Forward? – A 2012 Election Game (Gameplay Thread)

[Senator Spiral]

Debate response to Christie's attack ad:

You know, Governor Christie, I caught that ad of yours the other day. That one where you talked about voting for someone who can "keep America safe." I'm proud that now I'm apparently worth your attention. *laughs*

Let's set the record straight, though. The reason why I voted against the PATRIOT Act is not because I want people like Osama bin Laden to go free. I voted against the act because it's a gross invasion of privacy on all Americans. There's no presumptions on innocence: everyone is recorded regardless of whether they're guilty or even suspicious. It's a remarkably un-conservative thing to grant that much power to the federal government, and yet you seem to not question it at all, Governor.

You say I'm weak on terrorism because I want to pull out of Afghanistan. You forgot to mention that I fully support going after bin Laden and tracking him down once and for all. In fact, that's the only real business we have there! Why don't we spend all of our resources on the war to find bin Laden? The actual war is unwinnable because there's no end goal. I'm not saying this as some peacenik, because I voted to go to war in Afghanistan. I now see that our priorities have been wrong.

I've consistently been in favor of a strong national defense in Congress. I also happen to have served my country. I'm not going to question your credentials, Governor, because you've served your country well in your own capacity. You just haven't been honest about my record, but that's to be expected when your feet are on the fire now.

[Senator Spiral]

Walter Jones Schedule: January 4-10

January 4
-Barnstorming in Greenwood, SC
-Barnstorming in Mount Pleasant, SC
-Barnstorming in Irmo, SC
-Barnstorming in Georgetown, SC
-Interview with Fox News

January 5
-Barnstorming in Fort Mill, SC
-Barnstorming in Beaufort, SC
-Barnstorming in Simpsonville, SC
-Rally in Charleston, SC

January 6
-Barnstorming in Hanahan, SC
-Barnstorming in Lexington, SC
-Town Hall in Spartanburg, SC
-Town Hall in Aiken, SC
-Rally in Summerville, SC

January 7
-Barnstorming in West Columbia, SC
-Barnstorming in Myrtle Beach, SC
-Barnstorming in Easley, SC
-Rally in Rock Hill, SC
-Voter Registration Drive in Columbia, SC

January 8
-Town Hall in Kingman, AZ
-Town Hall in Buckeye, AZ
-Rally in Glendale, AZ
-Voter Registration Drive in Phoenix, AZ
-Outreach to conservative groups in Tucson, AZ

January 9
-Barnstorming in Goffstown, NH
-Barnstorming in Salem, NH
-Barnstorming in Concord, NH
-Rally in Nashua, NH
-Rally in Manchester, NH

January 10
-Barnstorming in Derry, NH
-Barnstorming in Hudson, NH
-Conducting local interviews statewide
-Election Night Rally in Manchester, NH

[Senator Spiral]

Walter Jones Ad: Faith

I am a Christian.

This means more than words. This means I must stay true to my family, friends, neighbors, and God.

I count on the Lord to show me the right path in life. Though I may not always know what's ahead, I'm bounded by my trust in Him.

I try to serve God every day of my life, no matter what I do. I am not perfect. I have sinned. But, I try to repent and hope that I can reverse the pain I have caused others.

This is the philosophy of my life. It's been true as a husband, a father, a businessman, and a Congressman. If I'm elected President, I will be the same in the White House.

I will serve according to my faith.

[Senator Spiral]

Walter Jones Ad: Our Troops

These are the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives for us in Iraq.

I honor them every day by keeping these pictures in my office.

These pictures remind me that when politicians in Washington make decisions, they often deal with life and death. It's up to us to make sure that they act responsibly, because when they don't, human lives are at stake.

I have written thousands of letters to the families who have lost these loved ones. There is no greater duty that I can think of than to let them know they're never alone.

We must not let our troops and their families down. We must fix our broken VA hospitals, improve the quality of healthcare, and lead them back into civilian life.

