The Southern Biscuitte

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Welcome to the first edition of a new southern newspaper, The Southern Biscuit. We'll be providing great southern news, along with everyone's favorite topics. Now in politics, many things are heating up. The Senate races are in full swing, with many seats that could be competitive. With Senator PiT and Yankee running along with several others, it's sure to be an interesting race.

In local news, Southern Speaker Haslam2020 has introduced many bills which have come under fire for being "sexist" although this is mostly political propaganda, things in the South are getting interesting... The John Rutledge GMO Safety Act passed 3-0, as Assemblyman Steelers introduced the bill he is now seen as a possible contender for Southern Governor. However, Leinad will likely have the support of Assemblyman Pingvin and certainly Speaker Haslam2020.  As elections near, potential candidates for the presidency are everywhere, President Griffin or VP Duke, maybe Truman or Leinad. The times that are coming will be great times to live in.


Carbon emissions from factories are expected to stall or even decline.

In international news today, China is seeing red smog. The capital, Beijing issued it's first Red smog alert. The pollution levels in their country are getting dangerous and time ticks to see what the world is going to do about it. Carbon emissions are expected to stall or even decline this year, a great surprise.











 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

PiT just got reelected in October and is not up again until February.


It is about time we had some newspaper action down here.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

PiT just got reelected in October and is not up again until February.


It is about time we had some newspaper action down here.

thanks and whoops, ill edit that

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Good evening, readers of the South and around Atlasia, welcome to the Southern Biscuit. The At-large Senate results are pouring in, it seems Senator Truman's and N.C. Yankee's seats can be officially called for the two. Cris is likely to be re-elected, however A.J. Smartken, Maxwell, and Clark Kent are all in a ferocious battle to try to make or keep 4th-5th place. That is where the election will be most brutal. The Northeast are also having Assembly elections, it's a tight race on that side too.


Governor Leinad is running for re-election, perhaps unopposed?

In southern news, Governor Leinad has decided to run for re-election. Potential candidates against him include Assemblyman Steelers and Governor Flo, though they both seem unlikely to run at this time. Speaker Haslam and Assemblyman Pingvin are also not running against the popular governor. It seems as if re-election will be a walk for him, but only time can tell.




A Russian Destroyer fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing boat.

In international affairs, a Russian destroyer fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing boat that was on collision course with it. No one was hurt in the incident and it flared Twitter early this morning. The Aegean Sea may heat up after this, who knows?


The nation of Saudi Arabia.

Also, In Saudi Arabia, some of the first women have been elected to public office in that nation. Saudi Arabia has been long since known for it's civil rights stance against women. Now... along with the free world's support that may unravel... The world is dangerous now a days...

[Classic Conservative]

I don't remember the Secretary of State who is the head of ALL international news giving permission or heads up to your two stories at the bottom.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

I don't remember the Secretary of State who is the head of ALL international news giving permission or heads up to your two stories at the bottom.

I'm so sorry Mr. Secretary I forgot, should  take these down or may I keep them?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I don't remember the Secretary of State who is the head of ALL international news giving permission or heads up to your two stories at the bottom.

I'm so sorry Mr. Secretary I forgot, should  take these down or may I keep them?

The Secretary of State does not hold veto power over all foreign affairs-related news stories. Unless the GM has explicitly stated that these events did not happen, it should not be a problem for you to keep these articles up.

[Classic Conservative]

I don't remember the Secretary of State who is the head of ALL international news giving permission or heads up to your two stories at the bottom.

I'm so sorry Mr. Secretary I forgot, should  take these down or may I keep them?

Truman does give a good point but actually at some time Haslam I was going to right a story about women's rights in Saudi Arabia so you can keep them up.

[DKrol]

The GM has veto power, not SoS.

[Blair]

Yeah the SOS can't write his own stories-otherwise it would be too easy

[Classic Conservative]

Yeah the SOS can't write his own stories-otherwise it would be too easy

No I actually can by the 15th Admendment subsection 1

[Blair]

But to come shouting into a news room claiming that you're 'head of all international news' is incorrect-only the GM has the power to strike down international stories that have already happened.

