What Comes After: A 2024 Game (Gameplay-PAUSED)

[John King wannabe]

For the People: The Announcement

The Vice President woke up early on Friday afternoon at the Naval Observatory on May 5, 2023. The day in which her second Presidential campaign would be launched, and her as the front runner would cement her place in the campaign. The Vice President met early with her staff at the Naval Observatory to go over the final copy of her speech and the logistics of the announcement. Her team would then tell her the crowd was bigger than the expected 5,000 and is around an estimated 18,000. Less than the 22,000 at her 2020 kick-off but big enough to give the campaign bragging rights.

Vice President Harris would then make a short commute to the White House to talk to President Biden and seek his advice and luck on her campaign, before talking to her staff in the Vice President's office and popping champagne to good luck and a well run campaign. Afterwards the Vice President would motorcade the 10 minute drive from the White House to the Howard Campus waving to the cheering spectators as she pulled into the closed tent backstage.

In the closed off tent the Vice President would officially fill our her FEC paperwork for her presidential campaign establishing the "Kamala For the People" campaign committee and designated Dennis Cheng as her finance director, Cheng previously served in the same role for the "Hillary for America" campaign in 2016. She would then chat with her invited guests, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. She would quickly chat with them before they went out to speak to the crowd in the run up to her own speech.

Then the moment everyone had been waiting for, after the Second Gentleman went out and addressed the crowd to introduce his wife, calling her a "pillar of light in our home, and a wonderful Momala" which drew laughter from the crowd and Harris herself. Second Gentleman Emhoff would then formally introduce the Vice President by saying "And now, the Vice President of the United States, my beautiful wife and our next President! Vice President Kamala Harris!"

A transcript of the Vice President's remarks are below:

"Hello Howard! The real H.U!

It’s so good to be back at my alma mater! And it is so good to see so many wonderful faces here this afternoon! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It means so much to me that you all are here.
 
First! I wanna give a shoutout to the great leaders here with us today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters! Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester! And Congresswoman Joyce Beatty!
 
Strong black women! Who heeded the call for public service even when others doubted them, and I am so glad to have them here at the beginning of this journey, here at Howard not too far from the Capitol where I interned for Senator Alan Cranston as a mailroom clerk where I learned the importance that our interns and staff work to keep our country moving, and eventually I held that exact seat in the United States Senate for 4 years, proudly representing the people of California!
 
Here at Howard I learned the importance of using my voice to speak on issues in our time, I protested apartheid and human rights abuses, during my work in the Capitol I talked to my boss about affordable childcare and I took all these issues with me back to California after I graduated, determined to make a difference in peoples lives.
 
So that’s what I did, I became a prosecutor, doing my very best to seek justice for those who often feel left behind and forgotten, and one of the first thing I uttered in a courtroom were these 5 words that have defined the rest of my career “Kamala Harris: For the People”
 
The people! It was the people that sent me to the District Attorney’s office in San Francisco where we prosecuted violent crimes such as murder, sexual assault, and child abuse. It was the people that sent me to Sacramento as California’s Attorney General where we took on the banks that were targeting vulnerable homeowners and got over $25 billion back in damages! Which we put forth to get Californians back on track!
 
Then the great people of California sent me to the Senate, where I held our federal government officials accountable, demanding answers and speaking truth even when it made others uncomfortable, and on that Tuesday morning in August when Joe Biden asked me to serve as his running mate I knew that my work wasn’t over, and thanks to over 81 million Americans across this country, you sent Joe Biden and I to the White House!

And I’ve stood beside Joe Biden in the White House, as we passed critical infrastructure legislation! As we passed the biggest investment in climate change ever! We worked on a bipartisan basis to deliver results for the American people! And we have! The proof is there, our work speaks for itself, and because of our work many of the students here at Howard have the opportunity to have their student loan debt eliminated!
 
There is so much that has been done, and so much we need to continue to do. And under the Biden-Harris administration I can admit that not everything has been perfect but its because of our resolve and hard work we have continued to provide for the American people. And I want to continue that work.
 
So that is why, with a full heart and a clear vision for the future of this nation. I stand before you all as a candidate for President of the United States of America!
 
As your President I will wake up everyday in the White House committed to your service, whether that be helping lower the cost of living in this country, get American’s quality affordable healthcare or even increase the benefits of a full time job. I will not rest because the American people do not have the chance to rest when times get tough. We roll up our sleeves and we get to work!
 
America is the greatest country on earth, and if you fight for our shared values, if you fight for the belief that everyone in America should have a fair shot at the American dream no matter their background, race, religion, creed, or sexual orientation, if you fight for our campaign, I will fight for you every single day as the President of the United States!
 
And so with that, let’s get to work! Thank you! May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America!"

After the speech, now Presidential candidate Harris would be joined on stage by her family and friends to the sound of "Work That" by Mary J. Blige, her official campaign song, and wave to the news cameras before walking off stage and shaking hands with people in the crowd, which would make the secret service extremely nervous. The family would then head backstage for refreshments and a quick breather. Celebrating the success of another great campaign kick-off

[RGM2609]

Gavin Newsom - For a Brighter Future

Hello Reno!

It's great to be back here in Nevada! A state which represents the diversity, the dynamism, the tolerance which characterizes America. Thank you all so much for being here today with me, as I have a very special announcement to make.

During the last years, we have witnessed the Republicans in Congress and at the state-level wage a war against the fundemental values of America. An awful collection of election-denying, Trump-bootlicking grifters and would-be lobbyists fighting against, for example, food stamps for the poorest Americans in order to cut the taxes of their donors by even more. They passed restrictions against a woman's right to choose, in some cases even in the case of rape and incest, turning a blind eye to the pain and the anger they were causing in society. They nominated kooks, grifters, insurrectionists and violent criminals! And just last year, a certain Governor cruelly lied to migrants and shipped them off thousands of miles away for a political stunt! This is not who we are as Americans!

We have a better vision for our country. A country with affordable, accessible healthcare, a country with the guts to truly fight against climate change, a country which is tolerant and open to immigrants, a country with a strong economy which also doesn't leave the less fortunate behind, a country which takes on systemic racism and provides equal opportunities regardless of sex, race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. A country where everyone would feel safe, respected and with the opportunity to achieve his or her dream. This is what we are fighting for. A brighter future. And make no mistake, it is within our power to build it.

Just take a look at California. The state which once elected Ronald Reagan. The state which as soon as 2010 had a Republican governor. We are shifting to green energy faster than almost anywhere else in the world, we are the first in the Union on gun safety, we are welcoming immigrants, not putting them in cages or shipping them off, we are developing a strong economy with unprecedented opportunities. We are protecting the right to choose, developing universal access to healthcare. We are ensuring the right to vote to all.

This is the future I want for America. And I am willing to fight for it, just like I did as Governor. And I ask you to join me as I am proud to announce that I am running for the Presidency of the United States! The promise of a brighter future is within our power, within our grasp! And we won't leave the job half-done.

Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America!

[VirginiaAaron]

OPEN LETTER FROM WOOD 2024 CAMPAIGN TO "THE DEEP STATE

Deer Deep State. 'Tis I, Lin Wood, candidate for President. Since it is clear that you are fully in the tank for Kamala Devi Harris's SHAMpaign and are trying to rig voting centers for her to allow her to clear the Democratic field and defeat the Republican nominee, me, I feel it's unfair to do this without giving me a chance to earn your support. I will clear my schedule for your excellencies at any time, day, or place. You name it, I'll be there. Love, Lin.

PRESS RELEASE TO PATRIOTS FOLLOWING LETTER TO THE DEEP STATE

FEAR NOT FELLOW PATRIOTS. I am not defecting to The Deep State! I am simply trying to infiltrate their cabal of child molesters and pizza eaters to bring information about them to light for the good of the American people. If you think about it, in a way, I'm like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and James Buchanan combined with a hint of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. I suspect that members of the Deep State include the Clintons, the Obamas, Bill Gates, Vladimir Putin, Beyoncé, Warren Buffett, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kim Jong Un, Sam Bankman-Fried, Nikki Fried, and Elizabeth Holmes, among others. Speaking of Lizzy Lizzy Holm Holmes, I will be pardoning her DAY ONE. She did NOTHING WRONG. R-N-S-P-E-E-T find out what it mean to me, R-N-S-P-T-T-T take care OF TCT, sak it to me sak it to me sak it to me sak it to me sak it to me sak it to me little RESPENT.

Logo made myself

[PPT Spiral]

"Stone's Rules: Never do anything till you're ready to do it."

