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

[McGovernite]

Gillibrand Responds to Mayor Adams' Remarks: Speaking Event

Accessed via Imgur

Gillibrand Campaign Event in Keene, NH

"Folks, I don't know if you've heard, but New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been talking about me recently. *Audience laughs* Although Eric has tried to paint himself as a progressive, it's become clear through his remarks, that he has a fragile masculinity and is willing to make sexist attacks against his opponents in order to advance his own career. He said about me "She talks a lot about everything, but that's all she does, and it's hard to follow what she even has to say." Women in this country fought for centuries for the right to vote, and are still having to fight today for the right to be paid equally, respected, as well as for our own safety. How can Mayor Adams say this? He's painted women as blabbering useless entities. I, for one, refuse to accept this. I demand that Mayor Adams apologize immediatly, not to me but to the women of America. As women, we demand respect. As a candidate for President of the United States, I demand respect! I have fought my way to get here, and I am not going to let someone demean me with sexist and baseless attacks. This is a sad reality as it's one that millions of women in the United States and across the world face today. I'm no stranger to gender-based discrimination, but it's time that we get actual change. As President, I will close the gender pay gap, I will repeal the Hyde Amendment, I will codify Roe, and I will put women's issues at the forefront with the Family Bill of Rights."

[OBD]

GLENN YOUNGKIN 2024: AMERICA, RENEWED

Debate Responses

1. An Opening Statement

Thank you, Miami! Great to be here. If you don't know me - I'm Glenn Youngkin, Governor of Virginia, and I'm running for President because our leaders have failed us. The White House is run by career politicians that care more about corrupting our schools, defunding the police, and pouring trillions in taxpayer dollars down the drain than the kitchen-table issues facing real Americans - crime, inflation, the cost of living. And Republican leadership has been hapless in the face of this assault on American values. Rather than appeal to the millions of Americans - left, right, and center -  that have suffered from failed Biden policies, they've chosen to write off half the country, playing self-defeating political games instead of playing for the voters that could have won them the 2022 midterms. As a party, we need a new approach, and I'm here to provide it. We need to take the fight to the blue states and inner cities, victims of decades of Democrat policy, and listen to the thousands of angry voices there just waiting to be heard. We need to unite folks - rural and urban, rich and poor - to fight against the prospect of another 4 years of failed Democrat rule. I did it in 2021, and we can do it again in 2024. Together, we can bring conservative, American values back to the White House, and see through a vision of an America, renewed.

2. Raise your hand if you believe that Donald J. Trump is the rightful winner of the 2020 Presidential Election (Say if you raised your hand and if you like, write one or two sentences)

(hand not raised) Listen, folks. We're never going to move America forward if we can't move past bygones. My candidacy isn't about the 2020 election. It's about renewing America, bringing American values back in 2024 in beyond.

3. Who is your favorite Republican President in your lifetime? (Keep your answer concise, 2-4 sentences)

Ronald Reagan, unquestionably. He united a Republican Party torn by scandal and discord, then took a country in crisis after a failed Democratic presidency and led it to unprecedented prosperity, putting money in middle-class pockets and American values first. We find ourselves in an eerily similar paradigm today, and as your candidate, you can bet I'd do my best to bring "morning in America" back once more.

4. The United States has an out of control inflation problem. The cost of housing, food, energy, and gasoline is spiraling, what will you do to control inflation and bring down costs for working Americans?

It's abundantly clear to middle-class Americans that the cause of inflation is out-of-control spending by the Democrats, who care more about shoving money into their pet projects than protecting the pocketbooks of their constituents. As President, I'm going to stop this madness, and return control of the purse to the American taxpayer. We're going to build on the Trump tax cuts and put the middle class and small businesses - not radical leftists and billionaire liberals - first.

5. Will you support a national abortion ban? Would it be after 15 weeks of pregnancy? 10 weeks? 6? Or would you prohibit all elective abortions?

I am firmly pro-life. I worked tirelessly to get pro-life candidates elected both in Virginia and across the nation over the past two years, and you can bet I'll do it again in 2024. And if the Virginia legislature sent me a common sense 15-week ban, I would happily sign it, moving our abortion law in-line with the rest of the Western world. But a national ban? It's not that simple. I'm a Southerner, I support states's rights, and that means that ultimately, decisions need to be left up to the states. The ends don't justify the means - we can't become like the Democrats, who will try to force their radical beliefs on abortion on the rest of the country. We're better than that, and we need a President in office who will both preserve state's rights and the right to life.

To Governor Youngkin: Governor, you have been Governor Virginia, for only 1 and a half years as of today, why are you qualified to be chief executive?

Look, let's take a glance at some of our finest Republican presidents. Theodore Roosevelt was a Rough Rider before he led the Republicans. Ronald Reagan? An actor, another outsider visionary. And, of course, the only officeholding experience Honest Abe took into the White House was a term in the House of Representatives. Great presidencies don't come from spending the longest time hobnobbing in a cushy office in DC, Richmond, wherever - they come from great visions. And that's what my campaign has to offer. Whether as Governor of Virginia, where I've fought Democrats in the legislature to protect our schools, our children, and Virginia taxpayers, or as a successful businessman with over twenty years of experience, I've always had a bold vision - and the courage to fight the hard fight to see it through. Listen, folks, if you want our next President to be another old, tired career politician, then y'all should fly up to the White House and convince Joe Biden to run again. But if you want an outsider, a visionary, someone who's ready to fight for American values and win - I'm your guy.  

6. Rebuttal Period/Free Space

Folks, I'm going to make a promise - I'm not going to attack any of my fellow Republicans, unprompted. Sure, I hope to be our grand old party's presidential nominee - and I'm sure I'm the best person to get the job done - but ultimately, the battle for conservative values is more important than just one person. That's why I crossed the country in 2022, tirelessly fighting to help elect conservatives in blue states, red states, and everywhere in between. It's essential that we excise radical socialism from Washington in 2024, and in the end, that's going to be a team effort. We gain nothing from tearing each other apart.

And that's why I take offense to what one of my fellow candidates has been doing. Kristi, you've been throwing attacks at pretty much everyone on this stage tonight. That's not a winning strategy for the GOP. And speaking of winning strategies, our friend Kristi could barely win South Dakota - a ruby-red state - in 2018. Could she deliver for the conservative cause if she became the standard-bearer for the GOP? Something tells me not.

[PPT Spiral]

After making a stop in Nashua, NH, mingling with local police unions and discussing public safety issues, Roger Stone took questions from reporters as he walked out. Among them related to recent criticisms aired out by Kristi Noem to Evangelical leaders:

REPORTER: Mr. Stone, what do you have to say about the recent criticisms from Governor Noem about your personal life?

STONE: Let me state for the record that I'm a big fan of Kristi Noem. The Governor has done a lot for her state, and she's no doubt fierce. I find her latest tangents hypocritical, though, sad to say. I've been more than open about my life, at every stage, not just when I started running for President. And, yes, my relationship with Christ is now stronger than ever. The voters will make their judgment, not politicians, and I fully trust them.

Governor Noem has not been transparent about her personal affairs. I happen to know a thing or two about matters behind closed doors. If the Governor really wants to go down this path, she would be wise to fess up now. Otherwise, you folks in the media are most definitely salivating to learn more soon.

[Schiff for Senate]

At a town hall in Grundy County, IA, a voter asks:
"Governor Noem, I'm concerned about how electable you are. As Glenn Youngkin and Kari Lake pointed out, you only won by 3 points in a solid red state. With that kind of underwhelming performance, how do you think you'd win a national race?"

Noem's response:

"That's certainly a very valid question, and I appreciate your asking it, since I suspect a good number of GOP primary voters are wondering the same thing. Now let's look at the facts of the case. 2018 was a big blue wave, across the country, and South Dakota was no exception. The Democrats did much better than usual. My performance was underwhelming to say the least. But look at 2022. It was a much closer, more balanced, national environment, and I won South Dakota in a landslide. They continue talking about 2018, and not 2022, because they know very well I won in a big landslide last year, a margin of 27 points - as a matter of fact, that's an even bigger landslide than President Trump's in my state in 2020. Not that they'd ever tell you that. So electability is not an issue here. You only need to see my most recent election to believe it. Forget 2018. Look at 2022. I think the results from eight months back, and an even national environment, are far more relevant than the results from five years ago, and a big blue wave.

And of course, and this is especially at Governor Youngkin, while electability, and winning elections, are important, what's also very important is what you do once elected. As governor in South Dakota, I've fought against mandates, in order to give people the right to choose whether to get vaccinate and wear a mask. I've sent National Guard troops to protect our country's southern border against illegal immigrants. I've signed laws to remove permit requirements to open carry guns. I've led effective programs against drug use - something that I know would benefit a certain presidential candidate. I've signed religious freedom laws. I've taken flak from the woke liberal establishment at every turn, and I've pushed back each time.

My point is this: Yes, my victory in 2018 was, due to the blue wave across the country, very underwhelming. But as governor, I pushed a staunchly conservative agenda, and I was rewarded with a big landslide in 2022. So not only am I electable, I am - unlike Kari Lake, unlike Glenn Youngkin - the one who's gotten a conservative agenda enacted in my state. Simple as that."