Although we can't change the past, the future is in our hands. It's our duty as Americans to take care of our veterans, for they are our brothers and sisters all under God.

[Senator Spiral]

Walter Jones Ad: Governor Palin Speaks

Well, hi there, folks! This is Governor Sarah Palin talking to ya straight from Alaska.

You know who I'm voting for this year? Congressman Walter Jones. Here's why all you good folks should, too!

He's a man of integrity. He's been fighting the corrupt Washington establishment from day one. He stands for what he really believes in, and ain't that a rare sight up there?

He's been fighting for our brave men and women in uniform. There's no one else like him who knows how badly the VA needs to be reformed.

He's pro-life and pro-Second Amendment, 100%, no questions asked. He's a proud conservative and a good family man.

And, you know what? He's never lost his roots. He stands for the proud, hardworking, average Joe out there who can't seem to get a break.

Isn't it just about time we had some real change in Washington? That's why I'm for Walter. What about you?

I'm Walter Jones and I approve this message.

[adamevans]

4th Republican Presidential Debate
Ernie Fletcher

Debate Answers & Responses

General Questions

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Look, the people threatening us with weapons of mass destruction will always be the biggest foreign threats to the American people. It's that simple. I've met great people across this nation, and they are disappointed with our nation's foreign policy. The current administration is acting ineffectively overseas, and as a result, we're spending way more than we have too overseas. The Obama Administration has continued this massive spending, and we've done nothing.

You have some people like Christie who are practically praising the way Obama's been doing things. We're not going to do any better overseas if we continue these policies. It's anything but fiscally conservative when you're praising someone who's been spending trillions and trillions overseas. When I served in the military, we didn't waste time and money. We got the mission done. I represent the millions of Americans when I say our foreign policy is a joke. If we're going to actually stop our enemies overseas, we need to get the mission done and stop wasting time. (audience cheers)

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Y'know, back in 2002 and 2003, Kentucky was also dealing with a stagnant economy. Education funding was flat, Infrastructure funding was flat, and we had a billion dollar deficit. I've been able to actually increase education spending, increase infrastructure spending, and we created hundreds of thousands of jobs. We didn't increase taxes either, we cut state taxes, and at the same time, we balanced the budget and created a surplus. The economy was vibrant in Kentucky again, and we were on a path to success. I've got real world experience when it comes to dealing with stagnant economy.

And you know when I was in the House, I didn't shy from cutting taxes. I voted for every single tax cut. We phased out the death tax, we cut small business tax, and we cut the income tax. These taxes only burdened the economy, and when they took effect, they created hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide.

If we're going to get this economy moving, then we need someone with governing experience in getting an economy moving (audience clapping), and our economy now needs some relief more than ever. People needs jobs, people need tax relief, people need recovery now more than ever in a stagnant economy.

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Under President Ernie, we're going to clean up our inner cities. We're going to work on proven plans, and we're going to clean up our spoiled housing, we're going to get our kids in schools, not on streets. We have to increase drop out age because what happens is we let our kids drop out, and suddenly, crime spikes. We let our housing go spoiled, and suddenly, crime spikes. It's been proven again and again that ignoring this hurts our inner cities and increases crime. We've got to have real plans for our cities NOW. (audience claps)

Y'know, you hear all this talk from politicians about keeping crime low, and they never have plans. It's all talk, folks. You've got to have real plans to fix these problems. Our inner cities are being left alone because these politicians don't actually get the job done. They talk, as if, all these cities have the exact same problem. These kind of things are just rhetoric, and do not reflect what these communities need now, and that's real solutions. (audience claps)

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I'm tired of the companies in the Middle East raising their prices every time our families go out for vacation in the Spring & Summer (audience claps) We have 1.4 trillion barrels of oils in reserve. We could potentially be the biggest oil producer in the world: Bigger than Saudi Arabia, Bigger than Russia. We have vastly more resources than any country in the world if we use it. If we maximized our production right here, we would have a dramatic increase in American production, and gas prices would dramatically decrease for people here.