Organizing and Strategizing

For the Roger Stone campaign—starting at 1% as it may—the candidate views the seemingly long odds, acknowledges certain challenges, but otherwise thinks nothing of it. Stone knows this campaign is in for the long haul, which is why he announced early, and is not intimidated by whomever might be leading at the moment. Polls often change, after all—especially with some determination from opponents. The man known as America’s dirty trickster has more political experience in the trenches than all of the other Republicans combined. His lessons in the battlefield shall be of great use in the first real campaign of his own, and he will make sure of such.

Given the candidate’s unique background, one key strength for Roger Stone compared to his GOP rivals is his ability and willingness to be on the ground. He has organized many a protest, rally, festival, and other public forums in addition to marching with his fellow footsoldiers in countless events. This familiarity and intimacy with the grassroots, gaining friends and loyalty over the years, is what Stone believes will propel him to the nomination and then to the White House. With this level of grassroots enthusiasm also comes a level of rigorous organization supported by the many folks passionate towards the greater cause. Though they start off in the minor league, the Stone campaign will gradually out-organize the rest of the field.

Through years of fostering relations with the right-wing media sphere, Stone relies heavily on the counsel as well as the operations of people associated in this world. For example, Stone has essentially acquired the remnants of the InfoWars empire to begin bulking his campaign staff, including a certain long-time friend Alex Jones (in a still-to-be-announced public role). Stone has also ambitiously hired two notable investigative provocateurs: James O’Keefe and Andy Ngo. They reportedly will be in charge of campaign content creation as well as coordinating media relations. These moves amount to building a robust and innovative organization for how the campaign will promote itself.

Stone’s long-standing solo podcast, The Stone Zone, has now morphed into the candidate’s continuous campaign livestream–thanks to the support of greater people and funds to make it happen. Through the various social media channels, including the more notorious ones such as Rumble and Truth Social, Stone will play out what he is doing, where he is going, and who he is targeting next on a near daily basis. These actions add to greater publicity and awareness of the campaign at minimal cost, and it also allows for viewers to have a more personal look of the candidate as he is frequenting the campaign trail. In addition, Stone will begin making a relentless television spree during this period. Morning or night, Stone will attempt to find a way into a spot on Fox, Newsmax, or One America News and get his message out to conservative viewers through his distinct lacing of humor, histrionics, and other banter. Over the coming months, it is hoped that Stone will begin to stand out among the field and especially eat away at the margins that Ron DeSantis currently commands.

Building Support and Endorsements

With the primaries being so far out, Stone believes that it is imperative to first build a solid base of supporters who will not budge and to move up from there. That way, he can always differentiate himself with a strong floor no matter who the competition is. One group that shall first be of intense targeting is libertarians. As a self-described libertarian conservative and a man who has long lived by his own rules, Stone can claim to embody many ideals of libertarianism in a field where alternatives are scarce. Although the entry of Justin Amash in May has changed the calculus for the campaign somewhat, Stone’s initial strategy for dealing with Amash shall be to paint him as too liberal and too anti-Trump for the libertarians comfortable in the GOP.

To court the libertarian base, Stone makes an early and persistent effort to make appearances at many libertarian-themed shows. These include a conversation with former Congressman Ron Paul on his self-titular Liberty Report, Lew Rockwell Radio, and New Hampshire’s own Free State Radio. The candidate would cite his non-interventionism, vocal advocacy of cryptocurrencies, and more niche issues such as support of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. Stone also had a roundtable discussion with Senator Rand Paul televised on Fox News, where he pushed for making Paul the next chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for a full investigation on Anthony Fauci and COVID-19 can be truthfully conducted. To help fund and grow the campaign, Stone also made various retreats to personally court libertarian-leaning donors such as Peter Thiel, Jeffrey Yass, and Peter Schiff.

Another group that would be intensely sought after: militias and other hands-on grassroots groups. Like no other candidate, Roger Stone has the deepest, richest connections with such groups since even before the Trump administration, but especially accentuated by events such as January 6th. This will be used as proof to members that Stone is the ‘real deal’ and their loyalty should exclusively go to him. Another example to convince the member base is the symbolism around organizing and attending the “Rally of the Patriots” at Apache Lake as one of Stone’s first campaign stops. Stone arranged for several, extended meetings with the leaders of groups such as the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Three Percenters to earn their endorsement as well as to coordinate campaign activities once they were ready to declare fealty. On a related note, particular emphasis is placed on cultivating support among gun rights groups such as the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America starting from the campaign’s early days.

Between February and May, Stone would also arrange to have other high-profile events to court endorsements. One was with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, where they stumped together in a Washington, D.C. rally to push for impeachment of President Biden. Another was an anti-DOJ rally with Steve Bannon, where they would share old tales both of their past prosecutions and demand the dropping of all charges against President Trump. Another notable meeting came on the steps of Capitol Hill with Senator Cynthia Lummis, pushing for pro-crypto legislation.

Early States

Looking at the early primaries, the Stone campaign believes that they have the greatest chance of victory in New Hampshire and Nevada, and their efforts will be invested as such. These two states offered the greatest vote shares for Donald Trump of the first four in 2016, and Stone’s obvious connection and appeals to Trump will help parallel the support base in many ways. A secondary focus is Iowa, where Stone with his unique personality and positions can still push through a first place showing by standing out enough. At the moment, the campaign is writing off South Carolina from a realistic chance. This is due not only to Nikki Haley’s home state advantage, but the dominance of Evangelicals and military families that are far less hospitable demographics for someone of Stone’s history and background.

[GoTfan]

Ro Khanna 2024

Opening stages

Ro was under no illusions; he was the stab-in-the-dark candidate who would need a million and one things to go right in order to have a chance at the nomination. One thing he did have on his side was apreexisting relationship with the tech sector . . . and the growing number of unionised tech workers. He'd also been a national co-chair on the Sanders campaign four years ago, s no one could doubt his progressive credentials.

He set about crafting his messageL New Economic Patriotism. He woould lay out the core tenets in a speech at his first campaign stop in South Carolina in a few days' time. Before that though, they needed an effective targeting strategy. Colleges and tech unions were obvious targets, as were newly forming unions in the retail and service sectors. He would make his plays for blue-collar workers in tried and true Democratic fasion: higher wages, investment into domestic manufacuting, and so on.

He would also adopt the novel approach of attempting to cast himself as being pro-small business by bringing a host of anti-monopoly policies forward as well. he was going to have to be creatice with his strategy, and maybe this would help him with a certain section of vters the party had largely left untapped.

First speech, at the University of South Carolina

Economic Patriotism needs to be at the front of our messaging. What does it mean? Simple. It means we ensure a better quality of life for our citizens. That involves higher minimum wages, supporting unions, investing in our local manufacturing sector, and enforcing our anti-monopoly laws. It mean protecting the interests of the average American, and putting the government back to work for us again.

My friends, trickle-down economics, that old Republican dogma, doesn't work. Economic Patriotism does by putting more money in the hands of the average person who works hard, pays their taxes on time, and does right by society. There is no reason why the average American should be forced to work tw jobs simply to make ends meet, or be forced to go on strike by the people at the top who looka fter themselves.

The time of trickle down is over. Let the age of Economic Patriotism begin!"

[Oldiesfreak1854]

It is sad to see that the liberals who now control Michigan's state government have chosen to reinstate forced unionization.  Requiring workers to join a union violates the constitutional freedom of association, makes states less economically competitive and only benefits multimillionaire union bosses who stand to further line their pockets with union dues.  Let workers choose whether or not to join a union; don't force them to.

Whatever you think of Mike Pence, Kari Lake's attacks on him are a new low.  Mike Pence has been a steadfast voice for conservative governance, just as I have been.  Kari Lake, on the other hand, voted for liberals like John Kerry and Barack Obama and fought against our efforts to free Iraq from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein.  If anyone's conservative credentials need to be challenged, it's Kari Lake's, not Mike Pence's.

Ro Khanna is a dangerous, radical socialist who supported Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020.  He endorses defunding the police, grooming our children, teaching Marxist critical race theory in our schools, and taking away employer-provided health insurance.  America needs leaders who will pull us back from the cliff, not push us over it.

[Devout Centrist]

Campaign Memo - Q1 and Q2 2023

Date: 2/18/23
Subject: Key Demographics for Governor Lake

Jeff,

I have completed my initial review of the focus group and polling data you sent over. While the numbers don’t look stellar now, I think we have a real opening with this so-called ‘deprived’ demographic - we’re talking households that make less than $60k a year, less than a college degree educational attainment, white adults in their mid 50’s, etc. I saw your notes about the South and I don’t think we really need to worry about this whole religious angle. Our opening is with grievance, and there’s plenty of that to go around with the base.