Under your current rules the paris summit hasn't happened, Russia didn't get a plane shot down, China didn't expand their island policy. You don't have control over real world event-only the GM has that power

[DKrol]

Yeah the SOS can't write his own stories-otherwise it would be too easy

No I actually can by the 15th Admendment subsection 1

I would know, I was GM.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Welcome to the Southern Biscuit! We are going to try to print daily, and boy do we have some news for you! The At-Large Senate elections are now officially over, it looks like Maxwell, running on the Radical Jihad Party ticket has lost. He is now running for president, can this failed candidate take the presidency? Also our Senator, NC Yankee has won re-election by a good margin.



The school principal Jaela Kim


We also have some big southern political news... School principal Jaela Kim of Sunset Park, Brooklyn has enacted some more than controversial rules in her school.. She has banned saying the words "Christmas", "angels", even Christmas trees, saying Thanksgiving. Speaker Haslam2020 is forming a bill to prevent anything like this from happening in the South after the other bills clear themselves out. Speaking of bills, Assemblyman Pingvin introduced the Protecting the Free Speech in Education Act, which has garnered much support. Governor Leinad is still unopposed in his bid for re-election so far. It seems unlikely that Assemblyman Steelers will run at this time, could Former Governor Flo try something? It seems unlikely. As for now, that's all! Good night southerners!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Hello all, we're back from a break, only to go on another one. Merry Christmas everybody, alot's happened this year in the South and in everyone's lives. I hope everyone has a great holiday, fun time, etc. Governor Leinad has been re-elected with 100% of the vote, running unopposed. Now speculation asks who will replace him, Former Governor Flo, Assemblyman Pingvin, or Assemblyman Steelers may run for the open seat, or some new assemblymen. Speaker Haslam "isn't leaving anything off the table" yet. Also the Speaker will likely run for regional senate if PiT retires, but won't if he runs for re-election. Many new acts have passed the Southern Assembly, and the Assembly elections are full blast with four announced candidates. The Southern Biscuit is also conducting a poll to determine who are the front runners in the Assembly race.

In non political news, comets may threaten the Earth. Scientists said "no risk was imminent" but comets may threaten the Earth. A comet bombardment is possible, perhaps lasting up to 100,000 years. Hopefully everything will be okay.

Also, the Southern Biscuit will be conducting a series of polls. They will be different over the coming days, but we will also be known as a polling agency too. Thank you, Merry Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever the hell you celebrate. Happy Holidays, We'll cya soon!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Kingpolean Interview:



Question:

Who do you most agree with on the issues as of right now, assembly wise? Who is the person you most agree with/admire and the party you most agree with/admire, even though you're an independent?


Answer :

In the Assembly itself, I like the Speaker for his commitment to quick and immediate action. On the issues, he is pretty good, too. However, he needs help with building a coalition and has alienated a few too many people for my liking.

Question:

What will be the primary goal in your first days in office, if elected?

Answer:

I intend to cut taxes for the middle and lower class, cut business taxes on businesses with under fifty employees, loosen most labor restrictions hidden within Right-to-Work while supporting RtW itself and cleansing unions of corruption, and work with improving our relations with the other regions so we can grow our economy together. I also think we can switch our voting so that all the numbers a candidate gets divided by how many people voted for them, and from there the ones with the three lowest scores wins. Most important, however, I intend to propose that the number of Assembly seats be increased to four, and a new position of Lieutenant Governor be created to break tie votes. The Lieutenant Governor would be elected once a month and separately from the Governor.




Question:

You've been relatively "quiet" on the campaign trail, Do you plan to ramp up your campaign?

Answer:

I intend to answer any and all questions and campaign vigorously for my seat. I believe we all can agree a truly independent voice is needed in the South, and so I ask for all Southerners to list me in their top three choices. For those who place me first, I appreciate the support for reform and unity. So, yes, I do. My minor competitors I intend to take on first. My goal is not to place third, but first. Anything else I will consider a loss, but I will accept an appointment to a position in the South, if the Governor so nominated me, if I do not place in the top three.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

So, the people of the South may not be familiar with you... Who are you, what do you do up North?

If you are familiar with Southern politics, who do you most admire in the assembly election that is coming up?

What is your main priority as assemblyman?


First question: I'm Enduro, I was the Veterans Secretary of the Northeast; now I'm an assemblyman. What I do is enjoy the freedom's this nation provides and try to secure them in my region.

Second question: Speaker Haslam is a friend of mine, I wish him success in every election, at the same time I'm very curious as to what the challengers would do in the assembly.

