Cao for Great Lakes Senate – Ain't No Mountain (We'll Be Back)

[Joseph Cao]

Bloomington–Normal, Illinois

A very good evening to my fellow Atlasians; wishing you the best in these turbulent times.

I would like to begin by thanking Representative cinyc for his long service to the people of Atlasia, and I wish him the best for his retirement. cinyc has been an outstanding public servant and an independent and principled voice in Nyman and Congress has been the better for it. It is particularly imperative in these difficult times that the good people of Atlasia are able to continue enjoying the confidence of such voices in the halls of Congress. Therefore, after much reflection, I have decided to run for the House of Representatives in the upcoming elections.

The nation is suffering, and not just under the economic and societal burden of the coronavirus crisis. Just look at recent polling, where the present state of Atlasia is variously described as “sad”, “stagnant”, “machine-dominated”, and “too uncompetitive”, and a plurality of the nation believes we’re on the wrong track. And how better to combat this systemic dissatisfaction than to play the game as it was always meant to be played – to vote for people who you can trust to stand up to the machines and look out for the interests of the common man and woman; who are principled but willing to reach across the aisle in an amicable manner; and who believe in the potential of Atlasia as a nation where all are able to access opportunities to build a better future for themselves and their families?

I genuinely believe we can get things done for Atlasia and improve the lives of our fellow citizens, and that we can look past party affiliation to do so. It’s why I joined the game, and why I chose to mount an uphill run in a by-election that my party wasn’t expected to contest. It’s why, if elected, I will seek to lower taxes for the middle class, promote renewable-energy development, pursue better healthcare and electoral reform, and make sure everyone – both my rural Illinoisan relatives and my friends in the liberal Windy City – gets a say in the decisions made in Congress. And it’s why, at this critical juncture for the future of the game and the country, I am pledging to take up the values cinyc has set as an example – to be an independent, productive, and principled voice in the House of Representatives, and to promote policies that benefit the people regardless of whether they are labelled as either “Labor” or “Federalist”.

We can all agree that the nation needs public servants who, rather than resorting to hatred, choose instead to love and to work with those of all political stripes. I hope that in the coming weeks I’ll be able to persuade you that I fit the bill, as well as to support me – to bring the energy and “compassionate conservatism” of a new(ish) player to Nyman.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Proudly endorsed 

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Endorsed for high preference!

[PSOL]

Endorsed for highest federalist preference

[Former President tack50]

As always, it is nice to see new people involved and running active campaigns. I hope you win a seat in the House (but hopefully remain in the minority party )

[RC (a la Frémont)]

Endorsed, excited to have you on the team!

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Endorsed for highest federalist preference

[tmthforu94]

Endorsed, good luck!

[Fmr. Representative Encke]

Strongly endorsed!

[Joseph Cao]

Proudly endorsed 

Endorsed for high preference!

Endorsed for highest federalist preference

Endorsed, excited to have you on the team!

Endorsed for highest federalist preference

Endorsed, good luck!

Strongly endorsed!

Thanks for all your endorsements!

As always, it is nice to see new people involved and running active campaigns. I hope you win a seat in the House (but hopefully remain in the minority party )

And that's obviously beyond the control of any individual player (I think), so I'm sure you'll have nothing to worry about. Glad to have your support in one area at least, though!

[S019]

You will get a high-ish non-left preference from me.

[Brother Jonathan]

Endorsed, and best of luck.

[West_Midlander]

Endorsed!

[OBD]

Endorsed for a fairly high preference!

[Joseph Cao]

You will get a high-ish non-left preference from me.

Endorsed, and best of luck.

Endorsed!

Endorsed for a fairly high preference!

Appreciate the support!

[Joseph Cao]

[Transcript of remarks delivered via Facebook Live from candidate HQ in Bloomington–Normal, Illinois]

Good morning, Atlasia! Or afternoon, as the case may be. Thanks for tuning in; I’d like to take this opportunity to expand on a few of the priorities I’d pursue if elected to the House of Representatives.

