ENN Presidential Debate Liveblog - Nov 2021

HEM

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"ENN Presidential Debate Liveblog"

HEM @ 11:59 AM EST:
testing, testing, 1 2 3, testing

HEM @ 12:22 PM EST: Just hopped in. Seems that candidate Darcness is litigating the rules of the debate prior to the start.

HEM @ 12:26 PM EST: Very interesting that Pichtonia is representing Gaudosia -- given folks already have legitimate concerns about Gaudosia's experience being adequate to perform as President in high-stakes situations.

HEM @ 12:30 PM EST: Summing up opening statements:

Pichtonia for Gaudosia: Stop complaining about Gaudosia not being here, also we released our platform first.
SkyGreen: OK, I've finally been here for a while and Istillian was the best First Minister two years ago.
Darcness: The fate of our region's democracy comes down to this debate. Also, using my excel doc we will never ever make another mistake again.

HEM @ 12:39 PM EST: Only question to all candidates will be this F/S stronghold. This is important, so not snarky:

Pichtonia for Gaudosia: Pro-stronghold. And if they did change their minds, it would be through via a referendum. Frontier Act is a good start if they pivot to Frontier.
SkyGreen: Pro-frontier as default option. If something unexpected happened with the update where frontier no longer made sense, would start a regional discussion so everyone can be heard.
Darcness: Publicly as citizens are pro-stronghold. But feel that the ultimate decision should be made via referendum. Sees some serious problems with the Frontier Act -- would veto it today, but feels they can be solved, and would send bill to referendum.

HEM @ 12:41 PM EST: First candidate-to-candidate question of the debate. Darcness asking Skygreen why he changed his mind on frontier.

HEM @ 12:42 PM EST: Darcness working to tie Skygreen to Lime, talking about "the administration" changing its mind and whether Skygreen personally changed his mind or was following the administration line.

HEM @ 12:43 PM EST: Skygreen gives a rather technical and perfunctory answer regarding why he changed his mind. Boring, but hard to poke holes.

HEM @ 12:44 PM EST: Darcness to Pichtonia: "Are you a big scared baby!?!?!!"

HEM @ 12:44 PM EST: Pichtonia denies his pro-stronghold stance is guided by fear, says it is just weighing the pros and cons.

HEM @ 12:45 PM EST: Skygreen asking Darcness why he is coping out to having a platform stance on F/S. Darcness' response: "It is very important to us to be decisive, so we will punt a major policy decision to an opinion poll."

HEM @ 12:48 PM EST: Skygreen has leaned heavily on Vor's policy paper on integration theory to make his campaign case. Calvin asking why -- if this policy paper has all the answers -- it hasn't been implemented. Answer here wasn't particularly clear.

HEM @ 12:51 PM EST: Calvin's question here points out a friction between Darcness' past stance on gameside integration and his platform stances -- which definitely seem very influenced by UPC, who sees gameside activity as one of Europeia's preeminent concerns. Definitely not Darcness' traditional way of viewing things, and maybe a concession he had to make to get UPC onboard (Darcness claims his mind was honestly changed by UPC).

Also, I can't make heads or tails of Darc's comment: "do we want more endorsements for our delegate or a more secure region." I think he was very awk navigating this Q.

HEM @ 12:53 PM EST: When Europeia's virtual ruins are discovered by our future AI overlords, they will measure our community history by proposals to split and re-merge the interior department.

HEM @ 12:57 PM EST: Darc is getting a question on the most criticized part of his platform: dropping opinion polling from the EBC.

Darc's statement that opinion polling "isn't apart of the EBC" is a little off-key. The EBC has been doing opinion polling for over a half decade. I think he would be better off letting it be reframed as a "shift" than pretending something hasn't been happening for 1/3rd of our younger member's real life lives.

HEM @ 1:01 PM EST: Pichto twists around Darc's proposal, saying that it would "twist the EBC into a government mouthpiece" by more reflecting the government line. I don't think that's what Darc means, but a very clever counter-attack.

HEM @ 1:03 PM EST: I missed this question to Sky, which is maybe symbolic of his skill staying pretty under the radar this debate so far.

HEM @ 1:10 PM EST: Pichtonia denies that his "chess tournament" is a "game night."

HEM @ 1:13 PM EST: Pichtonia argues we will get more participation by playing a complex games like chess, while Sky says we need to find simpler games.

HEM @ 1:15 PM EST: Darc has some big shade, talking about "how little our Culture Department has been able to pull off." Argues that we organically engage offsite users pretty well, and need to spend more energy on gameside.

HEM @ 1:15 PM EST: Sky to any question about culture: "more advertisements!!!!" (we've been doing this for years)

HEM @ 1:19 PM EST: I'm kinda amazed how much attention the throwaway position of press secretary has gotten in this campaign. Big throwback to 2009.