Based on my research, these are the top issues for likely Republican primary voters as of 2/1/23:

1. The State of the Economy (32%)
2. Immigration/Illegal Immigration/Amnesty (24%)
3. Crime/Criminals/Looting/Thugs (15%)
4. Abortion/Pro-Life (12%)
5. Healthcare (9%)
6. Miscellaneous (8%)

Ideally, the Governor should focus her talking points on the top three issues. Hitting on the big issues (invasion at the Southern border, inflation, rising crime) will benefit greatly with the base, but it’s important to be mindful of the impact later down the stretch. We don’t want to be put in a position where past comments have to be explained.

For now, I recommend the Governor avoid the abortion issue as much as possible. Maybe some pro-life statements here or there, but we don’t want this be a big issue going into next year. We can’t just cater to the base on this issue if we want a path to victory next November.

I saw the list of endorsements you put out - I think we definitely lean into the pro-wrestling popularity here. Brock Lesner and the Undertaker are two big gets, and we can plan our rallies around the WWE/AEW schedule. I think there’s big potential to get positive word of mouth marketing from these venues; people will talk about this stuff with their friends and it’ll get spread around without us having to spend much money.

As far as the first four go, I say we focus our efforts on New Hampshire and Nevada. Iowa will be jampacked anyhow, and in SC we have to deal with the distortionary effects of Haley’s entry into the race. Let her win the favorite son primary, we stake our game on the more independent minded electorates a la Trump.

Let me know if you have any additional comments. You can send this to the Governor for her review if you think it’s ready.

Matt

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from Kari Lake

Nikki Haley is one of the biggest liars in the race right now. Not only did she betray President Trump and a whole host of other good Republicans, she was also 100% bought by woke corporations while Governor of South Carolina.

When it became clear her time in office was up and she was going to age like warm milk on a hot sidewalk, Nikki decided to cash in on her 'success'. She got to fly free with woke corporate executives across the country. She got so, so many gifts from these freaks. What was she doing up there, up in the air? We don't know folks. We don't know. A lot of people are saying she recorded these flights. I think we need to look into that.

She has the flight records folks! She had Chinese and Mexican executives lined up, and she was cashing them out left and right. It's pretty sleazy if you think about it. She was taking millions from these guys, millions, while South Carolina suffered from the worst schools in the country.

We need to be looking very closely at these flights, folks. Nikki better release the flight recordings now. We know where she's hiding them. We're gonna get to the bottom of this, believe me.

[Left Wing]

JEFF MERKLEY 2024

The Pre-Campaign:

Before officially moving forward with the decision to run for President, Senator Jeff Merkley began getting his name out there. He very openly discussed with staffers that after President Biden's decision to retire, he was very strongly considering it as an option. He knew that in some ways this campaign may feel one cycle too late. He passed up on 2020 when he knew Bernie would take his lane, now AOC would likely do the same. But he felt there was an angle. One that would appeal to a broad coalition of Warren and Sanders progressives looking for an experienced, electable fighter.

But to do this, Americans had to discover who he was. For this reasons, with the new year he began leaking to the rumor mill almost immediately. His efforts to do so had placed him an option in some public polling, but only registering around 1% usually. Still, this was a start. Just having his name in contention was the first step on the path to becoming a major candidate, but he would have to get ahead of the pack to do so. He prepared to reach a national audience on MSNBC primetime Friday night with an appearance on Chris Hayes, for whom he had been a frequent contributor in the past. It was clear to most where this interview was headed.

All In with Chris Hayes, February 3, 2023

Image Credit:https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/video/senator-merkley-speaks-out-against-chained-cpi

Excerpt from Interview:

Hayes: Next up we've got a longtime friend of the show, he describes himself as a strong progressive and I believe he has some sort of announcement for us, welcome Senator Jeff Merkley!

Merkley: Thank you Chris, great to be here.

Hayes: Now Senator, you've been outspoken on a number of issues, from housing to the climate to filibuster reform, just recently you were one of the only Democrats to vote against ending the rail strike, so I've got to ask what are you going to do about it? Or more pecifically, and the question that's on everyone's mind, are you going to run for President in 2024?

Merkley: Well as you and your viewers know, right now we as Americans face unprecedented challenges to our nation. Our democracy is under assault, the middle class is disappearing, the wealth gap grow more every day. And it's for those reasons that I can say I've decided I will be running for President of the United States and you'll see an official announcement in a few days where I'll lay out more of my plans.

Hayes: Well there you have it folks, ...

...

Shortly after the interview, Senator Merkley picked up on his momentum from social media buzz by announcing the date of his formal campaign announcement. February 6, at the site of the Bonneville Lock and Dam. He knew his targets in the primary would be Nevada and New Hampshire, so setting this date would give him an entire year to shore up support in these states. The site of the dam would be a reminder to viewers of the New Deal and the principles of progressivism. Press gathered to meet him in eastern Multnomah County. After an Indigenous people's land acknowledgement performed by his staff, he took the stage to the tune of "Roll On Columbia" by Woody Guthrie (which would be his official campaign song).

Wikimedia Commons

Excerpt from Speech:

Thank you everyone for being here.

As we gather here today, we are near the site of the Bonneville Dam and Lock. It was constructed here in the 1930s during the Roosevelt administration, through funding provided by the Public Works Administration. Its construction has created thousands of jobs and provided good clean energy to the people of the Pacific Northwest for decades. It's a powerful reminder of what government can do when it decides to take the tools given to them by the right of the people and provide for the common good. It's what was done and it's what we still can do now.

I've said it before, but we face unprecedented challenges in America today. We are entering into a completely new economic structure, and it's one where working people are increasingly getting left out. The minimum wage hasn't risen in over a decade, a pandemic devastated working families while billionaire profits soared, housing is growing so expensive people can't afford to live in the communities they grew up in, climate disaster poses an existential threat to our planet and one political party threatens to wage war on the democratic structures that built up our great republic.

At times like this it can be easy to become apathetic, to give in to the chaos. But we cannot give in. For everyone whose lives would be devastated by these threats, we cannot give in. We have to remain tough, but optimistic. We need a new generation of happy warriors in this country to fight the battles of today. And we have to remember yet again, what government can do when it's done right.


Ever since I was elected to office, I've worked day in and day out to fight for progress and a better future for the next generation. There have been struggles, but they only make the need for the triumphs that much more important. And because of this experience and because I still believe our country can dream forward, I am announcing my candidacy for President of the United States of America.

...

After the event, "Dream Forward" would be announced as the official slogan of the Merkley 2024 campaign.

The Early Campaign:

Senator Merkley immediately began his campaign by bringing his campaign staff from his successful 2020 re-election back on board. He would use this as a framework to expand his campaign infrastructure from as he began fundraising. Some of his first dollars from his fundraising efforts would go towards digital ads, specifically targeting young voters. He knew this would be the element of the Sander coalition least likely to interested in his campaign, so he would repeatedly emphasize how he was the only Senator to endorse Bernie in 2016.

Merkley also released a set of policy proposals on his website that tracked closely with what he had advocated for in the Senate. He called for cracking down on foreign investors jacking up housing prices as well as investing billions into a Federal Housing Plan. He promised to continue the fight against the filibuster and eliminate it by any means necessary. He also made sure to put front and center his support for the two big-ticket progressive legislative items, the Green New Deal and Medicare For All. On education, he promised to use the power of the department of Education to protect teachers and schools around the country from Republican attempts to shackle educators.

Senator Merkley began to make frequent visits to Nevada and New Hampshire, placing his bets that an upset victory in one of those two early states would give him the momentum needed to propel himself into the top tier of the field. In Nevada he spent an extensive amount of time meeting with union leaders and emphasizing his vote against stopping the rail strike. He framed this as an argument that he was the only candidate unions could trust, contrasting this with the frontrunners Vice President Harris and Secretary Buttigieg's support of the bill.

He would appoint Congresswoman Andrea Salinas as a national co-chair. He consulted with her frequently in the next few months about reaching Latino voters, especially in Nevada. He also met with local chapters of several LGBT advocacy groups, like Stonewall Democrats. There he emphasized his role as Speaker of the House in Oregon in creating housing and workplace protections for LGBT Oregonians as well as his role in helping elect Kate Brown and Tina Kotek, two of the first queer women to become Governors in America.

In the endorsement game, Senator Merkley knew he would get most of Oregon's elected officials. He relied on his connections in the Senate to attempt to convince several progressive minded senators to convince him or at least remain neutral. He contrasted his combination of electoral success and progressive values with his rivals in the primary. In particular he made an appeal to Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey and John Fetterman. He also made an effort to achieve the endorsement of Jay Inslee, by repeating his 2020 call for a climate-focused forum. He hoped the endorsement of the Governor would help him lock down Pacific Northwest support and burnish his climate credentials.

