Europeian Observer Election Special

I would like to thank all my panelists for agreeing to come on, and for helping kick this off!

Let's get started:

As the election starts tomorrow, what are your thoughts about the roller-coaster campaign season and, indeed, the roller-coaster term that preceded it?
 
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Well I think this term has to be one of the most interesting in Europeian history. You had a very polarizing president in Falconias, who had several mistakes and missteps, however had some successes as well. Then there was Asianatic, the Senate Speaker who emerged as one of the main forces of opposition to Falconias' presidency. With two forces battling against each other you were generally on one side or the other.

If all that wasn't enough for this term you had newcomer Aexnidaral emerge as a leader for the voice of the "average citizen." As he crusaded against the Senate, the public began to oppose the Senate in large numbers. Aexindaral's referendum was successful but soon after, attention shifted to him being a criminal and he has since been banned from Europeia.

The term was explosive, for sure. The next term has a lot to live up to.

This election has shaped up to be very interesting. At the beginning you had Falconias, a president trying to hold onto power up against a surprise challenger, Rougiers. Falc dropped out and Sopo and Swakistek jumped in.

No poll has been able to really predict a solid winner. If I had to bet, I would have to say Rougiers will be our next president. I have no idea why but I think the EMP base will vote for Sopo, while the eroding NCP will vote for Swak. The independent vote will be funneled into Rougiers' camp.

In an election that seems to have turned into who has more experience then the other (a laughable concept), no one really has the edge. If you analyze everyone's experience:

Swakistek: Current Chief of Staff, Two Time Senator. Has been for quite a long time, regarded as the NCP's strongest member.
Modern Sin: Former Chief of Staff.

Rougiers: Former Grand Admiral for 1 Month. Current Mayor. During his time as Grand Admiral, many, including Falc, said he was doing very well.
Earth: I will not list all of her other region positions, but there is a ton. Was once our Foreign Affairs Minister.

Sopo: No Major Positions to note in Europeia. Some in other regions.
Jusduckria: Associate Justice, seen as a very promising newcomer.

In my eyes, the most experienced ticket has to be the Rougiers one. However, in this election season the person who has received the most flak for inexperience has been Rougiers. Odd, no?

Anyways, this election season has been interesting. I look forward to seeing how it will turn out.
 
As the election starts tomorrow, what are your thoughts about the roller-coaster campaign season and, indeed, the roller-coaster term that preceded it?

Roller-coaster is an excellent way to describe both the Presidential Election Season and Falconias's term. I found myself an undecided voter when voters had the choice between President Falconias and Mayor Rougiers, weighing the potential of Rougiers against the proven qualifications of Falconias. Ultimately, voters didn't have to make that decision as Falconias withdrew from the race, to be replaced by NCP candidate Swak. Sopo also stood for President, and so voters have an option between three candidates, none of whom, to be honest, I am overly excited to support.

We've seen the emergence of the EMP and the rising of two newcomers, Jus and Rougiers. We've also seen the banning of the enigmatic Aex, who, in his short time in Europeia, managed to bring the relationship between the CC and the Senate near its breaking point. This term has seen the loss of the recruiting system, a massive drop in population over two Ministers of Interior, and the loss of GA Rougiers.

Again, when I look at the candidates for President, I can see major flaws in each ticket. The lack of Europeian experience in Sopo, a candidate who weeks ago had quit NationStates forever, Rougier's short time in NationStates as a whole, and Swak's lack of MSN :)P) and the lack of substantial concepts that he brings to the table independent of the NCP.

Another interesting point is that all candidates have chosen to release their cabinets before election day. I'm surprised to see that none of the candidates have chosen Rougiers as GA, and that these candidates have decided on limiting turnover in the Ministries that have been struggling the most under President Falconias.

All in all, my general dissatisfaction with the candidates is sure to make me an enemy or two, and I honestly hope that the candidate who wins will be able to unite Europeia and push the region forward - but for the moment I recognize that I will be making a very hard choice come election day and that I am not enthusiastic about any of the Presidential Candidates. I do look forward, however, to seeing how it all turns out.
 
This term has been a rollercoaster one, but not so much due to the faults of the President and Cabinet as to external events that were out of our control. Rougiers himself rocked the boat enormously when he resigned as Grand Admiral, causing a spontaneous mass Cabinet reshuffle, and the departure of Demataria was also difficult.

Falconias brought a style of leadership to the Presidency that I think was full of reform and ideals...he just found difficulty in implementing these and in working with the Senate to bring them to fruition.

The Presidential race has also been an interesting one, and after the sudden departure of Falconias, a couple of extra candidates stood, so that there would be someone with more experience who could lead the region.

