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Ninety Days to Victory (Prime Minister Elections in Vendoland)
Topic Started: Jul 8 2014, 09:30 PM (1,130 Views)
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Good evening, I'm Russell LeBlanc, senior editor here at the Vendoland Gazette, Vendoland's number one news source. Thank you for joining us for Ninety Days to Victory, our ongoing special on the Prime Minister elections here in Vendoland. Over the next ninety days, we'll take you through an in-depth look at each PM candidate and each party as they work towards their goal, one day at a time. We would like to warn the audience that we will not be editing any content, so viewer discretion may be advised. It is our view that any editing would take away from the overall message and may intentionally or unintentionally affect public perception of the parties. We would rather let the candidates speak directly to the viewing public in order to let the voters form their own opinions.

Stay tuned to this program to see how this race unfolds. We only promise one thing: we will deliver the truth, whatever that may be.


[OOC: For the sake of clarity, any comments made by Mr. LeBlanc will be highlighted in purple. This will help to differentiate between Mr. LeBlanc, the candidates, members of the public, and other journalists.]
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Good evening. Tonight begins our first night of coverage of the Prime Minister race as the each of the parties move one day closer to their goal. Before we get into today's events, we would like to take a moment to remind our viewers of the situation thus far, give an in-depth look at each of the candidates, and discuss each of their advantages and disadvantages in the race.

According to virtually every poll out there as late as four months ago, this election was a sure bet for Prime Minister Igawa. A veteran member of Parliament, he finally get elected as Prime Minister in his fourth try. His handling of the Regina general strike and his subsequent sponsoring of workers' rights bills instantly made him popular and he has managed to keep that popularity going for the majority of his term through shrewd political moves and a populist approach to Vendoland's problem.

However, everything changed with the passage of the Conservative-backed Referendum 459 (the 'Restoration of the Monarchy' referendum) earlier this year. Despite holding their democratic ideals dear, the people of Vendoland voted overwhelmingly to restore the royal family (albeit only to a ceremonial position). And, unfortunately for Igawa and the Labor Party, Kyle Walker, the Conservatives' charismatic new leader, immediately put forth several resolutions in Parliament that proved wildly popular with the public (budget cuts followed by tax cuts, a school voucher system, and spending increases for the Navy, to name a few). In only a few short weeks, Igawa's sure bet had disappeared as Walker became a legitimate contender for Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Angela Oviedo and the Progressives have found themselves in an odd position: as Vendoland's third party, with popular support slipping by the day. Oviedo was handpicked by the party to succeed Eleanor Murphy, arguably the single most popular Prime Minister in the history of the nation. When Dan Igawa and the Labor Party emerged victorious, it was a substantial blow to the Progressive base who had expected a continuiation of Murphy's policies. The Progressives suffered further hits when they vocally opposed Referendum 459 and increased spending for the Navy, two policies that ended up becoming wildly popular with the public. Despite their losses, the Progressives are not out of this race yet. As Labor and the Conservatives fight for the center, the Progressives plan to appeal to the center-left and left who came out in record numbers to support them only a few years previous.

Meanwhile, as the Conservatives re-invent themselves and look for their place in Vendoland's political landscape, Harold White and the Libertarians remain as steadfast to their convictions as they were when White first ran for PM more than three decades ago. Though the Liberatarians have never captured a substantive amount of votes on the national scene, their longevity is a testament to their message; other parties have risen and fallen over the years, but the Libertarians keep on making their presence known.

Now that we have caught up to the present, we begin our feature presentation.
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90 days until the election

Prime Minister Dan Igawa appeared in the city of Redforge today on the first day of his re-election speaking tour through the South. The Prime Minister touched on a number of issues, though his focus was on workers' rights and job creation. Redforge, with it's numerous factories and numerous blue collar factory workers, is widely considered to be a Labor party lock. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the crowd was very receptive to Igawa's message. It remains to be seen how the crowds will react tomorrow when his tour takes him through Geshawon, which is currently fiercely divided between the Conservatives and the Libertarians.