[VirginiaAaron]

I mean you got a candidate who falsely calls herself Governor even though she lost her race, you got Lin Wood engaging in- I mean ya know. It's a mess and that's all I'm gonna say (Laughs)

LIN WOOD'S TWITTER RESPONSE

Millions wonder how he hasn't been banned...

Tweets made on Tweetgen, profile picture from Wikimedia Commons.

[oldkyhome]

Public Domain, via C-Span
Edits are self-made

Hawley's Debate Answers

1. Opening Statement

Thank you, Neil. It's an incredible honor to stand up here tonight. I'm Josh Hawley. I want to start by saying I am delighted to have my wife Erin in the audience. We have two little boys - Elijah who's 10 and Blaise who's 8 - as well as a girl - Abigail - who are the light of our lives.

I'm from Missouri, grew up in small town Lexington, population 5,000. Missourians are known for our frankness, and tonight I will be frank, because this is a moment of great need for our nation. Families are struggling, prices are soaring, and America is losing its grip under Joe Biden. This President and the special interests that bankrolled his campaign have gotten to work undoing the accomplishments of President Trump, restacking the deck against working America.

Now that Biden's Justice Department has taken to pursue a witchhunt against President Trump just in time for the election, some on this stage might say it's time to back down, it's time to cozy back into the pockets of donors and special interests, and "return to normal." I'm running for President for the opposite reason. It's time to fight - for our principles, for our values, and for the farmers and mechanics and teachers and tradesmen who make this country work. The stakes are higher than they've ever been before.

2. Raise your hand if you believe that Donald J. Trump is the rightful winner of the 2020 Presidential Election

Raises hand. Absolutely. 2020 was an unprecedented election. States skirted the law to hand out millions of mail-in ballots with little supervision or oversight, and now we're learning the FBI actively suppressed stories about President Biden's foreign business dealings and conflicts of interest. It's a joke. Election integrity matters.

3. Who is your favorite Republican President in your lifetime?

President Trump is my favorite and certainly he's been the most transformative. For four years, he championed the concerns of millions of Americans who felt left behind and ignored. He took their cause to the White House and fought the deep state swamp, producing one of the best economies for the middle class our nation had ever seen in the process, and he stood up for our values - appointing 3 pro-life justices to the Supreme Court. If it weren't for him, we'd still be the party of Mitch McConnell and Mitt Romney.

4. The United States has an out of control inflation problem. The cost of housing, food, energy, and gasoline is spiraling, what will you do to control inflation and bring down costs for working Americans?

That's unfortunately been the story of our country for the past 4 years. Prices rise and folks can't get a raise. Politicians don't fix it because they've never felt it. For decades they've outsourced our jobs and industrial manufacturing to our competitors, making deals that benefit their donors and few else. No wonder our supply chain is paralyzed. The insiders have spent their whole career enriching themselves and, make no mistake, they've caused this inflation crisis.

It's no help that the President of the United States is sabotaging our energy industry and financing trillions of dollars in endless pet projects and foreign wars. Let's call it what it is: he's forfeiting American dominance to Russia and China to line his donor's pockets.

Now the Democratic candidates are saying that's not enough? Talking about going further to sabotage American energy? Have they talked to a regular person in the past four years?

We will beat anyone the Democrats put up, and we will beat them easily, so long as we provide an alternative to this mess. Let's unleash our energy production, get people back to work, return the Trump policies that made us energy independent, reshore Americans jobs, and gut all this runaway spending that Congress has been flooding into the economy like no tomorrow. That's how we'll bring costs down for working families, and if we put that up against any Democrat plan it'll be a blowout.

5. Will you support a national abortion ban? Would it be after 15 weeks of pregnancy? 10 weeks? 6? Or would you prohibit all elective abortions?

I'm shocked to hear some of my fellow Republicans on this stage shamelessly abandon life for cheap political points. What happened to values? What happened to conviction? Babies in blue states are allowed to be aborted up to birth, sometimes after, and so-called conservative firebrands won't even lift a finger? I want to make one thing clear: I am 100% pro-life, I believe every human life has intrinsic moral value, and I will do everything in my power as President to protect the sanctity of life.

Our Republic was built on the belief that we have certainly unalienable rights. The first one the Founders listed was life. To the Republicans on this stage who say that's not worth defending because we might lose some elections, I promise you we will lose many more if we turn our backs on pro-life voters and faith-based voters and cave on our most fundamental values. For over a generation, our party led the way in the fight for the sanctity of life, and the moment we get some headway all these career politicians bail? Give me a break.

We will lose this election if we nominate people who believe in nothing but getting elected.

To Senator Hawley: Senator, you've said that "Washington Republicanism" failed in the 2022 midterms and you've disagreed with many Republicans on economic issues. You've worked with self-described democratic socialist Senator Sanders on stimulus checks, and you supported a recent rail workers strike. Sounds like socialism to some. What is your view of economic leadership?

Absolutely, I think it's no secret that Republicans underperformed expectations this last November. Voters who showed up for President Trump both times, especially independents, just didn't feel like the Republican candidates represented them. They felt they were out-of-touch and weren't providing a solid agenda to anyone but their donors. That's not a winning strategy.

Senator Sanders and I worked together because, after 9 long months of lockdowns and mandates, 98 other Senators and their donors thought working people didn't need direct relief. Can you believe that? For how much we hear about partisan division in Washington, you'll be surprised at how much they agree. 80% of Americans wanted Congress to offer direct assistance to working Americans. People were struggling, and I saw that here in Missouri.

We tried to hold a vote on that, but McConnell blocked it. What ended up happening? Well, Joe Biden ran on a watered down version of it and took the Senate majority with the two votes in Georgia. And more recently, Joe Biden pushed Congress to force an agreement on rail workers that they didn't even agree to, that didn't even include a week of paid sick leave. For me and hundreds of millions of Republicans, that was unacceptable, and yet 37 Senate Republicans, including McConnell, voted with Biden to force that deal on rail workers. The vote was 80-15!

My view is that Republicans have a choice. We can either be a party of Wall Street and special interests or we can be a party that represents our voters, but we cannot be both. Today in America nearly 9 in 10 Americans think we're on the wrong track. We have a worse standard of living today than we did 20 years ago. More and more people believe Washington has forgot them than ever before. Under Joe Biden people are worse off, there's no doubt about it, but if we run on more of the same, we will lose just like we did in last year's midterms.

6. Rebuttal Free Space

NOEM: "We need to reduce our spending. We need to curb spending and stop taxing Americans, stop squeezing them dry. That's number one. Number two, what this crisis has shown is that our country is far too dependent on foreign oil. The solution is very clear - we need to have energy independence, by increasing oil drilling and coal mining, by going all-in on fracking, and utilising our nation's natural resources, more effectively. I'm especially well-versed on this issue because I'm from South Dakota, a big oil state. If we could build the Keystone Pipeline, utilise all those resources, that would go a long way in helping set up our energy independence for the future."

Y'know, I find it awfully ironic that Governor Noem hasn't even mentioned our supply-chain issues because, when she was in Congress, she was apart of the problem. She voted for President Obama's trade deal, that sucked millions of jobs out of the economy of middle class America and into China, into Mexico, into Vietnam. When President Trump attempted to steer course and reshore American jobs from China, she stood against him! She said his moves were "devastating." Now, with Biden, costs are spiraling, but we can't be surprised after Washington sold out our mechanics, our tradesmen, our manufacturers to our greatest foreign enemy, Communist China.

[Schiff for Senate]

Noem is asked about Josh Hawley's attacks against her at a town hall in Dallas County, Iowa. She replies: "So Josh has been trying to paint himself as a populist, somebody who's for the working class. But let's look at the facts. When it came to raising Missouri's minimum wage to above $7.85, he was adamantly opposed. Why? Because his rich donors didn't want to pay workers a decent salary. When it comes to right-to-work laws, which are really right-to-work-for-even-less, Josh tries to have it both ways. So he's fooling nobody. He's not for the working class and never has been.

But I also want to talk about what he said about me, look at the 'attack' he used against me. Let's look at his allegation closely, now that we've seen what Josh actually does. Because remember: at the end of the day, with these Washington politicians, it's all bark and no bite - and you need to closely examine what they actually do, not all the empty promises they make on the campaign trail. Yes, I opposed President Trump's tariff war with China, simply because it did end up hurting South Dakotans. President Trump isn't perfect, Josh. Nobody is. And I'm willing to call him out the times that he is wrong. I'm not going to blindly support President Trump, or anybody else. I am always going to be an advocate for the people I am elected to serve. I was serving South Dakotans, and the simple fact of the matter is, President Trump's tariff war, overall, did not help South Dakotans. So I called him out on it. Being adamant, being extreme, even, in serving your constituents, is no vice, and if it is, well, it's my biggest vice. Because no matter who or what it is, if I see any policy that hurts my consistent, I will fight them on it."

