The Biden Administration and its aftermath - 2024 election game (Gameplay thread)

[GoTfan]

Brown 2024: Standing With The Other America
[credit: Wikimedia Commons]

"In 2020, we defeated the greatest threat to American democracy, Donald Trump. For the last four years, Joe Biden has been sewing up the wounds of this nation, trying to make it a more perfect union.

Now the hard work begins.

In 1962, Michael Harrington wrote a book called The Other America. It opened our eyes to the crippling poverty issues our nation faced then, and still faces today. The working class and poor are being left behind. Despite the best efforts of Joe Biden, they havefound themselves left behind by the same old politics of convenience.

All my life, I have stood for the working class of this nation. From the day I entered the House, I have fught for the interests of the working class. Today, I am taking that fight further. I hereby announce my candidacy for President of the United States! Today, we stand up for The Other America!"

Platform:

Key Pledges:

-A new War on Poverty

-Decisive action on climate change

-Protection for the American worker

-End systematic voter suppression

-Renew our democracy

Social policies:

-Increase the number of free school meals to combat hunger in children

-Universal healthcare, modelled on the German system

-A Second Civil Rights Act, to combat systemic racism and discrimination.

-Empower the EPA to fight pollutioj and the DOJ to file lawsuits for environmental crimes

Economic policies:

-A national infrastructure program to create millions of new jobs

-Increase taxes on the wealthiest American citzens; cut them for the middle and working classes

-Reinstate Glass-Steagall

-Increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour

-Repeal Taft-Hartley

-A Buy American Act

Foreign policies:

-Focus on working with existing alliances

-Use international organisations to fight climate change

[GoTfan]

Brown 2024: Standing With The Other America
May 2023 Schedule

May 1: Declare candidacy in hometown of Mansfield, Ohio

May 2-10: The Brown campaign decided to take the plunge and be the first campaign to visit Iowa, making the first stop in Des Moines. At his first speech, Brown opened with the need to launch a second war on poverty to counter what the coronavirus pandemic had done in pushing millions of more people below the poverty line. He then spent several days barnstorming over the state's rural counties in an attempt to build his reputation.

May 11-20: Sen. Brown travelled to New Hampshire these days, attempting to gather support from the Granite State's voters by resting on his reputation for being a working-class populist and travelling to Nashua, Manchester and Berlin; old manufacturing towns that had been cut out after the Great Depression. His strategy was simple: As a Senator from the industrial Midwest, who knew more about how to restore the manufacturing industry in the state? Of course, it was also linked with his Second War on Poverty proposals

May 21-31: Brown travelled to New York City these days, accompanied by is campaign's advisors on minority outreach and on inner-city issues. He spent most of his tim in inner-city areas as he spruiked a renewed War on Poverty, with a particular focus on how black Americans were disproportionately affected by poverty, along with COVID-19 having exacerbated it.

[GoTfan]

@SherrodBrown: The fact that a two-bit pillow man has attempted to stoke religious division based on the Vice President's parentage is disgusting. Mr Lindell should apologise immediately.

[GoTfan]

Brown 2024

Endorsers:

Former Senator Russ Fiengold (D-WI)


Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)


Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)

[All images from Wikimedia Commons]

June 1-14: Brown campaigned in Michigan and Wisconsin with Governor Whitmer and Former Senator Feingold issuing rousing endrsements of him, with the centrepiece of the campaign being economic populism. All three railed against corrupt bankers and corporate heads, laying into Wall Street and the culture of lobbyists that had taken over Congress. Brown would als deliver a respnse to Trump Jr's comments about Srinivasan, remarking "Why is it okay for his daddy to ram through one of the most inexperienced and unqualified judges in the history of the United States three weeks before an election, but it's not okay for us to hold a hearing when an election is over a year away?"

June 15-20: Brown welcomed the endorsement of Senator Elizabeth Warren by holding a joint rally in Boston. Warren presented Brown as a champion of the progressive movement and the most experienced candidate in the race. THis was made a prominent point in advertising campaigns in the early states, protraying Brown as an experienced hand who could unite the progressive and mainstream wings of the party.

June 21-30: Senatorial duties. Brown would spend time cajoling Senators to vote to confirm Srinivasan to the Supreme Court.

[GoTfan]

@SherrodBrown: Trump Jr is trying the same schtick his father did. I know fake populism when I see it, and so do the American people

[GoTfan]

@SherrodBrown: We'll see what fake populism looks like. I'd be happy to debate anyone at anytime.

