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Ninety Days to Victory (Prime Minister Elections in Vendoland)
Topic Started: Jul 8 2014, 09:30 PM (1,134 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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80 days until the election

Good evening and welcome back to the program. I'm Russell LeBlanc and you're watching Ninety Days to Victory, our special coverage program of the Vendolandian Prime Minister elections.

After some discussion between this station and the candidates, we will be holding the first debate seven days from today.

Our sources in Harold White's campaign tell us that the candidate engaged in a shouting match with an unidentified man at White's campaign headquarters in Seville. The argument ended when White threw a punch and was physically restrained. According to the source, the unidentified male came into the office for a scheduled appointment and said something to antagonize the candidate. We will update this story as we receive more information.

Prime Minister Igawa made a surprise visit to the George Livingston Senior Center in Randgriz today. The PM spoke at length with the gathered crowd of seniors, discussing a wide range of issues. A spokesperson for Igawa's campaign described the visit as "worthwhile and educational."

Kyle Walker spoke to a gathering of sailors near Naval Station Rosseau earlier today. His speech touched on his voting record and economic plan, but he spent the majority of the speech detailing his plans to increase military spending, particularly to the Navy. Given the crowd, it is perhaps unsurprising that his plan was well-received.

Angela Oviedo was back at her campaign headquarters in Appleton, where she has begun debate prep with her senior staff. An Oviedo staff member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the following of Oviedo:


Quote:
 
You can tell she's absolutely determined to win this debate and start grabbing some momentum. She's going all in.
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Now that the first debate has been scheduled, I am joined once again by Charlie Tanninghouse and Eva Holcroft to discuss how the debate may turn out. Thank you both again.

At this relatively early stage in the campaign, who do you see as the most likely victor at the debate?


CT: Dan Igawa seems like the likely choice; he's a popular incumbent and he's an excellent public speaker. Oviedo is eloquent, but I think she gets too wrapped up in rheotoric over facts. Never mind White; he's made too many gaffes, so it's hard to take him seriously. The big question mark of the night will be how Walker performs. He's come across as very charismatic, but he hasn't done much public speaking at this level. It remains to be seen whether he'll sink or swim.

EH: I wouldn't count Oviedo out just yet. Sure, sometimes she gets very impassioned, but she's made some significant strides in her public speaking. Don't be too surprised if she emerges as the victor for the first debate.

That's all for tonight. Thank you again to Eva and Charlie for joining us yet again. Be sure to check out our submission section to send in your debate questions. Thank you and good night.
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79 days until the election

Good evening. I'm Russell LeBlanc and you're watching Ninety Days to Victory.

It's not easy to describe a normal day in an election cycle; there are simply too many things happening that are out of the ordinary. With that said, it's safe to say that today was abnormal, even by those standards.

In the early hours of the day, the Associated Press reported that Harold White was going to announce his withdrawal from the race in the next day or so. According to AP reporter Fredrica Deinos, the story came from a senior member of the Libertarian Party leadership. White himself appeared on a morning talk show to blast the report, calling it an outright fabrication. However, Ms. Deinos refuses to back down, saying the quote was legitimate and the source was unimpeachable. She has also refused to name the source, who gave her the story on the condition of anonymity.

This is the second day of odd news regarding Harold White. Yesterday, he was involved in an argument that turned violent with a man that we have been unable to identify. When asked for comment on the fight or the identity of the male, White's press secretary declined to comment. When we receive any substantive information regarding the strange events surrounding Harold White's campaign, we will let you all know.

The Associated Press released the results of their latest poll:


Walker: 34%
Igawa: 32%
Oviedo: 23%
White: 1%
Undecided: 10%


Margin of error: +/- 2%

It must be said that these results are still within the margin of error, but it is still the first poll to project Walker over Igawa.

Kyle Walker was in Randgriz to meet with Conservative Party leaders to discuss campaign strategy. He was in meetings all day and could not be reached for comment on the AP poll. However, his office said the candidate "would be guardedly optimistic about the results, but he would feel a lot more confident when the lead extends beyond the margin of error."
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Joining me in the studio to discuss today's events are Eva Holcroft and Charlie Tanninghouse. Thank you again for being here.