Other than that attack against Hawley, of late, Noem has been keeping her campaign positive, focusing on her own accomplishments and backgrounds and only rarely attacking the other candidates (mainly, she attacks Ron DeSantis, the front runner).

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from Kari Lake

Thank you folks for coming here today. You're great. You're great. You're the best this country has to offer, I tell ya. We have construction workers here. We have pipe fitters here. We have wrench holders. A beautiful crowd. A very beautiful crowd. This is the America we're fighting for. This is the America I'm fighting for. Wow.

But I have a big announcement to make. A big one. It's so big, I wrote it down and made it a press release. That way, everyone can read it. Everyone. Even the liars and frauds in the press. Even Queen Nikki and Queen Kristi, who, just so you know, sent me something very interesting the other day. Something scandalous. Something I'm going to make public very soon. Very very soon. But for now, we have a press release. Everyone can read it.

"Kari Lake is calling for a total closure of the Southern Border, with Mexico, until we can completely halt illegal aliens entering the United States."

It's right there, folks. Right there. For you to read. We have a border crisis going on. We had something like half a million people surge into this country in the past month. It was massive. You have all sorts of people running across the border and our President is doing nothing. Joe Biden is doing nothing. Kamala is doing nothing. We don't know if these are good guys or bad guys, but we're letting them in. They're coming in by the truckload. It's a huge swarm, folks, and no one is leading on this issue. No one. I'm the first person to take illegal immigration seriously. The first one. The first since, of course, President Trump. But everyone else in the field, they have no idea. Haven't got a clue. How can they call themselves Republicans?

You look at some of the other candidates in the race, and they're sending illegals into the country. They're sending them deeper into the country. It's like they're making it harder for us to deport them later. Harder for us to find the criminals. You're sending illegal immigrants, trucks and planes full of them, deep into America. The Feds lose them, because they're incompetent, and all of a sudden, we have criminals and murderers deep in American cities, where they'll never be found. Who the hell does that? Who the hell does that? It's like they're trying to get Americans killed folks. Trying to get Americans killed.

On day 1 of a Lake Presidency, we're gonna be closing the border to new arrivals. We're bringing back Title 42. We're sending people back to Mexico. We're gonna find and round up the Coyotes. And for the good people, we'll be respectful. But we have to find the good ones. We can't let everyone in. We can't let the bad ones in with the good ones. Until this issue is fixed, we're closing the border. We're gonna close the border, for a period, then we're gonna secure it. Once it's secured, with a wall, with a big beautiful ICE and a border patrol, we'll reopen it for good. But only once it's secure.

[GoTfan]

Ro Khanna 2024

Staying Above the Fray

With a political knife-fight engulfing the leaders of the field, Ro attempted to paint himself as being above the fray. His priority was on building support for a progressive agenda, and he would continue pressing the case forward for that. he was please to have the endorsement of CWA President Shelton, and would hold an internet town hall exclusive to CWA members, based on what his plans would be for the furture of the American communications grid. With technology developing more and more with every passing day, it was going to become more and more vital to ensure America's communications infrastructure was kept not just up to date, but better.

With reports that he was preferred by House Progressive, Ro moved quickly to lock up as much support as he could from that arena. He held meetings with Pramila Jayapal, Mark Pocan, Ayanna Pressley, and his colleague from California, Katie Porter. he continued his meetings with local Democratic leaders in California as well, including Mayor Bass. There was still the hope that he would be able to come up between Newsom and Harris in their brawl over support in California, and he was hoping to combine his campaign's skill at digital marketing with some level of support from prominent California Democrats. He also held a digital meeting with the California Assembly's Majority Leader, Eloise Reyes, who had entered office by challenging an incumbent from the left.

Las Vegas, Nevada

"People like to say to progressives 'Oh, you're too unrealistic.'. They like to say that we can't have  $15 an hour minimum wage because it will impact businesses. They say we can;t have Medicare for All or college for all because it will wreck our budget. They say that we can't raise taxes on the wealthy because it will cause them to leave this country. They accuse us of being unrealistic, having no concept of economic realities.

These are all blatant lies. A $15 an hour wage helps our economy because it gives working people more money to spend. Medixare for All, as pointed out by the Heritage Foundation, actually saves us money in the long run. Universal tuition-free college will help our economy by giving the next generation of Americans a leg up. Raising taxes on the wealthy will cause businesses to leave? Please. Take a look at the tax rates from the 1950s under a Republican administration and tell me if businesses fled en masse.

The truth is that progressivism is the story of the country. We can build on what has been given to us by making healthcare universal, by making college affordable, by making the walthy pay their fair share, by raising the minimum wage, and by supporting our unions! This year, let's send a message to the people at the top that they can't have it all!"

Playing the long game

[/b]

The Khanna campaign from the outset was determined not be a simple flash in the pan, but a serius campaign that would hopefully peak around the time the early states began voting. Meeting with community leaders and local organisers in the early primary states-New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina-would be criticla to his campaign going forward, as would any positive headlines that they would be able to grab.

He kept up the standard meetings as well with people he had previously apporached for support, including Stephenson and Smalls; he had to get the support of organised labour before the other candidates could move on it, especially when the AFL-CIO would likely end up endorsing Harris over anyone else.

[YPestis25]

Gore Campaign Strategy

Source:Change.org

   The Gore Campaign will need to hit the ground running and fast. The first month of the campaign will consist of establishing a fundraising apparatus based around both online small donors and in person fundraising events catered to bringing in larger donations. Gore will tap into his Tennessee connections, as well as among the older members of Congress in Washington to build fundraising lists.

   With the finances in order, the Gore campaign will focus squarely on South Carolina. A strong showing in the Palmetto State is key to the success of the whole endeavor. Field offices will be opened throughout the state and Gore will begin to barnstorm South Carolina extensively. A secondary focus will be put on Nevada, where offices will be opened in Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City.

   In addition to the logistics of the campaign, the campaign will highlight its momentum, and as such will begin to roll out endorsers who will barnstorm in the key states. As indicated by the endorsements requested, these endorsers will come primarily from the South or otherwise from individuals who served in the Congress while Al Gore was Vice-President. Gore will utilize his personal connections and Southern roots to work to win over these endorsements.

   As the campaign gets underway Gore’s primary theme will come down to two key pillars: Experience and Bridging the Gap between the factions in the party. These will be highlighted below.

Experience:

-Vice President Gore has the Experience to Deal with Republican Tricks
   -He knows that this election will be fraught with dirty tricks and lawsuits. Gore has been through it once, he can lead us through it again.

-Vice President Gore has the Experience to Expand the Map and Compete with Republicans on their Own Turf
   -Everytime that Gore has been on a national ticket he has expanded the map, forcing Republicans to compete in new places and helping to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.

-Vice President Gore has the Experience to Navigate Congress and Get Work Done for All Americans
   -As Vice President for 8 years Gore helped to oversee major packages in Congress, making the Clinton Presidency a smashing success and helping to lead to eight years of strong economic growth.

-Vice President Gore has the Experience in Foreign Affairs that is so Crucial Today
   -As Vice President, Gore helped lead America through serious crises in the Balkans, Africa and Eastern Europe.

-All in all, he has the experience to lead America through this new epoch, where America cannot afford a pair of unsteady hands. The past four years have shown us the value of experience and connections in Washington and Vice President Gore intends to continue building on the success of the past four years.

Bridging the Gap:

-The Vice President has long been representative of the Democratic Coalition, ahead of his time on issues like climate change, and endorsing gay marriage in 2008, even while representing a moderate state and taking a leading national role.

-The Vice President has the ability to lead the diverse Democratic coalition, uniting all facets of the coalition and bringing us to victory, in particular his plans (below in the debate) on both climate and healthcare are mainstream and popular with the general public and primary voters.

   These themes will feature heavily in the candidate’s own public appearances as well as the work of his surrogates and in his advertisements. Expect a more thorough campaign schedule shortly.

[YPestis25]

Gore Debate Answers

Source: Reuters

1. An Opening Statement

Thank you Lester and I would also like to express my thanks to Drexel University for hosting us tonight. My name is Al Gore, and I may be as shocked to announce as you are to hear that I am running for President again.

Philadelphia is the home of American liberty where two centuries ago men from up and down this still undeclared nation answered a call to serve their nation. All of us on this stage, despite the attacks you’re seeing on the airwaves and in the press, answered an earnest call. We all answered a call to serve our nation.

I am running for President because I believe that I have the know-how, I have the experience to protect and build on President Obama and President Biden’s legacies. I look forward to discussing the issues facing our nation with all of you tonight.

2. Raise your hand if you support the adoption of a single-payer, "Medicare for All" style healthcare system. (Say if you raised your hand and if you like, write one or two sentences)
   

Needless to say you all saw I didn’t raise my hand. I think “Medicare for All” is a great plan, an admirable plan, and I do not for one minute disparage anyone who supports this policy tonight. But here’s the problem, and it’s the problem that everyone on this stage recognizes but won’t tell you. It cannot pass. We didn’t have the votes in 2020 when these debates could talk about nothing but healthcare and we don’t have the votes now. I think it is best to be honest with the American people about what we can actually accomplish.

