been able to clarify our positions on those troubles facing America which we discussed tonight. However, if you’d like to know my positions on issues we didn’t get to tonight, and don’t want to wait until the next debate, then head on over to jaredpolis.com/issues and read up on where we want to take this country during my administration. And, if you like what you see, don’t be afraid to click that “Donate” button in the top right of your screen, or, even if you can’t help out that way, you can click the “Join Us” button or text BETTER to 76547, and stay updated on where we’ll be and how you can help out. We’d love to have you. Thank you to (venue) and (city) for hosting us tonight, and thank you to everyone who joined us in the audience and tuned in to watch us! God bless, and good night!