We let our prices get higher and higher because we let people overseas control it. We have huge gas prices because of that. We import far too much for us to have a reasonable gas price. America could easily be one of the biggest oil producing nation, but we don't let it happen. Let it be known that we CAN get gas prices at $2.50 (audience claps).

[adamevans]

"The Candidate You Can Trust"
Ernie Fletcher's 5th Television Ad (replayed)
Aired in South Carolina, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Missouri

Narrated by Ernie Fletcher

(pardon the extremely pixelated image)

"What I believed in the 90s"

"is that our country leader's spend too much time working to divide rather than to serve"

"And that we must focus on getting the job done rather than this useless rhetoric, and in Congress, I spent every day to get the job done."

"Today, I couldn't be more outspoken that this country needs some real leadership that sticks to their values. I'm tired of the talking, let's win the future."

I'm Ernie Fletcher and I approve this message

[adamevans]

"He Served"

Ernie Fletcher's 3rd Television Ad (replayed)

Aired in South Carolina, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Missouri

Veteran #1: "We arrived in Vietnam in December, December 10th"
Veteran #2: "We were fighting in what was called Viet Cong. Some just called it North Vietnam."
Veteran #3: "I was there for more than a year, and by then, we had at least 75 wounded"

Veteran #1: "They broke through our lines. It was hell. We had about 52 wounded and 21 killed after the first year, maybe more. I was one of the 12 to come back home."

Veteran #2: "We had over 100 wounded at least and 62 dead. Vietnam was hell. Stuff like that, you just don't forget."

Veteran #3: "48 years ago, I had my helicopter shot down. I know several of the people I knew had died in combat. I can't believe I made it alive. Life after the war was tough. We didn't get thanked for our service. Never."

Veteran #2: "Corporal Ernie thanked me for my service. It was a... rewarding feeling. Especially coming from another veteran."

Veteran #1: "Takes a Veteran to understand a Veteran,"

Veteran #1: "And he is a Veteran."

Veteran #3: "He has a Veteran's best interest in mind. He knows when he makes foreign policy decisions that it affects lives. Ernie Fletcher is a Veteran's best friend. After all, he did serve."

Veteran #1: "And he said.. 'Thank you for your service.' tearing up"

I'm Ernie Fletcher and I approve this message.

[Senator Spiral]

Walter Jones Campaign GOTV Strategy: New Hampshire

The Jones campaign has not invested in the New Hampshire primary as much as others. However, they are hoping to exceed expectations with a strong GOTV machine. The campaign has utilized its grassroots supporters to attract people to the polls, and has been particularly seeking independents and Tea Party Republicans. One surrogate seen frequently on the stump for Jones in the final week is former Senator Bob Smith, who still holds a following among New Hampshire conservatives. One area focused on by the campaign is the rural north, whose voters can be more easily reached one-on-one and who might find an independent candidate like Jones receptive. One final hallmark of the New Hampshire campaign has been to peel off voters from Fred Upton, who has been MIA over the past few weeks. The Jones campaign is appealing to Upton supporters by highlighting Jones's breaks from Republican orthodoxy as well, and as the real viable anti-establishment candidate in the state. With these efforts, the Jones campaign hopes to break double digits and make a respectable showing.

[Senator Spiral]

INTERVIEWER: Do you expect to win here in New Hampshire?

JONES: That doesn't seem likely. Governor Christie's built up quite a lead here. What we can do, though, is expose Governor Christie as the establishment candidate that he is and show conservatives that there's a better way forward in 2012. That's why I've been going back here in New Hampshire and meeting some more voters until the polls close. We can still make a dent here.

INTERVIEWER: You're hovering in the polls here with Governor Fletcher and Congressman Upton. Do you think you can beat them?

JONES: Sure! I feel rather confident about that. Congressman Upton in particular seems to have given up campaigning recently. I'd like to make an overture to his supporters. He's talked about being an independent Republican who isn't bound by the party line. Well, so am I. No one in the Republican leadership can control me or how I vote. This is the Live Free or Die state, and I think people who like Fred's message--as well as many other voters--will find my message to be refreshing. We can't stick with the same old Washington politics if we want to see people's lives get better. That's why I'm running.