My proposal is simple: expand Medicare to include an opt-in for those 55 and older and provide a public option health insurance program to compete with the private insurance companies. This proposal isn’t exciting, it’s not going to trend on Twitter, but it is something that we can get done.

3. The world is faced with the imminent threat of catastrophic climate change. This means storms, droughts, and more common freak weather events, rising sea levels, among other negative consequences. What is your plan to address this, mitigate the effects, and prevent long term damage to the planet?

I am grateful for this question. I have been talking about climate change for the better part of two decades. Unfortunately, the predictions that we have been listening to are starting to come true. We are now living with the effects of climate change. Horrific fires are ravaging California, Tennessee has been subject to terrible flooding, and New York has seen unbelievable winter weather.

What does this all mean? Well, this means we have got to do two things. One we have got to continue our efforts to reduce the future amount of warming and greenhouse gas emissions. This means that we should expand President Biden’s investments into green energy. We should be pouring money into solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric stations across the country, creating new renewable sources of energy and also revitalizing the economies of places that have been forgotten. This also means we must continue to work with our partners, and our adversaries globally to ensure that every nation is doing its fair share to reduce the threat of climate change.

Secondly, we must begin to update our infrastructure and emergency services for the new stresses that climate change will put on them. That means building new levees on America’s great rivers, it means updating our ports and our underground infrastructure, and it means being prepared for national scale climate emergencies.

I am not a pessimistic person. I know that the road to combating climate change will be difficult but together we can continue to build a bright future for our country.

4. What could we expect for the first 100 Days of your presidency?

The first 100 days. Pundits sure love that question. A presidency is more than the first 100 days. A presidency is, if you’re lucky, an eight year commitment to the American people to serve and protect them. To listen to their concerns and their problems, and to do everything in your power to leave this country a better place than you found it.

At any rate, I’ll tell you what my priorities will be: Medicare expansion and the implementation of a public option, vast new recommitment to America’s leadership in the fight against climate change, and reaffirming America’s leadership of the free world, a leadership which President Biden has taken on so impressively.

But these are priorities which will extend beyond just the 100 days. The mark of any great presidency is a program which is not limited by such artificial distinctions. FDR transformed the country, and it surely took more than 100 days. LBJ reinvented our conception of a social safety net and civil rights, and it surely took more than 100 days. Presidents Obama and Biden rescued us from the depths of recession and crisis, and boy let me tell you that sure took more than 100 days. The race for the presidency is full of soundbites, but the presidency is a complex thing - let’s act like it.

5. Who is the United States's greatest geopolitical adversary?
   

I’m not going to hem and haw here. The answer is China. What Russia is doing in Ukraine is horrific. A war of aggression against a sovereign neighbor with the express goal of annexation. Ukraine’s resistance and pugnacity, its heroism and strength is an inspiration to us all. Yet we must see what’s going on here. Russia is destroying itself. Sending crops of its young men to die in an imperialist war the likes of which we have not seen since 1945. Russia even now is falling under the sway of Beijing and an authoritarian regime which has mastered the use of technology to suppress its population and maintain strict control at home. Worse yet China is exporting this brand of tyranny around the globe, sending arms, money and investments across Asia, Africa and Europe. China represents the single greatest threat to American interests and international freedom since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

This threat requires not just a concerted American response but a concerted response by all of our allies around the globe. We must work and strive earnestly to continue the work that President Biden began in reassuming America’s leadership role in the world.

To Vice President Gore: You passed on presidential candidacies in 2004, 2008, 2016, and 2020 when there was a great deal more speculation on you throwing your hat into the ring. Now at the age of 75 you've finally decided to give it another go. Why run now? Why is this year different?
   

Look everyone, I get it. You’re all probably thinking why am I here? Heck, some nights I finally get home and I ask myself the same thing. And then I see my wife, and I see my grandkids, and I realize what I’m doing this for. We all lived through the past eight years. The stakes are simply too high. None of us can sit idly by and hope that someone else is going to do the hard work of preserving our democracy and giving a fair shake to all Americans.

I am running for President today because I am sick and tired of seeing hard won Democratic gains going down the drain. We saw it in 1968, we saw it in 1980, we saw it in 2000, and 2016 but God willing we’re not going to see it in 2024. President Biden has done a tremendous, a tremendous job of rebuilding our nation after Trump. We cannot squander that, we must build on President Biden’s legacy, expand his infrastructure funding to new green investments, expand Medicare and other programs for the American people, and continue our leadership in the world against the authoritarians in Moscow and Beijing.

I am running for President because I can continue this legacy. I know what it takes to win a national election. I helped win two, and if you all remember came quite close to winning a third (laughs). I know what the Republicans are going to throw at us this fall - Goodness I mean have you seen the clown car over there? We cannot afford to let them get within a mile of the White House. I have the know-how and experience to win this election. We cannot afford to waltz into a coronation. This election is about more than any one of us. It is about you all. And you all deserve a choice.

Rebuttal

Look everyone (addressed to the other candidates on the stage) I get that we are under a lot of stress here, but we owe it to the American people not to speak to them in platitudes, particularly about the threats to America and democracy globally. Vice President Harris, it is so lovely to see another Vice President on the stage, but one of the most important jobs that an American president undertakes is keeping us safe abroad and I think we all owe the American people a frank answer on the threats facing us globally. Indeed, all we have gotten from your answer is an endorsement of another candidate’s plan. What are you going to do to protect America’s position globally?

[YPestis25]

Overview of Gore Campaign Activities

Source: Guardian

A Fast Start

   Fresh off of his strong debate performance, Vice President Gore took the country, barnstorming with a fresh round of endorsers with a particular focus on South Carolina and Nevada. In June, with Congressman Steve Cohen and Former Congressman Jim Cooper the Vice President attended the opening of his national campaign headquarters in Nashville, and that evening kicked off with a major fundraiser in the city before beginning a two week barnstorming of South Carolina, hitting Columbia, Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach. This first round of barnstorming was focused squarely on a positive message, which highlighted Vice President Gore’s experience with executive leadership and progressive bonafides on gay marriage and climate change. At each of these locations, the Vice President would open one field office, recruiting new volunteers, and also meeting with community leaders. The Vice President’s campaign, despite his previous high office and executive campaign experience would not be characterized by a high and mighty attitude, rather he would take the time to shake the hands of the average voters and meet with local Democratic leaders wherever he went in the state.

   As the Vice President was barnstorming, his major endorsers would fan out across the Southern United States and the Southwest, fundraising and barnstorming for the Vice President, focusing both on his climate plans, and his plans to expand healthcare access. These efforts would culminate at the end of July with a kickoff rally for the Nevada team in Las Vegas.

“Thank you, Las Vegas! Gosh I am thrilled to be here. If you’d told me this is the kind of welcome we’d be receiving I wouldn’t have believed it…If I have said it once I have said it a million times. I will be ready on day one to lead and to take on the challenges that everyday Americans need their President to take on. I will fight for expanded Medicare access for our older citizens, I will fight for a public healthcare option, and I will revitalize our green industry with new government subsidies which will breathe life back into so many local economies…this election is about more than just any one candidate, it is about you and your families. We cannot sleepwalk into a defeat, we need to fight everyday to ensure that a Republican does not find their way back into the White House.”

Keeping up the Pressure

   
   With a strong summer start behind him, the Vice President in July returned to South Carolina for another two week stint, addressing both the local state Democratic convention, and the local AFL-CIO. Focusing on his labor record, and his track record of representing Democratic interests from across the country, the Vice President continued to barnstorm the state returning to both Charleston and Columbia before taking his campaign bus, now emblazoned with the red and blue Gore logo to the rural upcountry and midlands of the state.

“Look, I know what it feels like up here. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee where every summer I worked on the farm. I have seen what’s happened to rural America over the past half decade. Our small towns have hollowed out. Businesses have shut down. People started dying of drug overdoses and just despair. For fifty years no one cared enough to do anything. It is time that a real program for rural revitalization begins. New federal money for rural schools, and new investment in rural green energy is just the start of what we can do. As President you cannot afford to ignore any part of the country, and I certainly won’t.”

   
       As July turned to August, and the Vice President returned to Nevada and then swung through New Hampshire, he began to hone his attacks against the other candidates. While preferring to generally stay above the fray, more frequent mentions of a certain unnamed candidate’s platitudes and vagaries began to appear, and were contrasted with the Vice President’s record of serious policy experience.
   

Finishing the Summer Strong

   With momentum at his back, and more endorsements and fundraising starting to roll in, by September the Vice President had hit his stride. A swing through coastal South Carolina brought discussion of his plan to protect coastal communities from rising sea levels and a trip to and rally in Detroit allowed him to remind labor of his long history supporting them, even in the difficult 80s.

   Returning to his base in the South, major fundraisers in Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta and New Orleans allowed Gore to begin his first ad blitz in South Carolina, speaking directly to voters about his record and his plan for the country. In particular the Vice President continued to remind voters that he had what it took to overcome whatever Republicans threw at him and that he could expand the map into new directions.

   With the summer coming to an end, the Vice President felt strongly that the campaign was off to a good start.

