Fear and Loathing in 72’ – The Election Game (GM Vacancy) (user search)
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  Fear and Loathing in 72’ – The Election Game (GM Vacancy) (search mode)
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Author Topic: Fear and Loathing in 72’ – The Election Game (GM Vacancy)  (Read 107462 times)
Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« Reply #275 on: March 23, 2016, 09:14:38 PM »

Scranton confirmed by House and Senate!

William Warren Scranton, the 40th Vice-President of the United States

Following the sudden fall from grace experienced by former Vice-President Spiro Agnew (currently not enjoying his retirement in Maryland as he is expected to potentially stand trial in 1973), the Nixon Administration was presented with a PR disaster and with an opportunity, to either present the re-election running mate early and give him seniority or to appoint some sort of an elder statesman to hold down the fort as the final months of 1972 went away. In normal circumstances political wisdom might have gone for the first choice, but with Sam Yorty becoming toxic to Liberal Republicans and most of the Democratic caucus, it became evident that not even Haldeman and the hatchet-men like Dole or Bush could promise that Yorty would make it through the hearings. In a stroke of brilliance, President Nixon convinced a true elder statesman to finally accept higher office, a move that payed off handsomely this week.

William Warren Scranton, the popular Governor of Pennsylvania, was one of the main players in the primary drama of 1964. While confessing his own interest in being the VP nominee, Scranton initially refused to take part in the epic struggle of Goldwater and Rockefeller, ultimately being forced to run in the later stages by many who saw him as a "white horse", an effort that fell apart at the convention. Perhaps dejected, perhaps not, and with term limits on his head, Scranton refused to hold office again, despite the respect he inspired on many inside the GOP. Having refused Nixon's offer to be Secretary of State in 69', he still chaired a presidential commission after the Kent State shootings, issuing the well known Scranton report in 1970'. Ultimately, a brief Vice-Presidency and the status it afforded seemed like a prize not even Scranton could refuse, leading to his nomination in early July after a brief vetting process.

The hearings would prove mostly uncontroversial, the main points of contention being more of an opportunity for far-right conservatives and the anti-war left to denounce the administration more than any personal opposition to the nominee (and Scranton himself did not found the process a hard one to stand). It was part of the lovely irony of politics that his old primary rival Barry Goldwater was there to play a role, and the Arizonan declared a strong support for the nomination. Several of the candidates for President and Vice-President had their time in the spotlight too, with the Senate duo of Edmund Muskie and Birch Bayh voting "Aye" along with most of the Democratic Party. To the shock of many,  now independent (and running as such in the GE) Rep. John G. Schmitz also supported Scranton, stating to other congressmen that while he would have preferred a more conservative choice, it was harmless to have a respected politician as Scranton for less than four months in office.

It was thus that the House vote went 303-114, and the Senate went 88-9. William Scranton was therefore the 40th Vice-President, to serve from October 1st, 1972 to January 20th, 1973.
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Lumine
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« Reply #276 on: March 23, 2016, 10:19:08 PM »
« Edited: March 23, 2016, 10:20:46 PM by Lumine »

Turn Twenty-One: Mid-Point:
October 1st to October 8th, 1972

Scranton takes the oath (I love this picture!)

In the News!

Paris Peace talks going nowhere?
Previous advances between Le Duc Tho and Kissinger interrupted  by growing violence in Vietnam, can both sides find an agreement?

Scranton takes office as VP:
Polling shows Scranton to be one of the most popular GOP politicians, will he hit the campaign trail?

