2016 Election Game: Campaign Thread

[Lumine]

Unity Through Strength, October 1-7th:

"What we need as a party and what we need for the nation is actual leadership. For seven years we had a President unwilling to lead, unwilling to react, and the consequences are clear enough. The White House might have felt victorious by doing nothing or by weakening our presence on certain areas, and as a result we have Iran and Syria on flames, the rise of ISIS, Putin's hostility towards Eastern Europe and the situation in Ukraine. I say enough with inactivity on the foreign stage! Enough with inactivity on our federal government and to deal with the economy! Let us take the mantle the leadership, win this primary, and then defeat the Obama legacy once and for all!"

Campaign Team:

Campaign Manager: Katon Dawson
Finance Director: John Rainey
Policy Director: David Wilkins
Senior Advisor: Gordon Sherard
Press Secretary: Alice James
South Carolina Director: Richard Quinn

October 1th:
-South Carolina I:
 -Strategy meeting on Campaign HQ at Columbia, SC.
 -Fundraiser Lunch at Columbia, SC.
 -Rally in Columbia, SC, on Healthcare.  
 -Town Hall meeting in Columbia, SC.
 -Fundraiser Dinner at Charleston, SC.

"I know there has been a lot of talk about donors, and it remains a fact that the 2012 primary is a good example of the enormous amounts of money that can be raised on a primary. I'm not running with the support of a thousand billionaires, I am doing to best to run a good campaign with the support of the good people of South Carolina and the nation, and I want to ask for your support on this endeavor of mine."

October 2nd:
-South Carolina II:
 -Town Hall Tour, Part One:
  -Town Hall in Greenwood, SC.
  -Town Hall in Mauldin, SC.
  -Town Hall in Greer, SC.
  -Town Hall in Anderson SC.

October 3rd:
-South Carolina III:
 -Town Hall Tour, Part Two:
  -Town Hall in Taylors, SC.
  -Town Hall in North Augusta, SC.
  -Town Hall in St. Helena, SC.
 -Rally and Q&A in North Charleston, SC.

"We have heard a good deal from the White House due to the state of the economy, congratulating themselves on recovery. But much as they want to ignore it, the fact is that we have an anemic recovery as a part of a pretty long recession, 37 months in a row over 8 percent unemployment for the people in the United States. Furthermore, look at the performance of the White House: During the last stimulus package two years ago they projected unemployment at 6.5 percent, when you look at Obamacare they said that everybody's premiums would be lowered by $2,500, and they've gone up by $2,200. And we're producing less oil on publicly held lands than any time in the nation. Americans need more than that, because many of them live in less than ideal conditions while they wait for a job. Four more years of the Democrats in the White House is precisely what America doesn't need. "

October 4th:
-Senate Duties:
 -Senate Duties.

October 5th:
-South Carolina IV:
 -Rally in Rock Hill, SC.
 -Meet & Greet in Rock Hill, SC.
 -Rally in Mount Pleasant, SC.
 -Meet & Greet in Mount Pleasant, SC.

October 6th:
-Washington DC I:
  -Appearance on "This Week".
  -Lunch with GOP donors at the Capitol Hill club.
   -Targeting donors Safra Catz, Seth Klarman, David Flaum and Larry Mizel.
  -Meeting with the South Carolina Congressional Delegation, appeal for support.

"Some say some parts of my record are controversial, yes, but the truth is that one of the virtues of our party is that we are not afraid of having different opinions on some issues. And in that regard I do believe it's important for our nominee to be both pragmatic and with strong beliefs, not just one side of it. You see, one of the reasons why I'm running is because I believe I can be a problem solver for this country. And right now we need rational solutions for our problems rather than mere rhetoric. We need an entitlement reform that is focused on closing loopholes and tax preferences rather than by raising rates, we need to find a workable solution to immigration, an issue that affects literally millions of people. If the past leaders of our party and nation found ways to deal with these issues, so should we."

October 7th:
-New Hampshire I:
 -Opening of New Hampshire HQ in Manchester, NH.
 -Rally in Manchester, NH. (Speech on entitlement reform)
 -Meeting with Republican officers and consultants.
 -Dinner with New Hampshire donors.
 -Joint event with Senator McCain, endorsement:

"Senator Graham is my friend, and I have served with him for a rather long time in the Senate. Now, he may not be the frontrunner, but he is true dark horse, so keep an eye on him! Now that we cannot afford to ignore the affairs of the world, we need a candidate with an unmatched record on national security. America will be safer with Lindsey Graham as its President, and I am happy to endorse him and offer him all the support I can give! New Hampshire shocked the primaries in 2000 and 2008 by giving me the victory, and they were kind enough to listen what I had to say for them. Once they hear what the Senator has to say, I'm confident he will do great in this great state."

[Lumine]

Unity Through Strength, October 8-14th:

"Gloves are coming off as the primary unfolds, and no doubt the discussion will be intense until we get to Iowa. I know many give this campaign a much lesser chance that say, Bush or Walker to win the nomination, but so far I think we have come a long way from the polls at the start to the year to a far more consolidated position in this race. Now more than ever I feel compelled to get out there and talk to the voters, to share my vision of a strong America with a strong military, the vision of reform and good government, the vision of being able to accomplish things in the White House, rather than the legacy of seven years of campaign speeches yet few positive accomplishments. To Washington we go, with a message and with an agenda behind us!"