[Continential]

On responding to Larry Hogan's attack:

Nice attempt at sounding like a Trump conservative, Larry, but you'll have to try harder next time. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people around the world who also deserve their freedom and liberties. Reagan talked about this all the time. If I can help inspire our neighbors to the north break free from socialism without sacrificing my loyalty to this country, just as I've done, that's a beautiful thing. What have you ever done that actually amounts to something, Governor?

Larry Hogan's response to Roger Stone

How ironic is it for someone who has been convicted of seven felonies to lecture someone about the importance of doing something, I spent my career leading a real estate company and helped developed land and built communities - then later on as Governor I lowered crime, taxes, and improved the quality of life of Marylanders. What have you done to directly affect our country, Mr. Stone aside from advising people, both domestic and foreign and your vanity run for the Presidency?

Abridged version of a Press Release from the Larry Hogan campaign - August 1, 2023

Many Americans cannot afford retirement, and I believe we should give relief to America's retirees who most need relief by removing taxes on retirement income for many retirees, along with a variety of reforms which will fix various issues in Social Security to make it more sustainable for future generations.

Additionally, we must also lower Medicare premiums, and in Maryland, I helped lower Medicare premiums - I hope to replicate that nationally as President.

WEB AD - Targeted towards retirees on Fox News/various social media platforms nationally

As President Larry Hogan will eliminate taxes on your retirement income and improve social security

[PPT Spiral]

Biden and Trump

Over the summer, like no other, the Stone campaign was intent on fully capitalizing on the new DOJ charges brought against Trump. After all, no one in the field could be a better communicator on the unjustness than Stone, who faced overlapping charges and was rammed by the full force of the legal-media industrial complex. The hope from Stone with raising attention to the cause is that he can continue to build momentum among the base, who has been long saturated with tales about government malice and wrongdoing on the prosecutorial side, as well as stand out among the field to Trump in particular. How will this be done? Through a variety of attention-grabbing methods, naturally.

Immediately after the new charges dropped in early July, Stone—with Steve Bannon at his side—scheduled a meeting with the whole of the Freedom Caucus. This persecution of Trump has to be addressed, Stone said, and he is the only one who has bothered to mount a resistance campaign. Stone would stress his deep roots and credentials with grassroots conservative causes as he hopes to collect endorsements from this power bloc over time. Near the end of the meeting, Stone dropped an announcement: he would be organizing a flash rally in DC, and they were all invited.

This rally—held outside the White House on July 21st—would attract scores of conservative politicians, Trump loyalists, and various right-wing agitators. Stone went the direction of being big and bold, offering speaking slots to the likes of Alex Jones, Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Michael Flynn. Perhaps the greatest standout, however, was Tucker Carlson—the Fox host who most forcefully spoke up against the charges, even as Stone has quietly been working on charming Hannity and Ingraham over the months as well. All spoke passionately about their experiences fighting the establishment and the importance of direct action. As Stone got up to speak to the world, his remarks included the following:

The hits keep on coming, don't they? It's like they pull a rabbit out of their hat, keeping us in suspense. Or, I swear, they just indict somebody based on their mood. Tucker said it perfectly the other night: If they can target President Trump, they can target any of you. I know this all too well. You're all here with us today because you understand the corruption we're facing, the sheer brazenness of them trying to lock up pro-America voices left and right. This DOJ is getting high on their own supply, and you know Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are laughing their asses off over this mockery. Sick.

My friend, the one and only Marjorie Taylor Greene, introduced articles of impeachment on Biden early this year. Astoundingly, none of the other Republicans but myself have ever brought this up or bothered to care. That should tell you something about where they stand. Where I stand is with the voices of liberty all across the nation, furious over how this government continues to shackle and undermine the people at every turn. It's time to send a clear message that they live by rules too.

Speaker Scalise, I know you're listening. Open up the impeachment inquiry immediately. Get down to the nitty gritty and expose the full corruption of the DOJ and Deep State. Show the world that we stand with our working men and women who are being silenced by threat or force every single day. They will continue to break President Trump and the rest of you until we put our foot down and say, "enough."

This won't end with today's rally, by the way. I'm going to make that very clear. My campaign will activate the simmering rage of the American people across the nation, whether these sons of bitches in Washington like it or not. Get ready.

What Stone alluded to in his speech that day would soon play out as "impeach-a-thons": closely coordinated events by the campaign where they would compel attendees to call and write to their representatives, demanding impeachment. Two main benefits emerged from the impeach-a-thons. One is that public pressure is progressively mounting on Congress to consider impeachment, knowing the wrath of the base. Another for Stone is that the campaign, through required disclosures to sign first, obtains the contact information of attendees right away before they pressure lawmakers. This greatly opens the door to fielding new, permanent staff and volunteers through prior engagement; expanding the pool of citizens used for daily fundraising; as well as tapping into a distinct issue that the other candidates can now only play catch-up on. These events are regularly deployed in the early states over the summer as Stone treks his way. Beyond Stone, though, other prominent surrogates break off into separate events for filling the gaps. This is thought by the campaign internally to be a new, innovative approach for bulking up their footsoldiers and overall organization as the first primaries slowly make their way around the corner.

[RGM2609]

Gavin Newsom - For a Brighter Future

Following the Newsom campaign's decision to triage South Carolina and Georgia, all resources have been placed in New Hampshire and Nevada, both of which being states where the campaign sees a clear path to victory, and the Governor criss-crossed both states as much as possible, with time split mostly evenly between them, perhaps with a slight bias towards New Hampshire.

While in Nevada, among other things Governor Newsom presented his plan for the economy, the centerpoint of which being increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour but also increasing the importance of unions and fighting against corporate abuses. Newsom said: "Look, I want to substantively fkscuss these issues in-depth with my fellow Democratic candidates, but that's not possible, because some of us offer nothing but focus-group tested scripts and talking points instead of a real alternative. My fellow candidates, let's leave the consultants and the focus groups and the ego and the need for a coronation behind us and offer our solutions to the people!"

In New Hampshire, when during a town hall in Manchester a voter asked Governor Newsom why to support specifically him out of such a crowded field, he answered: "Look, I believe that the Democratic voters are looking for two things. First of all, someone who is committed to the progressive agenda. And I am that candidate, even moreso I proved it in California. I am committed to giving everyone access to healthcare and fixing the broken system, I am committed to minimum wage increases, to fighting against climate change, to open our doors to immigrants, to increasing gun control. And then, I believe Democrats want someone who can win. Because winning is more important than ever. Just look at these Republicans! Someone with a -20 approval rating isn't winning! I believe I can. I never lost an election, I defeated a desperate Republican attempt to recall me by 20% when they were saying it'll be close. I am ready to take the fight to whatever grifter I have to face in the General Election!"

[RGM2609]

Gavin Newsom - For a Brighter Future

Today, the Newsom campaign presented a pledge called "No Dark Money", which Governor Newsom has signed and it is open for all Democratic candidates. It promises that the signatory candidates won't take money from:
- Big Oil and Big Pharma
- Lobbyists
- Super PACs
All Democratic candidates are invited to sign it.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

September 2023

Confronted by reporters about Kirsten Gillibrand's assertion that his remarks about her were misogynistic and "painted women as blabbering useless entities", a visibly frustrated Eric Adams replied:

This accusation is bewildering and completely false. Look, I have great respect for women throughout history who fought for equal rights, and saying that Senator Gillibrand twisted my words would be an understatement. She said that I have a fragile masculinity too? I think if anything hers was a racially charged attack, painting a Black man as a menace by misrepresenting his intentions.

[S019]

June 2023-September 2023

Strategy: DeSantis' strategy will focus on continuing to establish field operations and voter outreach in the first four states, he will also continue running the biographical ad from the previous turn.

June 2023: Visit to NV, hold several rallies including one with Representative Amodei and former AG Laxalt. Also hold meeting with Governor Joe Lombardo to seek his endorsement (campaign will have a strong emphasis on lockdowns due to their destructive impacts on the Nevadan economy).

Here in Nevada, the Democratic run lockdowns devastated the economy. Joe Biden and the Democrats want more of that. Meanwhile, in Florida we showed there's a different way. We gave you the freedom to make your own decisions. There is hope in Nevada, you all elected a wonderful Republican governor, and next fall we are going to elect a Republican slate all across Nevada.

[crowd cheers]

We will show that Nevada is not going to be a state where woke leftists can implement lockdowns anymore.

Early July 2023: Participate in debate, appear on national media in the week after to discuss debate performance and also to give the campaign more national exposure.

Mid July 2023: Governor duties

Late July 2023: Visit to New Hampshire, meet with Governor Chris Sununu, former Senator Kelly Ayotte, and state legislative leadership to seek their endorsements (campaign with an increased focus on taxes to appeal to business-orientated Republicans, especially in the Seacoast).

Here in New Hampshire, the Republicans have kept your taxes low! Unlike in many of these other Northeastern states, young people in New Hampshire can find a place to live, because tax-and-spend Democrats don't run this state. My campaign is going to bring these low tax values, some of my deepest held, to the White House. I believe that you shouldn't be unable to afford a house just because you live in a Democratic run tax-and-spend state. So many young people move to Florida, because of the low taxes that our administration implemented, but this is a national campaign, and we need to make sure that no American is unable to afford a place to live because their taxes are too high.