What do you make of the White withdrawal story? Is there something to it or is it another case of miscommunication?


EH: If Fredrica Deinos had issued a retraction and an apology, that would be the end of the story and her career. But when push came to shove, she not only defended the story, she refused to disclose her source. Fredrica is a veteran political corespondent, so I can't imagine she would make a rookie mistake like taking a quote from the wrong person and passing it off as fact.

CT: I agree. I mean, would you be surprised to hear that the Libertarians finally decided to pull the plug on White and take their chances on someone else? Changing candidates in the middle of an election is practically suicide, but at this point, it seems like anyone would be better than White, who manages to stumble his way through yet another failed election.

If this was a deliberate move by the Libertarian Party, do you think it was designed as a wake-up call for White to get his act together or do you suppose it was intended to test the waters and see how the public would react to the announcement?


CT: This late in the game, I think it's more likely that it's a bluff and that they're trying to get White's attention. He's been their candidate for the last seven elections now. If they changed candidates now, they run a risk of alienating their base and scaring off the undecided voters, who would likely see the move as a sign of instability and indecision.

EH: Perhaps, but maybe they're willing to risk it all if they have a candidate they think will truly connect with the public. Their biggest problem right now is who else would they run but White? I'm a professional political corespondent and I can't even think of another Libertarian who would even have a shot at Prime Minister.

That's our show for tonight. Thank you again to both Charlie and Eva for appearing on our program. We will see you all again tomorrow. Thank you and good night.
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78 days until the election

Good evening and welcome back to Ninety Days to Victory. I'm Russell LeBlanc.

Today's political discussion was dominated, oddly enough, by two films that made their premieres today.

Today was the general release date for Relentless, a film by Edward Galven. The motion picture tells the story of the fictional battleship VCN Relentless of the Vendolandian Navy. Terrorists seize the capital and it's up to the crew of the Relentless to save the day.

Relentless has affected the political landscape simply for the fact that it's a feel-good summer blockbuster about the Navy. For reasons that defy modern polling techniques, the people of Vendoland love the Navy and love the Royal Family. That means money for the studios, but it also means that the public will keep a closer eye on the candidates and their various stances on the future of the Navy. Oviedo and White are both outspoken opponents of increased military spending, so experts believe their numbers will take a hit later this week. Walker, on the other hand, is a firm proponent of increased spending for the military, particularly the Navy. Unsurprisingly, the political experts believe that will give a boost to his numbers.

The other film that has been causing waves in the political eye is Haverford, a film by acclaimed director Gisele Kent that is based on the life story of former Prime Minister Evan Haverford. Haverford was first elected to office almost one hundred years ago and started the long running streak of Labor PMs (a streak that was broken by Eleanor Murphy's election a few years ago). The plot of the film primarily focuses on Haverford's election race against Gilbert Renard, the incumbent Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader. Renard had won the Prime Minister position due to his centrist views on many points. However, his views shifted further to the right once he assumed office. Haverford ran on a center-left populist platform to defeat Renard, a victory that shocked political pundits everywhere.

While this all sounds fairly innocuous, many Conservatives question the timing of the release of this film. They say there are a number of similarities between Renard and Walker, the Conservatives' current candidate. The concern is that the public will unconsciously think Walker will not deliver on his centrist message and instead will move to the right like Renard did. Ms. Kent denied that the timing of the release was intentionally put during the election campaign, adding that the film had been in production for some time now. Still, political experts believe the Conservatives will likely be correct and that there will likely be a net gain for Labor and net loss for the Conservatives.
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To discuss the implications of these two films, we are joined by Gloria Savoy of the Seville Business Journal and Quentin Marbury of the Mt. Xavier Globe. Thanks again to both of you for joining us in the studio.

First, let's discuss Relentless. Do you think it will have an impact like the other experts say it will?

QM: I believe it will. The opening box office numbers suggest this will be a huge film, which means there will be a lot of voters that see this film. Does it mean that every single person will instantly want to join the Navy and vote for whoever will give the most money to build new ships? No, but I'm sure there will be some.

