The Great 2020 Free-For-All (Signup/Info Thread)

[Cabbage]

I have in my head a sort of Martha Stewart-expy, except way more (obviously) outspoken. I love to flesh out my characters, so I’ll have it up sometime tomorrow.

Well, when I said no major OCs, I meant no former governors/senators; strong outsiders were always ok, just not ones who extended to the point of ridiculousness (i.e. beyond any level of fame or fortune ever obtained by an actual American).

I understand the ridiculous factor is really a hit or miss thing. You don’t want crazies signing up, but in reality look at Trump. He is by your definition ridiculous.

I’m not going to through a huge fit about this, it’s your game and your rules and I can and will obide by that, I just wanted to point out an inconsistency.

Trump is not ridiculous; what I meant was, you can't create someone so popular they effectively automatically win. Trump is a billionaire and a celebrity, but he is neither the most popular nor the richest man in the world, which is really what I was trying to get at with the examples. They can be rich, they can be famous, they just can't be beyond anything we've seen in American society before. If you want a billionaire, make a billionaire; that's fine! I just set those rules in place to prevent future OC creators from effectively making an electoral god and ruining the game for everyone else. As long as the election (both primary and general) could still remain competitive with your OC in the running, and they're not literally a contradiction to American political history (excluding Reps and "minor" offices), your candidate is fine. Your original character, as you've described them, would be within the rules.

Oh I’m sorry, there was a miscommunication on my part. So the Martha Stewart-expy would fit under the rules then? Trust me not everyone would love her

Yes, your OC can run for President. Just give me a name to add to the Democratic (I assume she is one) section, and you can post about her in greater depth at your leisure.

[TrumanJohnson]

Alright will do and I will try to keep that character’s bio pretty simple and to the point. I’ll keep any other info handy if its needed

[Cabbage]

Alright will do and I will try to keep that character’s bio pretty simple and to the point. I’ll keep any other info handy if its needed

Sounds good.

[TrumanJohnson]

Name: Celia Curtis neé Gaffin
Age: 68
Political Party: Democratic
Home state: Louisiana
Positions: Former talk show host, former television star, businesswoman.
Background: Curtis was born in poverty in rural Louisiana, her father died when she was four. She was sent to live with her great aunt in New Orleans, who operated a diner. In 1981, her aunt died and Celia inherited the diner. She then publish a volume of cookbooks based on family recipes. In 1995, she was hired by the Food Network to host her own cooking show. In 2001, she went through a divorce and was fired for the bad publicity. Curtis sued the network for discrimination and won a large settlement in a well-covered trial. In 2004, CBS hired her to host a talk show. Celia became outspoken about the Iraq War. In 2011, her show ended. Curtis has her own magazine and released more books including a memoir which contains her political beliefs in 2018. Recently she has spoken up about her own instances of sexual assault in support of the MeToo movement.

[Cabbage]

Got it. Added her to the list of candidates.

[terp40hitch]

It is kinda good the field is small right now since many candidates wouldn’t have announced till June or July

[NewYorkExpress]

Name: Celia Curtis neé Gaffin
Age: 68
Political Party: Democratic
Home state: Louisiana
Positions: Former talk show host, former television star, businesswoman.
Background: Curtis was born in poverty in rural Louisiana, her father died when she was four. She was sent to live with her great aunt in New Orleans, who operated a diner. In 1981, her aunt died and Celia inherited the diner. She then publish a volume of cookbooks based on family recipes. In 1995, she was hired by the Food Network to host her own cooking show. In 2001, she went through a divorce and was fired for the bad publicity. Curtis sued the network for discrimination and won a large settlement in a well-covered trial. In 2004, CBS hired her to host a talk show. Celia became outspoken about the Iraq War. In 2011, her show ended. Curtis has her own magazine and released more books including a memoir which contains her political beliefs in 2018. Recently she has spoken up about her own instances of sexual assault in support of the MeToo movement.

That might work...

[adamevans]

Ok, I swear I'm going to actually campaign *this* time. I'll join as Sherrod Brown.

[Cabbage]

You got it.

[Orwell]

I guess I'll take John Kerry

[Cabbage]

You got it.

[adamevans]

Sherrod Brown 2020
Rebuild America.

(ignore the 2012 obama poster)

Announcement Speech

"It's great to be back home in Mansfield!

