The Atlasian Post-Democracy Dies In Darkness

[Pericles]

The rise of Atlasian journalism has been a heartening development. However, there is plenty of room in the market, and so I decided to start up The Atlasian Post. 1184AZ will be co-editor, and together, we will bring a new voice to Atlasian journalism. Our promise to our readers is that The Atlasian Post reports real news, not fake news. We promise to be fast, we promise to be accurate, and we promise to have some fun along the way. We will also have hard-hitting, informed opinion, providing a progressive perspective on Atlasian politics. This is the place to come to understand what's really going on in Atlasian politics. We have the inside information on Atlasia's politicians. The Atlasian Post will help you understand the important developments in Atlasian politics, as we head into an election where the only certainty is uncertainty.

[Pericles]

Note on sourcing
We are open to using anonymous sources. If you have important information that you feel needs to be reported, feel free to message either AZ or myself. We won't judge you and we will respect your privacy. However, we will make sure that all sources we use are credible before publication, and so place high priority in ensuring our reporting is credible and truthful, so as to maintain and build trust with you-the reader. So, we will use anonymous sources but will be responsible in using them*.

Note on job applications
We would be very happy to have more people at The Atlasian Post, and so if you wish to apply to be part of our team, we will be open to and review your application. We are looking for a broad range of talents in our team. If in doubt, apply!

*Screenshots are better than word of mouth, as a pointer to how you can help us help you.

[Pericles]

NORTH CAROLINA YANKEE HOLDS THE LEAD, NINJA SECOND, ALLIANCE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD

Full results
47 respondents to the poll*
Party registration
Federalist-36.2% 17 respondents
PUP-27.7% 13 respondents
Independent-12.8% 6 respondents
Alliance-10.6% 5 respondents
Peace-10.6% 5 respondents
Other-2.1% 1 respondent
Regional distribution
The South-38.3% 18 respondents
Lincoln-36.2% 17 respondents
Fremont-25.5% 12 respondents
Feeling about midterm results
Happy-48.9% 23 respondents
Unsure-29.8% 14 respondents
Sad-21.3% 10 respondents
fhtagn approval rating
Approve-48.9% 23 respondents
Disapprove-38.3% 18 respondents
Unsure-12.8% 6 respondents
Direction of country
Wrong direction-51.1% 24 respondents
Right direction-36.2% 17 respondents
Unsure-12.8% 6 respondents
Lumine favorability
Favorable-59.6% 28 respondents
Unfavorable-21.3% 10 respondents
Unsure-19.1% 9 respondents
Ninja0428 favorability
Favorable-52.2% 24 respondents
Unsure-28.3% 13 respondents
Unfavorable-19.6% 9 respondents
North Carolina Yankee favorability
Favorable-83.0% 39 respondents
Unsure-10.6% 5 respondents
Unfavorable-6.4% 3 respondents
Horse-race numbers*
North Carolina Yankee(Federalist)-50.0%(+6.9%) 23 respondents
Ninja0428(PUP)-39.1%(+9.7%) 18 respondents
Lumine(Alliance)-10.9%(-10.2%) 5 respondents
View of how June race is shaping up
Good, I am satisfied with the current field-57.4% 27 respondents
Bad, I want other candidates-23.4% 11 respondents
Unsure-19.1% 9 respondents
Likelihood of changing preferences
Unlikely-42.6% 20 respondents
Never-36.2% 17 respondents
Likely-17.0% 8 respondents
Virtually Certain-4.3% 2 respondents
Fremont parliamentary elections-first preferences***
Scott(Center)-36.4% 4 respondents
Pericles(Fianna Fremont)-27.3% 3 respondents
Koopa DaQuick(Conservative)-18.2% 2 respondents
Goldwater(Center)-9.1% 1 respondent
HenryWallaceVP(Fianna Fremont)-9.1% 1 respondent
Devout Centrist(Fianna Fremont)****-0.0% 0 respondents

The June presidential election has already heated up. This race has been filled with unpredictable, unexpected twists, and it's not even May. This poll proves the point. North Carolina Yankee has the lead, having improved significantly on fhtagn's February performance, and having almost universal popularity. Yankee is clearly the favorite to win at this point. However Ninja0428 is doing respectably as well, also improving significantly on the first round performance of Pericles/Wells. Ninja0428, surprisingly, has the lowest favorability ratings, but many voters remain unsure about him, giving the political newcomer room to grow. The surprising casualty is the candidacy of Lumine, who gets a paltry 10.9% and loses around half of the Spiral/Griffin vote. This leaves the Alliance out in the cold, and would be a very disappointing result for them. Most respondents will never change their preferences, or are unlikely to do so. However, a total of 21.3% are either likely or virtually certain to change their preferences. Provided these respondents weren't giving joke answers, this leaves the 21% as the voters to watch this election, and shows the results aren't yet baked in. Meanwhile, Fremont's parliamentary elections have Pericles, Scott and Koopa as the strongest candidates, but candidates like Wallace, Devout Centrist and Goldwater may have cause for concern. To sum up, the two biggest takeaways from this poll are; Yankee is the favorite, and Ninja0428 has the best shot of stopping another Federalist win.