Angela Oviedo was in Randgriz today to speak at a Progressive-backed student rally. The rally, put together by students from local area colleges with logistical assistance from the party, celebrated the anniversary of the iconic Vendoland Civil Rights Act, which was the brainchild of then-MP Eleanor Murphy. Oviedo's comments were brief, but they certainly were memorable:

Angela Oviedo
 
...And we must keep fighting to uphold the Civil Rights Act. If Kyle Walker or Harold White had their way, they would dismantle it wholesale and bring us back to the dark ages. We cannot let that happen. We cannot hand over our future to men who will shackle us to tired ideologies. We must move forward into the future. We must continue to make progress, every single day. And I hope you'll let me be that person who keeps you moving forward!...


In contrast, Kyle Walker remained fairly low key today as he met with party leaders in Rangriz for strategy discussions. There was no official account from Walker's campaign, but a senior member of his staff, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the talks were productive and will likely produce "a unified national front against the message of the other parties". No further details were forthcoming.

Harold White spoke today at a rally in Seville and came out swinging, as he lambasted Labor as "gutless liberals", Conservatives as "flip flopping phonies", and the Progressives as "a bunch of crypto-commies" that want to "take away all personal freedoms to satisfy the state." When asked about these comments at a press conference later, Mr. White's press secretary, Dennis Campbell, simply said, "Mr. White stands by his previous comments and that's all we're going to say about it."

And that's the news for tonight. Join us tomorrow night as our coverage of the campaign continues. Also, we will begin looking at each candidate, with our expert panel debating their respective strengths and weaknesses. You certainly won't want to miss that.
Edited by Vendoland, Jul 10 2014, 08:11 PM.
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89 days until the election

Good evening and welcome back. We hoped that this program would report the truth without being too boring. After Harold White's incendiary remarks yesterday, I think it's safe to say that we don't have to worry about that tonight.

Angela Oviedo was the first candidate to respond and she certainly told everyone how she felt in no uncertain terms:

Angela Oviedo
 
What do I think of White's speech? I think it was disgusting and I think it encapsulated everything that is wrong with Vendolandian politics. Evidently, if you care about the people of this country and want everyone to pay their fair share, you're a communist. And all this proves is that the Liberatarian message is so tired and obsolete they have to resort to petty name calling. I almost feel sorry for them.

[A reporter asked how Oviedo felt about specifically being called a "crypto-commie"]:

I've been called much worse things by better people than Harold White.


Meanwhile, Kyle Walker was merely dismissive of White's comments, simply stating

Kyle Walker
 
I don't worry about impressing Harold White; I worry about doing the best possible job I can for the people of this country.


Walker appeared at a rally in Edwinvale, just outside of Randgriz, where he promised to unveil his economic plan that will "bring common sense back to Parliament and bring our country back to where it needs to be." Outside of the rheotoric, the details of the plan were not discussed.

Prime Minister Igawa continued his campaign tour of the South with a stop in Geshawon today. His speech revolved around his proposed veteran affairs initiative, which looks to increase aid programs for returning combat veterans. The crowd response was promising, but not stellar. It seems that Labor support in Geshawon is not as overwhelming as it is in other parts of the country.

And last, but certainly not least, Harold White continued to make waves. At another rally in Seville, White pitched the Libertarian Party platform, which calls for the elimination of a substantial number of government offices and services. When asked by a reporter whether he support social equality spending, White spoke bluntly:


Harold White
 
Look, there are some good people that are currently on welfare that will just need to rely on their community to help them back on their feet. I genuinely feel bad for them, but we must make sacrifices. You know who I don't feel bad for? The other ninety percent of the people on welfare in this country. They're a bunch of cheats that give a bad name to those who actually need help. It pisses me off to know they're wasting our money on people who won't do for themselves.