August 2023: Visit to Iowa, meet with Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Joni Ernst, Senator Chuck Grassley, and state legislative leadership for endorsements (campaign with an increased focus on abortion compared to other states to court evangelical vote)

I am deeply committed to protecting life, and I am going to work hard to get a Republican majority to finally protect life all across America.

[crowd cheers]

In Florida, we have banned abortions after 10 weeks, and I am prepared to push for such a ban nationally. But it's important that we not only protect life, but we need to go a step further and make sure that the activist judges who allowed for abortions to occur until the moment of birth are never nominated again. I believe deeply in respecting the precedent of Dobbs v Jackson, and was the only candidate on stage to claim that I would only appoint judges who will respect that precedent.

September 2023: Visit South Carolina, meet with state legislative leaders and US representatives (campaign with an increased focus on culture wars, including CRT/LGBT issues to court rural conservatives)

Our country is under attack from the radical left. They are teaching woke gender ideology to our kids in our schools. This, sadly is Joe Biden's America, where kids are indoctrinated into this woke nonsense. I am going to stop all of this woke idiocy. We're also going to stop the Marxist indoctrination in our schools that teaches our kids to hate America. In my America, we are going to learn to love America again and appreciate all that makes it great.

[oldkyhome]

Self-made campaign material

Summer Schedule (1/2)

June 1: Appear on Tucker Carlson Tonight to discuss Hawley's economic vision for the GOP
June 2: Pep talk with campaign staff and volunteers, in preparation for the official launch.
June 3: Formulate the campaign's opening strategy with high-level aides and allies.
June 4: Meet privately with Senators John N. Kennedy and Marco Rubio, courting their support.
June 5: Coordinate social media campaign with young staffers. Launch "Zoomers for Hawley" operation.
June 6: Kick-off the campaign with a massive rally in Hawley's home-town of Lexington, MO.
June 7: Schedule interviews on various national media networks to pitch Hawley's message to national GOP voters.
June 8-10: Open 3 field offices in Iowa. Hold a town-hall event in Dubuque discussing inflation.
June 11: Visit evangelical leaders to solicit their endorsement, including Franklin Graham and Rick Scarborough.
June 12: Host a round-table discussion with small-town Iowa pastors in bid to mull grassroots evangelical support.
June 13-16: Hold 6 town-hall events with Erin in Iowa, emphasizing family values and faith.
June 17-22: Tour across Southwest Iowa, hosting small 'stump' events in each county.
June 23: Meet with natural gas workers in Pleasant Hill, IA for photo-op event
June 24: Campaign Rally in Boone, IA with Bob Vander Plaats (new endorsement)
June 25: Sit down for a radio interview with KBIZ 1240 AM to discuss Iowan infrastructure, agribusiness, energy
June 26: Deliver keynote speech for the Young Farmer Conference in Des Moines
June 27-29: Host 5 more town-hall events in primarily suburban areas to discuss crime.
June 30: Join door-knocking efforts with volunteers. Talk to staffers, congratulating them on a successful month.

July 1-3: Return to D.C for Senatorial duties and to meet privately with Senators Mike Braun and Rick Scott.
July 4-5: Cease campaigning. Condemn the President's divisive July 4th address.
July 6: Hold a prime-time press conference calling for a House Oversight investigation into the DoJ's conduct
July 7: Attend interviews with Tucker Carlson Tonight and Huckabee to discuss the DoJ's new charges
July 8: Meet with President Trump and Chairman Dhillon.
July 9: Appear on the Ingraham Angle to demand GOP leaders fight back
July 10: Release an op-ed to Compact Magazine outlining Hawley's anti-corruption agenda
July 11-14: Travel to Texas, Michigan, Missouri for a fundraising blitz
July 15: Return to Iowa to open 2 new field offices in Ankeny and Ames
July 16: Campaign Rally in Muscatine, IA with Erin Hawley
July 17-19: Hold 5 meet-and-greet events in church halls across Northwest Iowa
July 20: Host a round-table discussion with small-town Iowa pastors, mulling grassroots evangelical support.
July 21: Sit down for an interview with KFJB 1230 AM to discuss abortion, fentanyl epidemic
July 22: Appear on Hannity to discuss the campaign's Iowa strategy
July 23-25: Hold 4 town-halls in rural Iowa on abortion, family values
July 26: Meet with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks to solicit her endorsement
July 27: Campaign Rally in Waterloo, IA on govt. corruption and transparency
July 28: Meet with Iowa's Right-to-Life chapter to court their support
July 29: Host a meet-and-greet with the ISU Federalist Society
July 30-31: Debate preparation with strategists and staffers

Senator Josh Hawley, via Flickr
Hog Roast (335) by Dave Davidson, via Flickr

Shoring up evangelical support for Iowa Caucus, Josh Hawley secures major endorsement with Bob Vander Plaats

Amidst a campaign blitz in the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucus, it became clear the Hawley campaign was making a concerted effort to convince Iowa's significant bloc of evangelical voters that Hawley was the sole candidate for family values and social conservatism. It appears that effort has now paid off, as the President of the The Family Leader (a socially conservative organization headquartered in Iowa) and often-renowned kingmaker of the Iowa Caucus has today endorsed Senator Hawley, joining him for a campaign rally in Boone.

Hawley spoke to the crowd of nearly 1500 people on the importance of values and principles in politics before handing over the mic to Plaats, who explained why he believed Senator Hawley was the best choice for religious conservatives. In short, he presented Hawley's upbringing and record as 'distinct' from the rest of the field, and highlighted his courage and no-nonsense attitude in the U.S Senate, including his votes against the Respect for Marriage Act and the nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Here's an excerpt:

"In Senator Hawley, religious conservatives have a fighter like no other. His principles-first, values-first approach is exactly what we need right now in the White House, both to defeat Vice President Harris and to restore our nation's moral fabric once we do. I know that because he's only been in politics for a short while, but he's been fighting for religious liberty and Christian values his entire life, whether it was as an appellate litigator defending Hobby Lobby's religious freedom before the Supreme Court or as Missouri Attorney General tackling human trafficking."

Public Domain, via C-Span

Hawley emerges as top fighter in Trump legal battles, demanding House Investigation into DOJ conduct

When the Department of Justice unveiled new charges against the former President, Senator Hawley did not hesitate to condemn it, immediately hosting a prime-time press conference to call for an 'immediate investigation' by the Oversight Committee into the DOJ's conduct, noting that the legal battle 'has dragged on for almost a year, with no results, no transparency, no accountability. ... I mean, what exactly are the American people supposed to make of this?' He's dogged it on to his broader anti-corruption agenda and surfaced as one of former President Trump's top fighters in the race for President, along with famed political consultant Roger Stone.

He further called for the impeachment or resignation of Attorney General Merrick Garland, telling reporters there that 'between the unannounced, unprecedented raid on Mar-a-Lago, the two-tiered justice system that protects crooks like Hunter Biden and Hillary Clinton but slams down on the President's political opponents, and what we're seeing now, it's clear Attorney General Garland has done more to assault the rule of law and democratic norms than anything Trump did in his four years. He must resign, and we must reform the FBI from top to bottom.'

In the following days, Hawley appeared on a variety of conservative networks, discussing and ridiculing the charges with several Fox News figureheads, as well as demanding party leaders, such as Chairman Dhillon and Speaker Scalise, lead the fight to force accountability from the DoJ. Now he's telling reporters that 'if Garland chooses to testify before the Senate, you can be certain I'll be there to question everything about this sham witchhunt.'

Hawley has reportedly been meeting with President Trump and Chairman Dhillon, but notably not Speaker Scalise. On the meetings, Hawley says 'the Republican Party needs to stand up and fight back now. I am ashamed at the silence of some of my colleagues in both the Senate and the Presidential race. People are angry and they're only going to get more angry as the deep state pulls more rabbits out of hats to silence their political opposition.'

Hawley Op-Ed: "To drain the swamp, we must push forth an anti-corruption agenda."

The past three years, our nation has seen the absolute worst of the corruption in Washington. It's precisely the kind of rot that Trump lambasted in his 2016 campaign, and now he's feeling the full force of the deep state because of it. Most Americans and independents hate that this kind of malpractice and pay-to-play politics is so ordinary in our system of government, but to root it out, we need to push forth an alternative and make it priority number one.

In 1958, the National Election Survey first asked Americans a simple question: Do you trust the government to do the right thing most of the time? That year, 73% of Americans said yes. In 2022, that number was just 20%. Four out of every five Americans do not trust their government to do the right thing.

That may be because the Biden Administration recently launched a "Disinformation" board in the Department of Homeland Security to get government into the business of fact-checking speech. Or it may be because the FBI actively lied to tech companies to convince them to censor stories about President Biden's foreign business dealings and conflicts of interest. It certainly hasn't helped, but we all know, at the root, this problem has developed far longer than even some of our lifetimes.