*Not everybody answered every question, presidential question received 46 responses
**VP choices were made while this poll was being conducted so impact of them remains unclear. In brackets is the swing, in this poll it is the change from the first round numbers of their party in February. In future polls it will be the change from the previous poll.
***Apologies for not including Tea Party Hater, and VPH entered too late.
****Correct me if he's actually an Independent.

[Pericles]

It would be an interesting development if regional parties gained greater prominence. However, currently I don't think they matter at all, and while Scott may be laying the seeds for such developments in future elections, this election won't really be about regional parties. If Scott does well it'll be because people like him as a person. People are going to vote for the candidate they like, regardless of party. I think Fremont is a region where the candidate matters a lot more than the party. Fremont just isn't a very partisan region.

[Pericles]

I agree that people tend to vote for who they like, but I think Fremont's electorate has changed a bit over the past few months. A lot of left leaning voters have become disinterested or fallen off the rolls and some right leaning voters that weren't too interested for a while have gotten more engaged recently. I don't think I would have done as well as I did if I were running in the recent elections, but that could be my natural tendency to underestimate myself at work too.

Anyway, nowhere to go but up! (especially because I think I forgot to vote in the poll) 

You didn't vote in it, but we did get a #SirenWouldHaveWon.

[Pericles]

We've got another June poll out, please make sure to vote in it. I hope we get lots of respondents, so please make sure to respond.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Hf-OOzf8JIlOmRLyTuMfO9bOCrgHEBq931KWzdRCixo

[Pericles]

26 responses so far, thank you to those people. Please vote if you haven't already.

[Pericles]

33 responses so far, I'll leave this open for another day or two probably, but please make sure to vote! So far, we've got some very interesting results, so stay tuned for them.

[Pericles]

This poll will close at midnight.

[Pericles]

YANKEE RETAINS LEAD, TIGHT RACE FOR SECOND PLACE
NOT MADIGAN, REACTIONARY LEAD SENATE RACES, GENERIC PROGRESSIVE LEADS IN FREMONT
Full results
38 respondents to the poll
Party registration
31.6% Federalist 12 respondents
28.9% PUP 11 respondents
15.8% Alliance 6 respondents
7.9% Peace 3 respondents
7.9% Independent 3 respondents
7.9% Other 3 respondents
Regional distribution
36.8% South 14 respondents
34.2% Lincoln 13 respondents
28.9% Fremont 11 respondents
fhtagn approval rating
50% approve 19 respondents
36.8% disapprove 14 respondents
13.2% unsure 5 respondents
Direction of Atlasia
44.7% wrong direction 17 respondents
31.6% unsure 12 respondents
23.7% right direction 9 respondents
Favorability ratings of presidential candidates
North Carolina Yankee-71.1% 27 respondents
Lumine-68.4% 26 respondents
Ninja0428-57.9% 22 respondents
DTC-39.5% 15 respondents
Favorability ratings of vice-presidential candidates
Siren-81.6% 31 respondents
1184AZ-60.5% 23 respondents
dfwlibertylover-57.9% 22 respondents
Presidential results
North Carolina Yankee/dfwlibertylover 39.4% 15 respondents
Ninja0428/1184AZ 23.7% 9 respondents
Lumine/Siren 21.0% 8 respondents
DTC/? 2.6% 1 respondent
Unsure 13.2% 5 respondents
With unsure adjusted for most likely candidate*
North Carolina Yankee/dfwlibertylover 42.2%(-7.8%) 16 respondents
Lumine/Siren 26.3%(+15.4%) 10 respondents
Ninja/1184AZ 26.3%(-12.8%) 10 respondents
DTC/? 5.2%(+5.2%) 2 respondents
Lincoln Senate
Not Madigan-40.0% 6 respondents
Generic PUPer/Generic progressive candidate-20.0% 3 respondents
Unsure-13.3% 2 respondents
Generic Federalist/Generic center-right candidate-13.3% 2 respondents
DTC-6.7% 1 respondent
Not not madigan-6.7% 1 respondent
Fremont Senate
Generic PUPer/Generic progressive candidate-30.0% 3 respondents
Generic Alliancite/Generic centrist candidate-20.0% 2 respondents
Generic Federalist/Generic center-right candidate-20.0% 2 respondents
Unsure-20.0% 2 respondents
Myself-10.0% 1 respondent**
Southern Senate
Mr Reactionary-50.0% 7 respondents
The Shadowy Abyss-35.7% 5 respondents
Would write in another candidate-14.3% 2 respondents