"Temper" Ad controversy mounting:
Mistaken claims of Muskie having a "hot temper" bring scrutiny and condemnation from press and public, Muskie fights back in a press conference

Gallup: 1972 Presidential Election:


Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 45% (-1) (196 EV)
Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 42% (+1) (145 EV)
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 11% (+1) (38 EV)
Undecided: 2% (-1) (159 EV)

Plenty to talk about here, really. September is gone, gentlemen, and October is all that's left between either of you and the White House. The time is there to shift the momentum with strong performances, as you have a VP debate this turn and the last presidential debate on turn seven, plus an October surprise... which I will reveal a couple of turns from now on. So, let's move on. This round was very much a hit or miss one, with performances knocking it out of the park or making mistakes that, partly due to negative dice rolls, hurt badly in some cases. Ultimately, the momentum swing came to who hurt himself the least, which in this case happened to be the Muskie and Schmitz campaigns (despite making mistakes themselves) as Nixon and Yorty happened to lost the main controversy of the turn.

To get things out of the way, the Schmitz campaign continues to fare well at identifying voters to target and appeal to them, as shown by an increase in religious support towards the Schmitz/Rarick effort, which is combined with good schedules. On the other hand, there really wasn't a theme this turn, save for a proclamation that Schmitz can indeed win (which leads too many to ask how?). Surrogates can be effective too, but the fact remains that the independent running mate has not been an asset at all, as Rarick has not been seen to make a concrete or definite statement so far. Even more than Bayh and Yorty, who are established faces in the national scene, Rarick needs to make an impression at the debate, as media criticism of him being on the side of segregation might create a narrative. So Schmitz surges in south and west, but it could have been a stronger surge.

The GOP case is most interesting, as both Nixon and Yorty showed both their best and their worst sides. The President's strong points came on a powerful speech given in Ohio, his successful lobbying to confirm William Scranton, and Sam Yorty's economic and aspirational talk, as his and the President's personal stories play very well with voters (indeed, Yorty brought about considerable gains for his party in Arkansas). On the negative side, Nixon made a major gaffe (dice roll) in Michigan by describing himself not as a moderate, but a strong conservative. Given that liberal Republicans could hardly be more angry at Yorty, to see the President moving further into that direction only enraged them more. Coincidentally, Muskie happened to made an appeal to those disaffected Republicans, and they are listening. Nixon also got blasted on the issue of truth (with voters beginning to change his mind about his honesty), on Yorty going after Muskie for attacking the administration (which sadly just looks hypocritical coming from the Mayor), and above all, for the "temper" situation.

Now, our OTL 1972 did see Muskie lashing out after the Canuck letter episode. But in this game, what Muskie gave was a cold response, a factor in delivering New Hampshire to a passionate Yorty. So not only did that ad distort the truth way too evidently, dice rolls amplified its backfire. Muskie defended himself reasonably well in a press conference, allowing him to hide some of his own serious mistakes. Which leads me to the Democrats. First things first, Senator Bayh knocked it out of the park this week, being detailed, on point, and surprisingly effective in making the case in the swing states. He is very much the reason the Democrats made gains across the board (along with GOP defections), which combined positively with a good ad against Nixon's honesty, the Vietnam peace talks, and good GOTV. Muskie, on the other hand, played into Nixon's game. Attacked often by not being specific enough, Muskie fought back... by not being specific at all. Nixon, having already created a media narrative, cut back severely into Muskie's favorability with that. Ultimately, "Temper" and Bayh cancelled that potential loss. It should also be noted the Muskie campaign has taken a huge gamble on Vietnam, which could pay off very handsomely... or not.

So there you have it. Schmitz makes small gains across his targeted base to consolidate the South, Muskie/Bayh surge in swing states and New England, and Nixon/Yorty take their share of losses and a few wins of their own. It's tightening ever more, gentlemen... keep up the good work!
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Lumine
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« Reply #277 on: March 23, 2016, 10:21:25 PM »

And the VP debate is up tomorrow, I'm exhausted.