GS: I disagree. I don't think the experts are giving the people enough credit. Look, this movie won't be mistaken for an art house piece. It's a mindless thrill ride. Do you suppose that it's going to brainwash anyone into voting Conservative? If anyone walks out of this movie and says they're going to vote for Walker, chances are they were going to vote for him before they walked in.

Do you think Haverford will have an impact?

Again, I don't think anyone that sees it will suddenly change their mind and vote for Igawa.

I honestly think it will have an impact. There are a lot of similarities between Igawa and Haverford and there are a lot of similarities between Walker and Renard. I agree that people are smart and I think people might start wondering if history will repeat itself, one way or the other.

And that's our show for tonight. Thank you again to Quentin Marbury and Gloria Savoy. Tune in tomorrow night for more in-depth coverage of the campaign. Thank you and good night.
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77 days until the election

Welcome back to Ninety Days to Victory, our special coverage of the Vendolandian Prime Minister Elections. I'm Russell LeBlanc.

Until today, conflict between supporters of the various parties has been entirely confined to unkind comments in the news and on the internet. However, the conflict of ideologies came to a head in a very unfortunate way today when Conservative voters clashed with Progressive voters in a sustained brawl outside the Parliament building in Randgriz.

According to several eyewitnesses, the scuffle began as an argument between a person attending Kyle Walker's rally on the north side of the Promenade (the public park just outside the Parliament building) and a person who had been attending Angela Oviedo's rally on the south side of the Promenade. It is currently unclear who or what started the argument, but all the witnesses agree that the Conservative supporter threw the first punch. From there, more and more people came to either break up or join the melee, which eventually devolved into a full scale riot. By the time Randgriz police could restore order, seventy-eight people had been admitted to a local area hospital, nineteen of which were sent to the ICU.

Both Walker and Oviedo immediately issued statements, in which they denounced the violence and prayed for those who were critically injured. Neither candidate referenced the other in their statements.
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To discuss today's tragedy, I am joined once again by Quentin Marbury of the Mt. Xavier Globe and Gloria Savoy of the Seville Business Journal. Thank you again for coming.

Was this incident a once-in-a-lifetime event or will something like this happen again?


GS: I definitely see something like this happening again. The Progressives are mostly far-left types and the Conservative Party has a small but vocal contingent of far-right voters. People who live and breathe in the extreme ends of the political spectrum are naturally going to hate the people that live at the other end.

QM: We might see more violence, but I can't imagine we'll ever see anything on this scale ever again. Before today, I don't think anyone really knew how deep the political divisions were. Now that everyone is watching the news today, I suspect people will be more in tune with what's going on.

What did you think of the statements from Oviedo and Walker?


I think they both said the right things. They prayed for peace and openly admonished those who would engage in violence against their fellow Vendolandians. The best way to make sure nothing like this ever happens again is to have the people at the top say that this is unacceptable.


I was amused by the fact that neither candidate blamed the other for the violence. I mean, I get why; neither of them want to blame the other in case it comes out that their supporters were responsible for starting the fight. No one wants to look like a hypocritical idiot. But they are both passionate about their beliefs. When they finally get to the bottom of this and figure out who is responsible, I'll bet that the leader of the party that started the fight will take a beating in the figurative sense.


And that's our show for tonight. Join us tomorrow as our coverage of the election continues. Once again, we would like to thank Quentin Marbury and Gloria Savoy for appearing on tonight's program. Thank you for watching. See you tomorrow.
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76 days until the election

Good evening. I'm Russell LeBlanc and you're watching Ninety Days to Victory, our special coverage program of the Prime Minister race.

We have three days to go until the first debate and the race is simply too close to call. Igawa and Walker are neck in neck for first place while Oviedo remains in third place and White is in dead last.

To discuss the campaign thus far and what may lay ahead, I am joined now by Eva Holcroft of the Appleton Free Press, Quentin Marbury of the Mt. Xavier Globe, Gloria Savoy of the Seville Business Journal, and Charlie Tanninghouse of the Vendoland Patriot Network. Thanks to all of you for coming out.

Did we really expect to see a tie between the incumbent and one of the challengers? Who do you think will eventually come out ahead?

CT: A few years ago, a Conservative candidate wouldn't have even dreamed of numbers like this. Walker isn't like previous Conservative candidates; he has the momentum and he has the charisma. Igawa can promise change, but really the only thing he can do right now is try to defend his record. Meanwhile, Walker can make all sorts of pledges that will resonate with the people.