In the presidential race, Lumine/Siren has surged to what is basically a 50-50 shot at second place. The Siren pick appears to have been the best received of vice-presidential picks, with Siren boasting a favorability rating of over 80%. The Lumine surge appears to have hurt Ninja0428 the most, but also shaved off some support from North Carolina Yankee. The Federalist ticket of North Carolina Yankee/dfwlibertylover retains a strong lead over both Ninja0428 and Lumine, and another Federalist term looks likely at this point in time.
President fhtagn is reasonably popular with the approval of a majority of Atlasians, according to this poll, but a plurality of respondents judged the country to be heading in the wrong direction. The latter finding does suggest there is a mood for change, but it remains to be seen whether Ninja0428, Lumine, or even DTC will exploit it.
In the Senate, incumbents Not Madigan and Mr Reactionary have leads in Lincoln and the South respectively, and both are heavy favorites for re-election at this time. In Fremont however, with an open seat a plurality would vote for a progressive candidate, which would mean the Alliance would lose one of their 2 seats in the Senate(and presuming no other changes, would result in a 2-2-2 Senate). However, this result is the least reliable, as no names were provided and due to Fremont having the fewest respondents. Fremont is heavily influenced by candidate quality, and it remains to be seen what kind of candidates will emerge in this important Senate race. This remains a very interesting race, and it seems probable that there will be more shocking twists in the days and weeks to come.

*In brackets is the swing from the previous poll.
**If 'myself' wants who they are to be included in this story, they can say so to me. I will assure readers that I did not cast that vote however.

[Pericles]

So...

NORTH CAROLINA YANKEE'S HOLDS THE LEAD FALLS, NINJA SECOND PLUMMETS, ALLIANCE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD SURGES

This is why it's best not to read too much into polls, as the change of mind of one person can alter the result drastically.

Lol. That's what happens in campaigns, people's minds change.

[Pericles]

I will be conducting interviews in the near future with North Carolina Yankee, Lumine and Ninja0428, stay tuned!

[Pericles]

STUNNING DEVELOPMENTS!
DTC DROPS OUT, ENDORSES NINJA/AZ, NM, REJOINS PUP...

[Pericles]

Interview with House candidate Old School Republican

First of all, I'd like to thank Old School Republican for conducting this interview with me. I've provided the interview below, and invite you to read it.

What drove you to run for House?
One of the things that drove me to run for the house is the fact that I believe the deficit Atlasia currently has is too high and it is the job of the legislature to start to get it under control.

Why do you think you should be elected to the House?
One Reason I believe I should be elected to the house is that I am committed to introducing legislation from day 1 that will help reduce our deficit and reform the regulatory process to make sure that proposed regulations that have more of a cost than benefit do not get implemented.

Atlasia currently has a $904 billion deficit. Do you believe reducing the deficit should be a top priority, and if so what steps would you take to reduce the deficit?
I believe that reducing the deficit should be a top priority because the 904 billion dollar deficit is unsustainable in the long run. Some immediate  steps I would take to reduce the deficit is introducing legislation that
-  Bans all pork barrel and earmark spending of any kind
- Auditing Departments which receive 50 billion dollars or more, so we can find  so we can find out how much taxpayer money is being wasted or spent inefficiently, and then use the audit to cut waste from the departments and spend taxpayer money more efficiently

Fremont has a Senate race with the presidential election. What are your thoughts on the Senate race, and what kind of person should Fremont elect to the Senate?
Currently, I am not yet sure of whom I will endorse for the Fremont Senate Race, as I am still waiting to see if any other candidates enter the race. Currently, I am hoping that more members of the Federalist party jump in the race as I believe they are the ones who are most likely help us fix issues such as the deficit, and regulatory reform.

What would be your top priorities if you are elected to the House?
The top priorities for me is reducing the deficit , regulatory reform, and tax reform. The legislation I would introduce to address these issues is
- Banning All Pork Barrell and Earmark Spending of any kind
- Audits Departments which receive 50 billion dollars or more, so we can find  so we can find out how much taxpayer money is being wasted or spent inefficiently.
- Using that audit to cut wasteful spending or make inefficient spending more efficient
- Requiring a cost-benefit analysis by a third party group for any new proposed regulations by the executive branch. If any regulation is deemed to have a larger cost than a benefit, the regulation should not go into effect unless it is approved by Congress.
- Having small buisnesses who employ 3 or more people pay taxes at the corporate rate instead of the income rate.

I believe these bills will help Atlasia reduce the deficit and grow the economy.
 
Follow up- What is your reply to concerns that tax reforms would increase the deficit even further?
The Tax Reform Bill I will introduce only applies to small businesses with 3 or more employees , and what it does is it will have  them pay taxes at the corporate rate instead of the income rate . This will make sure that small businesses get tax relief which will help them grow their buisness which in turn will create new jobs thus increase revenue that way . Also I will make sure in my Tax Reform bill to get rid of the carried interest loophole which should make up for any revenue loses due to the small business tax cut .

Game reform has been another important issue. Do you believe the game needs significant reform, and if so what kinds of policies would you support?
Currently, I dont think we need to make major reforms to the game, but I believe we do need to make it easier for people to know what the different party platforms are.

Follow up- Why do you believe that platforms are not visible enough as is, and can you detail in more detail how you'd like to solve this?
Well currently they only give the basic visions of the parties but don’t give the party views on the issues in details . I believe the game should add a new thread which has links to each parties views on the issues in detail .