October 8th:
-New Hampshire II:
  (With Sen. John McCain)
 -Rally/Q&A in Nashua, NH.
 -Meet and Greet in Nashua, NH.
 -Meeting with volunteers in Manchester, NH.
 -Touring Manchester, NH, visiting small business and talking to people in the street.

October 9th:
  (With Sen. John McCain)
-New Hampshire III:
 -Town Hall in Dover, NH.
 -Town Hall in Rochester, NH.
 -Town Hall in Salem, NH.
 -Interview with local New Hampshire media.
 -Dinner with New Hampshire donors and party officers.

"My good friend John McCain won the state of New Hampshire twice, and he did so because he engaged with the voters, because he went to town halls, because he delivered his message. This campaign is not one that seeks to flood New Hampshire in money in the hopes for a win, because the New Hampshire voter is one that carefully looks at all candidates and then makes his choice. I think I am a good fit for the state because I believe in common sense reform, because I am willing to do what needs to be done to ensure the economic recovery we need, and because it is my belief that a different approach is what will win the general election for us."

October 10th:
  (With Sen. John McCain)
-New Hampshire IV:
 -Town Hall in Keene, NH.
 -Town Hall in Derry, NH.
 -Town Hall in Portsmouth, NH.
 -Rally in Concord, NH. (On Leadership and Graham's personal story)

October 11th:
-Senate Duties:
 -Senate Duties.

October 12th:
-South Carolina V:
 -Town Hall in Greer, SC.
 -Town Hall in Aiken, SC.
 -Town Hall in Sumter, SC.
 -Rally and Q&A in Mount Pleasant, SC.

"I have served the great state of South Carolina for years, and it has always been a an honor to have your trust to represent you in the Senate. Now I wish to ask your support for me to go to Washington once again, but as the President of the United States of America. Having served this state for so long I know its problems very well, I know the struggle of its citizens and the issues that affect them. This is a state with a large populations of soldiers and veterans, brave men who fight every day for what this nation stands for.  And you can trust me when I speak about our role in the world and need to be safe that I don't do so as a chicken hawk, I do so because I believe it is right. While I have never been in combat I have proudly served in the Air Force and the Air National Guard as a colonel, and in my constant trips to war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan I have seen the sacrifices those men have to do. If elected, you can trust me to look after them, and to never disregard what they do for all of us."

October 13rd:
-South Carolina VI:
 -Bus Tour in Pontiac, SC.
 -Bus Tour in Summerville, SC.
 -Bus Tour in Goose Creek, SC.
 -Rally and Q&A in Columbia, SC.

October 14th:
-South Carolina VII:
 -Bus Tour in James Island, SC.
 -Bus Tour in Spartanburg, SC.
 -Visit to Fort Jackson Base in Columbia, SC.
 -Rally and Q&A in Charleston, SC.

[Lumine]

You all seem way too... combative? Tone it down folks.

Sometimes it gets out of hand, but at times it is a good way of making primaries fascinating. When I ran as Gingrich in Spamage's 2008 game and as Daniels in Tmth's 2012 game the primaries were quite negative, and those were perhaps the best I've played so far.

[Lumine]

Unity Through Strength, October 15-21st:

"As a party we must stand for things, and we have to stop being the party of no! The American people deserves a real agenda of reform instead of more years of empty rhetoric, and as I candidate I have every intention of standing up for things. I stand up for pro-life policies, for a stronger national defense, for a focused and efficient foreign policy, for a pro-small business agenda, for an effective stance against crime, for the protection of gun rights, for an honest effort to deal with the issue of immigration, and so on. This is a campaign of ideas and a campaign of reform, and we fight on to win!"

October 15th:
-South Carolina VIII:
  (With Gov. Haley and Sen. Scott)
 -Rally in Charleston, SC to receive SC endorsements.
 -Meeting with volunteers at Charleston Office.
 -Bus Tour of Charleston:
  -Speaking at Charleston Southern University.

"I am very proud to count on the support of so many of my friends and colleagues here in South Carolina, and I am truly looking forward to having their support on their campaign trail. Representatives Sanford, Mulvaney and Gowdy and Senator Scott have been great voices in Washington DC, and I'm pretty sure Governor Haley has done a great job in this state. The primary season goes on, and we're picking up steam!"

October 16th:
  (With Gov. Haley and Sen. Scott)
-South Carolina IX:
 -Town Hall in Aiken, SC.
 -Town Hall in Spartanburg, SC.
 -Meet and Greet in Summerville, SC.
 -Meet and Greet in Pontiac, SC.

October 17th:
  (With Gov. Haley and Sen. Scott)
-South Carolina X:
 -Town Hall in Anderson, SC.
 -Town Hall in Greer, SC.
 -Meet and Greet in Rock Hill, SC.
 -Meet and Greet in Greenville, SC.

