Bore/Nix for President

[Adam Griffin]

Fantastic news!

[bore]

Fantastic news!

You've been one of the best Senators we've had. I'm always pleased to reiterate my endorsement!

In terms of ideas and activity, Deus is the strongest opponent who you've faced yet. Nevertheless, I can't imagine endorsing anyone else after your strong performance over the most recent couple of sessions. (At this point, you may be responsible for repealing more laws than any other Senator in Atlasian history.) Endorsed!

Endorsed

Thank you for the kind words and support

[bore]

Anyway, as promised, here's some words on what I believe to be the fundamental issue of this campaign, game reform:

Simply put, atlasia is undergoing a crisis at the moment. We in the northeast are relatively blessed with an active assembly and governor at the moment, although even here, while our officeholders are all active, there's a sense in which we only just have enough active citizens, for instance there hasn't really been a competitive election for the governorship or the assembly. But other region's and the federal government are not doing so well. The last constitutional amendment in the Mideast had 5 voters, there hasn't been a really active newspaper since GAWorth's in December, and before then, well, I don't know, the wiki is several senates behind and the constitution hasn't been done in about 9 months. Now it's possible I'm being a bit gloomy (I am a Scot, after all) and I do recognize there are bright spots, but still, something does need to be done.

To decide what to do it would help to pinpoint the cause of our current malaise. My feeling is that our current statue is simply undecipherable. New (and old) players generally have neither the time nor the inclination to wade through the ten years of legislation. Apart from a select few, like Griffin, Nix and Yankee, no one knows what our actually policy on, say healthcare is. This leads to one of three outcomes, you get legislation that is irrelevant, like the perennial new candidates platform for legalising gay marriage, something that hasn't been an issue for 10 years, you get no further legislation on the topic, so people advocate bills for specific programmes, like some grants for cancer drug research, rather than the wider topic of healthcare or whatever, or, and I think this is the most common, you scare people away.

So, what can be done? What do I want to do about it?

Well, I think the one issue I've become well known for in the senate is pushing game reform measures. I pushed to give the SoFE control of constitutional amendments, sponsored the Fix the Regions Amendments, wrote most of the On Second Thoughts We Do have standards Amendments, sponsored an amendment to get inactive voters off the rolls and tried to limit the amount of moves you can make in a region.

Now, you might, and probably do, disagree with some or all of these, but you can't deny that I am, and always have been concerned by the game's mechanics, this isn't a newly discovered election time interest.

So, my preference would be a repeal of the substantial acts, those dealing with foreign policy healthcare, defence, the budget, education etc, combined with the GM, or some sort of commission, establishing what the current situation in each area in a stickied reference thread.

[bore]

So, as promised, I'm going to say a few words on my opponents platform. If you want to read all of Deus's platform you can do so here, but I simply don't have the time to comment on all of it. The one thing that did leap to my attention and is IMO, utterly crazy, and I don't think that's to strong a word, was the proposed Regulatory Overhaul and Review Act that Deus would introduce:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Now my immediate thought on reading this, was, this seems like a perfect example of Chesterton's fence. There is almost always a good reason for regulations, as we've found after almost mining accident, every instance of commercial food poisoning, every instance of misleading advertising. To want to repeal all regulations but the very few mentioned in a thread in the senate is insanity.

Even if you cleave to a worldview that places freedom as it's highest goal, you should still support most regulations because the freedom not to be sold a product that doesn't do what it says it would, the freedom not to worry about the food you bought being poisoned, the freedom not to die in the workplace are far more important than a companies (and in most cases, it will be companies) freedom to act in a crappy manner.

I, like any sensible individual, would support repealing regulations that are unnecessary, but this is patently the wrong way to do that.

[sentinel]

You once again have my full support and endorsement.

[bore]

You once again have my full support and endorsement.

Thank you, King Sirnick!

[Adam Griffin]

ATLASIA'S ELECTORAL EQUIVALENT OF JOHN BARROW

Congratulations!

[Flake]

You've been a great Senator for the Northeast, and I'm very glad you won. Good luck for your next term

[bore]

I'd just like to say a few things on my re election byb the good people of the northeast:

Firstly, I'd like to thank Deus for a challenging and active campaign. It's probably the most active challenge I've had, and the election was very very close. Hopefully you'll remain active because even though we disagree you have a lot to contribute to the region and the game.

Secondly I'd like to congratulate all of the other winners, my fellow senators Tyrion, DC, Yankee and TNF, governor elect Talleyrand and the new assemblyman SWE, Baconbacon, Rpryor, napoleon and Mr X, and commiserate with their opponents.

Finally I'd like to thank all of my supporters, both in and outwith the region. Without your supports and votes this would not have been possible.

That was the best Senate election that the Northeast has seen in a while (although we've had a few other good ones recently). Glad to know that you'll be representing our region again.

ATLASIA'S ELECTORAL EQUIVALENT OF JOHN BARROW

Congratulations!

You've been a great Senator for the Northeast, and I'm very glad you won. Good luck for your next term

Thank you, everyone

[President Tyrion]

Congrats!

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I'm so glad you won, bore.  Nice job.

[Prince of Salem]

Congratulations Senator, you've done a great job

[SWE]

Congratulations!

[bore]

Today I'm announcing that I will be running again for the northeast's regional senate seat.