Y'know, there was a lot of people telling me to host this speech in Iowa or New Hampshire, or even Cleveland, but there's no place I'd rather make such an important announcement than in my birthtown, the 'Fun Center of Ohio,' as it's nicknamed.

Today, here in my birth city, Mansfield, and in the great state of Ohio – the buckeye state, the mother of Presidents, the birthplace of aviation, the heart of it all – I am proud to announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America.

'Equality of opportunity… Jobs for those who can work… Security for those who need it… The ending of special privilege for the few… The preservation of civil liberties for all… a wider and constantly rising standard of living.' That is the promise of America. It's America's basic bargain, it was President Roosevelt's testament to our nation's unmatched aspiration. His legacy lifted up a nation and inspired presidents who followed.

And so, we embark on this journey together; to reclaim the basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth. We come together because we believe that in America, your success shouldn’t be determined by the circumstances of your birth.  If you’re willing to work hard, you should be able to have and maintain a good-paying job.  If you’re willing to meet your responsibilities, you should be able to own a home, maybe start a business, give your children the chance to do even better - no matter who you are, or where you come from, or what you look like: that is the basic dignity of work.

We come together because our country had strayed from these basic values.  Too many small businesses have shut down. Wages have stayed stagnant. Manufacturing has left our shores.  A shrinking number of Americans did fantastically well, while most people struggled with falling incomes, rising costs, and slower job growth. It's time we took the mantle and begun the work of rebuilding America. Tonight, we create a vision for our country.

And we begin our message on one simple vision: rebuild America. To understand how we can do that, we have to realize who built America to begin with; and we built it together. We built railroads and highways, the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge together.  We instituted a minimum wage and worker safety laws together.  Together, we touched the surface of the moon, unlocked the mystery of the atom, connected the world through our own science and imagination.  We did these things together, not because they benefited any particular individual or group, but because they made us all richer.  Because they gave us all opportunity.  Because they moved us forward together, as one people, as one nation.

It's because I've seen the promise of America in my own life. My parents would have never dreamed that their son would be a U.S. Senator, let alone run for president. But for too many of our fellow Americans, the dream of progress and opportunity is being denied by the grind of an economy that funnels all the wealth to the top. During periods of great depressions and recessions, the middle class has continued to be beaten down repeatedly. Massive tax breaks given to the wealthy, borrowing money to pay for two endless wars, and falling incomes for middle class families. Wealth trickled up from the middle class to the rich. You know where we ended up.

But, as we have since our founding, Americans made a new beginning. You worked extra shifts, took second jobs, postponed home repairs… you figured out how to make it work. And now people are beginning to think about their future again – going to college, starting a business, buying a house, finally being able to put away something for retirement. Now is the time for millions of middle class working families to come together to revive that dream, to revitalize American democracy, to end the collapse of the American middle class and to make certain that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy a quality of life that brings them health, prosperity, security and joy – and that once again makes the United States the leader in the world in economic prosperity for it's middle class.

We can live in a country where:
- we keep American jobs and industry here in America.
- the minimum wage is one people can live on.
- voting rights are extensively protected.
- workers have the freedom to organize for fair wages by repealing Taft- Hartley.
- childcare and college is affordable and universal.
- billionaires and millionaires don't control our democracy with tougher campaign finance laws.
- civil liberties are protected by repealing the so-called 'PATRIOT Act.'
- big banks cannot gamble with your money by re-implementing Glass- Steagall
- our infrastructure is no longer crumbling and re-invested in.

That is the nation we can build together, and I ask you to join me in this campaign to build a future that works for the hard working middle and lower class families. Today, I ask you on this wonderful day in Mansfield, Ohio, to join me on this journey. Thank you, Ohio, and god bless our country."

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Can I change to Senator Alveda King, who replaced Johnny Isakson in the Senate after he retired in 2016?

[terp40hitch]

Can I change to Senator Alveda King, who replaced Johnny Isakson in the Senate after he retired in 2016?

You can't make up characters and give them senator or governor status

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Can I change to Senator Alveda King, who replaced Johnny Isakson in the Senate after he retired in 2016?

You can't make up characters and give them senator or governor status

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveda_King

2. Alternate Timeline and the OP didn't specify what happened in 2016 with senate seats, so we can only assume.

[Cabbage]

Can I change to Senator Alveda King, who replaced Johnny Isakson in the Senate after he retired in 2016?