Third question: As mentioned earlier, securing freedoms is my priority. Also, I'm big on compromise, my other priority is being open to other arguments.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

We're back from our long break, folks! We have a lot of news today too! A bill that would increase the size of the Southern Legislature to 5 has been introduced to the Legislature, it seems to have the support of nearly everyone. The Southern Legislature debate is also fully underway, making debates mandatory under law for assembly, gubernatorial, and senate candidates. It's not mandatory to attend however, but all 5 contenders are participating in the ongoing debate. We have no idea what will happen on election day. The senate elections are also coming, with PiT maybe running for re-election and unlikely to face a challenger.

In other news, North Korea has claimed it has tested a hydrogen bomb, with many experts skeptical. It is unlikely that they detonated one, but who knows? Also, leaked audio of former dictator Muammar Qaddafi foretold the rise of Islamic extremism across North Africa and the Middle East. He was kind of right, as much as the author hates to say that. Also an Iowa school has been trying to recruit children to work for political campaigns, something Speaker Haslam plans making a bill on to prevent. In Atlasian news, there was an explosion at a chemical plant in Massachusetts, four people were killed.

In more happier news, a monkey who took a lot of "selfies" has been to court today. It was ruled he can't use his own copyright for his selfies, haha.  Also a popular documentary, "Making of a Murderer" has gone viral on Netflix, suggesting that someone who was sentenced to prison for murder was falsely accused because he sued the government for 36 million dollars, after he was falsely jailed for a rape he didn't commit. However, when he was in prison for rape he indicated an interest in making torture rooms, it's unknown whether he did this or not.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

GOVERNOR LEINAD INTERVIEW:

Mr. Governor, so far, everyone seems to like you, Federalists, Independents, Labor-partiers. There is some speculation that because you ran unopposed and are basically universally liked that you will seek higher office this year. Perhaps the presidency or a senate seat?

"Thanks for doing this interview, and setting up this newspaper! While national papers are good as well, it's great to have a news source for Southerners, by Southerners.

Well, I wouldn't say everyone likes me. But I probably do have more friends than enemies. I try to apply probably the most important rule of human interaction: don't be a jerk. It's funny how the most important stuff is often so simple, isn't it? Simple doesn't mean easy, though.

Now, whether I run for higher office or not is another question. You'll hear more on that soon enough. The more important matter is that I'm currently the Governor of the South, and as long as I have this job my focus will be on continuing to make the South a better region."



What plans do you have in this term as governor of the South? What future policies do you plan to propose?

"Well, the basic plan is always the same: safeguard the rights of the people without infringing on those rights. I have some seeds for policy proposals in my head, but none have sprouted into a plant, as of yet--to go through with the awkward analogy."

___________________________________________________________________________


What is your opinion on the status of the assembly?


"That ties into the last question: I don't really need to have a long list of policy proposals at all times, because the Legislature has been doing that for me! The Legislators have been remarkably active, which is on the other side of the extreme from my 2nd and 3rd month as Governor--when the legislators didn't even swear-in! (To be fair, one of them had left the site and the other two said they didn't want to run. But still, the Capitol was a ghost town for those 2 months. Just me and the Janitor. And occasionally bored students on disappointing field trips.)

They've been coming up with lots of ideas which have sparked interesting debate. It's fair to say we've become a hub of activity across the nation--Governors, Senators, cabinet members, and other regional Speakers coming over just to participate in debate here! It's wonderful. Just think if every region was that active?"

____________________________________________________________________________

What is your opinion of President Griffin?


"I like him, and it's cool that he's from the same state as me, but I think he could be doing a better job. He was left with a mess, sure, but it's still nearly as messy as October. He promised a rise in activity that we just haven't seen in his term--except in the South, that is."

____________________________________________________________________________

What is your opinion on the current Assembly debate/elections?


"Well, I'm glad that we have healthy debate going on--errors are often corrected and bills improved. The final bills are often better than the first drafts, which is a sign that our activity is not only high quantity, but high quality. The key to good governing is to surround yourself with the best and brightest, listening to advice from all corners, and then determining how to apply that advice best.

Regarding the election, I'm fascinated to see what happens. We have a wide-range of candidates: Steelers is obviously to the left of the group, and Kingpoleon is a proud moderate, but even the three Federalists have a fair bit of differences--not only in issues but in experience.

