Change: The 2016 election game. (Sign Up & Rules thread)

[Sestak]

Fmr. Rep. Joseph A. Sestak

(also hope some more Dems join lol)

[Sestak]

I'm currently the only actual Dem playing this.

Please join, someone!

[Sestak]

Sestak Announcement Speech
Independence Hall - June 19, 2015



Ladies and gentlemen...

My life has been dedicated to serving America. To helping protect our freedoms. My father fought to defend democracy in the face of tyrannical regimes across the globe in World War II. I served in the Navy for thirty years. After that, I served in Congress for four years, making sure I always put the people first. I have always been devoted to democracy and serving the people first and foremost, as was my father before me.

So it pains my heart to see what's happening in this country right now. Throughout the country, America's wealthiest - Wall Street Bankers, Corporate Executives, political machine leaders, special interests - are all gathering in luxury office rooms... in Washington, in New York, in San Francisco, in Chicago, in... Boston. They are gathering and they are deciding who will be the Democratic Nominee for President.

They may have already decided. I don't know. They've already propped up their foil... the spooky bogeyman socialist Senator Sanders, who they're hoping will push the masses to vote for the loyal party establishment candidates. On the other side, the Republicans are trying to do the same thing with Senator Cruz. They both want the same thing: a President who will look out for their interests above all others.

When I ran for Senate five years ago, the Democratic establishment refused to support me in the election. They preferred to have a conservative, Wall Street Republican over an outspoken liberal, progressive veteran. During the Iraq war, I was fighting wastefulness and inefficency on defense from inside the Navy, while the Democratic establishment silently signed off on George Bush's Wastefulness as he handed over billions of taxpayer dollars in a gift to the military-industrial complex. In fact, it was the Democratic establishment, along with their corporate backers, who allowed this unnecessary, costly war in Iraq to happen in the first place, and it's time to let them know that we have had enough!

I first ran for Congress after my daughter beat cancer in 2005. It was thanks to TRICARE, a government health insurance program for veteran families, that she was able to get the treatment she needed to survive through it. If it hadn't been for that program, I... I... (holding back tears)...I would have lost her ten years ago. And it was then that I thought: "Why shouldn't everyone have access to the same treatment. No one should have to go through losing a loved one because they couldn't pay for healthcare costs."

I decided to run for Congress because I wanted to give that opportunity to everyone. And we've made tremendous progress: we passed Obamacare five years ago. But it's still not enough. If we want affordable healthcare for all, we need a strong public option, which was removed from the Obamacare bill by Democratic corporate interests. We need to keep pushing. And yet, some of the candidates in the Democratic field want to undo the progress we've already made on affordable healthcare.

And this ultimately speaks to the main issue with today's politics: both parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, are dominated at the top by these corporate interests. Goldman Sachs. Lockheed. Countless other banks, hedge funds, and massive corporations, holding the levers of our government. And I think we ought to remind the corporations of something I said five years back. I think we ought to remind them that the words of our Constitution that was signed in the very building behind me are we, the people. Not we, the corporations, nor we, Wall Street. And that is why I am running to be the President - the People's Presdent - of the United States. Corporations have held far too much power for far too long, and we need to send a bold statement reminding them who holds the power in our democracy. WE, THE PEOPLE.

Thank you all, and God bless America.

[Sestak]

45% chance for Bredesen Nomination
25% chance for Dayton Nomination
25% chance for Sanders Nomination

I think that Phil Bredesen can carry the south if he can attract enough conservatives and Attack Sanders enough. He may also be able to carry several other conservative states simply because he is a Conservative DEM.

Dayton and Sanders, However, will have a slugfest. They will both be seen as Progressives with Bernie only saying that he's a democratic Socialist. If Dayton can hit him enough times on that, he may be able to focus on Bredesen then. Sanders will just have to appeal to the masses and attempt to get the youth vote. All in all, unless one of the two becomes a strong number two, Bredesen could ride to the Nomination.

37% chance of Cruz Nomination
35% chance of Portman Nomination
20% chance of Paul Nomination

For the Republicans, it might be extremely tight, but Cruz may be able to take enough conservatives and Paul may be able to take enough Libertarians and youth to defeat Portman. Portman, at the same time, will have to attempt to attract all 3 groups and keep the establishment happy with him, which won't be an easy feat. All in all, Portman may be doomed to lose if he doesn't find a way to attract those 3 specific groups and shake off the establishment.