You can't make up characters and give them senator or governor status

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveda_King

2. Alternate Timeline and the OP didn't specify what happened in 2016 with senate seats, so we can only assume.

1. If you want to switch to former State Representative King, that's fine. I don't think it's unheard of for think tank fellows to join a presidential race, and King's family name would give her the possibility of being a contender. (I'll leave you listed as Senator Scott until I hear otherwise.)

2. Unless otherwise specified, all incumbent politicians are the same (in original post, I listed all changes to the Senate under "Different Senators" (between rules and Romney's Cabinet).

[terp40hitch]

Can I switch to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard?

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Can I change to Senator Alveda King, who replaced Johnny Isakson in the Senate after he retired in 2016?

You can't make up characters and give them senator or governor status

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveda_King

2. Alternate Timeline and the OP didn't specify what happened in 2016 with senate seats, so we can only assume.

1. If you want to switch to former State Representative King, that's fine. I don't think it's unheard of for think tank fellows to join a presidential race, and King's family name would give her the possibility of being a contender. (I'll leave you listed as Senator Scott until I hear otherwise.)

2. Unless otherwise specified, all incumbent politicians are the same (in original post, I listed all changes to the Senate under "Different Senators" (between rules and Romney's Cabinet).

Alright then, I'll run as Alveda King without the position in the Senate.

[Cabbage]

Can I change to Senator Alveda King, who replaced Johnny Isakson in the Senate after he retired in 2016?

You can't make up characters and give them senator or governor status

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveda_King

2. Alternate Timeline and the OP didn't specify what happened in 2016 with senate seats, so we can only assume.

1. If you want to switch to former State Representative King, that's fine. I don't think it's unheard of for think tank fellows to join a presidential race, and King's family name would give her the possibility of being a contender. (I'll leave you listed as Senator Scott until I hear otherwise.)

2. Unless otherwise specified, all incumbent politicians are the same (in original post, I listed all changes to the Senate under "Different Senators" (between rules and Romney's Cabinet).

Alright then, I'll run as Alveda King without the position in the Senate.

Alrighty. I will change your listing momentarily.

[Cabbage]

Can I switch to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard?

Ok, but it leaves the GOP primary kind of bare (Tennessean's the only Republican left if you switch).

[terp40hitch]

Can I switch to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard?

Ok, but it leaves the GOP primary kind of bare (Tennessean's the only Republican left if you switch).

I would like to switch but if no other Republicans join by July then I will switch back

[Cabbage]

Can I switch to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard?

Ok, but it leaves the GOP primary kind of bare (Tennessean's the only Republican left if you switch).

I would like to switch but if no other Republicans join by July then I will switch back

Sounds good; I already set you up as Gabbard until such time as a switchback would become necessary.

[Cabbage]

So, starting tonight, I'm going to be doing "news broadcasts" detailing the unfolding race; don't worry if you post something important shortly after the "broadcast"; it will be featured in the next one. I'm thinking of doing these every couple of days (with frequency changing depending on need), and just generally summarizing what's been going on the last few days (maybe detailing stops once the true campaign begins). Also, I may include updates from the Romney administration, in order to give candidates from both parties something to talk about in speeches/debates.

[Peanut]

So, starting tonight, I'm going to be doing "news broadcasts" detailing the unfolding race; don't worry if you post something important shortly after the "broadcast"; it will be featured in the next one. I'm thinking of doing these every couple of days (with frequency changing depending on need), and just generally summarizing what's been going on the last few days (maybe detailing stops once the true campaign begins). Also, I may include updates from the Romney administration, in order to give candidates from both parties something to talk about in speeches/debates.

That sounds great, thanks! I assume turn 1 will be up soon, then?

[Cabbage]

So, starting tonight, I'm going to be doing "news broadcasts" detailing the unfolding race; don't worry if you post something important shortly after the "broadcast"; it will be featured in the next one. I'm thinking of doing these every couple of days (with frequency changing depending on need), and just generally summarizing what's been going on the last few days (maybe detailing stops once the true campaign begins). Also, I may include updates from the Romney administration, in order to give candidates from both parties something to talk about in speeches/debates.

That sounds great, thanks! I assume turn 1 will be up soon, then?

The game begins January 21st; effectively, all news broadcasts before then are just showcases for candidates who declared/formed exploratory committees before the 21st, as well as give what I think would be the talking heads' opinions on some of the candidates. Also, the game's real time, so it's not really divided into "turns," per se, but rather players are allowed to make their campaign schedules for a range of anywhere from the next day to the next month.