The rot has been there for some time: Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and career bureaucrats. Look no further than our current President: Joe Biden. He first got elected to the U.S Senate when Richard Nixon was President, so it should surprise nobody that he's picked up a few tricks from old Dick. In the 1990s, then Sen. Biden voted to deregulate the financial services industry, and giant mergers that made certain banks “too big to fail” followed soon after. It’s not hard to imagine how this turbocharged risky, predatory and speculative activity eventually resulted in the financial crisis of 2008.

When Vice President Biden had the chance, with President Barack Obama, to make things right, he didn’t. Virtually no senior executives of Wall Street firms were prosecuted for their role in our economy’s collapse, when it’s clear that those who played fast and loose with the securitization of home mortgages were the ones who brought it all crashing down.

He did this because the system is designed that way. It was designed that way by influence peddlers who have weaponized lobbying to coerce the government to do what they want. These days we call them "special interests," and they have robbed this country of its most basic founding value: that it is the common man and woman that make up a nation, not elites or CEOs.

Today, I’m announcing a comprehensive set of far-reaching and aggressive proposals to kill corruption in Washington. It would be the most sweeping set of anti-corruption reforms since Watergate. The goal of these measures is straightforward: to take power away from wealthy special interests and career politicians in Washington and put it back where it belongs – in the hands of the people.

My Plan:
> Ban lobbying from foreign entities.
> Ban federal agencies from colluding to censor American citizens.
> Prohibit lobbyists from donating to or fundraising for political candidates.
> Expand the definition of lobbyists to include everyone who is paid to influence lawmakers.
> Restrict the ability of lobbyists to enter government jobs.
> Prohibit lawmakers from engaging in the stock trade.
> Dramatically expand disclosure rules for lobbyists.
> Fire every federal bureaucrat who has engaged in government censorship.
> Ban taxpayer dollars from being used to "fact-check" speech
> Revise Section 230 to drastically curtail big platforms' power to restrict lawful speech.
> Ban elected officials and top government appointees from becoming lobbyists.
> Strengthen federal open records laws to close loopholes and exemptions that hide corporate influence.

[Left Wing]

Statement from Jeff Merkley

Throughout my career, I've been unequivocal about reining in the influence of lobbyists, Super PACs and Wall Street in our political process. For far too long the greed of these corporate entities have undermined the needs of the American people from their elected officials. That's why I co-sponsored the DISCLOSE Act, which would allow us to take a peek under the hood of political campaigns and see where the money is really coming from. In addition, this is why I've long stood for an amendment which would undo the disastrous and constitutionally unsound Supreme Court decision of Citizen's United.

I was pleased to see that Governor Newsom is encouraging all of our fellow candidates to reject corporate influence in their campaigns. I'm right there with him, as I've never taken a cent from a Super PAC in any political campaign. I hope my other competitors will join him, but we must also recognize that holding ourselves to a certain morality is not enough. We have to do something to stop the dark corporate money spending that's run amok in recent years. We have to pass the DISCLOSE Act and we need to work towards implementing my colleague Senator Michael Bennet's Democracy for All Amendment. I call on my fellow candidates to support these measures so that we can restore people's trust in the legitimacy of our politics.

[Kuumo]

Whitmer Campaign Summer Strategy

With the unexpected entrance of former Vice President Al Gore into the race, the Whitmer campaign no longer saw a path to delegate viability in South Carolina and started diverting resources in the state to Nevada and New Hampshire. A victory in one of these contests is seen as crucial to amassing delegates and building momentum before the must-win Michigan primary. Whitmer's strongest arguments for her candidacy are her progressive record as a swing-state governor and her electability as the only Democratic candidate to have won a recent competitive general election. On the campaign trail, she portrays herself as a pragmatic progressive who can both win and deliver on her promises.

**********

June 2023

The Whitmer campaign sees a path to victory in New Hampshire through the industrial towns, suburbs, and rural areas of the state. Barnstorming communities across the state, from Manchester to Dixville Notch, Whitmer emphasized her views and experience on education, infrastructure, and abortion, hoping to win over many of the moderate Democrats and independents who backed Secretary Buttigieg and Senator Klobuchar in 2020.

**********

July 2023

Governor Whitmer returned to Nevada, hoping to increase her support among unionized workers and nonwhite voters in the state. She met with community leaders and activists in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Paradise, touting her role in the repeal of right-to-work and her work on reducing the rate of unnecessary incarceration in Michigan. More investment was put into organization in Nevada, as the caucus system of the state necessitates strong ground game to have a chance at winning.

**********

August 2023

Whitmer toured New England, starting in Burlington, Vermont, and ending in Bangor, Maine, stopping in Rutland, Worcester, Boston, Nashua, Manchester, Dover, and Portland along the way. As well as continued publicity in New Hampshire, the three surrounding states vote on Super Tuesday and are seen as part of Whitmer's path to the nomination.

**********

September 2023

Whitmer campaigned in Minnesota, another Super Tuesday state seen as favorable due to its proximity and demographic similarity to Michigan, visiting Minneapolis, Rochester, and Duluth. She met with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Governor Tim Walz, seeking their endorsements before flying to Reno for a few events in Washoe County and Carson City.

[Devout Centrist]

Lake Campaign Schedule

June
Month's theme: Take Back America

During the month of June, the Lake campaign devoted much of its enegry towards building its small dollar donor network. In particular, Lake sought to build positive word of mouth enthusiasm among the Republican base rather than focus on any one constituency. To this end, Lake obtained several crucial endorsements from network celebrities and local news anchors. The campaign opted to save money throughout the summer, building a sizable warchest for the coming uphill battle in the fall.

At this time, Lake toured the states of New Hampshire, Nevada, Michigan, and Illinois.

July
Month's theme: Protect American Jobs

In July, Lake worked to expand her image as an independent, visiting aging industrial towns and stagnant suburbs in the Mid-Atlantic. The Lake campaign honed its message on people left behind by the Biden economy, specifically construction workers, nurses, and teachers. Lake hammered the Administration for the high cost of living and the Administration's refusal to negotiate harmful trade deals. Additionally, Lake attacked the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates too quickly and for putting construction workers out of business as the housing market stalled. Finally, Lake promised to increase the salaries of hardworking American teachers and nurses, arguing that these public servants deserved a pay increase after years of government neglect.

August
Month's theme: Save Social Security

The Lake campaign went all in on saving social security in August, with the candidate pledging to increase benefits for seniors without raising taxes. Further, Governor Lake excoriated her Republican opponents for wanting to cut social security and raise the retirement age above 65. Lake visited the states of Iowa, Florida, and New York, hoping to gain a surge of donations from conservative seniors. Additionally, Lake's visit to Florida was meant to attract a key constituency that had so far gone unrecognized by the Republican frontrunner in the race.

September
Month's theme: The American Family

As fall neared, the Lake campaign pooled its resources and focused on Nevada, New Hampshire, and favorable Super Tuesday states in the Upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. During September, Lake focused on the virtues of the American, promising to raise the child tax credit, implement maternity leave, and protect American families from rising prices and woke billionaires. Lake hoped that, by fusing her message with more red meat for the conservative base, Republican voters would be attracted to a fresh message that distinguished her from the other candidates in the race.

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from Kari Lake

So happy to be here today people. So so happy. The Villages! This is real America at its finest. Everyone who has come down here, I can see why you made the move! It's stunning. It's spectacular. Florida is truly one of the best states in the country. One of the best. It's been up there for many many years, but you truly have to come here to experience it for yourself. You really do. Life is nothing without Jimmy Buffett playing in the background. Heaven on earth.

Show of hands, how many of you fine people moved to Florida? There's no shame in it. I get it. I'm a snowbird myself. I was born in Illinois and moved to Arizona to catch some sun. [Pauses] I see a good number of hands. That's great. That's great.

Everyone's story is different, you know. We have guys here who worked their asses off on the factory floor for forty years and are enjoying their golden years out on a golf course. We've got some gals here who worked in real estate all their lives and now want to cool their heels poolside and sip on a margarita. Whatever you're doing, I hope you love it. I hope you love it. This is when you get to live your life and say, 'to hell with it'. You earned this. You earned this.

That's why I came here today folks. I opened up the newspaper last week, tossed the front page out, and went straight to the sports section. It wasn't pretty. So I picked up the front page again, and had a look. It was terrible. We had this guy, Thune, in Washington. He told a bunch of lowlife reporters that social security is on the chopping block. ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK! This guy, a Republican by the way, is telling everyone that he wants to cut social security big time. Raise the retirement age to 70, 75, 80. You name it. I saw that, and my jaw dropped. You don't piss off the elderly in this country people. You don't piss off people who worked their whole lives and earned every penny they got. Who the hell is this guy, Dune, to tell people on social security, "we're cutting you off". What the hell has he done for this country? I guarantee you, he never fought in a war. He didn't work as a secretary for 20 years under a horrible boss. He's done nothing! He's a loser! Why are we letting this guy decide what happens to social security?