[RGM2609]

Gavin Newsom - For a Brighter Future

As previously announced, Gavin Newsom has decided to go on Fox News for a town hall and managed to be booked by the network. Here are some highlights:

Question: One of the biggest controversies of your political career has surrounded your dinner at the exclusive French Riviera restaurant in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, violating your own policies. What do you have to say to Americans who are reluctant to vote for you due to this incident?
Newsom: Look, I have admitted to this in front of the people of my state and I am ready to do this in front of the nation as well: I made a mistake when I went to that dinner. It was an inconsiderate and inappropriate gesture given the context, and I understand why some people were angry at me. I was angry at myself too. But real leadership doesn't mean not making mistakes, it means admitting to them and learning from them. And I won't promise I will be a President who never makes mistakes, but I will promise that I will be honest with you and each day I will be a better leader than I was the day before. However, we ought not to let this one error distract from the larger picture, which is a record of accomplishment. During COVID we followed the science, and thus we had one of the lowest death rates in the nation, over 150 million tests and a very high vaccination rate, all the while protecting our economy, which held stronger than in other states with lax restrictions. I believe that we did the right thing during pandemic, we had the right approach, and when Republicans tried to recall me in large part over this dinner, I could look every Californian in the eye and say: "Yes, I made a mistake that day, but what about every other day?" And the recall was defeated in a landslide.

Question: There have been a lot of concerns about your economic record, given that more Californians are leaving the state than moving in, in large part due to the high taxes and high cost of living. How do you address those concerns?
Newsom: I wonder who exactly stoked these concerns. I wonder, I wonder. Look, I am actually extremely proud of my economic record. In 2021, California had the highest GDP growth in the nation and our economy held up its own during the pandemic despite the public health restrictions. And we did all that while providing quality public services for the people in the state and keeping a strong budgetary surplus. Furthermore, looking at average income, or at GDP-per-capita, California is in the top 10 together with other states governed by Democrats. Do you think it is a coincidence that out of the 10 states with the lowest average income, 8 are governed by Republicans? The Democrats have a record of success on the statewide level that the GOP is trying to distract from with this demonizing of California. Did you know, for example, that unless you are in the top 1%, you would pay more tax in Texas than in California? I am not saying that everything is shiny and bright, we have work to do on the cost of living situation, where things I think will improve  given the measures we've taken and the nationwide reduction of inflation. But overall, California is a story of success against Republican failures with taxes higher than they say, sluggish economy and ineffective public services.

Question: If you are elected President, how would you deal with inflation and the cost-of-living crisis?
Newsom: Look, I think the Biden Administration and the Federal Reserve have finally managed to stop inflation from rising and I believe we will see a continued lowering over the next years. But even so, the cost-of-living crisis will remain an issue for millions of Americans. Which is why as President, I will first of all take action to reintroduce the child tax credit, a wildly successful policy which cut child poverty by unprecedented numbers and has thus already proven its effectiveness. Furthermore, we can further reduce healthcare costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate all drug prices and, very importantly, introducing a public option on the market. We must also bring down the costs of childcare and education. I want to, as we have done in California, create a truly universally accessible childcare system. We must also speed up the transition to clean and renewable forms of energy, which will both help our environment and be cheaper compared to the skyrocketing prices we currently register. Compare that to the Republicans, who have no plan to fight inflation, and are just content that it's not actually them having to deal with it. America can do better.

Question: How has your time as Governor prepared you for the Presidency?
Newsom: I believe that no one can be 100% prepared to be President before they end up being President. But I think that being Governor of California, the largest state in the Union, is about the best experience someone can have. I know what it feels like to have that weight of responsibility on your shoulders, to have to take tough decisions. I was Governor when there were crises we had to handle. During the height of COVID, during wildfires. Let me tell you, no one can lecture me that I don't know what that 3AM phone call is about. I also learned about the importance to always speak your mind instead of filtering it out for political purposes. I was an early advocate for same-sex marriage, for marijuana legalization, for gun safety. At the time, even many Democrats were opposed. Now, these things are all happening across the nation. I can promise you, I will always be an honest President, telling you exactly where my mind is.

[NewYorkExpress]

Mike Pence responds to Kari Lake's attacks on Nikki Haley

Kari, when President Trump wanted someone to corral votes so his tax cut plan could pass Congress, I was there.

When he needed someone to explain to the world why we were reinstating sanctions on Iran and Cuba, Ambassador Haley was there.

You weren't as loyal to Trump as either of us were, so don't even go there. It'll end with you in a world of pain.

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from Kari Lake

Mike Pence just told the truth, folks. He was the big guy behind the massive tax cut for the rich. He voted to cut taxes for woke billionaires. And he just told you that he did it. Wow. Honesty, in politicians, it’s rare. But Mickey, he is happy to tell you he cut taxes for the rich. It’s despicable.

And there’s more, people. Mickey Pence comes out and defends his Queen: Nikki Haley. Queen Nikki can’t do any wrong in their eyes, folks. She wants a quarter million dollars to give a speech to the Chinese Communist Party? Say no more! Say no more. These guys are falling over themselves to defend Queen Nikki from the truth. There’s something deeper going on here, and we have to find the truth.

[KaiserDave]

Chapter I: Introductions
Midturn Update

Styling Herself "Governor of Arizona", Kari Lake Champions a Band of Right-Wing Militiamen in Arizona Stand-off
Vox, February 20th, 2023

Jennifer McClellan wins decisive victory in Virginia special election
CNN, February 21st, 2023

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) on whether he'll endorse DeSantis, "if people knew half as much as I did about him he wouldn't have a chance at the nomination. We need someone who has a real conservative agenda."
@Mkraju, Twitter, February 26th, 2023

LIGHTFOOT OUT: Garcia, Vallas advance after first round
Chicago Tribune, February 28th, 2023

Russia's Last Gamble: Insiders Predict Donbass Offensive
The New York Times, March 2nd, 2023

Harmeet Dhillon Elected RNC Chair, promises new direction
CNN, March 4th, 2023

Josh Hawley, a very nice man, is a real patriot. Much better than losers who HATE TRUMP!
@realDonaldTrump, Truth Social, March 5th, 2023

The Fight for the Left: AOC, Pritzker, Khanna, Merkley, Oh My!
Vox, March 8th, 2023

Traditional Republican Donors are flocking to DeSantis, Haley, Youngkin
POLITICO, March 12th, 2023

Inside Mayor Pete's Department of Transportation Gentrification Agenda
The Miami Times, March 15th, 2023

I've heard some very NASTY things about the DeSantis family. People want to know! Cannot be elected!
@realDonaldTrump, Truth Social, March 17th, 2023

Everyone knows Ron DeSantis is a stalking horse for a deep state conspiracy to stop 45. What they don't know is that he's a homosexual. More is coming...
@LauraLoomer, Truthsocial, March 20th, 2023

The Stone Zone: About Roger Stone's Wild Media Blitz
POLITICO, March 21st, 2023

Don't Say Ron? Alt-Right Twitter Says DeSantis is Gay, Effeminate
Buzzfeed, March 23rd, 2023

Establishment Democrats gathering behind Harris as she prepares run
POLITICO, March 26th, 2023

MTG Anti-Trans Bill Defeated in the House, 31 Republicans Vote No
The New York Times, March 27th, 2023

Twitter, Facebook Trends See Jump in DeSantis Gay Conspiracy Theory
The Daily Beast, March 30th, 2023

NATIONAL POLL: Who do you support of the following potential candidates for President? (Republican)
Ron DeSantis: 38%
Nikki Haley: 11%
Mike Pence: 7%
Josh Hawley: 6%
Glenn Youngkin: 5%
Kari Lake: 5%
Roger Stone: 4%
Larry Hogan: 4%
Kristi Noem: 2%
Mike Lindell: 1%
Matt Gaetz: 1%
Ben Carson: 1%
Undecided/Someone Else: 12%

NATIONAL POLL: Who do you support of the following potential candidates for President? (Democratic)
Kamala Harris: 33%
Pete Buttigieg: 16%
Gavin Newsom: 11%
Gretchen Whitmer: 7%
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez: 6%
Jared Polis: 3%
J.B. Pritzker: 2%
Eric Adams: 2%
Jeff Merkley: 2%
Ro Khanna: 2%
Kirsten Gillibrand: 2%
Undecided/Someone Else: 13%
CNN, April 2nd, 2023

Can Anybody Take Down Harris? Vice President Consolidates Establishment, but opponents circle the boat
CNN, April 3rd, 2023

DeSantis Backed Florida 10-Week Abortion Ban Heads to Governor's Desk
The New York Times, April 3rd, 2023

Live Updates: Russia Attacks Bakhmut, Siversk, Toretsk, Kupiansk with Newly Mobilized Forces
CNN, April 4th, 2023