QM: I disagree. I think Walker is a refreshing change of pace for the Conservatives, but I think when it comes down to it, the public likes Dan Igawa. He's done very well as Prime Minister and I think people will be hesitant to take a chance on an unproven candidate.

EH: I'm not very surprised to see a tie; I think people are happy with the direction Igawa has pointed us towards, but I think the voting public is ready for a change.

GS: I agree. They're tied now, but it's still early. Once the public finds out what each of the candidates believe and what sort of plans they have for the future, they will unequivocally back someone.


What can we expect from Angela Oviedo going forward? Does she still have a chance of winning?


I absolutely believe she still has a chance. Oviedo has big plans to fix our country and I believe the public will get behind them when they hear her speak. Remember, Eleanor Murphy was behind in the polls until the first debate. After that, the voters flocked to her in droves. I wouldn't be surprised to see the same thing happen to Oviedo.


I like Angela Oviedo, but she's no Eleanor Murphy. Murphy was a once in a lifetime leader who was passionate about her beliefs but was able to work with the opposition to keep things moving. Oviedo is passionate and tough, but sometimes, her passion makes it difficult for her to see eye to eye with the other parties.

I think the only reason that Oviedo is still in this race is because the public needs her to keep Igawa honest to his centrist beliefs. Given how things have been going the last few years, I think the Progressives are finished as a major player in Vendolandian politics.

I don't think Oviedo has much of a chance of winning right now and I'm not sure that she ever did. Her rhetoric is too extreme and that scares voters. Igawa and Walker are popular because they temper their beliefs with centrist policy. The country has done well with a center-left leader, but the country has been shifting to center-right. Maybe a center-right leader is just what they need.

What can we expect from Harold White? Is this the end for him?

The liberal media spends more time focusing on his gaffes instead of talking about the issues. If he's given an actual chance to succeed, I think he would make a respectable showing at the polls.

Gloria, I respect you as a journalist and a human being, but I think you are absolutely wrong. White is out of touch and every time he opens his mouth, he manages to offend people. At this point, I honestly hope this election is the end for him; I'm sick of listening to his disgusting hate speech. Maybe if we're lucky, the Libertarians will disappear too.

I think White's finished. His highest polling number was 4% and it's dropped precipitously since then. The Libertarians need to cut White loose and figure out how they're going to move forward as a party. If they don't do that soon, they'll get left behind and become yet another party that crashes and burns.

That's our program for tonight. Join us tomorrow as we continue our coverage of the Prime Minister elections. I'm Russell LeBlanc and you've been watching Ninety Days to Victory. Thank you and good night.
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75 days until the election

Good evening and thank you for tuning in. I'm Russell LeBlanc and you're watching Ninety Days to Victory.

After a long period of silence on the matter, King Edgar I has formally endorsed Dan Igawa as Prime Minister. This move was not unexpected; most political experts predicted that the King would not want to cause controversy by endorsing someone other than the incumbent. Still, many agree that His Highness would not endorse a candidate if He didn't like that person.

The Prime Minister's office responded to the endorsement by praising the King and Vendoland as a whole. Meanwhile, Mr. Igawa spent the day with senior staff, preparing for the debate.

Angela Oviedo made an appearance at a campaign rally for Tina Fredricksen, who is running for MP for the Torrington constiuency. Torrington has long been a Conservative mainstay, but polls have Fredricksen only trailing Albert Smith by seven percent. Now that Oviedo has officially endorsed Fredricksen and has appeared at one of her events, political experts expect that gap to diminish significantly.

Harold White appeared at a rally in Redforge, in which he discussed his platform positions on a variety of subjects. The crowd's reaction was mixed; his positions on narcotics reform and civil rights drew applause, while his stances on defense spending and social welfare were met with silence.

Kyle Walker made an appearance at the local campaign office in Seville, where he thanked staff and volunteers for their hard work. He took some time to meet with everyone and even answered the phones for a little while.

That's our show for this evening. Join us tomorrow when our panel discusses the finer points of the first debate. Thank you for joining us again. Good night.
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