There are many candidates, including multiple Federalists, running for the House. How do you believe your candidacy in particular can appeal to Federalist voters?
I believe my time in the Coolidge Society shows that I am committed to issues such as cutting wasteful spending, reducing taxes on small businesses, and passing regulatory reform, and committed to the belief that individual and not the federal government is what makes the nation great.

[Pericles]

Interview with Senator & Presidential Candidate Lumine VonReuental

Thank you to Senator Lumine for doing this interview and answering the questions. I've provided my interview with Lumine below, and invite you to read it.

What drove you to run for President in this election?
Well, it's not a surprise to note that I've been disaffected with the present state of affairs in Atlasia since my return some nine months ago. That above all is a motivation to get up and do something about it rather than, say, snipe from the sidelines, and I believe the strong result for a fully independent ticket in October 2017 showed that there was significant support for the ideas I wanted to fight for, as well as a general interest in doing things in a different manner.

It wasn't my original intention to run on this election despite leaving the door open to it, but a month ago it was clear that the presidential field was rapidly dwindling and I was not satisfied with the alternatives. Having been asked by some friends whether I would reconsider, I felt it was worth the fight even if it meant leaving the Senate.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Atlasia? How would you address those challenges if you are elected President?
They are several, I'm afraid.

Some of them relate to policy of course, but at the moment I do believe the most dangerous ones apply to players and the way in which we conduct the game, which is why it is so baffling to see some people wanting to carry on with business as usual or close themselves to reforms. Essentially, you have an activity problem which hasn't been solved for a number of years, you have a system of government which has went on for fourteen years and could well use significant changes, you have a developing problem in terms of game ethics and some people wanting to ignore it, and lastly, you have an issue of a certain lack of realism on some policy fronts.

That is why my platform is in many ways built to address those particular challenges in some form (along with other policy-based ones that go from the environment to social mobility), opening itself to the necessity of reforms that help reinvigorate the game, promoting efforts to bring new people on board and encourage different ways to participate, taking a stand on ethics and propose some different standards, and in general terms address policy issues in a realistic manner rather than give in to the irresponsible or the unrealistic.

What is your opinion on President fhtagn's performance as President? In particular, can you name what you see as her biggest accomplishment, and one area in which you would have done something differently?
I think time has given me a different perspective on President fhtagn than the one I held some months ago, and working with her from the Senate has also brought interactions to a different level. Based on that I would say the President is ultimately a well-intentioned individual worthy of respect not only because of her office, but because of her person. However, I also believe it has not been a particularly transformative or relevant Administration despite being the longest-serving one, which is a curious thing. I think Atlasians generally like the President, but there's a reason why a majority of the people clearly believes we are going the wrong way.

Part of that unspiring situation could be the seemingly endless machinations by some elements within the Federalist Party or the political erosion from several terms in power, but I don't quite see a compelling, inspiring vision that motivates Atlasia. If you want me to name the biggest accomplishment I could certainly name the President's efforts in terms of the environment and animal rights as laudable, and I wholeheartedly agree with her concern on those areas. If the question is what I would have done differently I could name several points, but to avoid extending myself too much I would note that I would have not closed myself to political reform like the White House did, I would have handled the situation in Korea in a far more different manner, and I certainly would have engaged more with the public both of terms of what my Administration would be doing and what my vision would be.

What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your political career, so far? If you can't name one, then top 3 would be fine.
Looking back and with the perspective years have given me I would note by biggest accomplishment was restoring a sense of normalcy in Atlasia when I was President.

Lest we forget, the nation was emerging from a Civil Conflict in which a President had resigned and another banned, and it was not easy to both restore the rule of law and preside over the nation at a time in which passions ran very high. It was very costly in emotional terms because the attacks levelled at myself were very personal and spiteful in nature, but when I look back at that time I feel I have reason to be proud. It was the last constantly active administration for a while before mass-stagnation set in, brilliant Atlasians like Zuwo, Dr. Cynic, Kalwejt, Rpryor and others shined as stellar cabinet members, and we had a very active foreign policy in place.

Honorary mentions go to helping lift the old Midwest region out of inactivity with the help of Maxwell and Windjammer, shaking up political debate on at least two different presidential campaigns (even if I lost them), helping make the Constitutional Convention a reality and working with the Senate to pass a historic healthcare law some years ago.

What do you consider as your biggest strengths for being President, and some potential weaknesses?
Well, I've already been there, and served for a full term even amidst great hardship. Experience isn't everything, but it is never a good idea to have a President who isn't somewhat prepared to take office and I think I can both build on what we did right back then as well as learn from the many mistakes we also made. To that we can add that I'm helped both by a fantastic running mate and a great team of friends. If the question is related to personality and style, I would argue that it is a benefit not only to be consistently active on most of the offices I've held, but to also be communicative with the people to reach out to them and explain the reasoning behind what I do.

As to weaknesses, I would probably argue there's two that have given me some thought: the first is of course that (like most) I can have a bit of a temper even if time has taught me some patience. The second is that I haven't been on a particularly nice situation in RL for a given number of months, and that does have an effect on one's personality and ability to stay rested. Things have been improving lately and I'm grateful for it, but I can also recognize it can be a drawback.