Endorsements

Ron DeSantis
Florida Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar
Florida Congressman Carlos A. Giménez
U.S. Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves
Former Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin
The DeVos Family
Former Attorney General William Barr
Former Attorney General and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions
Nikki Haley
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster
U.S. Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
U.S. Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Mike Pence
Indiana Congressman Greg Pence
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb
Josh Hawley
Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt
Glenn Youngkin
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum
Kari Lake
Brock Lesnar
Mark William Calaway "The Undertaker"
The Bundy Family
Roger Stone
Andy Ngo
James O'Keefe
Alex Jones
Laura Loomer
Gavin McInnes
Lew Rockwell
Larry Hogan
Former Massachusetts Governor and NCAA President Charlie Baker
Vermont Governor Phil Scott
Kristi Noem

Mike Lindell

Matt Gaetz

Ben Carson


Kamala Harris
Ohio Congresswoman and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Joyce Beatty
Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester
California Congresswoman Maxine Waters
California Congresswoman Barbara Lee
California Congresswoman Julia Brownley
California Congressman Ted Lieu
Delaware Senator Tom Carper
Delaware Senator Chris Coons
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen
EMILY's List
Pete Buttigieg
LGBTQ Victory Fund
Gavin Newsom
U.S. Senator for California Alex Padilla
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
Gretchen Whitmer
U.S. Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
U.S. Senator for Michigan Debbie Stabenow
Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens
Michigan Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin
J.B. Pritzker
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth
Jared Polis
U.S. Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
U.S. Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet
Colorado Congressman Jason Crow
Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse
Eric Adams
Reverend Al Sharpton
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Former Congressman Charles Rangel
Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush
Jeff Merkley
U.S. Senator for Oregon Ron Wyden
Washington Governor Jay Inslee
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek
Ro Khanna
Media Personality Cenk Uygur
Kirsten Gillibrand
Governor of New York Kathy Hochul

This List does not include all endorsements, nor does the absence of named endorsements mean you have no endorsements, these are just meant to indicate to players who is gathering what kind of support where and as a record of major endorsements.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Kari Lake has once again proven herself not to be a true conservative.  By attacking Mike Pence for favoring "tax cuts for the rich," she is repeating the same talking points the left has used against us for decades.  Unfortunately, this should not be surprising, because Lake was a liberal herself for years, voting for fellow liberals like John Kerry and Barack Obama.  Moreover, she is lying about me and my record.  Nobody has been tougher on the Chinese Communist Party than I am, and I proved it when I was UN Ambassador.  By attacking steadfast conservatives like myself and Vice President Pence, as well as by presenting a false dichotomy between supporting economic growth and fighting wokeness, Lake has shown her true liberal colors, and I regret my support for her gubernatorial campaign last year. 

As conservatives and Republicans, we support tax cuts for all Americans, including the wealthy, because it is the surest way to promote economic grown and prosperity.  Punishing our small businesses for succeeding by taxing more of their hard-earned money is immoral and counterproductive.  We can create a more business-friendly environment in this country without supporting the woke agenda that has hijacked much of the corporate world.  True leaders like my friends, Governor Ron DeSantis and Governor Glenn Youngkin, have both done that, I intend to do that, and that is exactly what the next president needs to do.

Kari Lake's lies and conspiracy theories should have no place in our party, and they expose her for the closet liberal she is.

Kari Lake is just like Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, refusing to accept the outcome of an election she lost and declaring it stolen without any credible evidence.  That's what you should expect from a lifelong liberal who supported John Kerry and Barack Obama.

Lake stands for nothing except what her wealthy donors support.  We just can't trust her.

[PPT Spiral]

Stone vs. Pence

While making his announcement speech in Ames, IA, former Vice President Mike Pence was interrupted and heckled by fellow Republican candidate Roger Stone. Stone, with a full-on camera crew documenting every angle at his side, laid out the seeming dishonesty and hypocrisy coming from Pence's rhetoric regarding Donald Trump. The full remarks from Stone's ambush follows:

"You're a damn dirty liar, Mike Pence! First you spend four years sucking up to President Trump, begging for his endorsement in 2024, and now what? Now you call him a failure? Now you call him the biggest mistake of your life?

You've just given a big middle finger to the tens of millions of Americans who voted for you and Donald Trump to make this country great again! Ladies and gentlemen, he couldn't defend us on January 6th, and now the man won't even defend his own administration! What the hell sort of record can he even claim to run on?

Why don't you just drop out now and save us the trouble, man?"

As security arrived to escort Stone and the crew out of the stadium, Stone added: "Here comes the Washington establishment's finest to silence any opposing viewpoints. This is why I'm running, folks! RogerStone.com! Jail Biden, Free Trump!"

Just as the Vice President was ready to resume his remarks, one last cry from Stone was heard: "Asshole!"

The ambush in Ames, along with the full course of events leading up to it, was meticulously documented and crafted into a slick, glossy campaign video and mini-documentary titled "Stone vs. Pence." Upon its release the day after, it quickly became a viral sensation—the first of its kind this campaign season.

[Continential]

Hogan announces his candidacy on April 20th, 2023

Well thank you very much Boyd for the very kind introduction.

I'd first like to thank my wife Yumi, my daughters Kim, Jaymi, and Julie and to my entire family, it is to them that I am here to announce my candidacy for the Presidency.

But first, I'd like to talk about why I am running.

I am running for the future of our nation - as I believe that we shouldn't continue our current course.

To quote the person who got me into politics, Ronald Reagan - America is "the shining city upon a hill" - and I and all decent Americans agree with that statement.

President Reagan is remembered for being one of America's most transformative Presidents because despite the Democrats controlling one chamber of Congress throughout his Presidency, he was focused on solving real problems Americans faced and ensuring the safety and tranquility of all Americans - ensuring the most Conservative agenda in a generation along with defeating the Soviet Union.

It is for him that I got into public service. As Governor of Maryland, despite the Democrats controlling both houses of the Legislature - I have pushed a commonsense agenda which helped Marylanders and took us forward from the previous Democratic administration which hiked taxes, lost businesses and jobs, and caused an exodus of Marylanders fleeing incompetence and bad policies.

When I talk to fellow Americans, people are dissatisfied with the current direction of the country - higher inflation and bad economic management, high taxes and high gas prices, more crime and a weaker America in general.

I am a member of the Republican Party because the Republican Party is the party of economic growth, public safety, low taxes and prices, and pride in America and a strong America.

And as a citizen, I decided to run for President because I believe in America. I want America to prosper - to be "the shining city upon a hill" which our citizens can come together to be proud of our direction and our values.

It is a shame how so many of our politicians only seem to act for the sake of getting attention, instead of the betterment of our nation and citizens. I am tired of the direction of these out of touch insiders and provocateurs who only care about themselves first.

While out of touch Washington politicians and provocateurs engaged in political theater instead of getting things done, I as Governor of Maryland helped to pass healthcare reform which reduced insurance rates for everyone by more than 30%. We in Maryland moved forward on public transportation projects.

As President, I want to get things done for working folks and families, especially those struggling under high inflation. I want to get things done to repair America - to repair failing bridges and roads and to improve our public transportation and healthcare system - and it is telling how no other candidate has talked about things like that. I want to prove to Americans that we can get stuff done - instead of the gridlock and bad management - we can get ordinary Americans to thrive, instead of them being hurt by bad management and policies and especially to those who feel forgotten by those in power.

And I hope for you to join me on the campaign for the Presidency, so we can get things done for the betterment and wellbeing of our country.

[Continential]

Advertisement for the Hogan campaign on facebook/instagram.

(Ignore how I misspelled rein)

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from Kari Lake

I'm an American. I'm a fighter. I work for a living. It's rare to see that in politics, you know. You get all these people who have built their lives by saying words or typing stuff on a keyboard. Those are the folks who run for President. Not me, folks. Not me. I'm not like them!

Queen Nikki, who has treated me very badly from day 1 by the way, has unleashed a storm of lies to cover up her extremely shady dealings and salacious past. Let's start with the obvious: tax cuts are great, people. They're good. But only for the right people. We don't want tax cuts for woke billionaires. We don't want tax cuts for people who don't work. It's a scam, when you do it that way. These people don't add value. They don't work and nothing gets created. Why should some guy who makes $10 million a year get a tax cut? The math doesn't add up folks. The math doesn't add up.

And, you know, if you look at those people, they all donate to the Democrat Party. It's terrible. We have Republicans here, or at least they say they're Republican. These people come out and say, "oh the rich, we have to include them. We have to be nice to the guys in Manhattan. They're so so good for the economy." What did these people do for America? They shipped our jobs over to China and India, which if you look at Queen Nikki, we all know what's going on there. These woke corporations ship our jobs overseas and then go for the kill: the woke kill.