[Orwell]

Representative Upton drops out in the race of the nomination and endorsed Fmr. Governor Fletcher hoping for a Vp pick when the convention comes around.

[Jaguar4life]

What Carolla did part 2
Carolla campagined with Bruce Willis and Donald Trump throughout New Hampshire and campagined on the dangers of a Chris Christie presidency and talked about his tax plan his healthcare plan and his plan to get out of NAFTA and talked about embracing real free trade.

[Lumine]

New Hampshire Primary Results:

"After a few hours of speculation on the potential size of a Clinton victory, we can confirm without doubt that Senator Hillary Clinton wins the New Hampshire Primary on a resounding victory against Vice-President Biden. On the other side, Vice-President Biden can draw some optimistic from riding an unexpected wave of so called "progressive" support which has seen Senator Clinton remaining slightly below 60%:

Democratic New Hampshire Primary:

Hillary Clinton: 59.79% (17)
Joe Biden: 40.21% (11)

Democratic Primary:

Delegates:

Hillary Clinton: 42
Joe Biden: 42

Superdelegates:

(Not included in the delegate count above)

Hillary Clinton: 12
Joe Biden: 7

"On the other side, the Republican Party sees a minor upset as Chris Christie underperforms after a harsh barrage of attacks against his campaign. Indeed, it seems the continued division of his opponents has saved the Governor from a larger embarassment, as his closest rival Ron Paul manages to break 25%. On a strong third Adam Carolla delivers on a decent result, and both Walter Jones and Ernie Fletcher manage to hold their ground above 10%.

Republican New Hampshire Primary:

Chris Christie: 33.91% (5)
Ron Paul: 25.16% (3)
Adam Carolla: 18.75% (2)
Walter Jones: 12.03% (1)
Ernie Fletcher: 10.15% (1)

Republican Primary:

Delegates:

Chris Christie: 24
Ernie Fletcher: 6
Ron Paul: 5
Walter Jones: 3
Adam Carolla: 2

[Lumine]

Turn Seven: Looking for Springboards:

January 11th to January 21st, 2012

In the News!

Two in a row for Clinton and Christie

Rivals doing better than expected, but can they rise further?

Democrats to the left?

Biden, Clinton embrace of SSM and other issues see Republicans take the lead

Governor Scott Walker to face recall election

One million signatures gathered to recall Wisconsin Republican governor

1.- Turn: This turn of roughly 10 days will take us to the Republican South Carolina Primary, and the Democratic Nevada Caucus. Please keep in mind the difference in which state goes for which party, and also keep in mind that the differences between a primary and a caucus can be exploited to your own advantage... if you're creative enough. Good luck!

GE Polling

RCP Average:
2012 Presidential Election:

Generic Republican: 47%
Generic Democrat: 42%
Wesley Clark: 8%
Undecided: 3%

Primary Polling

RCP: Republican Primary:

Chris Christie: 30%
Ernie Fletcher: 22%
Walter Jones: 20%
Ron Paul: 15%
Adam Carolla: 11%
Undecided: 2%

Republicans: Too son or too late?

For the first time, Chris Christie had been wounded by his rivals. Focused fire on his record meant the Governor was drowned out at times despite his skilled efforts as defending and attacking, and the loss was felt in New Hampshire and nationwide as some doubts were opened on his conservative credentials. On the other hand, the continued division of his rivals meant no candidate was strong enough to overcome Christie in New Hampshire, giving the Governor twin victories which may turn into unstoppable momentum if he triumphs in South Carolina and Florida.