Cruz: 272/46.4%
Bredesen: 266/47.3%

And that's my election Prediction. Honestly, a lot can change from then to now, but at this point, it looks like it'll be Cruz v Bredesen.

Thoughts?

Rand Paul winning in the South? I don't know about that, those states seem like a better fit for Santorum or Cruz.

Yeah. I think a Paul coalition would be spread across the map, including some of the western desert states, some of New England, maybe parts of the Upper South, and states like CO and AK.

[Sestak]

This will probably hurt Bredesn the most...he loses a lot of Clintonite support and backing.

[Sestak]

This will probably hurt Bredesn the most...he loses a lot of Clintonite support and backing.

I can just regain it all by attacking Hillary on her emails and Benhazi.

You might be able to regain some...but not all of it.

[Sestak]

It will be interesting how superdelegates come into play in the Democratic Primary.

They're probably going to be the biggest issue for me as Sestak, as the established party bosses hate his guts.

[Sestak]

Can I be Bobby Jindal instead of Rob Portman

This is a lot of changes for late september.

Also I liked Portman and how he was focusing on issues like the opioid epidemic.

[Sestak]

REMINDER TO ALL: Debate is on September 22nd in-game. You if you have or are planning on creating a campaign schedule, put that in and keep it in mind. IRL it will be posted tonight or tomorrow morning.

What's the debate location? Iowa?

[Sestak]

It make no sense for the players to decide when their own stuff goes viral.

[Sestak]

Sestak drops out, endorses Sanders.

[Sestak]

Play Mary Landrieu or Joe Manchin to troll NTP.

[Sestak]

I reenter as Jimmy Carter.

[Sestak]

You know what, no. Not Carter.

I'll enter on the Republican side as Sean Hannity.

[Sestak]

Hannity will announce by denouncing all the other GOP candidates on his show (on a day with extremely high viewership) and making the case that he is the only one who can save good, Christian America.

[Sestak]

Hannity will announce by denouncing all the other GOP candidates on his show (on a day with extremely high viewership) and making the case that he is the only one who can save good, Christian America.

That's a solid strategy. Don't see anything wrong with that.

He also attacks Jindal as being a "fake American" and shows "solid evidence" that he's not loyal to the US, he spends 15 minutes "proving" Ted Cruz was linked to the JFK assassination and "an agent of George Soros", and attacks Rob Portman as being a "liberal in disguise" who's "connected to the Clinton Foundation".

[Sestak]

Hannity will announce by denouncing all the other GOP candidates on his show (on a day with extremely high viewership) and making the case that he is the only one who can save good, Christian America.

That's a solid strategy. Don't see anything wrong with that.

He also attacks Jindal as being a "fake American" and shows "solid evidence" that he's not loyal to the US, he spends 15 minutes "proving" Ted Cruz was linked to the JFK assassination and "an agent of George Soros", and attacks Rob Portman as being a "liberal in disguise" who's "connected to the Clinton Foundation".

This game just got nasty

Hannity just went Full Trump!

Trump does not have an hour long nightly show which half the party watches and believes every word of.

[Sestak]

Hannity's first endorsements will be from Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly.

[Sestak]

Jindal is in. Nice to see wx has jumped in!


I'm not letting Hannity in because I really want every candidate to have an equal chance of winning, and clearly Hannity would not be getting above 6% in this game and wouldn't really be adding anything constructive to it so I'm going to veto this one.

Oh wait Rip OK.

Wait wait wait.

Could I play as Hannity as a non-candidate actor?

Edit: considering half the party considers his show gospel, I think Hannity would probably have an unfair advantage if he ran.

[Sestak]

It's called H Y P E R B O L E

anyway, could I play Hannity as a political commentator?

[Sestak]

I think you're short changing Bernie in the West/Desertland. He did well there when it was just against Hillary, he should do even better with moderates splitting vote between Hillary and Bredesen.

Also I think Portman would probably win his home state.

[Sestak]

I have a better idea:

I'll play as Jesse Ventura running with the Libertarian party.

If Rand Paul get the nomination, you're doomed tho.

That is something to consider yes. Hmm, I'd hate to wait till primaries are over.

You can go for Angus King, who is quite popular already.

I was also considering him yes. Though I'd run into a similar issue if Bernie wins.

Two different niches. Angus is centrist, Bernie's left. Bernie nomination might actually help Angus.