These woke corporations hire equity consultants. E-q-u-i-t-y. It's a big word. It's a bad word. These people pay some college dropout half a million dollars a year. Half a million dollars. And what do they do with that money? They tell you that men are evil! Men are evil sex fiends. And women, they're victims. Victims of a sexist system and they'll never get ahead. And they gather together all the men, usually the white ones, but also a lot of black men too, and they say, "you have to apologize. YOU BETTER APOLOGIZE NOW FOR BEING A MAN! YOU ARE A RAPIST AND YOU HURT ALL WOMEN BY EXISTING." What the hell is happening here folks? Why would you ever cut taxes for these low lives?

Let me tell you, there is only one good rich guy, and his name is Donald J. Trump. Donald J. Trump! Everyone else is in the pocket of the Democrats. Every single one. These guys are not like you and me. They don't work for a living. They don't have kids to put through school or bills to pay. And we're supposed to cut taxes for them? Never. Never gonna happen with me as President.

Yet here is Queen Nikki, saying we need to cut taxes for the rich. And so everyone at this rally is asking her: "Who are the rich? Who are the rich?" You know what she does folks, she says people who own their own business. They're rich. Small business owners. Small business owners! Do you think they're rich?
[Crowd yells NO!]
No! NO! These people work their asses off every day to survive. Every day. They're hard workers. They earned a big tax cut. When Queen Nikki comes out and says, "Small business owners are the rich," it's very mean. It's very mean stuff folks. So disrespectful!

Let me tell you, this past week I went to a bakery down in Beaufort. Cute little place, cute little place. I walk in the front door, and there's this slender Korean lady at the front desk. Her arms were like paper mache. She must have been 60, 70, 80 years old. Tough woman. She was so so friendly. So friendly. And I ask her, I come up to her and ask her, "How long have you been working here?" She tells me, "50 years. 50 years." Wow. 50 years folks. 50 years. And I say to her, "do you feel rich? Are you wealthy, would you say?" Her voice, it got strong. Very powerful. "No," she said. "No, I work hard every morning to support the bakery. It is my life." It is my life! It is my life, folks. Small business owners are strong stuff folks, and we're gonna make sure Queen Nikki doesn't forget that.

It gets worse folks. Queen Nikki says she stood up to China like no one else. Like no one else! When she was doing model UN in New York. Model UN. She made some speeches to people, using words typed up on a keyboard. And she's tough on China? No way folks, no way. We have President Trump to thank for that. He took China seriously. You look at Queen Nikki, and you think she could ever take on the Chinese? With all that going on? Nope. No way.

Fortunately, we don't have to worry about that, cause she won't win. She won't win, believe me. She's not a contender people! She has no stamina. No stamina.

[John King wannabe]

For the People: Vice President Harris begins campaign blitz

Vice President Harris has officially begun her 2024 campaign blitz with her first appearance happening in Clemson, South Carolina. There she met with local elected officials seeking their support in the presidential race. Afterwards the Vice President visited a local diner where she chatted with locals and assured them to "Not be too nervous around the Secret Service, they're a bunch of lovers" before laughing and chatting some more.

The Vice President would then go to Pendleton High School where she would hold her first post announcement campaign event, with a crowd of about 500 people in the packed gymnasium. There the Vice President would be introduced by a 15 year old supporter of her campaign before taking the stage to roaring applause.

"Thank you! Thank you all so much and I got to say it's so good to be back in South Carolina! The official first primary state in our Democratic primary!"

"South Carolina, 3 years ago you propelled Joe Biden to the White House and showed the Democratic party that the voices of people of color, the disenfranchised and those who represent the bulk of our party will not be forgotten and I can assure you all when I am President I will do everything in my power to ensure the forgotten communities of America are seen once again!"

"I came to South Carolina to talk about an issue that not many people take really seriously and that is clean renewable energy, now South Carolina, you're right on the coast. You know how serious this issue of climate change is with the, ya know, hurricanes and such it is such an important issue to me, and I know to so many of you in this great state"

"That's why, as President, I will be committed to working with all of you to make this transition a reality. Whether it's investing in solar and wind power, or supporting research and development in new technologies like advanced batteries and carbon capture, we need to do everything we can to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and move towards a clean energy future."

"Now, I know some people might be thinking, "Oh no, not another lecture on climate change." But let me assure you, that's not what this is about. This is about creating jobs, growing our economy, and leaving a better world for our children and grandchildren."

"And let's be real, who doesn't love saving money on their energy bills? (Laughs) I know I do."

After her campaign event, Vice President Kamala Harris joined MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend for an interview on her show. Sanders-Townsend formerly served as Chief Spokesperson for Harris from 2021 - 2022.

SYMONE:
And now I am proud to be joined by the current Vice President of the United States, fresh Presidential contender and my former boss, Vice President Kamala Harris. It's so good to see you again ma'am.

HARRIS:
Awww, it's so good to see and talk to you again Symone, really.

SYMONE:
Now, Madam Vice President, you are a fresh new presidential contender, you announced your campaign yesterday so tell us how do you plan on reaching our to Democratic voters who may see you as a second Biden term, or a continuation of the status quo?

HARRIS:
Well, that's a great question, and let me just say that this isn't a continuation of any administration. On January 20, 2025 when I am sworn in as President I can assure you that the Harris administration will work for and by the people. That includes doing everything we can to expand access to healthcare, codify abortion rights into law, protect the right to privacy and raise the minimum wage. My term as President will be groundbreaking and that's a promise.

SYMONE:
And do you think you have a better chance than your last campaign?

HARRIS:
Well- (Chuckle). I am going to win, I can tell you that. And I don't like to compare campaigns and such because 2020 was a very weird election (Laughs) It was a very weird election! But look I am confident in our chances, we have an amazing ground game getting started up in these early states and I am confident in our chances.

SYMONE:
And have you talked to President Biden about your campaign, what advice did he give you?

HARRIS:
President Biden has been extremely supportive, we have been great partners through our time in the White House and ya know he is really like a member of my family, and ya know he told me to fight for what I believe in and that's what I intend to do.

[NewYorkExpress]

Mike Pence in Ames, Iowa

Well, I'd like to say that being heckled is new, but quite honestly, it really isn't. They were doing this to me in Indiana, and they did it to me as Vice President. You just have to take it in stride and understand that for every person who supports you, there will always be half a dozen people who hate everything you stand for.


Pence on State of the Union, April 23, 2023

Dana Bash So, Mike, you've been off to a rocky start on the campaign trail. Why?

Mike Pence: I speak the truth as I see it, and if that means that I am out of step with my party, then so be it. I'm not the only Republican running with this problem. Governor Hogan is also dramatically out of step with our party, which is a damn shame, because out of all of us running, I honestly think he'd be the best President.

Dana Bash So, you've been attacking candidates to your right, Kari Lake, Mike Lindell, and by association Roger Stone and Matt Gaetz. Given that these candidates represent the Republican base, why do you think this is a winning strategy?

Mike Pence: Sometimes, what's best for the party and for the country isn't what would win me the nomination, Kari, Roger,Mike and Representative Gaetz actively participated in attempting to overthrow the government and having me killed just over two years ago, and they should, in my opinion, be on death row for it, not running for President.

Dana Bash: So, have you thought at all about possible running mates?

Mike Pence I'd love to have Governor DeSantis or Senator Rubio as my running mate if I win the nomination, but we are a long way from next summer, and a lot can change.

[Continential]

Larry Hogan speaks in Greer, South Carolina on April 28th, 2023

Well firstly, I'd like to thank all of you for being here and for taking time out of your day to watch me speak.

When I talk to people and ask them what they want, they want their local roads to be fixed, they want their communities to be safe and clean, they want a better future for their children.

It feels like many candidates don't care about things like that - they want to be flashy and flamboyant for the sake of being flashy and flamboyant.

I want to bring jobs back to America - as Governor of Maryland, the state which was once dead last in manufacturing, I helped turn it to become one of the top states for new manufacturing jobs.

I toured the BMW facility earlier today, and it was wonderful seeing it - seeing so many SUVs be produced here is wonderful, and as President - I want to ensure that the facility will be expanded and that there will be more manufacturing plants in South Carolina and across America.

I want there to be more American jobs, because a nation which outsources everything is a weak country and something which can't happen, for the sake of our nation.

I want there to be more houses for Americans by providing incentives for housebuilders to build more houses which the average person can afford, as someone involved in real estate - the fact that many working people can't afford to buy a house horrifies me and as President I aim to rectify that.

It is a shame how other candidates attack and attack - without providing anything on what they'd do to this country. I would love to see their plans for the betterment of our country and how they would help Americans, because when I hear them talk, they should talk to people on the street about things like the rhetoric they are spewing and see their reactions.