Furthermore, what qualities would you bring to the presidency that your opponents lack?
I respect Ninja and Yankee on personal terms and find them to be likeable individuals, but I also believe I would make a better President during these times and that the vision I'm trying to promote is one better suited to avoid a presidency that is just managed decline or doing things as usual following the old model of politics. This not only because I'm the only candidate to have served a full term as President, but because I sense one ticket doesn't offer much beyond what we've already seen for well over sixteen months (which to me is rather dull and uninspiring) and the other may not be entirely sure of what it wants to do, and you need to be prepared when entering the White House.

That is essentially why I'm very much committed to this campaign even at the cost of having to leaving office if I lose, because I believe that if Atlasians elect a Lumine/Siren Administration they will have a competent, dynamic team ready to work from day one and offer something different and innovative.

The deficit has been raised as a major issue for Atlasia this election. What specific measures do you support to reduce the deficit?
And with good reason, we still possess a major deficit in our national budget and the consequences of that over the long term will pose a major problem to the younger generations. Seeing as I don't believe in riddling them with debt over our mistakes and overspending, it is certainly necessary to tackle the deficit in a reasonable manner and seek a long-term plan for reduction over the upcoming budget.

I'd like to take a look at wasteful spending in general through reviews and audits of several parts of the national budget, as I'm sure there will be some significant expenses to be cost. We can also look towards reducing the number of government spending in terms of the bureauracy. Lastly, we will also have to consider where to invest to further stimulate the economy while realizing not only what we cannot invest from, but what we'll have to cut from the budget and in that sense I expect some active work with my domestic-policy members of the cabinet as to the hard but responsible measures to be taken.

Your campaign seems to have significant momentum. Why do you believe your candidacy has received support from across the Atlasian political spectrum, and why should it continue to do so?
I think it probably comes down to a matter of vision and what Atlasia we want to build. As I noted before, there is a large number of Atlasians who believe we are going down the wrong road and who wish for a change of course and for something different to take place, and that is a concern that extends beyond ideologies and goes beyond the old concept of left v. right in a fight to the political death. I think that support (much of it surprising) comes because people have seen an experienced ticket which, while being competent also possesses a vision or a part of it that people can get behind so Atlasia begins to change and we move away from complacency.

I hope we continue to grow in support that this translates in an upset victory at the election, and I'm certainly committed to continue fighting an active campaign so Atlasians consider this ticket to be a legitimate force for change and for good, dynamic governance of the nation. We have a chance here to do things differently and put a stop to business as usual and to managed decline.

Furthermore, your choice of Siren as your running mate was surprising. Can you explain to voters how you came to that choice?
Well, like many I was rather interested in the potential of Siren as a presidential candidate (more than prepared to support her) and indeed, I considered her to be a viable, compelling option as far back as 2014. And when I was looking at my potential running mates and came down to three or four alternatives which I respected and worked well with, her name came at the top of the list without a doubt. It dawned on me that if I wanted a Vice-President in which I could trust, who could serve effective on the duties of the office (and more) and that could complement my vision there was just no better choice for the job, simple as that.

Our friendship goes back to a number of years and has never been affected even by being on opposite sides of a ballot, and I'm very glad she decided this ticket was worth the effort. To me it makes perfect sense as a partnership that could do a lot for Atlasia, and not a cynical gambit just for the sake of winning votes.

Finally, along with your presidential campaign there is a Senate race for your Fremont seat.  What are your thoughts on the Senate race, and what kind of person should Fremont elect to the Senate?
Well, the field hasn't fully developed yet, has it? I'll certainly be looking with interest when it comes to the candidates and what they have to say, but my mind is open at the moment on the subject and there's still a month for a race to properly and actively develop. All I can say at this time is that I would like to see Fremont elect a Senator who can check three main boxes: someone who is active and committed to the role, someone who places importance in ethical standards in the Senate, and someone who gives the people of the region a strong voice to be heard on Nyman.

[Pericles]

Interview with Speaker & Presidential Candidate North Carolina Yankee

Thank you to North Carolina Yankee for participating in this interview. I've provided my interview with him below and invite you to read it.

What drove you to run for President in this election?
What drove me to run for President was that fundamentally, I think we have lost sight of what this game is about. Every so often we have these controversies, but the ones that bother me the most are the ones that I think are generated from disagreement taken too far.

What makes this game fun is the disagreement and the passion, and when we go too far, when we destroy that disagreement through a "conquer the sandbox" mentality, we end up removing the core that makes playing this game worthwhile.

As President, it is my objective to try and restore that focus but also to try and drive the debate on key issues to form the fundamental core of that discourse.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Atlasia? How would you address those challenges if you are elected?
The biggest challenge is recognizing that this is a voluntary game, and that people want a reason to come here. That is where I think the fundamental root of all our other problems lie We need to value disagreement and value contributions on both sides of the aisle. It doesn't mean I expect you support Pay Go, it does mean you should want me to support Pay Go because otherwise you are out of a job. In terms of issues, I think our top two issues right now are the deficit and the war. I have spoken about how these two issues intertwine and how we need to get serious about our deficit. That does include reform, while meeting our obligations to the needy. It does mean efficiency while still meeting our obligations to defend us.