A senior member of the Conservative Party, who asked not to be named, said "Maybe if he [White] learned to control his temper and listen to his party, they might bother sticking around." The comment appeared to be a reference to the height of the mass defection of Libertarian MPs over to the Conservative Party. White got into a shouting match with one of the defectors and eventually the confrontation turned violent.
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We will end our broadcast tonight with the first of our in-depth looks at each of the candidates. Tonight, we will focus on Kyle Walker, the Conservative Party candidate. Joining me in the studio will be Eva Holcroft of the Appleton Free Press and Charlie Tanninghouse of the Vendoland Patriot Network. Eva, Charlie, thank you for joining us.

EH: Thank you, Russell.

CT: Thank you.

For our viewers, let's begin by talking a little bit about Kyle Walker:

Posted Image
Name: Kyle Walker
Age: 42
Current position: MP of Hillcrest; Conservative Party Leader
Number of years experience: 8 years as MP; 6 months as Party Leader (previously served as a City Councilor and as an attorney at law in Hillcrest)
Education: Wells Academy (secondary school diploma) / Hillcrest University (Double major in Political Science and Economics) / Randgriz University School of Law (Juris Doctor)
Party platform: center-right on economics, centrist on social issues/civil rights, center-right/right on military spending

Charlie, you've spoken highly of Kyle Walker in the past. Do you think he has a shot at winning?

Absolutely, Russell. For a long time now, the Conservative Party has said that one day, Vendoland would be ready to elect a Conservative Prime Minister again. I believe that time has come. Walker has managed to impress the right while also tapping into the large pool of centrist undecided voters. And ever since he took the reigns on the party leadership, their numbers just keep rising. If we had this conservation four months ago, I would have been laughed out of the room. Hell, it might have happened even if we had this conversation two months ago. But now, Walker is convincing the average citizen that he is the best way of moving forward.


Eva, what do you think?

I certainly agree that he's popular right now, but I'm not as optimistic on his chances to get elected. Yeah, the center likes what he has to say now, but what about the right-wing and the far-right members of the Conservative Party? I'm sure they're not thrilled about their party's shift to center and that will come to confrontation sooner or later.

I have just received a national poll by the Associated Press:

Igawa: 32%
Walker: 30%
Oviedo: 26%
White: 4%
Undecided: 8%

Margin of error: +- 2%

With that margin of error, the race is still too close to call. And, with 89 days until the election, it's still anyone's race. Thank you for tuning in and thank you to both Eva and Charlie for their participation. Good night.
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88 days until the election

Good evening and welcome back. Yesterday was another day of contentious remarks and controversial positions. Will this be sign of things to come?

Kyle Walker released his much anticipated proposed economic plan at a news conference in Randgriz earlier today. The significant points are as follows:

-A promise to coordinate efforts with the other parties to find ways to make reasonable and gradual spending cuts in the budget
-No deregulation of the market (which is a surprising reversal on the Conservative Party's ideology), but a promise to fight any further regulation.
-Elimination of tax loopholes
-Tax cuts for small businesses

In a poll concluded this afternoon, 77% of respondents said they were content with the plan, with 12% saying they were strongly for it and 11% saying they were strongly against it.

Prime Minister Igawa continued his tour of the South with a scheduled stop in Seville. Though the crowd seemed receptive to his speech on social spending, there were some noticeable boos during his segment on civil rights and hate crime enforcement. It should be noted that since taking office, this is Igawa's first visit to Seville, the Libertarian stronghold.

Angela Oviedo met with students at Appleton University today to discuss her plan to combat the rising cost of post-secondary education in Vendoland. There was no word from Oviedo regarding Harold White's comments on welfare recepients, saying that 90% of them are cheating the system and are a waste of tax dollars. A senior member of her staff, speaking on the condition of anonymity, had this to say:


Quote:
 
She heard what he [White] said and she won't be commenting on it today; she's here to talk about her proposal to assist students in need. Ask her again tomorrow; she has plenty to say about it.