On the other side and with Fred Upton gone, Walter Jones's momentum was halted by attacks on his record (and foreign policy views as well), and with Iowa and New Hampshire gone his status as a potential "anti-Christie" has weakened. Adam Carolla and Ron Paul benefited from strong debate performances and well aimed attacks, yet squandered much potential for growth on account of their stance on drugs - seemingly unpopular among most Republicans). Ultimately, the one who rose the most (if only for a couple of points) was Governor Fletcher, who has managed to avoid attacks to quietly position himself as a credible social conservative alternative. An ultimate test of sorts comes now in South Carolina, a state Christie has little chance to win.

Can Jones or Fletcher seize this unique chance to become the anti-Christie candidate?

RCP: Democratic Primary:

Hillary Clinton: 53%
Joe Biden: 43%
Undecided: 4%

Democrats: Racing to the Left

With a New Hampshire blowout seen as virtually secure, observers who saw Clinton as inevitable may have spoken too soon. An endorsement of Senator Russ Feingold and the adoption of a more openly progressive message in the debate and the campaign trail gave Vice-President Biden a fighting chance, and while when the smoke cleared out Senator Clinton has still scored a resounding victory in New Hampshire Biden had secured a respectable showing, and a tie in the delegate numbers (withut superdelegates). Clinton herself has been seen as taking on a more progressive message to counter Biden, with some positive and some negative results.

With the race tightening despite the sizable, strong Clinton lead and with national polling showing the Democrats falling behind the upcoming contests may be decisive for Biden to become truly viable or for Clinton to dispatch her rival before the primary turns long and grueling. And while South Carolina appears more decisive than Nevada, a victory in the caucus for either candidate will be seen as important momentum going forward (and in Clinton's case, having three significant victories in a row).

[Lumine]

GOP Average Polling:

SOUTH CAROLINA:

Ernie Fletcher: 33%
Walter Jones: 31%
Chris Christie: 20%
Ron Paul: 8%
Adam Carolla: 6%
Undecided: 2%

FLORIDA:

Chris Christie: 33%
Adam Carolla: 17%
Ernie Fletcher: 16%
Walter Jones: 15%
Ron Paul: 14%
Undecided: 5%

NEVADA:

Ron Paul: 31%
Adam Carolla: 18%
Chris Christie: 16%
Walter Jones: 15%
Ernie Fletcher: 13%
Fred Upton: 0%
Undecided: 5%

MAINE:

Chris Christie: 29%
Ron Paul: 27%
Adam Carolla: 15%
Walter Jones: 12%
Ernie Fletcher: 11%
Undecided: 6%

MINNESOTA:

Ernie Fletcher: 26%
Walter Jones: 25%
Ron Paul: 23%
Chris Christie: 13%
Adam Carolla: 8%
Undecided: 5%

COLORADO:

Chris Christie: 31%
Walter Jones: 19%
Ernie Fletcher: 19%
Ron Paul: 13%
Adam Carolla: 11%
Undecided: 7%

MISSOURI:

Ernie Fletcher: 30%
Walter Jones: 28%
Chris Christie: 21%
Ron Paul: 10%
Adam Carolla: 7%
Undecided: 4%

ARIZONA:

Chris Christie: 30%
Walter Jones: 24%
Ernie Fletcher: 21%
Ron Paul: 11%
Adam Carolla: 8%
Undecided: 6%

MICHIGAN:

Ernie Fletcher: 33%
Chris Christie: 28%
Walter Jones: 20%
Ron Paul: 8%
Adam Carolla: 5%
Undecided: 6%

[Lumine]

DEM Average Polling:

NEVADA:

Hillary Clinton: 54%
Joe Biden: 43%
Undecided: 3%

SOUTH CAROLINA:

Hillary Clinton: 51%
Joe Biden: 48%
Undecided: 1%

FLORIDA:

Hillary Clinton: 58%
Joe Biden: 38%
Undecided: 3%

MAINE:

Hillary Clinton: 52%
Joe Biden: 43%
Undecided: 5%

ARIZONA:

Hillary Clinton: 54%
Joe Biden: 41%
Undecided: 5%

MICHIGAN:

Hillary Clinton: 50%
Joe Biden: 46%
Undecided: 4%

[Lumine]

Endorsements from Turn Six:

Christie: Nikki Haley, John McCain.
Fletcher: Marco Rubio, The Post & Courier.
Corella: Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis.
Paul: Peter Schiff
Jones: Joe Arpaio, Michael Savage.