Currently, the Presidential field is not an easy one to pick the best out of. Rougiers and Earth, while they both have a few weeks each of Cabinet experience as Grand Admiral and Minister of Foreign Affairs respectively, neither have managed to complete the term, and neither are very well established members of the region. It is my belief that their lack of experience will be a major stumbling block for them, as many will undoubtedly believe that some substantial Cabinet experience is necessary to understand the functionings of the executive and to grasp the true nature of the Office of the President. However, one of their strengths is their clear committment and dedication, and experience in other areas of Europeia, although it is yet to be seen whether or not this can push them into the Presidency.

Sopo and Jusduckria are some of the latecomers to the Presidential election, and regrettably, they are clearly not being perceived as experienced enough to undertake this office. Also, while Jusduckria is a dynamic regional figure, Sopo is less so, and that will be one of the major points against them in the coming elections.

Myself and Modern Sin are also some of the later candidates to run, as I was previously barred from standing due to the bylaws and conventions of the party, and as Falconias was the elected Presidential nominee. While I have been criticised for not bringing any ideas of my own to the table, I would just like to point out that nearly all of the new ideas in my platform are from my own mind.

Furthermore, while some ideas of Falconias and me may have been discussed in the National Conservative Party, I'd just like to reiterate at this stage that both of us are indeed two of the most active members of the party. Our major roles in the work of the party are represented in my positions as Chairman and Chief Political Coordinator (I am often the 'face' of the NCP) and Modern Sin's recent election as Vice Chairman.

The NCP tag on ideas in our Presidential platforms generally refers to the major contributions of Modern Sin, Falconias and myself, with some input from other party members as well. Thus, our association with the NCP draws some negative connotations in the eyes of certain members of the region, and this could diminish our support when the results come in.

I think that some of our major strengths are that each of us has a term under our belt as Chief of Staff, which is exponentially more than the other candidates, and this position offers a perspective closer to that of the Presidency than any other Cabinet posts. This experience, as well as my Senate experience and MS' regional experience, will contribute to our activity, committment, initiative, dedication and efforts to be one of our major strengths in the coming elections.

I think that this upcoming election is going to be too close to call in advance, because we've got such a broad range of strengths and weaknesses, and it's going to be especially difficult to tell how the independents cast their votes. The independent vote will be one of the major factors in the outcome of this election, as usual in Europeia, and will make for an interesting time when the voting threads are set up.
 
That's a perfect segue. Swak, since the voting threads have just been created!

An interesting thing occurred, with HEM having to recreate a new voting thread for the Senate, since the Constitution was amended to have 10 Senators. What are the panelists thoughts about that?
 
Jusduckria said:
An interesting thing occurred, with HEM having to recreate a new voting thread for the Senate, since the Constitution was amended to have 10 Senators. What are the panelists thoughts about that?
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Such a non-issue. :p

Edit: Though as I previously mentioned, I was opposed to expanding the Senate to 10 seats. We'll see how the elections turn out, though I do enjoy the competition that limited seats provide. I feel that a lot of the drama regarding Senate seats has been lost with the expansion of the Senate - that may not be the main point but I do enjoy me some drama. :)
 
As I said, an expanded Senate has the advantage of allowing in more of the newer members, while it compromises slightly the close-knit legislative-expert discussion-conference atmosphere with every expansion...
 
Just to interrupt, here are the vote totals as they currently stand:

Modern Sin    [ 7 ]    [6.42%]
Rougiers  [ 7 ]  [6.42%]
HEM  [ 9 ]  [8.26%]
Nlhp  [ 3 ]  [2.75%]
Anumia  [ 11 ]  [10.09%]
Cambover  [ 5 ]  [4.59%]
Jusduckria  [ 10 ]  [9.17%]
Cary  [ 3 ]  [2.75%]
karthikking  [ 2 ]  [1.83%]
PhDre  [ 10 ]  [9.17%]
Asianatic  [ 10 ]  [9.17%]
Jahka  [ 1 ]  [0.92%]
Lethen  [ 8 ]  [7.34%]
Swakistek  [ 7 ]  [6.42%]
King Satya I  [ 1 ]  [0.92%]
Common-Sense Politics  [ 10 ]  [9.17%]
Tylus the Great  [ 0 ]  [0.00%]
Sopo  [ 5 ]  [4.59%]
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Rougiers/Earth22 (IND)    [ 7 ]    [50.00%]
Swakistek/Modern Sin (NCP)  [ 5 ]  [35.71%]
Sopo/Jusduckria (EMP)  [ 2 ]  [14.29%]
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I don't think much of HEM making a small error here. He does it all the time. :p

As for what I think about the election...I still think we, as candidates and observers, should conduct ourselves in a slightly more mature manner but I will digress as no one will ever agree with me.
 