Remarkably, Harold White was quiet today as he traveled to a private fundraiser in Carrington. Perhaps it's for the best; in a poll conducted today, 72% of respondents said they had a "very unfavorable" view of White's comments over the last two days.
Edited by Vendoland, Jul 11 2014, 10:19 PM.
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Our in-depth look at the candidates continues tonight with a look at Dan Igawa. Joining me once again in the studio are Eva Holcroft of the Appleton Free Press and Charlie Tanninghouse of the Vendoland Patriot Network. Thank you again.

CT: Thank you for having me on again.

EH: Thank you, Russell.

Let's talk about Prime Minister Igawa:

Posted Image
Name:
Dan Igawa
Age: 51
Current Position: Prime Minister; Labor Party Leader
Number of years experience: 3 years as PM; 12 years as Party Leader (previously MP of Mt. Xavier)
Education: Enoch Donaldson High School (secondary school diploma) / Hillcrest University School of Business (MBA)
Party Platform: center-left on social issues/civil rights, center-left on economics, center-left/centrist on military spending

Eva, quite a lot has changed in the last few months. Not too many people thought we would be here now wondering if Igawa is going to win re-election, but here we are. What do you think has changed and do you think the Prime Minister will get re-elected?


Well, Russell, I think Igawa still has a good chance to win this. He's charismatic, he hasn't made any major gaffes, and he's handled himself well in domestic policy, foreign policy, and his interactions with Parliament. But, perhaps most importantly, centrist voters love him. His problem for the last few months is that the centrist voters have found themselves being pulled to the left or the right as the Progressives and Conservatives campaigned.

Charlie?

I agree with that last part about the center starting to pull away from Igawa, but I'm not so sure I agree that the center still loves him. Now that Walker has taken a centrist approach on some of the issues, where does that leave Igawa? He has Oviedo to contend with on the left and Walker to contend with in the center. If he drastically changes his platform, he runs the risk of alienating his base. I don't think he has many options left and I don't think it bodes well for him.

We still have 88 days to go and it's still anyone's race. At the conclusion of tonight's program, we will start a poll for both our domestic and international viewers. The question: "If the election was held tomorrow, who would you vote for?" The poll will be up for two days, at which point we will discuss the results on this program. Thank you again to Eva and Charlie and thank you to all of the viewers out there. See you all tomorrow.
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87 days until the election

Good evening and welcome back to Ninety Days to Victory, our special coverage of the Commonwealth Prime Minister election.

Prime Minister Igawa gave a rousing speech on his tax reform plan in Falmouth today. Here's an excerpt of his remarks:


Dan Igawa
 
The right-wingers would have you believe that my proposed tax reforms would take money out of the pockets of the average Vendolandian. This is another case of disingenuous debate. Under my proposal, the tax rate for anyone earning less than $100,000 in wages will decrease by at least 5%, with taxpayers in the lowest bracket seeing a 15% reduction. Instead, I proposed an increase to the capital gains tax, from 7.5% to 12% and a 5% tax increase on those who earn more than $1,000,000 in wages a year. The only people who will be affected by those changes are the rich and the very rich. And with the extra tax revenue, we can afford to re-open the Falmouth shipyards and put 3,000 workers back on the job. 3,000 workers get to put food on the table again and all it will cost will be an extra burden on those who are more fortunate. That sounds like a good scenario in my book.


The Falmouth Shipyards closed down five years, putting over 3,000 workers out of a job. As a result, the city of Falmouth has been hit hard economically, with over 50% of the populace reporting incomes under the poverty line.

After a quiet day visiting students in Appleton, Angela Oviedo made quite a stir when she responded to Harold White's comments that 90% of welfare recipients are committing fraud and are shiftless and lazy. To that, she said the following:


Angela Oviedo
 
I'm amazed that, in this day and age, people still even think like this. I mean, how many times have I come out to respond to something White said that is idiotic and backwards? There are a number of people in this nation that have fallen on hard times or are victims of circumstance that just need a helping hand to put them back on their feet. What is so wrong with helping out your fellow Vendolandians?