HEM @ 1:20 PM EST: Pichto: "There is a lot of oversight for the press secretary role since we are creating the position and ruling with an iron fist!"

HEM @ 1:22 PM EST: Darcness linking Skygreen to his boss again, attacking the communication problems of the "Lime/Skygreen" administration.

HEM @ 1:23 PM EST: Fwiw, I think it's very fair to hold Skygreen accountable for the administration as a whole. Skygreen has improved his personal communication in the second half of the term, but he does have to own a lot of the bigger picture here. Lime's Senate brouhaha may actually benefit him, as folks are much less likely to link that more bizarre behavior to Sky vs. the big picture problems.

HEM @ 1:29 PM EST: This whole section is just everyone defending their decision to create new Ministries or not. Darcness is staying consistent to his traditional belief of fewer Ministries here, proposing no new ones. He famously mused once that we should merge Ministry of Interior and the Grand Admiral when he was on a mission to reduce the number of cabinet roles (to be clear, this is nowhere near his platform today).

HEM @ 1:32 PM EST: a little shade to, Skygreen saying he has picked a "reliable" Minister of Justice.

HEM @ 1:38 PM EST: ♬ I don't give a shit about the Ministry of Justice ♬♬

HEM @ 1:39 PM EST: Yikes >> Skygreen: "I am too busy campaigning for higher office to talk with law clerks who serve in my administration."

HEM @ 1:44 PM EST: Darcness spent a lot of this debate bickering with Pichto, which seems like a waste of time given the polling. Via tying Skygreen to Lime, and now asking him about his focus on naval recruitment vs. training, he seems to be pivoting.

HEM @ 1:49 PM EST: A little of gossipy breaking news here...I have heard a rumor that -- partially based on the performance in this debate -- another ticket is weighing the opportunity to join this race. And it's not a joke ticket.

Darkslayer @ 1:54 PM EST: Skygreen's foreign policy: "look up to experts and i will act on their advice. not my own thought"

HEM @ 1:55 PM EST: Darc: "I am tired of our allies being treated like pokemon but you bet ur ass that if elected I will get you a holographic charizard."

HEM @ 1:57 PM EST: Hmm did Darc just forget that Pichtonia has served as President?? He seems to infer he's the only one who has sat in the "big chair" but notes Pichtonia was a "Vice President." (Darc clarified this fwiw)

HEM @ 2:04 PM EST: Darc: "My past failures taught me that the President has helpers, who I came to learn, was called 'the Cabinet' -- you probably didn't know this, most don't. Took a while to figure that out"

HEM @ 2:06 PM EST: Pichto: "Gaudosia put a lot of work into our platform, I just typed it up for him on my Pichtonia letterhead. I am confident that he will learn about the government in time to be President. Also, I am confident that Asperta as an honored citizen would vote for us -- would you lodge that absentee vote for us?"

HEM @ 2:12 PM EST: Darc asks Skygreen about the region he founded, "Sky Haven." Skygreen got a little flack at the start of the term when he declared in his opening speech that a "founder" was Vice President.

HEM @ 2:13 PM EST: Skygreen: "My region Sky Haven is relaxing and comfy, while Europeia is a flaming hellfire of suffering and pain (tho rewarding)."

HEM @ 2:20 PM EST: As we wrap things up here, it's worth considering candidates both in terms of the confidence they projected during the debate and also how their responses and policies are likely to be received.

Skygreen: Sky had the most to lose in a debate, but with a pretty low bar of what he needed to accomplish. Being more green to a debate like this, he did have some stumbles, like when he implied he was too busy running for office to hold conversations with law clerks on how to improve the Justice Ministry. That being said, Sky was able to navigate most questioning and avoid being at the center of much controversy. He did face some pretty pointed questions from Darcness about Sky Haven -- which I think were fair, but given Sky Haven has been around for some time now, are probably baked into the electorate's knowledge of Skygreen and unlikely to have citizens clutching their pearls. Other questions like why he flip-flopped on F/S were handled aptly, and he had far less controversial policy proposals take center stage. Attempts to tie him to Lime were effective jabs, but he smartly ignored the barbs and moved on. At times, his answers were understated and softly spoken, but the debate was a round of well-played defense for the frontrunner. B-

Darcness: Of all contenders, Darcness came off the most self-assured and confident of all the speakers. He spoke boldly and directly on numerous questions, and was also the most confident participant in asking questions to other people. He gets dragged down by the number of unpopular ideas he had to defend, including striping polling from the EBC mandate and the shift of the Culture Ministry's duties. No matter how confident he came across, he was playing a lot of defense in his answers and that's likely to not be lost on a Europeian citizenry who often forms debate takeaways as a hive mind. Overall, a good performance, but probably not enough to turn the tables. B+