As for the War itself, I really don't fancy an escalating war with one of the most powerful and must I remind people nuclear powers in the world. I think our objective should be to set a clear goal that is achievable. A lot depends on whether or not China will accept a government that is not their puppet and that is hard to say right now. I am fairly certain that my understanding of Chinese policy generally, is that they want to make lots of money, they need to create lots of jobs to maintain internal stability and they don't want a geopolitical counter on their border. What I want is a government selected by the Korean people and therefore we must make clear that our objective is self determination and not the puppet state that China accuses us of wanting to setup. With clearly stated objective bounded by the reasonable options perhaps the two sides can both achieve mutual objectives, still respect self determination and avoid this getting any worse.

What is your opinion on President fhtagn's performance as President? In particular, can you name what you see as her biggest accomplishment, and-if possible-one area in which you would have done something differently?
I think fhtagn's biggest achievement is that she has kept us safe and has tried to keep us from getting drawn into a downward spiral. Whatever one might say of a given action in this regard, I think her overall strategic viewpoint has been sound, wise and reasonable in this regard.

I would rate her performance as rather solid. We have seen progress on a number of domestic issues and a keen interest in getting bills right and getting policy right, exercising redraft power for instance on the Care for Veterans bill for instance. She also has one of the best Vice Presidents in the history of the game and one of the more active cabinets.

One thing I might be keen to do differently, and this is more style than anything, having been in the legislative branch so long, is that I would have a greater presence in bill threads and I do plan to start doing Question Time again for the members of Congress, since I think this would increase engagement and would get better involvement this time around then last time it was tried when Congress was less active.

What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your political career, so far? If you can't name one, then top 3 would be fine.
Well the big three for me would be healthcare both times, rescuing my party both times and fighting to preserve checks and balances. It is very easy to discount their importance and press ahead, but we forget that in large measure achieving a government that respects natural freedom came about largely because of checks and balances being put in place first.

Why do you think you are the best person to be President?
I think the people should make the determination as to who is the best person for the job. I will say that when you combine not just the experience, but also my record, my dedication, and my positions be it my values regarding this game, fiscal responsibility, foreign policy restraint or pursuing reform to programs without leaving people to die in the streets for lack of care or help, I hope that voters see in me the kind of President they want to have. And see in my administration the potential for the welcoming and Engaging Atlasia, that we also should strive for daily.

What do you consider as your biggest strengths for being President, and some potential weaknesses?
My biggest strength I would say is that I can weigh important concerns and pursue the best approach and some times aspects of that approach aren't too popular with one side or the other. A lot of times in real life especially, people like to message a given situation to fit their prescribed policy proposals, whereas I tend to be something of a realist. I do have principles in that I like for people to have options and I like for the regions to take the lead on some issues, but I am never one to just ignore an issue or pretend it is hoax or something, I am going to find a solution for those problems while still operating within my pro-market choice (notice I said market choice and not just market) and pro-regionalist principles.

You have raised the deficit as a major issue for Atlasia. What specific measures do you support to reduce the deficit?
We have to have a standard, if it is important we need to fund it with a dedicated revenue stream and we need to examine how we do it. I most certainly want a strong military, but at the same time we should not just toss money at the Pentagon and expect it to be well spent. We need to change the way these processes work and some of them are addressed in bills like Never's Efficiency bill. We need procurement reform across the government so that everything has competitive contracting, we need to negotiate for lower prices, which Atlascare does have the ability to do. The Federal government buys a lot of stuff and when you buy in bulk, you should be able to get it at discount prices, that applies to more than just prescription drugs. We need to continue with reforming health care by looking at delivery and technology, payment methods and so on to bring those costs down further.

Game reform has been another important issue. Do you believe the game needs significant reform, and if so what kinds of policies would you support?
I don't think any reform is as powerful as the actions that we take as individual players. I am naturally skeptical of the idea that we can fix Atlasia from a top down approach. We need more interaction, how do you legislate that? We need more creativity and legislating, how do you amend that into existence? I think most things in Atlasia that are good come from the bottom up.

Sometimes, you reach a point where reform is necessary, where a system has to be fixed, not because it was based on flawed principles even but just to serve its intended purpose. Like Congress in real life for instance. I am not against reform by any means, but I think we should be careful, we should be mindful of the importance of checks and balances and guard them aggressively against any kind of weakening or systemic degredation in the name of convenience. Just like a discriminatory or unequal state leads to a violation of one's liberties, it also means that someone is getting screwed in a game that they can leave at any time, so it is essential for that reason as well.