Clinton: Dan Malloy, Brian Schweitzer.
Biden: Carl Levin, John Lewis.

Clark: Carte Goodwin, Artur Davis.

[Jaguar4life]

Carolla on social media
Despite the rigged mainstream polls. We are still in it to win it.

[NewYorkExpress]

Joe Biden-New Endorsements/Surrogate Schedule

Vice President Biden is honored to welcome the following individuals to or campaign:





Former Vice President Gore will be campaigning in South Carolina, Florida and Michigan

Senator Brown will be campaigning in Ohio

Beau Biden will be campaigning in Nevada and South Carolina

Jim Clyburn will be campaigning in South Carolina

John Lewis will be campaigning in South Carolina

Carl Levin will be campaigning in Michigan

Russ Feingold will be campaigning in Michigan and Nevada.

[Orwell]

Fred Upton (After Endorsing Fletcher)


Representative Upton is going to spending most of his time in Wisconsin campaigning against Governor Scott Walker.

[adamevans]

Campaign Schedule
Jan. 11 - Jan. 21

Schedule
January 11-21: South Carolina

January 11: Ernie flew to Rock Hill, South Carolina overnight as Glenna Fletcher gave a Post- Results Speech in New Hampshire. Ernie holds a series of Town Halls in colleges and universities across Rock Hill. He brags a little about his outperformance in New Hampshire and Iowa. After, Ernie held a Meet & Greet at York County Library. Fletcher ends the day meeting with local business leaders in Greenville, South Carolina talking about pro- local business policy.

January 12: Fletcher was honored to be endorsed by The Greenville Newspaper on the 12th of January. Greenville Newspaper called Governor Fletcher "the candidate that can bring the biggest economic recovery of the Republican candidates" and "the most credible to bring change, even with a Democrat- controlled Senate". The newspaper also cited in 2003 when Ernie won 1/4 of the Democrat vote in the Governor election, stating it's proof he can unite people. Ernie had table discussions with local business leaders with them from Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Spartanburg, Aiken, and Florence, they talked about pro- small business policy and federal tax policy. Governor Fletcher then holds a town hall in Florence Civic Center.

January 13: Fletcher began the day showing up on a local television news station in Central South Carolina. He talked about several campaign platforms of his, and ranted about Washington rhetoric, stating "People don't really care about what the people in Washington complain about. We just need things done." Fletcher later holds a town hall in Historic Beaufort Campus, and then meets with voters at Bricks on Boundary. Governor Fletcher drives to Columbia, SC to hold a fundraiser in the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center where he's joined by Senator Jim DeMint

January 14: Ernie begins the day holding a Press Conference, and after that, does a one on one interview with FOX News where he talks about the momentum in South Carolina, what he calls "The Fletcher Coalition" to put him over the top in the primary. He explains his veteran policy and tax policy if elected President, "I voted for every tax cut in my time as a Representative, and I cut taxes when I was a governor. I know what it means to these local business leaders because my father had his own small business. It's a burden. We're going to have only 4 tax brackets, remove the death tax, cut the corporate tax to 20%, and give the small businesses of our nation some relief." After the interview, Ernie drove to Spartanburg to do a Campaign Rally in Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium and was joined by Veteran and Former Governor of Missouri Matt Blunt. He said Ernie "has the real credentials to unite this country" and "He's the one that can get job done"

January 15: Governor Fletcher sat down to give various local radio interviews in South Carolina. He touted the tax cuts that he passed and signed as Governor of Kentucky, aswell as his education funding and balanced budget. Ernie then took to the campaign trail when he did a "Barnstorm" tour in Saluda county, Edgefield county, and Greenwood county. Ernie emphasized the importance of not just fighting for the farmers in Iowa, but every single American farmer. He held a series of Town Halls in areas including Piedmont Technical College, Lander University, and Greenwood Community Theatre. He sat down with local business owners and talked about upholding pro- business policy on the federal level.