"I heard Ted Cruz came to the state the other day, and after hearing what he had to say I do feel I have to step in. I'm certainly not running for Secretary of Defense and I take this campaign very seriously, although I appreciate the praise. Senator Cruz seems to have developed this message of the "reform minded conservative hero" that will go to Washington to get things done, yet there are few accomplishments to back those claims. I know when to compromise and I know when to stand firm, and I can tell you that saying no to everything and then suddenly promising to be the voice of reform does not help the American people at all."

October 18th:
-Senate Duties:
 -Senate Duties.

October 19th:
  (With Sen. McCain)
-New Hampshire V:
 -Town Hall in Lebanon, NH.
 -Town Hall in Bedford, NH.
 -Town Hall in Somersworth, NH.
 -Town Hall in Claremont, SC.

October 20th:
  (With Sen. McCain)
-New Hampshire VI:
 -Town Hall in Exeter, NH.
 -Town Hall in Milford, NH.
 -Town Hall in Weare, NH.
 -Town Hall in Seabrook, NH.

"One of the things Senator McCain and I have noticed while being in the campaign trail is that many candidates have finally realized foreign policy exists. (Laughter) And you might laugh at that, but all of the sudden we have many foreign policy experts who know the answers to all of our challenges. Look, I am glad we are finally discussing foreign policy, but real foreign policy experience comes from years of efforts. I have travelled around the world, met many foreign leaders, seen battlefields and shared moments with our troops, and dealt with many issues of this nature on the Senate, and I can tell you that a couple of months being briefed does not constitute effective experience on this area, not to the degree Admiral McRaven or myself have."

October 21st:
  (With Sen. McCain)
-New Hampshire VII:
 -Rally in Berlin, NH.
 -Visiting Nashua, NH.
 -Meet and Greet in Laconia, NH.
 -Meet and Greet in Windham, NH.

[Lumine]

Unity Through Strength, Strategy:

Staff and Others:

Senator Graham's campaign had the pleasure to announce that four new members will join the staff, all four experts with a successful record. First comes Brittany Bramell, former spokeswoman for Speaker Boehner that will serve as the Communications Director, then veteran operative Jon Seaton as a Senior Advisor and operatives Tracie Gibler and Christian Ferry, who will become the Iowa and New Hampshire Directors.

Iowa:

New Iowa Director Tracie Gibler will open a Des Moines office, and the Senator will start to campaign in Iowa pretty soon trying to focus on driving up turnout on the large cities and open more campaign offices as time and momentum goes by. Local media will be crucial in thi strategy, and plans are being made for interviews with endorsers and minor radio and newspaper ads to be run as soon as possible.

New Hampshire:

New Hampshire Director Christian Ferry will focus on expanding the number of offices and volunteers that the campaign has in New Hampshire, as the Senator will constest the primary in full force. Taking note from the successful McCain campaign, the focus will be on intensive town hall sessions to meet with the voters and appeal directly to them (along with veteran meetings and a strong message on economic recovery), using the opportunity of local media to expand coverage. Senator McCain will be a key part of the campaign here.

South Carolina:

Already a key state for the campaign, a good number of resources will be invested here to keep a strong GOTV operation with a focus on special groups. With most of the SC officeholders endorsing the campaign the idea is to appeal to pro-life organizations and military veterans and servicemen with Graham's record and personal experiences, all while taking advantage of Senator Scott, Governor Haley and the Representatives for rallies, town hall meetings and a constant work on the ground.

Other States: While Senator Graham's operation is small, plans are being made to expand to more early states so a truly national operation is ready by the time the primaries begin. For that effect offices will be built in Florida, Nevada and North Carolina, and the Senator will either tour those states or take a small national tour if time allows it. And to encourage press coverage, the Graham campaign will facilitate the job of the press by giving them constant access (similar to McCain's 2008 campaign).

Lindsey Graham Ad#1: Who is Lindsey Graham?

States: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada.

Voiceover: As the primary goes by the candidates are more and more known to the public, and yet the question still stands. Who really is Lindsey Graham? Can we trust him to lead our nation?

Graham: And I would like to answer that question myself. I think of myself as a fighter, a man ready to stand up for his beliefs while also being able to work across the aisle to help the American people. From the early days in which I took care of my sister to my time in the military to my days in public service, I have done the best to fight as a champion for the military, for jobs and economic prosperity, for a pro-life agenda, and for common sense reform in Washington. I like to think of myself as a conservative who gets things done. I know some will disagree with that, but it's up to you to judge, and it's up to you to vote. I'm Lindsey Graham, and of course I approve this message.

[Lumine]

I'm sensing a Graham/McCain '16.

Graham/Bolton would be far more amusing, I think, xD

[Lumine]

I'm truly sorry, Spiral, I was able to handle the first weeks, but as things stand I simply do not have enough time  to play (which is a shame, because really I wanted to make it to the primaries).

Due to fundraising concerns and the need to focus on his Senate work given the recent developments in foreign policy, Senator Graham has decided to drop his presidential bid. The Senator has also expressed that he will endorse a candidate after the first primaries have been held.