Pichtonia: In my mind, entered the debate as a bit of an underdog as he was the VP candidate and not the Presidential candidate. His answer that Gaudosia doesn't prefer to be in voice is fair, but it remains equally fair that that doesn't do much to assuage concerns about such a green, under-the-radar presidential candidate. His defense of a "press secretary" role didn't real make a lot of sense, but I feel like most people feel that's a low stakes position and doesn't feel as "nails to the chalkboard" as Darc's "no polling in the EBC" policy position. Pichto is a seasoned politician and handled himself quite well in the debate, but given almost all concerns are with the top of the ticket, I'm not sure he did much to move the needle. His most lasting impact here might have been to be a distraction for Darc to go after (especially in the first half of the debate) and reduce the overall number of blows on Skygreen. B
 
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HEM @ 12:51 PM EST: Calvin's question here points out a friction between Darcness' past stance on gameside integration and his platform stances -- which definitely seem very influenced by UPC, who sees gameside activity as one of Europeia's preeminent concerns. Definitely not Darcness' traditional way of viewing things, and maybe a concession he had to make to UPC onboard (Darcness claims his mind was honestly changed by UPC).
This was funny to me, given that Darc had criticized Sky in the previous question for changing their mind.
 
HEM @ 12:57 PM EST: Darc is getting a question on the most criticized part of his platform: dropping opinion polling from the EBC.

Darc's statement that opinion polling "isn't apart of the EBC" is a little off-key. The EBC has been doing opinion polling for over a half decade. I think he would be better off letting it be reframed as a "shift" than pretending something hasn't been happening for 1/3rd of our younger member's real life lives.

Plus these opinion polls have often been the most viewed and most engaged with articles of the term. They're objective, regulated based on internal guidelines (unless things have changed...), and have been a very useful tool in evaluating administrations, senates, and even thoughts and opinions on important current topics.

I'm not sure I buy into the "move it out of the EBC" vibe but opinion polling articles are very visible and most certainly there.
 
Also, using my excel doc we will never ever make another mistake again.
I am personally offended as the Excel doc minister.
HEM @ 12:53 PM EST: When Europeia's virtual ruins are discovered by our future AI overlords, they will measure our community history by proposals to split and re-merge the interior department.
XD
HEM @ 1:19 PM EST: I'm kinda amazed how much attention the throwaway position of press secretary has gotten in this campaign. Big throwback to 2009.
Right? But I think the last couple administrations' poor attempts at communication means someone who can do that shit needs to step in. XD
Darcness spent a lot of this debate bickering with Pichto, which seems like a waste of time given the polling.
Yeah, I noted that, but I also like he took G/P platform seriously.
HEM @ 1:49 PM EST: A little of gossipy breaking news here...I have heard a rumor that -- partially based on the performance in this debate -- another ticket is weighing the opportunity to join this race. And it's not a joke ticket.
OMFG!
given Sky Haven has been around for some time now, are probably baked into the electorate's knowledge of Skygreen and unlikely to have citizens clutching their pearls.
I...who is Sky Haven? Why does it matter?

It looked like UPC's questions were trying to go somewhere, but I don't get where.
a Europeian citizenry who often forms debate takeaways as a hive mind.
I am personally offended as someone who is part of the hive mind.
 
I feel like Darc was punching up in a situation where he could have realistically positioned himself as the front runner.
 
I was a bit surprised at how many Europeians are in Sky Haven when I found out about it, but I don't think there are any concerns about it unless there are time issues with someone holding a major position there and here (and not being able to cover both).
 
I feel like Darc was punching up in a situation where he could have realistically positioned himself as the front runner.
Isn't punching up a good thing? Or are you saying he should have put himself into the position of a front-runner instead of acting like he had to punch up to his competition?
 
I feel like Darc was punching up in a situation where he could have realistically positioned himself as the front runner.
Isn't punching up a good thing? Or are you saying he should have put himself into the position of a front-runner instead of acting like he had to punch up to his competition?
I think this is another word mix-up...
 
I feel like Darc was punching up in a situation where he could have realistically positioned himself as the front runner.
Isn't punching up a good thing? Or are you saying he should have put himself into the position of a front-runner instead of acting like he had to punch up to his competition?
The second part. He should have put himself into the front runner position
 
I feel like Darc was punching up in a situation where he could have realistically positioned himself as the front runner.
Isn't punching up a good thing? Or are you saying he should have put himself into the position of a front-runner instead of acting like he had to punch up to his competition?
The second part. He should have put himself into the front runner position
So we want him punching down? :p
 
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