Modern Sin    [ 7 ]    [6.42%]
Rougiers  [ 7 ]  [6.42%]
HEM  [ 9 ]  [8.26%]
Nlhp  [ 3 ]  [2.75%]
Anumia  [ 11 ]  [10.09%]
Cambover  [ 5 ]  [4.59%]
Jusduckria  [ 10 ]  [9.17%]
Cary  [ 3 ]  [2.75%]
karthikking  [ 2 ]  [1.83%]
PhDre  [ 10 ]  [9.17%]
Asianatic  [ 10 ]  [9.17%]
Jahka  [ 1 ]  [0.92%]
Lethen  [ 8 ]  [7.34%]
Swakistek  [ 7 ]  [6.42%]
King Satya I  [ 1 ]  [0.92%]
Common-Sense Politics  [ 10 ]  [9.17%]
Tylus the Great  [ 0 ]  [0.00%]
Sopo  [ 5 ]  [4.59%]
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So I've bolded the candidates who would currently make it into the Senate, and italics belong to candidates who would be tied if Rougiers or Swak win the Presidential Election. Frankly, I think this just highlights that having 10 Senators is too much - though others are welcome to comment. In particular, a candidate who hasn't received the confidence of the majority of voters is, by all probability, going to serve in the next Senate. Again, I do like the fact that more people are getting involved in Senate elections - but I think having so many Senators hurts the region by reducing competition and the drive to do well in the Senate.

As for what I think about the election...I still think we, as candidates and observers, should conduct ourselves in a slightly more mature manner but I will digress as no one will ever agree with me.
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I completely disagree with CSP here. Acting immaturely is acceptable during election season... nay I encourage immaturity during election season. If you aren't able to handle yourself in a mature manner as you run for President, do not expect my vote :p. So yes, I agree with CSP, though in a roundabout manner.
 
With ten seats available it opens up the flood gates for more opinions in the Senate. With such a diverse and accomplished field of 18 candidates, seeing one more squeeze through then normal is not a big deal to me. In fact, I welcome it. Having strong legislators in the Senate is something that is good for the region.

Also, if you think about it in the recruiting way. We have an additional mandatory recruiter who should be pushing out 50 telegrams a week for around 400 a term. If everyone recruits what they should in the Senate that's 4,000 TG's. With a success rate of 2% that should be 80 new nations. I digress, though.

I'm excited to see how our next Senate will be composed, it seems like we'll have a unique mixed bag. However, Cary, someone who I thought had gained more support, appears to still be nowhere near election.

On the presidential side, you have Rougiers/Earth22 taking a slim early lead, just ahead of Swakistek/Modern Sin. Sopo/Jusduckria have fallen to the bottom, a position I see themselves in for the remainder of the race. I think if Sopo/Jusduckria has waited until the next election they would be more successful.
 
Let's take a look at the candidates, actually. That's quite a broad field, with perennial runner Tylus, among other very-newcomers. Any thoughts?
 
An excellent point - I can count at least four candidates who have contributed nothing to Europeia, at least to my knowledge. Indeed, we have a very strong field, but let us be honest and say that there are, at most, 14 or 15 accomplished candidates in the Senate election.
 
Dre is quite right. About Three candidates have done nothing for the region. Then there are some oldies who you just question why they're running. Overall though, there is a field of qualified candidates, all of whom will make the Senate very proud.
 
Indeed, there are a few candidates in the field who have done absolutely nothing for the region, and yet there are a few candidates who have been serving from the humble beginnings of our home. And then there are others, such as myself, who have Senate experience but not quite as much as some of the older members...then there are still others who are foraying into the Senate elections for the first time, after work in other areas.

Overall, a reasonably balanced field.
 
Turning our attention to the Presidential campaign, at this point it seems reasonable to call the April 2010 Elections in favor of Rougiers/Earth22. Rougiers benefited most from the turnover that occurred during the last week of the campaign season - we saw two candidates stand with only days until the polls opened. Rougiers's presence in the campaign for a solid two weeks was probably a deciding factor for citizens who were on the fence up until they cast their vote.

I would also have been interested in seeing the NCP choose Swak over Falconias initially - this certainly would have given Swak a different "image" as a Presidential Candidate. Rather than a last second replacement, Swak could have been seen by the region as a departure from the headstrong temperament and the failures of the Falconias Administration.
 
You make some good points, PhDre, but please remember that:

a) Falconias was elected as our Presidential candidate near the end of the term before he was elected...and at that point, I had only one term of Senate experience and no time in Cabinet at all. I wouldn't have been a great candidate then.

b) When we were holding nominations this time around, I thought that it would be fair to give Falconias a chance at getting himself reelected, as he had already won the Presidency. And I didn't win the primaries for the Vice Presidency, because the party believed that my activity and talents could be better utilised as either Chief of Staff or President.

I didn't have a great deal of choice, you know...but maybe Europeia will see me again running for President...you never know...:p

I do, however, agree that Rougiers and Earth are clearly the victors of this election.
 
Certainly I respect the By-Laws of the NCP, which is why I regret to see that they are restrictive enough to dissuade competent Presidential Candidates from standing. Something that I like about being an independent is exactly the great deal of choice afforded to me. But I digress... ;)




 
We find that it usually works better to have a single Presidential candidate, because if we have two, nobody would win. But I also digress...:p

Where's the manager of this joint? Ain't we supposed to be answering more questions or something?
 
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