You are undeniably experienced in Atlasian politics. Do you believe this is an asset and how should voters think about the issue of 'experience', in your opinion?
Experience is important because it means you have seen a variety of different things transpire and thus are better able to handle and respond to it yourself. As for voters, I think they should look to accomplishments and basically, "what did you did do with that experience?". For instance I can point to the pre-reset health care law as an example of both bipartisanship, and making a small working group on a chat room a productive model that facilitates the legislative process. I can point to a situation where the administration was directly engaging through the soIA with the Regional Governors. These experiences can serve to inform as to what can be done and how it looks when it is being done and the impact that it has the game. This is beneficial because some times I wonder if we miss out because of our incomplete records and such at letting people know for instance the full range of options for a media company, or how the administration can collaborate with regions, etc. It becomes lost knowledge.

Finally, your candidacy has received support from a wide range of voters. To voters who aren't natural Federalists, why do you believe they should also support your candidacy?
Well for one thing Atlasian Conservatism is much more traditional and/or Burkean than real life conservatism. Therefore it is also more moderate and balanced in its approaches to say foreign policy and certainly so with regards to the safety net than the real life Republican Party by comparison. I led, collaborated with and helped passed two health care laws in two different eras in Atlasia, both contained generous subsidies and both contained public plans of some sort that consolidated pre-existing public plans or took a pre-existing public system and fixed it, while providing greater choices to the consumer, and a strong regional component.

"Federalist" Conservatism isn't about taking a one size fits all policy solution and trying to jam a square peg into a round hole and where it is completely impossible to force it in, pretending said hole doesn't exist. It is about making sure that everything fits into their proper places while using the least amount of wood possible to achieve the objective. Like Thomas Paine said, "least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others". It is about acknowledging problems and then finding reasonable solutions that still preserve natural liberty, still respect regions and still provide the consumer with the most choices possible. I can assure you that poverty is real, I live it. I can assure you that pollution is a real problem, I have drank it. I can assure you that inability to access healthcare is a problem, I have seen close relatives die from it.

I would humbly ask all Atlasians to consider voting for me regardless of their party because while I am a conservative and a Federalist, I am an Atlasian and I am a human being first. I understand that consequences exist for the utopian wish list on both sides and I understand the importance and value the contributions of all who play this game, which is why I am running to try and create a more Welcoming and Engaged Atlasia.

[Pericles]

Got June elections poll #3 out, please make sure to vote in it. The more responses the better!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XYC8UAVux4y2_uS5Qz2gBTOJoM27ipOYQcz4VehY16s

[Pericles]

Got 14 responses so far keep them coming. We need as many people as possible to get the accuracy you deserve!

[Pericles]

Don't miss out-vote now! 20 responses so far.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XYC8UAVux4y2_uS5Qz2gBTOJoM27ipOYQcz4VehY16s

[Pericles]

Thank you to everyone who has responded so far. If you haven't voted yet, please make sure to vote in The Atlasian Post's June elections poll #3. Got some interesting results so far-stay tuned!

[Pericles]

Got a good response rate so far but need some more responses. Especially Federalists, please vote in my poll if you are a Federalist, so we can have greater accuracy heading into this exciting, close election.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XYC8UAVux4y2_uS5Qz2gBTOJoM27ipOYQcz4VehY16s

[Pericles]

Poll closes at midnight-just a few minutes left. So get those last minute responses in!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XYC8UAVux4y2_uS5Qz2gBTOJoM27ipOYQcz4VehY16s

[Pericles]

YANKEE/DFW BELOW 40%, NINJA/AZ BARELY EDGES LUMINE/SIREN FOR SECOND
NOT MADIGAN LEADS LINCOLN SENATE RACE BY A LANDSLIDE, SESTAK DOMINANT IN FREMONT, MR REACTIONARY LEADS TSA, WEATHERBOY BUT TIED WITH PEEBS