January 16: Governor Fletcher continued his "barnstorm" tour in Newberry County. He set up only 2 town Halls in the county, and discussed about local problems including education, taxes, etc and said "It's about time we had people in government that cared about issues close to home rather than games of political points." After, he held a rally at River Bluff High School in Lexington, South Carolina. He rambled on a lot about his childhood, "We use to have public servants that were worth defending. When I was growing up, you had President Kennedy. When he cut taxes, those were a life saver. My father had ran a market during that time. These tax cuts can really be a life saver to some families." The rally was later joined by Newt Gingrich who said "Gas prices have been rising for our families for the past 4 years. We've let people overseas control our oil. If we just had people here producing our oil, we could have some lower gas prices for once. Governor Fletcher has the most competence among the Republican contenders to get us some lower gas prices for once." Ernie finished the day meeting with voters at local Diners.

January 17: After the rally in Lexington, Governor Fletcher went on another "barnstorm" tour in Horry County and Georgetown County. Ernie met with local fishermen and emphasized the importance of "Negotiating trade deals with first world countries that benefit us and our the people here at home" and stated "This'll be one of my top priorities as President." Ernie met with people who work in Manufacturing across Horry and Georgetown County and discussed about pro- manufacturing policy. Later, he held a series of Town Halls across the Horry County, Georgetown County, and Charleston County and talked about how "We don't need same ol' same. We need economic recovery now. Our economy is stagnant, our people are sick, our education funding is flat, and we're still spending trillions more than we make. Now is not the time to continue useless games of politics. It's time for real economic recovery. It's time for a country that gives the American people a future they can win."

January 18: Governor Fletcher begins the day meeting with local parents and teachers concerned about education spending and education reform. Afterwards, he does a brief, on-the-phone interview with MSNBC talking about momentum coming out of South Carolina. Ernie emphasized "This country needs someone who can unify. I'm running for people regardless of party." He went on to hold a campaign rally in the TD Arena in Charleston, SC where he spoke about "In times of a stagnant economy, family matters. It is our duty to protect the families of our nation."

January 19: Governor Fletcher sat down with the Post & Courier's editorial board to talk about another article supporting Ernie. The article double downed on his belief that "Politicians are focusing on political games and not on local issues. I'm not going to play those games" and he explained his plan for Tax Policy. It also mentioned his vote in 2001 to eliminate the Senior Earnings Tax. He also sat down with the Greenville Newspaper Editorial Board for an article to support Ernie Fletcher. It talked about Ernie being "The candidate whose going to pass reform" and reminded readers about the legislation he passed as Governor of Kentucky while Democrats controlled the State House including tax reform, education funding, a balanced budget, etc. It stated "If Ernie is elected, those things will happen in Washington." Governor Fletcher, later, continued his "barnstorm" tour in Horry and Georgetown County. He held some Town Halls throughout those counties, where he explained his tax policy and crime policy.

January 20: Ernie gives another brief, on-the-phone interview with CNN the day before the caucus. He flies out to Columbia, South Carolina. Ernie holds his last, massive Campaign Rally until the South Carolina Primary in the Colonial Life Arena, and talked about "We have the momentum to win tomorrow. We're going to bring actual change. South Carolina is the first step. We're going to win here tomorrow!" He also said "Our campaign isn't about all the big surrogates behind us. Our campaign is about you." After, Ernie drove off to the South Carolina Campaign HQ to meet with Staff & Volunteers. He had a pep talk with the staffers "This campaign is about who will actually fix the problems. Let's fight a good fight." He talked with them about the GOTV Strategy. After, Ernie met voters at a local basketball game, and talked with them about local issues involving education, crime, and taxes.