It has been a pleasure to serve the people of this great region in the senate over the last few months and I hope, if you'll let me, to do so for another 4.

It's well known that I'm centre left generally, although if anyone has any questions on specific issues feel free to ask. My main focuses at the moment are game reform and I especially look forward to working through the new senate rules, and working on a new amendment to the constitution to tidy up the language. In the absence of a concon, I will propose article by article redrafts of the text. These won't be sweeping changes obviously, as that should be left to the concon, by a slimming down and clarifying of the text.

I've always taken my role as a regional senator seriously. I regularily engage with bills in the northeast assembly, propose bills for citizens even when I strongly disagree with the bills intent, and have voted to protect the right of our region to choose our own marriage laws, despite disagreeing with group marriage.

If anyone has any questions at all, feel free to ask

[Dr. Cynic]

Endorsed.

[Barnes]

I'm extremely happy to see that you're running again.  You, obviously, have my complete support.

[Adam Griffin]

Fantastic news!

[bore]

I'm extremely happy to see that you're running again.  You, obviously, have my complete support.

Endorsed.

Fantastic news!

Thank you

[bore]

I'd like to welcome Lieutenant Governor MattVT to the race.

Simply put, this is a choice between my proven activity in the senate, and matt's proven inactivity in our region's great assembly.

For those who doubt this, I invite them to look at the numbers:
Number of Bills introduced in the last month: 11  
Pieces of Legislation in Which Matt Offered Debate: 1
Number of Words of Debate Offered by Matt: 20
Pieces of Legislation in Which Votes Were Cast by Matt: 5
Pieces of Legislation Introduced by Matt: 0

They really do speak for themselves.

[Talleyrand]

You have my endorsement once again for several reasons.

1. You have been very active in the Senate and quite reasonable too. There have been a number of laws that came only into place because you sponsored them or worked on them to a very large degree. In addition, you have also kept up with regional politics and have been consistent in your work. And of course, my own political views fit in well with yours, although I might be to your left somewhat.

2. Matt, while a genuinely nice guy, has not been very active in the Assembly this session (at least a month), and there's really no reason to expect why he'd suddenly become more active in a body with far more rigorous standards in that regard.

3. I don't see how anyone could justify voting for Matt over you, considering the respective records of activity and the virtually identical political views (besides on some social issues such as incest and group marriage, and I suspect that much of any possible justification might simply be based on partisanship.

[SWE]

Endorsed!

[LeBron]

Enthusiastically endorsed! Good luck.

[bore]

You've been an active, reliable, and independent representative of the Northeast since I was President. From the Basic Income Guarantee to Repeal of Useless Laws, I am proud of everything that we have accomplished together since then. Endorsed!

Thank you, Mr President

Enthusiastically endorsed! Good luck.

I appreciate the support, Governor

Endorsed!

Thank you, hopefully future senator!

You have my endorsement once again for several reasons.

1. You have been very active in the Senate and quite reasonable too. There have been a number of laws that came only into place because you sponsored them or worked on them to a very large degree. In addition, you have also kept up with regional politics and have been consistent in your work. And of course, my own political views fit in well with yours, although I might be to your left somewhat.

2. Matt, while a genuinely nice guy, has not been very active in the Assembly this session (at least a month), and there's really no reason to expect why he'd suddenly become more active in a body with far more rigorous standards in that regard.

3. I don't see how anyone could justify voting for Matt over you, considering the respective records of activity and the virtually identical political views (besides on some social issues such as incest and group marriage, and I suspect that much of any possible justification might simply be based on partisanship.

Thank you for your support and kind words Talley

Unless a suitably right-wing candidate emerges, I'm endorsing Bore (should he choose to run for re-election).

Thank you Senator, and don't worry, I am running again

[TNF]

Endorsed (normal)

[bore]

This will be the first in a series:

Why should you vote for me?

I am a Regionalist

In real life, I prefer the idea of the federal government determining the ideas behind major policies (e.g, gay marriage should be nationwide, everyone shold have universal healthcare/education, everyone should have a pension etc) with local governments implementing specific policies in the best way for that area.

But I recognise this is a game. And for the game to be fun on the regional level the regions have to have real powers.

That's why as senator, as well as being very interested in trying to decipher what is appropriate for regional and what is appropriate for federal governments, and not just assuming all matters should be federal ones. Also, I've voted to hand marriage laws to regions, despite me opposing group marriage/legalisation of incest as bad policy, so regional legislators have things to discuss. Similarily I voted to hand many drug laws to the regions, which SWE has now taken up. Again, in real life and on the federal level I oppose the libertarian views on marriage and (to an extent) drugs among other things, but this is a game, and the regions must decide for themselves.

I'm a northeasterner

Well obviously this is true of everyone voting in the election

But I'm referring specifically to people who think that a regional senator should have specific duties to his region, and not represent the country as a whole.

As senator I've maintained an active interest in the northeast assembly- intervening to debate the polygamy legislation along with a host of game reform issues in the region, including many amendments to the SOAP, an amendment decreasing the time required to appear on the ballot and the recent attempt to change to the legislature debating federal amendments (Which, despite the allegations of a labor conspiracy, I opposed)

I've also always responded to constituents questions and comments, and introduce any bill given to me by a citizen, even if I profoundly disagree with the bill, as evidenced by Jomcar's transgender bill.

Endorsed (normal)

Thank you Senator.