I'm almost glad that White said these hurtful and disgusting words because it brings two points to the front. First, the welfare system in this country is outdated and underfunded to meet the needs of its people. We desperately need meaningful reform. And second, it just proves how out of touch White is with Vendoland.


Kyle Walker spent the day visiting with members of the Vendoland Military Officers Committee, a high profile special interest group of former Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force officers. There was no press briefing regarding this meeting.

Harold White spoke at an impromptu rally today in Carrington. His remarks were limited to discussion of the Libertarian Party platform and were non-controversial nature. White's press secretary declined to comment as to whether or not the candidate had seen the latest polls, where over 70% of the respondents said their view of him was "very unfavorable."
Edited by Vendoland, Jul 12 2014, 08:07 PM.
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Our third in-depth analysis of the candidates will focus on Progressive leader Angela Oviedo. I am joined once again here in the studio with Eva Holcroft and Charlie Tanninghouse. Eva, Charlie, thank you again.

EH: Thank you.

CT: Thank you again, Russell.

Let's talk about Angela Oviedo:


Name: Angela Oviedo
Age: 43
Current Position: MP of Appleton; Progressive Party Leader
Number of years experience: 9 years as MP; 4 years as Party leader
Education: Maya Langworth High School (secondary school diploma)/ Greenfield College (majored in Political Science)
Party Platform: Left on social issues/ civil rights, left/center-left on military spending, left on economics

Charlie, what do you think of Oviedo's chances?

I'm personally not a fan of her politics, but I like Angela as a person. Most of the country likes her well enough, but her base seems to have a major issue with her: she's not Eleanor Murphy. Following up after the most beloved PM in the history of this nation has been tough for her. It also doesn't help that the pendulum is swinging the other way now, with more people in the country leaning center or center-right. Unless the other candidates really screw things up, I don't think she'll win.


Eva, do you agree?


I don't. I mean, I do agree that it's tough to be the Progressive Party candidate after Murphy because everyone expects you to be Eleanor Murphy in every way, shape, and form. It's unfair and ridiculous, but that's just how people are. But I don't agree that she doesn't stand a chance of winning. The Progressives had made large strides in the last ten years and I believe the strength of their message will catapult them to another big win.

I would like to thank both Eva and Charlie for joining me in the studio again. We will conclude our analysis of the candidates tomorrow night with a look at Harold White, the Libertarian candidate. After that, we will begin a new segment at the end of each show. Thank you for joining us again. Goodnight and see you tomorrow.
Edited by Killadonia, Oct 13 2014, 09:25 PM.
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86 days until the election

Good evening. I'm Russell LeBlanc and this is Ninety Days to Victory, our special coverage of the Prime Minister election here in Vendoland.

Kyle Walker made a campaign stop in Avalon today, where he ate breakfast at a local diner, toured the Unisound factory (which is currently the largest factory to produce consumer electronics in the country), and met with the mayor. Avalon traditionally votes Labor, but the Conservative Party is betting that they can sway the electorate to their camp.

Harold White spoke at the annual meeting of the Vendoland Libertarian Society in Belgiers. Here we have an excerpt of the speech:


Harold White
 
I say that the government that governs best governs least. We don't need a nanny state to hold our hand and tell us that we're naughty for wanting freedom of choice. The government has no place in the boardroom or the bedroom. When I'm elected, I promise to all of you that the era of big government will be over for good.


Prime Minister Igawa made a surprise appearance at the Poulain Naval Station, where he spoke to sailors about his proposal to re-open the Falmouth shipyards. If successful, the reopening would mean that new destroyers and cruisers would be built as quickly as two years ahead of schedule.

Angela Oviedo was in Torrington today, meeting with seniors at the Main Street Senior Center and students at Torrington State College. The choice of stop is certainly surprising, given that it's a long-time Conservative voting area and that the Progressives have never carried an election there.
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