That's a major key to our success: new members. I've said before that the best way to increase activity is to simply increase the number of people here--but there's no policy to do that without opening the door to sock-puppetry and similar accusations. Fortunately, sometimes they come! 4 out of 5 candidates joined the game within the past few months, and they seem to have been positive additions.

But it's not all luck: engaging new members and getting the best out of them is the key to sustaining high activity levels.

Again, thanks for the interview! And to everyone reading: don't forget to vote in the Southern Legislative elections next weekend!"



Post Interview: Well everyone, that as Governor Leinad, Governor of the South, great to have him on!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Since we last ran a story, a lot has happened. If you've been sleeping under a rock, here's some news. The Southern Legislature elections are closing and it seems all five candidates have won. The following victory totals are represented below:

Southern Legislature Elections, January 2016:

Haslam, Steelers, and Pingvin were all re-elected!

In national news, a lot has also happened. President Adam Griffin, a fairly liberal southerner is running for re-election. He has been opposed in his own Labor Party primary by Northeast Governor Blair, who is deadlocked with him in our polls. A primary challenge has not happened for nearly 2 years, yet this one may actually be successful. President Griffin, if he wins the primary will face stiff competition from our Governor, Leinad and perhaps independent candidate Winfield. Governor Blair, if nominated shall also face stiff competition. The senate race's future is unknown, no candidate has expressed an interest in running yet, though Senator PiT is likely to seek re-election. In other political news, Speaker Haslam's news jobs-creation bill was passed on a vote of 3-0, likely to create nerly a million jobs for the South, a job-finding website, and getting a step closer towards clean energy. A open carry act was also passed, recieving the support from many federalist politicians, such as Speaker Haslam and Assemblyman Pingvin, also the Secretary of State. That's all for this week. Tune in next week for more!

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Speaker Haslam, Assemblyman Steelers, and Assemblyman Pingvin have all been re-elected!

[Young Conservative]

yay I'm happy to join

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

WINFIELD INTERVIEW

Q :

You're relatively unknown to the Atlasian populous mostly to the newer members. What will you do to get your name out there? What is your prior experience and why do you think you're qualified for the job?



A:

First of all, I wish to thank you for requesting to have an interview with me.  This is democracy in action that provides Atlasians with another opportunity to hear from candidates for office.

Actually, I am quite well known in Atlasia, having been a public figure for some time now, and having held elective office off and on for years.  So I am a well known quantity to veterans of Atlasia, but as you say, I may not be that well known to new members.  Having said that, I actually do have a good relationship with many of the newer members of Atlasia, having worked with them in one capacity or another, and perhaps not so good a relationship with others.

But, for better or worse, my name is already "out there", so I do not plan on doing anything much different but to campaign.  This being a simulation, there is only so much one can do to let people know they are running for office.  Anyone reading the Elections section would see my campaign thread, which they are free to read, or ignore, at their own discretion. 

Experience wise, I have been Governor of the Northeast, Lieutenant Governor of the Northeast, Speaker of the Northeast Assembly, a multi term Representative in the Northeast Assembly, and a four time candidate for President of Atlasia, including this run.  Currently I am an elected member of the Atlasian Constitutional Convention from the Northeast Region. 

I believe I am as well qualified for the job as anyone.  Others would disagree of course.  But as you can see, I do have solid credentials in the executive and legislative capacities.
   


Q:

What would be a first priority in a Winfield presidency?

A:

A Winfield presidency would, of course, seek a good working relationship with the Senate, would want to have installed in office dependable and reliable cabinet and other federal officers, and first and foremost, ensure the survival of the republic by reaching out to all concerned, and work to ensure the Constitutional Convention continues on to a successful and satisfactory conclusion.
       

Q:

How do you plan to appeal to all voters?

A:

That is a very easy question.  The answer is I do not plan to appeal to all voters.  That is an impossible task, achievable by absolutely no one person.  Anyone who tells you they are appealing to all voters would be a very delusional person indeed.

I have even now at this point in time been putting forth aspects of my platform.  If voters in Atlasia like my platform, and or if they like the qualities that I bring to the election, then vote for me, if not, I am sure they will exercise their right to vote for another candidate.  That is, after all, what democracy is all about.   


Q:

What is your opinion of President Griffin, and his primary challenger?