The coronavirus pandemic is far from over, and I trust that the citizens of Atlasia are continuing to maintain proper social distancing and adherence to our public health and safety measures. While the stimulus bill and various other measures passed by previous Congresses and signed into law by President Pericles have contributed to an alleviation of the economic fallout, it’s important not to rest on our laurels – not while many millions of hurting individuals, families, and communities continue to struggle to stay afloat. As it is the duty of federal and regional governments to exercise their considerable legislative initiative on behalf of the citizens of Atlasia, I promise to critically examine and refine any and all such bills up for debate. Measures such as the working- and middle-class tax cuts and the temporary UBI have done much to give the working people of this nation a solid base of economic support, and I hope to continue this work. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that these are fundamentally interim measures that will eventually have to transition to a broader economic and societal rebuilding of our nation. It’s my hope that this will be a top priority of future sittings of Congress. If elected, I will do my best to drive this conversation so that we can give this nation the best means required for a strong recovery and ascent to greater heights.

And this isn’t the only crisis facing our nation. Climate change remains a very real threat to the livelihoods of millions of Atlasians; it’s imperative that we do all we can to mitigate this at both the federal and regional level. Even symbolic measures like the recent bill to ratify Atlasia’s participation in the Paris Agreement are important steps in establishing this nation as an international player and world leader in the field. On the domestic front, I would favour a reappraisal of the carbon tax as a useful and cost-effective measure to substantially reduce carbon emissions. Meanwhile, although renewable energy in general must be a keystone of our economy going forward, the very real economic impact of the job losses this would incur in the fossil-fuel industries must be delicately dealt with; these are human livelihoods that deserve our fullest support and it is important that they are provided for, particularly in these lean economic times. At its core, my environmental stance is forward-facing while aware of the need for every Atlasian – to the fullest extent possible – to have a proper seat at the table in the coming energy revolution.

My final word (for now) comes in relation to a more concrete aspect of governance: the interplay between federal and regional government. Our regions are key drivers of the game and the nation, and as a Federalist running for national office I’d like to bring some efforts by the federal and regional governments more into synchrony with each other, which would help facilitate better governance at both levels in areas relevant to national matters. Representative Encke’s recent statement regarding the disparity between the Lincoln and federal coronavirus relief measures only serves to highlight the mess that can ensue when the federal and regional governments fail to listen to each other. I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to streamline legislation and policy implementation; it’s clear that more careful legislation is needed, particularly for the life-or-death matter of coronavirus relief, and at the federal level I’d do my best to factor as much legislative precedent and public feedback (from constituents and concerned citizens) as possible into my decisions.

Finally, I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Speaker Thumb21 for his invaluable and impeccable service to the House and the nation at large, and I wish him the best for his future plans. We can only hope that the next Speaker – of either party – can measure up to the legislative initiative he has shown in his time occupying the chair; he’s set a great precedent for both sides of the aisle to emulate.

Wishing you all the best of days ahead, and thank you once again for your time.

[Bidenworth2020]

Although we don't seem to agree on much, I am impressed by your efforts. Endorsed for a high preference .

[alancia]

Endorsed!

[Former Lincoln Assemblyman & Lt. Gov. RGN]

Endorsed!

[Joseph Cao]

Although we don't seem to agree on much, I am impressed by your efforts. Endorsed for a high preference .

Endorsed!

Endorsed!

Thanks for the kind words!

Polls have now opened and it’s time for you, the citizens of Atlasia, to get out and exercise your civic duty. This campaign has been founded upon that same sense of duty: to the nation; to the game; and to you the people – to everyone whose lives I believe I will be able to benefit and lift up in the halls of Congress. I'm very proud of the fact that this has been a clean and substantive campaign that's attracted support from all sides of the aisle. Sincere thanks go to my fellow House candidates for running similarly substantive and civil campaigns; regardless of party affiliation, I know you are all motivated by the same sense of duty, and I wish you all the best of luck no matter the outcome of this weekend.

Most importantly, I thank all of you for the interest and the words of encouragement you’ve shown over the past several weeks, and ask once more for your support at the ballot box – to deliver energy, independence, and a voice for all of you to the halls of the Capitol.

The best of weekends to you all.

Signing off (for now),
Joseph Cao

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Congrats!

[S019]

Congratulations on your victory!

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Congrats!

[Deep Dixieland Senator, Muad'dib (OSR MSR)]

Well done on being elected to the house.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Congratulations! I look forward to the good work you will accomplish in the house.