You hear some people these days, Democrats but also some Republicans, and they say things like, "we need to cut entitlements." Let me break it down for you fine people: when they say entitlements, they mean social security. They mean your hard earned money. They're calling you, and every hard working American in this country, entitled. You paid taxes all your live, you busted your keister doing your job, and you're the entitled one? What is wrong with these people?

If - when, I'm elected President, we're protecting social security for good. No cuts. Never a cut. None. Ever. None. We're passing a law that protects it permanently. No one, Republican or Democrat, will ever be able to touch a dime of your hard earned money. Of the money you paid into the system. Then, on day 2, we're raising social security benefits. Raising them. Every senior should be able to retire every. Every hard working American senior deserves to retire to a place like here. Obviously, we're not letting illegals on the system. We're not letting bums mooch off the system. We're not letting woke billionaires plunder social security. But we need to raise benefits for American workers. For American retirees. You look at inflation, and it's spiralling out of control. It's the highest in decades. Decades! You draw a straight line, and it's like it goes vertical! And some people want to cut social security? Never gonna happen.

We're raising benefits, and we're gonna pay for it by taxing the woke billionaires. Not taxing you, not taxing workers, taxing the rich and the woke. Not regular Americans.

We'll also pay for it by removing the bad illegal immigrants. We're gonna kick them out and save a boatload in the process. We'll pay for it by punishing companies that moved jobs to China and India. Big time. If they don't want American workers, they don't get our tax cuts. Simple as that. If you do that, if you do it right, we'd be able to raise the benefit tremendously. We'd be able to keep the retirement age at 65 forever. Forever. Permanently. Maybe even lower it, if we're smart. But we're protecting your benefits forever. And everyone, every American worker, young and old, is gonna have social security protected. Forever. It'll be beautiful.

[oldkyhome]

Self-made campaign material

Summer Schedule (2/2)

August 1-5: Return to D.C to introduce the Stop the Censorship Act with Rep. Paul Gosar.
August 6-13: Tour small towns in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana, hosting small 'stump' events along the way
August 14: Launch 'Forgotten America' listening tour in Bridgeport, MI, focusing on outsourcing, drug addiction, inflation
August 15: Meet with rehabilitation workers in Liberty House Recovery Center for photo-op event
August 16: Schedule interview with Tucker Carlson Tonight to discuss 'addiction epidemic'
August 17: Visit and thank campaign volunteers in Iowa to boost morale
August 18-21: Hold 7 town-hall events across Michigan and Wisconsin for 'Forgotten America' listening tour
August 22: Campaign Rally in Middletown, OH with J.D Vance
August 23: Meet with Michigan and Wisconsin's right-to-life chapter to pitch for an endorsement
August 24: Hold meet-and-greet with MSU's Federalist Society chapter
August 25-28: Kickoff 'Forgotten America' New Hampshire tour with 5 town-hall events, focusing on fentanyl epidemic
August 29: Meet with General Don Bolduc to solicit his support
August 30-31: Tour northern New Hampshire, especially Coos County, to meet with people affected by addiction

September 1-4: Campaign break. Call with campaign staff from home to discuss September strategy.
September 5-9: Fly to D.C for Senatorial duties. Meet with Senators John N. Kennedy and Mike Braun.
September 10: Campaign Rally in Lebanon, NH, on inflation, fentanyl epidemic
September 11-13: Coordinate with Team Hawley NH to boost ground-game efforts
September 14-17: Continue 'Forgotten America' tour with 6 town halls in New Hampshire and Vermont
September 18: Discuss New Hampshire energy production, crime on WEMJ 1490 AM
September 19: Campaign Rally in Derry, NH, focusing on anti-corruption platform
September 20-21: Fly to South Carolina to hold meet-and-greet with local church leaders
September 22: Appear on Jesse Waters Primetime to explain Hawley's stand on abortion
September 23-25: Hold 4 meet-and-greet events with South Carolina parents, discussing CRT and school choice
September 26: Meet with Sen. Lindsey Graham to push for his endorsement
September 27: Campaign Rally in Clemson, SC on abortion, faith
September 28: Fly to Nevada to meet with State Republican Party leaders.
September 29-30: Stump in the Reno area, visiting people in diners and opening a field office in Reno proper

Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hawley in New Hampshire: "I'm going to fight for every vote."

Despite unimpressive poll numbers and an infantile ground-game, Senator Hawley today launched the New Hampshire-leg of his "Forgotten America" listening tour, raising the eyes of many pundits and donors who thought he wouldn't invest in the state. Campaign officials have told reporters that Hawley plans to campaign 'extensively' in the state, carving a significant amount of his schedule in August and September to win Granite State voters.

Justifying the move, Hawley spoke at length in his launch town hall about why he was going "to fight for every vote." Here's an excerpt:

"I heard folks in the media saying I shouldn't even visit New Hampshire, that it would be a waste of time (cue boos). Folks, I know I grew up in the midwest, but we're Americans, and many of the people I've visited in New Hampshire are just as forgotten as the rusted industrial towns that I visited in Michigan and Wisconsin. When drug companies were pouring thousands and thousands of opioids into New Hampshire communities, Washington did nothing, and now that the fentanyl epidemic is exploding in those same communities, Washington is doing nothing. It has to stop! (cue applause) And the idea, that some people in the politics business has propagated, that we should just ignore certain voters because they might not vote for us is despicable. I'm going to fight for every vote."

Aides say the campaign is trying to avoid a "Huckabee" scenario, alluding to the 2008 Republican primary where Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee won the Iowa Caucus decisively but performed poorly elsewhere. Hawley, who has also invested significantly into the Iowa Caucus, is thus not trying to find himself winning the Iowa Caucus but getting run circles around in all the other early states.

[OBD]

GLENN YOUNGKIN 2024: AMERICA, RENEWED

Summer Strategy

Headed into the chaotic battlefield that is the 2024 Republican primary, the Youngkin campaign has several tools at their disposal. As a decently popular governor of a Democratic-leaning state, Youngkin has proven his ability to win back suburban voters and overperform in blue territory, and his crossover appeal will be a central facet of the campaign. At campaign stop after campaign stop, Youngkin will emphasize his commitment and ability to compete and win across the nation, not just GOP strongholds, and will reiterate his focus on winning voters in deep-blue areas that are tired of pro-crime, pro-inflation Biden Democrat policies.

Youngkin will also take care to emphasize his conservative credentials. While the Governor believes it critical that he maintain his image from the 2021 gubernatorial campaign for the general election, the electorate in the GOP primary is considerably more conservative than that in Virginia, and thus, adjustments are needed. Instead of touting bipartisanship, Youngkin will tout results - particularly his landmark victories in Virginia for parental rights and middle-class taxpayers, and will emphasize his ability to get things done even with a (partially) unfriendly legislature. And, he'll emphasize bread-and-butter issues - inflation, crime, critical race theory - and his commitment to providing conservative leadership as President. Youngkin will position himself as the rare candidate that is unapologetically conservative while also retaining the ability to appeal to voters that were turned off by Trump's bombast, a candidate that can unite the Republican Parties of past and present to take back the White House and get conservative policy done for the American people. The campaign will also seek to portray Youngkin as a clean, friendly family man - from public appearances to ads, Youngkin's wife and children will be front and center (along with his famous sweater vest), and his more positive campaign style (and lack of negative press, for now) will be a breath of fresh air from the scandals of the Trump era.

Republican donors have responded favorably to Youngkin as an appealing, safe alternative to the Trumpist wing of the party, and have enabled the Governor to take his campaign on the road without major financial obstacles. Youngkin will continue to court GOP donors big and small, playing up his ability to appeal to the suburban voters that have turned so hard against the GOP in recent years, as well as emphasizing his background in business. He'll use his funds (permitting) to air introductory, positive ads primarily in New Hampshire (though also one or two in South Carolina and Nevada), which will tout his life story, achievements, and conservative priorities.

The Youngkin campaign believes that of the four early states, New Hampshire presents the best breakthrough opportunity. As a state with a penchant for more traditional Republicans, Youngkin's image as a friendly, suburban, non-Trump-associated candidate is expected to play well with Granite State voters. And, considering difficulties (Iowa's rural, WWC electorate, Haley's home-field advantage in South Carolina) in other early states, making the podium in New Hampshire is the easiest lift Youngkin campaign.

As such, Youngkin will focus on New Hampshire during the summer months. While not serving the people of Virginia as Governor, Youngkin will travel up and down New Hampshire, introducing himself to New Hampshire voters. In addition to speeches to large crowds, Youngkin will hold several town halls across the state, allowing him to interact more directly with potential voters and spread his message on a more personal level. Youngkin will also court local legislators - and Governor Chris Sununu will be his first target. In addition to publicly awarding Sununu one of his famous sweater vests, Youngkin will aim to win over Sununu by emphasizing his traditional Republican credentials and their shared ability to win over suburban Democratic voters. Youngkin will also make a few appearances in Nevada and South Carolina, to at least test the waters and set up state campaign apparatuses.

Looking towards the future, Youngkin will also call up many of the blue-state candidates he backed in 2022 (e.g. Lee Zeldin) - while not asking for endorsements yet, the campaign will establish a line of communication and build goodwill with some of the GOP's strongest 2022 overperformers...