Poll results
36 respondents to the poll
Party registration
30.6% PUP 11 respondents
27.6% Federalist 10 respondents
16.7% Alliance 6 respondents
11.1% Peace 4 respondents
8.3% Independent 3 respondents
5.6% Other 2 respondents
Regional distribution
41.7% Lincoln 15 respondents
30.6% South 11 respondents
27.8% Fremont 10 respondents
President fhtagn approval rating*
51.4% approve 18 respondents
42.9% disapprove 15 respondents
5.7% unsure 2 respondents
Direction of Atlasia
47.2% wrong direction 17 respondents
36.1% right direction 13 respondents
16.7% unsure 6 respondents
Do you support changing the Atlasian flag?
Yes-63.9% 23 respondents
No-19.4% 7 respondents
Unsure-16.7% 6 respondents
Do you support changing the name of the South?
Yes, change it to something other than the South or Stalin-50.0% 18 respondents
No-25.0% 9 respondents
Yes, change it to Stalin-19.4% 7 respondents
Unsure-5.6% 2 respondents
Favorability ratings of presidential candidates**
North Carolina Yankee-74.3% 26 respondents
Lumine-65.7% 23 respondents
Ninja0428-51.4% 18 respondents
Favorability ratings of vice-presidential candidates***
Siren-76.5% 26 respondents
1184AZ-73.5% 25 respondents
dfwlibertylover-50.0% 17 respondents
Political party favorability ratings
Peace-75.0% 27 respondents
Alliance-55.6% 20 respondents
PUP-55.6% 20 respondents
Federalist-38.9% 14 respondents
CDU-33.3% 12 respondents
Presidential results
North Carolina Yankee/dfwlibertylover 33.3% 12 respondents
Ninja0428/1184AZ 30.6% 11 respondents
Lumine/Siren 25.0% 9 respondents
Unsure 11.1% 4 respondents
Presidential results without undecided
North Carolina Yankee/dfwlibertylover 36.1%(-6.1%) 13 respondents
Ninja/1184AZ 33.3%(+7.0%) 12 respondents
Lumine/Siren 30.6%(+4.3%) 11 respondents
Senatorial approval ratings****
Not Madigan-80.0% 28 respondents
Mike Wells-74.3% 26 respondents
Mr Reactionary-65.7% 23 respondents
wxtransit-60.0% 21 respondents
Haslam2020-57.1% 20 respondents
Lumine-57.1% 20 respondents
House representative approval ratings
North Carolina Yankee-77.8% 28 respondents
NeverAgain-69.4% 25 respondents
Sestak-69.4% 25 respondents
Weatherboy1102-69.4% 25 respondents
Peebs-63.9% 23 respondents
dfwlibertylover-61.1% 22 respondents
Ninja0428-55.6% 20 respondents
RFayette-44.4% 16 respondents
Leinad-38.9% 14 respondents
Lincoln gubernatorial election*****
Clyde1998-37.5% 6 respondents
ReaganClinton-37.5% 6 respondents
Undecided-18.8% 3 respondents
Spark498-6.3% 1 respondent
Lincoln Senate******
Not Madigan-60.0% 9 respondents
Jimmy7812-26.7% 4 respondents
Unsure-13.3% 2 respondents
Fremont Senate*******
Sestak/jk2020(/Don Blankenship)-70.0% 7 respondents
Write in; Pericles-20.0% 2 respondents
Write in; Lumine-10.0% 1 respondent
Southern Senate********
Reactionary vs Weatherboy
Mr Reactionary-45.5% 5 respondents
Weatherboy1102-36.4% 4 respondents
Undecided-18.2% 2 respondents
Reactionary vs TSA
Mr Reactionary-45.5% 5 respondents
TheShadowyAbyss-36.4% 4 respondents
Undecided-18.2% 2 respondents
Reactionary vs Peebs
Mr Reactionary-45.5% 5 respondents
Peebs-45.5% 5 respondents
Undecided-9.1% 1 respondent

The June race remains extremely competitive, according to the latest poll by The Atlasian Post. North Carolina Yankee has fallen in our latest poll, however I would advise readers to be cautious about those numbers-as there were fewer Federalist respondents in this poll(also as Yankee's running mate dfwlibertylover is renowned-and I can testify from personal experience that this reputation is not undeserved-for his skills at campaign PMs). Both Ninja0428/1184AZ and Lumine/Siren have gained support, due to Yankee's fall and DTC's withdrawal(which may end up proving decisive in whether PUP gets 2nd or 3rd place), though Ninja had the greatest gain. The battle for second place remains virtually neck in neck. The Atlasian Post has not done second round polling, though we do plan to do so in future polls.
In the Senate races, jk2020 is the strong favorite-though also only candidate-to gain Fremont's open Senate seat. Senator Not Madigan also has a dominant lead over Jimmy7812, and seems to have consolidated support for a generic progressive now that is not a candidate on the ballot. As Not Madigan is the most popular Senator, this should be unsurprising. The Southern Senate race seems like it could be competitive, at least in a Peebs vs Reactionary matchup. However Reactionary defied the polls to win a landslide earlier this year, and, as a personal prediction, he remains a strong favorite. More details shall come soon with The Atlasian Post race ratings set to be published, but for now, you can be assured that we have a very competitive presidential race. There is still everything to play for.

*35 respondents
**35 respondents
***34 respondents
****35 respondents
*****16 respondents
******15 respondents
*******11 respondents
********11 respondents
-------------------------------------------
Note; I will post the qualities people chose as the most important in the next President separately.

[Pericles]

Oh god we are going to have a three way tie in both the general and the runoff and then have to divide a four month term into three parts.

Lol, that can't be ruled out. I promise that The Atlasia Post will milk that for all it's worth cover that accurately and informatively.

[Pericles]

And now for what people gave as the most important quality for the next President. 31 responses were given in total to this question. Note some of these responses are quite similar to others.

-to not warmonger
-Experience x2
-Reform
-Leadership x4
-Progressive policies
-Good policies
-Fairness
-Socially progressive
-Integrity x2
-active
-Protects gun rights!
-Cautious leadership and results
-Political views that I agree with
-Active in legislating
-I want a President who fights for working people
-Big pecker
-Activity/engagement
-Knowledge of the dark arts
-Strong Leadership
-Determination
-LGBT
-Working with the atlasian citizens to solve problems
-Being active
-dog memes
-Attractive
-smoke weed man

Make of this what you will.