[GoTfan]

Trump tweet

@SherrodBrown WRONG!

@SherrodBrown: So should I attend or should I not? It does get hard to read mixed messages.

[GoTfan]

@SherrodBrown: The suggestion that I am 'owned' by anyone else is an outrageous lie from a man who promoted a fake cure for COVID-19.

[GoTfan]

Sherrod Brown at the Democratic debate

"First of all I'd like to thank the Vice President for her attendance tonight and CNN for having us both on here. Tonight, you're going to see a debate of ideas, not personalities. The Vice President and I both want the best for this nation, and at the end of it all, even on our worst days, we are better than the best Republican.

We've had, for the last four years, a political party that has turned themselves into the party of gridlock. The party of no. Everything President Biden does, they do the exact opposite. One of their candidates is trying to stoke religious division by using the Vice President's parentage against her. That is just outrageous!

I'm running because we need to fix our economy. To start making the wealthiest people in this country pay their fair share. To stop these vast transnational companies from shipping jobs overseas. To protect our environment because we need to preserve the planet for our children. To protect our workers who are routinely left behind by the people at the top. And finally, to ensure that our party has a wide debate heading into November, because we are the Democratic Party. We welcome diversity of ideas. We are not a personality cult and we are not autocrats."

1. Given that the Senate is likely to stay Republican even after November, what are your plans to prevent the same gridlock that happened during this Administration?

"Our biggest weakness as Democrats is that we have let the Republican Party get ahead of us and control the narrative on almost everything. To hear the Republican party define the term socialist is to hear that anyone who thinks government should exist is a communist. We have got to start fighting back. Me personally, I like Eric Holder's saying: when they go low, we kick them.

That said, there are Republicans who do have some decency, and I believe we can work with them. Senator Romney has shown to be supportive of police reform. Senator Murkowski has shown to be supportive of broad education reform. We can work with Republicans on several issues. And lest we forget, much of our agenda polls well with the public. Americans support a higher minimum wage, trade protections and regulating Wall Street.

Again, going back to what I have said, we need to start fighting back against the Republican narrative machine. We need to hit back, and we need to hit back hard."

2. Given that the unfortunate departure of Senator Bernie Sanders has brought back memories of his campaign to many progressives, do you believe he would have made a better President than Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden and do you believe that your campaign is continuing his legacy?

"Senator Sanders was a great man. A man who single-handedly revived the left wing of American politics. Who started a progressive movement that continues to elect young stars like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Mondaire Jones among countless others to office across the country. His legact will be felt through them, as well as the ideas he has brought into the mainstream. Medicare for All, a $15 an hour minimum wage; just two positions that not so long ago, were considered pie-in-the-sky by many Democrats, are now ideas common to all Democrats.

I'm not here to relitigate the 2016 and 2020 primaries, and I will never lay claim to be the heir to Bernie's legacy. THe heirs to his legacy are the swathes of young progressives being elected to office all over the country, and it's not just the ones in Congress. Progressives have been elected in droves to school boards, city councils, county councils and others. In time, they will become Representatives. THey will become Senators. They will become Governors.

Bernie was a good friend, and a great man. We are more the poorer for his passing."

Reponses to VP Harris

People were shocked when at the beginning of the campaign you have called for a travel ban with Saudi Arabia, with many drawing parallels with the infamous Trumpist travel ban. How can you defend your position in front of a largely Democratic audience?

Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia literally exports terrorism throughout the world, and their regime, now under Mohammed Bin Salman, silences opponents no matter where they are. I'm not going keep people from entering the United States because of their race, ethnicity or religion, I'm going to keep people from entering the United States, because they are actually threats to our country. That's the job of the United States Government, to protect the people of the United States, not to establish some racist agenda.

"I don't think a travel ban is a good idea at all. We can't in one sentence say that we oppose a ban on Muslims entering this country, then propose a ban on Muslims when we're in power. It's not right.

The best way to reduce the influence of Saudi Arabia on this country is to reinforce our renewable enrgy infrastructure and achieve energy independence that way. If we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, then we will have no need to to cultivate a relationship with the Saudis. Now, the Vice President and I happen to agree that Saudi Arabia is one of the chief exporters of terrorist ideology; that's not the debate here. We have to ask ourselves whether we are going to reduce Saudi influence responsibly, or go at it like a bull in a china shop."


