- Pronouns
- He/Him
Written by Sopo
Opinion Editor
"First Thoughts" is the first in a series of blog-style opinion pieces on the April 2016 Europeian Presidential election, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates, their running mates, and their platforms. Sopo is the Opinion Editor of the E-News Network and an undecided voter.
This election is an anomaly in Europeian history that should be appreciated as it plays out. It is truly rare to have such a diverse array of qualified candidates for the Presidency of Europeia, and I hope that by writing this series regularly through the campaign period that I can improve the dialogue of this historic campaign. As a general rule, I will begin with overall observations about the campaign, followed by notes on the progress of individual campaigns (or lack thereof).
Yesterday morning I briefly lost my mind at the prospect of four tickets campaigning for President. So far, I haven't been disappointed. All four tickets have already posted platforms, graphics, follow-ups, and responses to questions. Its been an incredibly active and engaging first 48 hours. For the first time in a long time, I have no real leaning toward any of the tickets in particular, and I'm eager to go through the journey of deciding who to vote for in earnest (offers of ovations will be seriously considered). From my point of view, here's where the campaigns currently stand:
Kaboom/GraVandius
The Underdogs
If anyone in this campaign can be considered the underdog, its Kaboom/GraV. With less experience than the other tickets and an affiliation with the new Europeian Progressive Party, they face a difficult, uphill battle against seasoned veterans. Both have experience as Senators, though an unsuccessful Senate term may be more of a drag on GraV than a selling point. They would theoretically monopolize appeal to newer members if not for the presence of Aex on the CSP/Aex ticket, which will drain away some (if not most of) the "newcomer vote," if such a thing truly exists. They benefit from experience in Interior, though again that is dwarfed by the more significant experience of Mal and Aex.
With their two key advantages--newcomer appeal and Interior experience--largely overshadowed, they will need to reinvent their campaign to have a shot in this election. A potential partnership with the Federalist-Reform Party with an emphasis on a greater role for newer members could help them pull in more votes, but its hard to see why veteran members of Europeia would choose the self-proclaimed "green" ticket over an experienced one if there is no great difference in policy proposals (which I don't think there is). In all likelihood, a respectable effort from Kaboom and GraV would reflect well on them and perhaps earn them another shot at the Senate or the chance to run a Ministry.
Calvin Coolidge/Malashaan
The Annointed One
This is Calvin's second run for the Goldenblock, over a year after a razor-thin loss to yours truly. Calvin occupies a similar space this time around: the obvious choice, the "next-in-line," the qualified and enthusiastic do-er. After posting his platform, but before CSP and Kaz stood, Cal received statements of support from no less than 6 prominent Europeians including the sitting President and Minister of Foreign Affairs. As sitting VP, he is the obvious successor to Trinn and will be running on his record.
Where Calvin stumbled last time was not lack of prominent support but with a weak and too-short platform, giving off the vibe that he was running as a formality and expected to win. Today's Calvin has a year of additional experience, including 69 terms as Vice President, and a much better platform. Yet this time he faces not one but two resurgent old-timers in CSP and Kazaman. The social media issue, a relatively minor one, has already seemed to trip him up. Like HEM cutting short the FA debate with Rach and Onder by moving it elsewhere, Cal/Mal should avoid getting slogged down in arguing insignificant details. His campaign will need to make inroads with newer members that may feel more at home with Kaboom/GraV or CSP/Aex and overcome Aex's well-oiled one-man political machine. Calvin and Mal will need to throw themselves into this election even more than they already have, defending the policies of the last two terms that they will be building on and emphasizing why their "insider" status is a benefit unique to their ticket.
Common-Sense Politics/Aexnidaral Seymour
The Dark Horse
CSP/Aex is not a dark horse in that the ticket is relatively unknown, but in that no one really expected them to run. CSP has been off the scene since his resignation from the MoFA position under Kraken's presidency. Aex has been a somewhat controversial but efficient Senate Speaker, popular especially with newer members. Both candidates have very strong positives: hefty FA and executive experience from CSP, interior experience and political savvy from Aex. They can effectively appeal to new and old members alike, and between the two of them there's really no weak point in their experience. CSP will likely excel in the debates due to his wide knowledge and propensity for succinct, effective rhetoric.
Both candidates also have some baggage. CSP may be seen as unreliable after his previous resignation (and those resignations before that). Aex is still working to overcome the long-lasting consequences of false accusations as well as the perception that he is "too ambitious." They've released a platform full of vision but lacking in practical details. It will be interesting to see if they can overcome the various obstacles standing in their way through this unconventional campaign style. They will need to assure voters that their baggage will not be an issue and then quickly downplay it, focusing on the campaign itself. Eventually they may need some specific plans as well.
Kazaman/HEM
The Nostalgia Trip
Kazaman's return to Europeia has been full of boldness, running for Senate successfully and now running for President. Rather than choose a newer member for a running mate that would complement his old-timey resume, he doubled down on the nostalgia by choosing HEM, Europeia's beloved founder known for the occasional revolutionary idea that the people of Europeia usually shut down. Kaz/HEM have the most comprehensive platform by far, with more details to be released throughout the campaign. They've gravedug old ideas like mandatory recruitment, and they also managed to bring Onder out of the shadows to contest their revisionary idea of history.
The Kaz/HEM ticket will likely be hurt by the fact that Kaz has been out of the game for a long time and HEM only recently returned to elective office as a Senator. Most people don't know Kaz very well, and his dispute with Rach and Onder risks making him seem out of touch. However, the long platform presented by this ticket demonstrates a surprising level of familiarity with current-day Europeia for someone who was gone for so long. Kaz and HEM will need to make their ages-old experience relevant in the eyes of the voters, and prove that they're as ready to lead now as they were back then. Simultaneously running an "outsider" campaign while claiming the voice of experience, they'll need to avoid appearing out of step with today's Europeia.
Edit: typos
As someone who's new to the region, I find it very helpful to read about all the backstories.