Have fun!
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Lumine
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« Reply #278 on: March 25, 2016, 05:49:53 PM »

Yes, it will be up in a couple of hours, along with the VP debate questions.
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Lumine
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« Reply #279 on: March 25, 2016, 08:38:54 PM »

Gallup Polls:

Utah

Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 47%
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 28%
Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 20%
Undecided: 5%

Florida

Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 45%
Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 31%
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 20%
Undecided: 4%

South Carolina

Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 38%
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 34%
Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 23%
Undecided: 5%

North Carolina

Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 41%
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 31%
Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 24%
Undecided: 4%
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Lumine
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« Reply #280 on: March 30, 2016, 06:49:55 PM »

I've been remarkably busy these past three days, I'll answer to requests tonight, and try to have the debate tonight or tomorrow. This turn will end on Saturday.
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Lumine
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« Reply #281 on: March 31, 2016, 10:39:46 AM »

Gallup Polls:

Illinois

Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 49%
Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 47%
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 2%
Undecided: 2%

Indiana

Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 49%
Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 45%
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 3%
Undecided: 3%

Pennsylvania

Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 49%
Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 45%
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 4%
Undecided: 2%

Texas

Richard Nixon/Sam Yorty: 45%
Ed Muskie/Birch Bayh: 41%
John Schmitz/John Rarick: 10%
Undecided: 4%
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Lumine
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« Reply #282 on: April 05, 2016, 06:53:21 PM »

We do, and sorry for not being around, I've been surprisingly busy with several tests in university (we're going through the Renaissance and the Spanish Empire among other subjects now, thrilling stuff) and a writing project that has suprisingly not left my head after days.

I have time now, so I'll be reading on the 1976 VP debates to get a hold of some basic questions (and hopefully post then), and from then on allow a sufficient number of days for us to finish this turn. We're getting very close to the end game!
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Lumine
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« Reply #283 on: April 05, 2016, 07:18:41 PM »

Vice-Presidential Debate:
Dallas, TX, October 8th

1. Rules:

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2.- Questions:

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Now, a question for each candidate:

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Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« Reply #284 on: April 12, 2016, 08:36:35 PM »

So... bump?
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Lumine
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« Reply #285 on: June 30, 2016, 05:24:26 PM »

Hmmmm... We had about a month left in the game, but I'm not sure we can sustain the final four turns.

If the players really want this to have a proper ending, would it be acceptable to have one final debate and one final turn to cover October and the first week of November? It would be a long one, but after that I could simulate an Election Night so we have an outcome.
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Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« Reply #286 on: June 30, 2016, 05:43:12 PM »

All we need is Spiral then, but it will be four turns then. Once Spiral is in we can look at schedule terms, but in this turn only Schmitz had posted his schedule.

Do let me know how you prefer to close this turn!
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Lumine
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« Reply #287 on: July 02, 2016, 01:49:56 AM »

Right. Classic also found a player for Rarick, so we have the full six player roster.

Expect some news on how we move forward tomorrow.
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Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« Reply #288 on: July 03, 2016, 07:52:03 PM »

News are here... and they're not positive.

On one side, gentlemen, I am at the middle of a university strike, which technically means there's time available. The problem is that I'm spending most of my time in my PC, and the time I'm investing in Atlas and other places in which I participate is getting a bit too much even for my standards. So I'm trying to scaledown on that, and prosecuting a game while I'm hosting or participating in others doesn't seem like a good idea.

There's a number of ways on how to deal with that, but my preferred outcome and the one I propose first is whether anyone else is willing to host the final weeks. Other election games have changed GM and gone on to a successful end, and there's plenty of people better qualified to end this one.

So, question one, is there anyone willing to host?
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Lumine
LumineVonReuental
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« Reply #289 on: July 03, 2016, 08:09:08 PM »

I would be willing to help you out for the final week.

Very kind, AZ! But the ideal is someone else entirely in charge, although I'll be happy to hand over my notes to the future GM.

I'd be willing to host. I realize I have less chance of getting this job than a snowball in Hell has of staying cold, but I'd just like to put my name out as an option.

That would be great, Smith! If the players agree, then I'd be glad to hand over the game (and the material I have) to you.
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