"Once again, I want to thank the Vice President for being here and CNN for having us on. As I said at the start, this was an exchange of ideas. Vice President Harris and I may disagree on several issues, but we agree on the end goal: to build a more equal union."

[GoTfan]

Sherrod Brown schedule for August 2020

August 1-15: With a lack of challengers, Brown immediately made way to campaign in the 2023 elections. His first stop was Vermont, where he would campaign for the Democratic candidate Rebecca Holcombe. He repeatedly made the point that a Supreme Court seat was on the line, and invoked the legacy of Bernie Sanders, at one point urging a crowd in Burlington to "Do it for Bernie!"

In addition, Brown reallocated several hundred thousand dollars from his campaign to the DSCC's campaign efforts in Vermont, as well as sending his list of small donors to them.

August 16-20: These days were spent campaigning for the re-election of Governor Andy Beshear in Kentucky. Brown appeared at several rallies for the incumbent, again reallocating his money to the DGA's efforts in the state. Front and centre was Beshear's support of educators and other labour unions in the state. He would also attempt to rally support for Beshear from working class voters, a group Brown has a special affinity with given his background in the Senate.


Agust 21-25: Brown travelled to Louisiana to campaign for Democratic nominee Dartnayon Williams. Again, Brown campaigned heavily among working class voters concentrated in mainly urban areas, while also occasionally heading out to rural areas. Again, the cnetre of Brown's campaign efforts was economic populism, particularly labelling the Republicans fake populists who gave lip service to the working class, then went and cut taxes for the people at the top.

August 26-31: The last days of the month were spent strategising for the general election. Brown has continuously refused to call himself the Presumptive Nominee with not even a single vote cast, but has invested in campaign infrastructure in Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio.

[GoTfan]

Statement on Hunter Biden revelations

It is disturbing for any elected official in any capactiy to be engaged in textbook corruption of this level. These accusations deserve to be investigated thoroughly. Now is not the time to play politics; we cannot apply one standard to the Republicans and another to our fellow Democrats.

[GoTfan]

Sherrod Brown scheule: October 2023

October 1-14: Campaign For Rebecca Holcombe in Vermont, accompanied by Jane O'Meara Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch and Senator Patrick Leahy. Again, the focus is on electing Holcombe to continue Bernie's work in the Senate, and urging his supporters to "Do it for Bernie." Brown would press Holcombe's bona fides as a representative for the people of Vermont, campaigning all across the state for the seat. Again, he also took the time to help with her campaign's staff and infrastructure, allowing her to merge with his Presidential campaign in the state and accessing his in-state donors.

October 15-20: Campaign for Andy Beshear in Kentucky, accompanied by Senator Joe Manchin. The focus, much like the campaign in Vermont, was on Beshear's support for blue-collar workers. In addition, the three men held rallies at the Brent Spence Bridge, where the replacement project has been delayed again and again, and another at the Interstate 69 Ohio River Bridge. Brown said that these two bridges would be the core of the Rebuild America Plan in Kentucky, that besehar was the best man to see them implemented.

October 16-30: Campaign for Dartanyon Williams in the Lousiana gubernatorial race with outgoing Governor Jon bel Edwards and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. The three campaigned heavily in New Orleans and Baton Rouge in particular, as they attempted to rally the urban vote for Williams. Brown and Bel Edwards would also head out to the more rural areas to spruik initiatives that would be enact by electing a Democrat as Edwards' successor.

October 31: Back In Ohio, Brown would conduct a series of phone interviews with potential VP candidates to narrow the list down. Assuming no new challengers come up for the nomination, Brown hopes to announce his running mate by April at the latest.

[GoTfan]

Brown VP shortlist:


Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico


Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada


Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona


Former US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis of California

[All images taken from Wikimedia Commons]

[GoTfan]

Brown 2024 Campaign Schedule: January 2024

January 1-5: Spent with family in Ohio

January 6-12: Continue to vet final VP list. If no further challenger for the nonination emerged, Brown hopes to announce his running mate by the start of April. Two distrinct tiers have beugn to emerge, though brown will not name who is in which.

January 13-20: Build national campaign structure and open offices in battleground states.

January 21-25: Campaign in Georgia with Stacey Abrams. Brown would deliver speeches in Democratic strongholds across the state, with the crux of the messaging being centered on economic justice for the American working class. In particular, Brown spruiked his policies for reforming policing (in particular, restricting the sale of surplus military equipment) and for urban renewal, which would form one of the key pillars of his Rebuild America Plan.

