East of the Merrimack (Gameplay Thread)

[KaiserDave]

General Election: Final Turn October 31st-November 7th

[1]

Tom Griffith: Good morning New Hampshire. Welcome to WMUR New Hampshire, broadcasting from Manchester. We've got a bit of wind today, but it's temperate for November I'd say. Halloween is now behind us, and Thanksgiving ahead, but before then we have Election Day, only a week away.

Jennifer Vaughn: And the race remains close, as money begins to flow into New Hampshire.

Tom Griffith: I'm sure people are noticing, I know I have, I'm getting TV ads all the time now, and I'm sure you'll see them too. All kinds of stuff, including some attacks from outside groups.

Jennifer Vaughn: Me too, but I'm really interested to see if it's moving the needle. We've got a poll from Rasmussen, the first one we've had since September.

Rasmussen Research Group: Who do you support for Congress in New Hampshire's First District?
Conducted from September 15th-September 19th
Sample Size: 551
MoE: +/- 4.5%
Jabez Parsons: 48%
Lauren Winters: 43%
Undecided/Other: 9%

Tom Griffith: Jabez Parsons looking strong, ahead by 5 points over Mayor Winters. But I caution our viewers. Watch that 4.5% margin of error, and watch that number, 9% undecided. So there's around, using my improved mathematics, around 14% that could be moved around here, and a lot that could change.

Jennifer Vaughn: Well, it's still a Parsons lead. Republicans I've spoken too are feeling good, some think that even if Democrats are swept into power in the House, Parsons will hold this seat for the Grand Old Party.

Tom Griffith: Some Republicans I've spoken too were very impressed by his debate performance, but I also spoke to several more conservative Republicans frustrated by his opposition to the Patriot Act, worrying he'll annoy pro security voters or dampen turnout among the base. Analysts, including at WMUR, disagree. Well, we have coverage on Senator Barack Obama visiting Manchester to campaign for Mayor Winters, more on that after the break.




Folks, it's been great, but here we are at the end. We've got one week of campaigning left. Throw everything on the field. Ads, schedules, and anything else you deem reasonable! Go out and win! You can utilize any surrogates from your party you deem reasonable (check with me if it's borderline though), and I'll be sending you some additional names you can use (you don't have to), mostly prospective 2008 candidates. Go out and win! Thank you for participating! Content due a week from today.


[1] Wikimedia Commons, media logo used under Fair Use

[KaiserDave]

Election Night

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Tom Griffith: Hello, good evening, and welcome back to WMUR's Election Night Coverage. It is decision day 2006, and voters across the country and lining up to let their voices be heard on the state of the country. On the overseas wars, on the economy, on energy, on schools, and on local issues. In New Hampshire this is also true, where voters will have a chance to vote for the state legislature, the Governorship, and two congressional seats that have received a lot of attention.

Jennifer Vaughn: Attention indeed Tom, with national figures like Barack Obama and Former President Bush coming into New Hampshire to campaign for their respective parties. Ads are all over the television as millions of dollars pour into the state to support sophisticated campaign infrastructure. The results here in battleground New Hampshire may very well foretell the nation's. Will Nancy Pelosi take the Speakers gavel? Will Harry Reid take back power in the Senate? Will George W. Bush be dealt a decisive blow, or a new mandate? We'll find out very soon.

(Cuts to clips of Jabez Parsons and Lauren Winters campaigning, as well as clips of John Lynch, John McCain, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, and Bernie Sanders)

Tom Griffith: Talk about national attention. Republican presidential frontrunner for 2008 Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani even came out here, along with new liberal icon Barack Obama of Illinois.

Jennifer Vaughn: Indeed, with national news crews following them!

Tom Griffith: Well we're approaching poll closing, and the beginning of results. Stick with us folks

Welcome folks. This is the end of the game. There is no more campaigning to be done, no more ads to be run. The voters have gone to the polls, and the votes are waiting to be counted. This game was a great time, and I'm happy we did it. I enjoyed reading your writing and I hope you enjoyed writing it! It was fantastic. Thank you for playing! Now, onwards with the results!


[1] Wikimedia Commons, media logo used under Fair Use

[KaiserDave]

Results

I have unfortunately been very busy as of late, and I do not possess the will or effort to do the usual festivities, for which I apologize. I do feel bad, given the effort you all showed, but I feel as if the true heart of the game was the primary night and all of it's glory. But again, I do apologize. So, without further ado, here are the results.

Lauren Winters: 50.6%-207,188
Jabez Parsons: 49.3%-201,865
Other: .1%-410

The results are razor thin, but riding on a strong Democratic nationwide performance, far stronger than expected in the House and Senate, Durham Mayor Lauren Winters defeated Rockingham County State Senator Jabez Parsons. The election wasn't called until the early hours of the next morning, but Winters won by a few thousand votes, with the key difference coming from Strafford County, where Winters dominated, especially on the Maine border. Parsons drew strong support from the entire district, winning all but one county. Unfortunately, his weaker than expected numbers on on the seacoast did him in as voters revolted against the perceived corruption of the Bush Administration.

If I may, the ultimate matchup heavily reflected the real life matchup. A moderate New England Republican, personifying the "Yankee Republican spirit" against a progressive woman calling for universal healthcare and railing against the wars. The result reflected this, although Parson's (and to be frank, Brother Jonathan's knowledge and precise campaigning) made it far closer, and my calculations nearly yielded a win for him.

I greatly enjoyed this game, and I hope you did as well! Thank you to all players, and our general election players in particular. To the future games my friends!