[Continential]

Larry Hogan makes a statement on April 23, 2023

I have been a Republican my whole life - and I consider myself in step with the everyday Republican and the idea that I am not is laughable.

[NewYorkExpress]

Mike Pence responds to Larry Hogan, Sioux City, Iowa, April 24, 2023.

Governor, I never meant to say that you are not a Republican. You are, just as much as I am. But the lunatics that make up the base think we aren't because we don't genuflect and bow down to Donald Trump. That's where I was going with that comment.

It was not intended as an attack against you, and I apologize if you took it as such. Out of all of us running, I really do think you'd make the best President, and I meant that from the bottom of my heart.

[Schiff for Senate]

KRISTI NOEM 2024

A VOICE FOR ORDINARY AMERICANS AND AMERICAN VALUES

February: Tour of the West

Gov. Kristi Noem kicks off her 2024 presidential campaign with a tour of the West. Noem will take one state at a time, returning to visit the Mount Rushmore State and tend to gubernatorial duties between each state.

Noem discusses rural and western issues, offering up plenty of red meat to the base, as well as a strong grasp on rural issues affecting voters in the region.

Some highlights:

When we talk about the traditional American values that our parents and grandparents grew up in, that a lot of us grew up in, we're talking about an America very different from today's America. Today's America, the one where our kids and grandkids are growing up in, doesn't teach these kids the same values that our old America did. The America we grew up in? The America we all love and cherish? It's fading away in front of our eyes. In the White House, I will fight for to restore those American values once again.

And there's a reason I'm saying all of this here, in Dodge City. It's because Dodge City embodies those same American values I grew up learning, that we all grew up learning. Dodge City is one of the few places those values have still not been lost. So I guess you could say that I'm fighting for American values, but not just American values, our values, and the values of Dodge City, and hardworking Kansans in all corners of the state.

While we're on the topic of values, though, Kansas' governor - Laura Kelly. [loud boos] She just does not stand for those values. Laura Kelly has been a disaster for all Kansans. Laura Kelly is a governor who stopped the celebration of Easter, back in 2020! I remember. We all remember. First, you know, the woke left went after Christmas. And then, the governor in Kansas, Laura Kelly, she's gone ahead and decided to cancel Easter as well! Literally! It's ridiculous. This woke nonsense has gone too far. It is a direct assault on American values, and we must be vigilant. We must fight back. In the White House, I will fight back, like no other president has. I give you my word on that.

Laura Kelly is an authoritarian, and for a long time, she's ruled over Kansas with an iron hand. She banned Easter, yes. But she also closed schools, forced everybody to wear masks. And when President Trump and his administration created the COVID19 vaccine, in record time? Kelly couldn't even so much as roll the vaccine out effectively! You know, the Democrats, Laura Kelly included, they talk so much about getting vaccinated, and not just once, but four, five, six times! They talk a big game about that! Yet Laura Kelly rolled out the Trump COVID vaccine so ineffectively, that Kansas was near the bottom in COVID vaccinations. Now I don't think Kansas belongs near the bottom. I think Kansas is near the top. But the same way Joe Biden has dragged down America's name internationally, Laura Kelly continues to give the state of Kansas a bad name! She is utterly inept and incompetent.

My campaign is all about serving the Americans that have left behind. The Americans that were left behind by Bush, and Obama. The Americans who finally started to get their voices heard during President Trump's time. The Americans who were deprived of their voices once again when Joe Biden stole the election and became president. It is for those Americans that I'm running this campaign. Because they - the backbone of America - have been left behind, trampled upon, by Joe Biden, by Laura Kelly, by all these liberal elites, all these liberal elites who are getting their money from the coastal, urban liberal elites. These people, they think they're better than us. They don't offer us any respect, and they do not care about our opinions. During the Obama years, and now during the Biden regime, they've been taking our country from us! Depriving us of our voices, stripping America of its values! What are their values? Their values are looting, and stealing, and arson. [boos] They don't have any values. Joe Biden was right about one thing: when he called the 2020 election a "battle for the soul of this nation," he was right. It was a battle for the soul of this nation, and we lost it. We lost it to the BLM and the Antifa forces, the ones who will do nothing to protect our country from illegal immigrants, from domestic terrorists, from Radical Islam. [boos] Well, actually, we won that battle - and then those forces stole it! [boos] They stole it! [boos] The mainstream media and the establishment, they'll suppress all the evidence - but we all know it in our hearts and minds: We WON that battle! We won that battle, but they stole it. And you know what? Maybe we lost that battle. They stole that battle from us, and so we lost that battle from us. But we will win the war! [cheers] We will win the war to restore American values, at home and abroad! [cheers] We already started to Make America Great Again. Now, it's time for us to Give America Values Again. It is a battle THAT WE WILL WIN! [cheers] It is a battle we have to win, and mark my words, we'll win it. And when we win it? No more rioting! No more looting! No more made-up genders, no more CRT, no more of kids being taught that they are evil if they are white, and that they can choose their gender! We, together, WILL return America's values.

As for attacking her opponents, Noem's zingers include:

Joe Biden has been an absolute failure for America, for all Americans. Inflation has gone through the roof. There is a major crisis at the border. There's absolutely nothing that Joe Biden has done right, and our country can feel the effects of that. All of us, myself included, have seen what a disaster Joe Biden has been for this country. And his replacement options on the Democrat side? They're even worse.

Make no bones about it: This is a campaign we have to win. Don't think of it as a campaign, in fact, think of it as a war for America's values, for ordinary Americans. Because that's just what it is. A war that we cannot lose. And to win that war, we need to pick the right person. We need to pick the right candidate for conservative, American values, for the ordinary, hardworking Americans that have been left behind. And what I think is, that for that, we need an ordinary American, someone who's grown up in America's Heartland, who's seen all their life what real American values look like. [cheers]

So let me just take a minute and outline for all of us who are options are. We've got Mike Pence. [boos] Mike Pence. The man who sold out President Trump when Trump most needed him. The man who went from President Trump's loyal supporter to his sworn enemy. The man who calls us ordinary Republicans "lunatics." [boos after every sentence] Mike Pence is a RINO. No, he's worse than a RINO - because at least people like Larry Hogan have been clear all their careers about where they stand. Mike is a traitor. He's got not values or principles. He has the harshest words for President Trump. He stood by Donald Trump for four full years when it benefitted him politically, and now that he thinks it doesn't, he's stabbed Donald Trump, all of Donald Trump's supporters, in the back. And so we need to defeat him, for a number of reasons. We need to show him we do not tolerate people who change their views to get elected, who say one thing and then do another, who call us "lunatics," who lie to President Trump and all of his supporters, to all of us. Mike Pence is a career politician and a serial liar. And this is something that's been true for a long time! I have a lot of respect for President Trump, but frankly, and this is the God-honest truth, if I were him, I never would've picked a flip-flopping career politician like Mike Pence in the first place! Choosing Mike Pence as his running mate was one of President Trump's few mistakes. As governor, Mike Pence supported a good piece of legislation to fight back against wokeism, to support religious freedom. But the day the establishment came out against it, Mike Pence turned his back on the bill. You know, in South Dakota, that's not how I've done things. I've done things according to my faith, and the state's law, and what the people want, and our values. I've never caved in to the establishment or flip-flopped on something because of backlash. I am a proud conservative, and I'm a staunch and consistent supporter of religious freedom. Let me tell you, that's something I wouldn't change, no matter what anyone told me or offered me. Mike Pence, though? When he acts morally superior, acts like he has principles? Don't buy it. Say what you will about the other RINO in this race, Larry Hogan, he at least is not as much a chameleon as Mike Pence is!

But, you know, Larry Hogan, maybe he's not quite as much of a flip-flopper, but he's every bit as much, if not more, a creature of the establishment! He was born in DC, he's spent his whole life near DC - and that's where his heart is, that's where his interests lie. They don't lie with ordinary Americans who work hard to put their food on the table. They lie with the wealthy, coastal donors who don't give a damn about ordinary Americans like you and me. You know, I was born in little Watertown, South Dakota. I've got South Dakota values, values from the American Heartland, and those are the values I will always fight for! Larry Hogan? He's a RINO. As governor in Maryland, he went along with the Democrat agenda on most things. Here in Middle America, we support our Second Amendment, and the right to bear arms. Larry Hogan signed gun control bills time and time again back in Maryland. We ordinary Americans are for traditional marriage, between a man and a woman. Larry Hogan supports gay marriage. Larry Hogan doesn't care about taxpayer money. He's been a COVID tyrant. He's done it all wrong. And now he wants our nomination? He wins the White House, and we're all done for. We may as well vote for Joe Biden in the primary! So here's the question: Do we want an actual Republican to get the nomination? Or do we want a RINO, a Democrat in a Republican's clothing? I think I know the answer.