January 21: Fletcher began caucus day meeting with staff and volunteers making sure they had a GOTV Plan. Ernie went meeting potential voters at local Diners. He talked to them about local issues, and tried convincing those voters to vote for him in the primaries. He made some GOTV Calls to potential voters. By noon, Ernie took to door-to-door campaigning with campaign staff to get people to get out and vote.

By sunset, Ernie gets off the trail to hold a Results Rally at his South Carolina Campaign HQ. By the time major news agencies project a winner of the Primary, Ernie delivers a post- primary results speech and meets with supporters.



South Carolina ( January 11 - January 21 )
Key Issues: Religious Freedom, Family Values, Balanced Budget, Free Trade, Education Reform

Campaign Staff Operations

• Reach Out to Evangelicals, emphasizing his career as a Preacher
• Reaching out to former Jindal supporters, emphasizing Fletcher's record of bringing change
• Reach out to Ron Paul supporters, emphasizing the National Review's unfair attack on Fletcher (as evidence that he can not only win, but take on media bias)
• Defending Fletcher after the attack by the National Review, calling it irrelevant to any policy debate
• Knocking door to door in early caucus & primary states
• Promoting rallies to get them televised
• Promoting the Post & Courier's & The Greenville Newspaper's endorsement on Radio Ads
• Spreading the campaign message of unity and strong change with a plan

[adamevans]

Campaign Highlights

Part One

Glenna Fletcher delivers Post- Primary Results Speech

1.10.12

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The Greenville Newspaper endorses Ernie Fletcher for President

1.11.12

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Fletcher shows up on local news stations

1.13.12

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[NewYorkExpress]

Republican Presidential Debate-From South Carolina


Good evening, I'm Elaine Quijano, and this is a Republican Presidential Debate. We will be holding this debate in a format which allows for candidates to respond to questions from me, as well as respond to each other. I ask that the audience here to be silent, except as the candidates walk onto the stage,
starting now.

To Christie: Some have called you "the most abrasive Governor in America". Do you believe this style will be effective to work with Congress?

To Christie: Do you believe a Northeastern Governor can win the nomination of a largely conservative, Southern party, especially after the failure of Mitt Romney to do so in 2008?

To Fletcher: Do you support repealing and replacing Obamacare, or just straight repealing Obamacare?

To Fletcher: What is your position on renewable energy?

To Jones: Why has your campaign caught fire here, while Congressman Paul's hasn't?

To Jones and Paul: If John Boehner announced he was stepping down as Speaker of the House today who would you vote for to replace him?

To Paul:As the most Libertarian candidate running, can you promise that if you do not do well in the Republican primary, you will not seek the Libertarian nomination? [/i]

To Carolla: Many establishment Republicans have suggested that you are the most unqualified candidate to run for the Presidency in the modern era. Do you believe that you are qualified to be President of the United States?

To All: What is your position on online gambling?

To All: Do you have a plan to end the war in Afghanistan?

[Blair]

6th Democratic Presidential Debate

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[Jaguar4life]

Carolla debate answers part 1
1.*He laughs when she says the establishment thinks he’s the most unqualified candidate*
Well I surely do fit the 3 main qualifications.  I am over 35,I am a natural born Amercian citizen and I have lived here for all my life so yeah legally I am qualified to run for President. As for saying if I am fit for being a leader?

Well America is in dire need of change and someone who will actually bring it.  You might say we tried that in 2008 and that failed but here’s the thing Mr Obama showed signs that he was full of it early on.

If Amercia wants change you need to elect someone who isn’t knee deep into the swamp of DC. Someone like me who is obviously not a politician and is a normal citizen who unlike most people on this stage tonight I am not being paid to say things to impress any donors so I can get a big fat check.

Beside if you look at my economic plan it is prob the most conservative out of all the candidates according to Forbes magazine. Many economists have looked at my plan and said yeah this is what we should expect from a conservative presidency.   Sure I do plan to go hard on Wall Street and Political donors. However it’s all about transparency. You can put many hit pieces you want. It’s not going to change my campaign and the message I am getting out.