A:

Both Griffin and Blair have certain qualities which they bring to the campaign and qualities which they have and would be bringing to office.  The Labor Party primary is up to them to decide.  Not being a member of the Labor Party, it is not my decision who represents them in the election.


Q:

 Now, for all the southerners out there, what is your opinion on its current status, things have almost undoubtedly improved.

A:

I congratulate the South for how well they are doing.


Q:

What is your campaign platform?

A:

My platform, as much as I have released up until this time, can be read at my campaign thread

Winfield for President.....because.....WHY NOT?

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

PRESIDENT GRIFFIN INTERVIEW

Q: The election is nearing, what is your plan to win on Election Day?

A: I think it's a genuine uphill battle. Never in the history of the country has there been such a conservative electorate. Despite the odds, I managed to win in October by providing a sense of realism to voters about what can and cannot be accomplished, and what should and should not be our top focuses. My plan is to continue along this steady course, observe things improve in the coming months, and hope that the voters believe in our trajectory.


Q: Many have questioned your activity as president, how do you respond to this?

A: I have always been active when and where it mattered. Being President requires managing your time wisely. There are 100 different things that a President theoretically could involve his/herself in at any given time, but especially during times like these, you have to pick your battles carefully - lest you become overworked and burnt out. I watched it happen too many times with Presidents that I helped elect.

I believe the criticisms are largely unfounded. I was very focused in the promises I made during the election. I have delivered upon these and/or am in the process of continuing their fulfillment. Some people expected the world to change completely in just a period of a few short months - a few short months during a crisis and during a time in which most of the active base of the game stops contributing. We have to be careful about setting unrealistic expectations. Had I been elected four months earlier or later than I was and was facing the same crises, that dynamic of activity would be quite a bit different. People always disappear during the holidays; you can't force them to report to work.


Q: What would be the main key points of a second term in your presidency, say you're re-elected?

A: Wrapping up the ConCon by May 1 is the number one priority. We are going to have plenty of time to rebuild the game's socioeconomic and political debates and policies once we have a new game. The legacy I would like to leave for Atlasia in my second term is a restoration of the game on stable footing. This obviously also includes an increase in activity in the ramp-up to the new game. We are already seeing that compared to just a couple of months ago. With fresh faces and hope on the horizon, I'm confident that we can deliver a new game and boost activity levels in the meantime.


Q: What is your campaign platform?

A: My campaign platform remains the same as it was during my first election: keep troll behavior at bay and to a minimum, deliver to the people of Atlasia a new Constitution, and deal with anyone who threatens to derail that in the ways that I am well-known for doing. Additionally, setting a firm day of May 1 for completion of the ConCon will be a part of my second term platform.

It's worth noting that we have been stable over the past four months - not a single crisis threatening the stability of the game or a crisis that spilled over into multiple regions has occurred. As far as I'm concerned, that has been half of what Atlasia needed during this time.


Q: What is your opinion on how the South is right now?

A: I think the South is enjoying a temporary period of activity and prosperity that is largely fostered through advantageous external dynamics. The South, first of all, lost the fewest players as a percentage to the massive de-registrations and disengagements over the past several months. Furthermore, the South has been a boom in registration from newer players that gives it a naturally augmented level of interested, first-time players. I remember the same thing happening in the South during Operation Cottonfield, when we came close to doubling the population of the South and implementing the most fiercely competitive regional climate for an entire year.

Sustaining such activity over the long-term is always the real challenge, and a measurement of whether or not the successes can be attributed to any one person or group of people. I look forward to the new rendition of the game, in which all Regions will be stable and large enough to enjoy prosperous conditions.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

As of now we have several projections, PiT, our senator has won his Senate seat. Pikachu wins up North, Darthebear wins the Mideast Senate seat as well! Potus has been elected Pacific Senator and at this time...

Current Presidential Election Results:

President Adam Griffin: 46 votes 46.0%
Governor Leinad: 42 Votes 42.0%
Former Governor Winfield: 12 votes 12.0%

We can also now project that Former Northeast Governor Winfield will not win the presidency, he will be eliminated. Although he ran a spirited independent campaign, it was not enough. The contest narrows to President Griffin and Governor Leinad, it is a fiercely close race and any projection that Griffin has been re-elected is not true. There is still a path to victory for Leinad. This race will go down to the wire.