She also visits Nevada and begins laying down infrastructure in the crucial "early state," and "courts" Gov. Lombardo at a public meeting in Reno, where the two speak productively about "solutions for the water crisis," and other western issues where Noem demonstrates expertise.

March

Noem meets with GOP politicians across the country. Notably, she chooses to meet with governors more than senators, meeting GOP governors such as Jeremy Pillen in Nebraska, Kevin Stitt in Oklahoma, Greg Gianforte in Montana, Sarah Sanders in Arkansas, and the like. She takes care to avoid "RINO" governors (such as Idaho's Brad Little or Utah's Spencer Cox). She also visits Iowa numerous times and emphasises her message of "traditional values" that "put rural Iowans, rural Americans, the Americans that have been forgotten and left behind for decades by politicians from the elite coasts, from the big cities that get all the money and all the infrastructure and all the attention." She promises, "While we will put America first, within America, it's time to stop putting rural America last! And to do that, we don't need senators from the DC Swamp, people who've sold their interests to the lobbyists. We need someone who's lived their whole life in rural America, someone untainted by Washington. And that someone is me. And I'm running to serve you." Noem largely focuses on the Rust Belt; except for Iowa, she also campaigns in states such as Michigan (where she rails against her possible opponent in the general election, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and promises "solutions that would not only help Michigan, that'd help all of America", as well as a "trade policy that putts hardworking Michigans ahead of those overseas, ahead of Communist China"), Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana (where she calls Mike Pence "a massive disappointment for the entire state, a flip-flopper who cared about Indiana values, except when his donors didn't want him to"). As far as funds goes, although she does want to maintain 'grassroots appeals,' behind closed-door meetings with representatives of the fossil fuel lobby, Noem highlights how pro-oil/pro-coal her administration in South Dakota has been, promises continued support for the Keystone Pipeline, and pledges to undo Biden's climate restrictions. Noem says much of the same as she campaigns in the Kentucky Coalfields and in West Virginia - she says at a town hall in Beckley, West Virginia, that, "It's about providing energy for America, and ensuring our energy independence, but it's also about the many people who've spent their whole lives working in this industry, whose lives have been spent doing hard work in the coalfields. Democrats, aside from assaulting the values we've had all our lives, they're perfectly happy to dismiss all of that, to throw all these West Virginians, and these Kentuckians, under the bus. It's easy for someone in San Francisco or in Boston to rail against coal and cheer for renewable energy. It's less easy when for generations, your entire family has been dependent on the coal industry, when your father and grandfather and great-grandfather have been coal miners, and Democrats don't want those jobs to exist for you and your kids." Overall, Noem increases her name recognition and funding and, through meeting with politicians, also opens the doors to future endorsements.


April

Noem continues to do what she began the previous month, but on a regional level, she heads towards the South - into South Carolina (where she is well aware of the state's early primary, and as such meets with Governor McMaster, Senator Scott, and other major politicians in the state; and meets with the Republicans whose feathers ex-governor Haley has ruffled), Georgia (pledging to "turn the state red again," and, in a rare move for a Republican, organising meetings with black Republicans in rural Southwest Georgia in an attempt to win over rural black voters in the state - she discusses "solutions for Americans, black and white" and "ways to ease the tensions we have between races," and says that "what the Woke Left wants is reverse racism against white people, not actual solutions for African-Americans. They'll paint us, the Party of Lincoln, as white supremacists. However, there is a lot of common ground between the black community and the Republican Party, and I think we should focus on the things that unite us rather than what divides us").

As for attacking other politicians this month, Noem goes after Kari Lake, saying, "She couldn't win in Arizona. Kari Lake is a sore loser. She lost, and she was too pathetic to admit that she lost. Now she wants to be our president? Kari is, you know, a pretty interesting character. She was for Barack Obama, she was for Hillary Clinton. And she helped elect a Democrat governor of Arizona by running a terrible campaign. This is someone who'd usher in the biggest blue wave since 2006. Mike Pence is a flip-flopper, and so is Kari Lake. She's a big hypocrite. She attacks the mainstream media that she was a part of for decades. She attacks the politicians that she once endorsed. She claims she's been brainwashed - well, I mean, when you hear it straight from the horse's mouth..."

May

Noem attacks Ron DeSantis as a "flip-flopper", criticising his position on vaccines, the environment, and a number of other issues, as she campaigns in New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada, and across the country. She labels Nikki Haley "a female Mike Pence," "an establishmentarian who tries to have it both ways on every issue", and dismisses Mike Lindell "as a delusional crackhead who is so hung up on what happened in 2020 he probably doesn't even realise we're in 2023 now" (she says that "while 2020 was stolen, we need to focus on winning the election by so much next year that the Democrats can't steal it no matter how much they try - and I can do that"), and says "he can't even string together a sentence together without having a meltdown. It's sad what drugs do to a person, and he's a poster boy as to why we should take the drug crisis very seriously" - from where she promptly begins discussing restrictions on cannabis and "protecting our southern border from drug dealers who sell their product to Americans and create an international market out of our children!"

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Nikki Haley Announces Her Candidacy for President in the 2024 Election
May 5, 2023
Columbia, South Carolina

Thank you, everyone.  It's good to be back here on the state grounds in South Carolina.  Over the last sixteen years, America has had to put up with one president after another dividing the country for their own political gain, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, and now to Joe Biden.  All the while, America's problems have only gotten worse.  Inflation is now at 40-year highs thanks to the big-government policies of Joe Biden and the Democrats paying Americans not to go to work.  Violent crime is at 30-year highs as radical socialist DAs and AGs push to defund our police.  Woke Marxists are grooming our children for pedophilia by teaching age-inappropriate curriculum on sexuality and gender, and they are further teaching them to hate our country through critical race theory and reinstating racial segregation.  Meanwhile, the loudest and angriest voices on the far-right are discrediting the conservative cause in the minds of our voters and driving our country further down the path toward the woke left's radical Marxist vision.  And radical left-wingers are working to codify not only abortion on demand, but post-birth infanticide.  America is the greatest country in the history of the world, but make no mistake, we are in decline.  And I refuse to stand by and watch it happen.

As the daughter of Indian immigrants, I was taught that anything is possible in America, and my life has proven it to be true.  As Governor of South Carolina, I passed a sweeping conservative agenda, cutting taxes and regulations, protecting the sanctity of life, and improving education.  I worked with lawmakers in both parties to remove the divisive symbol that was the Confederate flag from these grounds I stand on today.  As President Trump's Ambassador to the United Nations, I went to bat for our country again, standing up to Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and all other tyrannical regimes that would threaten the security of America and the world. 

Our current leadership in Washington is either too weak or scared to take on the challenges that face our country today.  Margaret Thatcher once said that if you want something said, ask a man, but if you want something done, ask a woman.  Sometimes it takes a woman to do the hard work.  And that is why I stand before you today to announce my candidacy to be the next President of the United States.

America faces many challenges today, and I intend to tackle them head-on.  I will scrap Joe Biden's dangerous and reckless nuclear deal with Iran on Day One.  I will stand up to the Chinese Communist Party for its manipulation of currency and its human rights abuses against the Uyghurs.  I will fight for the sovereignty of Israel, our friend and ally and the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, just as I did as UN Ambassador. 

I will fight to protect the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.  That means defunding Planned Parenthood and passing federal legislation to outlaw the infanticide of abortion survivors.  I will work with the FDA to outlaw RU-486, the abortion pill.  And I will fight for federal legislation to require parental consent and notification for minors to have an abortion.

I will fight to ensure that our children are being educated, not indoctrinated.  My life story proves that white privilege and systemic racism are a myth in 21st century America, and I will  withhold funding to any school district that teaches critical race theory, reinstates racal segregation, or teaches age-inappropriate lessons about gender and sexualtity.  I will do whatever it takes to get woke, regressive curriculum out of the classroom.

I will stand up for our law enforcement.  When I am president, any state, county or municipality that defunds the police will itself be defunded by our federal government.  I will work to ensure that police officers who commit clear and egregious abuses are punished accordingly.

I will stand up for taxpayers.  I believe that you know how to spend your hard-earned money better than the government does, and I will work to cut taxes across the board so you can keep more of it. 

And I will work to fight inflation and reduce the cost of living.  I will cancel Joe Biden's blank checks to people who refuse to work and support an all of the above approach to help reduce energy costs.

If you share my vision and believe America's best days can still be ahead, then I encourage you to join this fight.  Go contact your friends, family and neighbors and tell them about our campaign.  We're only at the beginning, but with enough hard work, together we can ensure that America's promise survives and is passed down to another generation.  Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.