January 26-31: Campaign in Nevada with Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen and Governor Steve Sisolak. The focus of campaigning here would be Brown's pro-union policies and his plans for the state's infrastucture, which he said would increase business opportunities in the state outside of Las Vegas.

[GoTfan]

Brown VP shortlist (Final 3)


Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico


Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada


Former US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis of California

[All images taken from Wikimedia Commons]

[GoTfan]

Brown VP shortlist (Final Decision)


Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada


Former US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis of California

[All images taken from Wikimedia Commons]

[GoTfan]

Sherrod Brown VP Announcement
Las Vegas, Nevada-February 24, 2024


[Image: Wikimedia Commons]

"Well firstly, I'd like to acknowledge everyone who has given their time and money to this campaign. From the start, I said our campaign's focus was on the poor and underprivileged in our society. We have been focusing on the need to raise the minimum wage, to repeal Taft-Hartley, to empower the average worker and to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure.

These will be the goals of a Brown administration. To build a more equal union through policies that benefit our middle and working classes, and reforming our system to make it accountable to the people, not the top 1%. We have an entire political party in this country who wants to deregulate the banks, let corporations run wild, denies climate change, and wants to avoid anything to do with the minimum wage.

For some time now, I've been considering who would be in the best position to help further this great cause. Who can help refocus our politics away from corporations and the big banks and back onto the American people. Who has stood up and will continue to stand up for our working class. Today, I can announce I have made that decision.

She is your United States Senator; befre that your Attorney-General, plase give a warm welcome to the next Vice-President of the United States of America, Catherine Cortez Masto!

[GoTfan]

Sherrod Brown/Catherine Cortez Masto 2024
Schedule for Sherrod Brown, June 1-15 2024

June 1-8: Campaign in Michigan with Governor Whitmer and Senators Stabenow and Peters.

June 1: Rally in Detroit, Michigan with Governor Whitmer focused on American manufacturing and Brown's working-class credentials, with a particular focus on the ticket's pro-union policies in an attemtp to draw a contrast between himself and Haley.

"Nikki Haley has been trying to promote herself as the choice of the average American. This is someone who took a $315,000 a year job with the board of Boeing after she resigned as an Ambassador!

Why Boeing? Well, as Governor, Nikki Haley signed a bill that gave Boeing, one of the most profitable companies in America, $120 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies. From the time she assumed office as governor of South Carolina, Boeing was given over a billion dollars in subsidies. Among these? $400 million in government bonds and over $300 million in property tax breaks.

She's is not America's candidate. She is Boeing's candidate!"

June 2-6: Barnstorm across southern Michigan with Stabenow and Peters. The focus remained on Brown's populist credentials, and in pointing out Haley's connections to shady corporate activities. He also roundly slammed the selection of Trump Jr as her running mate, something he intends to highlight.

June 7: Rally in Flint, Michigan with Senator Stabenow.

June 8: Rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan

June 9-12: Campaign in Florida

June 9: Rally in Parkland Florida. Here, Brown began highlighting the terrible decision made to select Donald Trump Jr as running mate.

"This was easily the most ill-informed decision made for a Presidential ticket since John McCain tapped Sarah Palin for the job. This is a man with no experience, no qualifications . . . actually, that latter part isn't entirely true. His qualifications are that he's close with the conspiracy theory wing of the GOP. After the devastating shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in this very town, Trump Jr supported conspiracy theories that the kids who saw their friends murdered were coached into their activism!

But perhaps the most damning of all is that this man's commitment to democracy is questionable, as is Ambassador Haley's, because she did pick him as her running mate. In 2020, this man attemtped to rally an army of vigilantes for 'election security'. Yeah, right. THis is a man who on November 5th four years ago, called for 'total war' rather than simply concede the election like an adult.

Ambassador Haley's commitment to democracy in selecting this man as her running mate is questionable. Moreoever, he has inherited the sheer pettiness of his father. This man cannot be allowed to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency."

June 10-12: Barnstorm across Miami with the focus on messaging in the community. Republicans are to be cast as warriors for the privileged elite and Haley in particular will be called out for her job with Boeing and record as Governor.

June 13-15: Campaign in Ohio

June 13: Speak at rally for Tim Ryan.

June 14-15: Barnstorm in Cincinatti and Columbus.