Looks like we beat you to the race Jorts Report! Siph and I sat down to discuss the upcoming Presidential election, potential candidates, what the future Cabinet could look like and Siph provided us with some breaking news. And before you start shouting copy-cat, Siph and I had planned this days before the Power Players Draft was announced and we just had a discussion about the Presidential Election, we didn't draft any teams. So we won't be seeing you in the High Court on a copyright claim!
.Lime: Shall we start with the first announced pick, Lloenflys?
Siph: Definitely seems like a good place to start. I was a little surprised to see Lloen throw his hat into the ring, especially so early, but considering he did the exact same thing with his successful FM election, it's not unusual for him haha.
Lime: Ah I wasn't around for his FM term so I didn't know that. I was also surprised that he announced he was running so early, I can't think of anyone else who's ever done that. There's been candidates where its been a very open secret that they're running for President, but no one openly admits straight away that they're running
Siph: This has been a very strange election to see 2 Chief Executive candidates and 1 full ticket already for the top spot, before standing has even opened. Definitely shows that people are excited for this first Presidential election, and I can see why. This one could be a defining term for many of our newer members who have never seen what a Presidential term looks like, and for that job, Lloen is not a bad pick. Though he's not ancient like the two other confirmed candidates, he has a very solid track record and incredibly high popularity in pretty much every position he's been polled for. And with that one aforementioned First Minister term giving him experience in the top office, he's no newcomer to managing a lot of the executive
Lime: As I said, I wasn't around for Lloen's FM term, however from what I've heard it was a bit meh. Europeians do have a notoriously short memory though so that may not affect him very much. What I think might be a harder hurdle for him to overcome is his relative lack of executive experience particularly in FA. Lloen is probably best known for his work in the Senate, particularly as Speaker. Serving as FM definitely shores up his credentials in the domestic ministries (although even here he's only served as Culture Minister) but he's never held any roles in FA outside of a deputy position. According to CSP's poll FA is what voters are most concerned about - does his lack of FA experience harm his chances?
Siph: You do make a valid point there. Something I find interesting about these candidates is that, though they are all of course strong and influential people, their records are not spotless. In Lloen's FM term, though he maintained great popularity, he sort of mismanaged the Ministry of Culture by not replacing minister shufordbrian when he resigned, and instead doing the role himself. I believe he mentioned in the Senate after that he wished he would've been given more scrutiny for such a choice. It was by no means an overall weak term, but it wasn't the strongest definitely and definitely -- he does seem to fall short in FA experience. But I think that's why choosing Pichtonia was such a crucial choice for him. Pichto has served in FA pretty well. After all, he did win an election to become the Chief of State, and served as Vice Chief of State and Councilor of Foreign Affairs before that. He has a pretty strong resume for that side of the executive, and I think this makes this a classic pairing I've heard tale of from the President days; A domestically-focused FM, and a FA-focused VP. This choice has definitely made this ticket a very strong one. If Lloen had gone for someone who was more known for domestic work, I think it might've come back to bite him.
Lime: I definitely agree. Finding a "balance" between domestic and FA is always key for any Presidential ticket. I also agree that Pichto is a strong choice and a very smart choice for Lloen. He definitely shores up the FA credentials Lloen is lacking, and Pichto also has domestic experience which doesn't hurt their ticket at all. Pichto would also be a formidable Presidential candidate himself and so Lloen picking Pichto does mean he has one less candidate to run against. I think CSP's poll showed Pichto was the candidate who preformed best against Lloen, so that further proves that selecting Pichto was a smart move by Lloen
Siph: Yeah I believe the poll split them even, the only matchup for Lloen to do so. I also definitely agree about Pichto's own credentials; though he was not in the highest tier in the Smokin Poll, he would've always been a strong candidate if he puts enough time into his campaign. I don't foresee any major barriers for this ticket. Though they will have strong opponents, I can't think of one issue which would trump their ticket-- they simply compLiment each other very well
Lime: I agree, there is no smoking gun against this ticket. Talking of their opponents, shall we move onto Sopo?
Siph: Indeed, Mr Sloth himself. The second person to announce his candidacy in this election. A very old name and one with a lot of prestige already, having been President previously and I think it's here where I'd like to expand on a previous point. I think this term will be a trendsetter, especially for those newer, but also with the changed President/Vice President dynamic with portfolios. I think, based on that, some voters might prefer an older name to take the top spot, an experienced hand who can help define this position in Modern Europeia and clear the way for newer names down the line. This would seem to favour Sopo against Lloen in this election, who is, by comparison, a lot younger in Euro age.
Lime: Yes I defiantly think we could see people who are craving "an older hand" to guide this trendsetting or transition term, and in that sense Sopo definitely stands to gain. As you say, he's served as President before, has a great deal of experience in many areas and could easily be seen as a "safe choice" for a lot of voters. While that could benefit him, it could also be a potential weakness. Maybe people don't want a "boring" first term, maybe they actually want an exciting and different first term and if Sopo is seen as the "safe choice" this could harm him. Hence why I think Sopo is going to pick a new and rising star in the region as his VP choice, to inject some excitement into his campaign.
Siph: I think you could definitely be right here. Calvin's in-depth article did say that ancient/ancient pairings aren't known to be successful at all, and though I think there could be an allure to grab some older player who's interested in this special first election, Sopo could definitely choose a newer, active, and bright pick. That is never a bad choice for a VP. I think "active" would be the key word here; not just active in general, but someone already active in government. Because Sopo is coming into this election without any immediate roles to show off, executive or otherwise, it could be advantageous for him to grab someone who is very much alive in recent memory. Moreover, he also doesn't have a spotless record. Though he has had very strong terms in the past, especially "recently" with being Lloen's inactive SM and the whole FM resignation debacle, he might have a secure hold on some older votes but the newer people who don't remember those glory days will need some extra swaying. With his VP pick yet being unannounced, we have no way of knowing. But if he's smart, it's someone new-ish, active, recently in government, and someone who could spice the ticket up a little bit as you mentioned. "Safe choice" could be an advantage for a first term, but bright and bursting ideas could come to dominate the debate.
Lime: I think that's a good point you've raised, in that Sopo might be vulnerable when it comes to newer members who might be influenced more by the resignation memes than older members are. Newer members haven't seen Sopo excel in a leadership position so they might be more sceptical of him.
Siph: It does really gamble on that crucial VP pick. He's obviously a strong candidate by himself, but against a killer ticket like Lloen/Pichto his choice needs to be well suited to fill the gaps he does have.
Lime: Definitely. I think this will be an election where VP picks really matter
Siph: Agreed. And with a political climate full of pretty new people with good potential, no ticket would be starved for choice here
Lime: Absolutely. Now that we've discussed the two confirmed candidates shall we move onto the speculation?
Siph: Sure, I truly think a huge range of people could run for this election
Lime: Want to give the first name?
Siph: Kuramia. Now, I've heard some things, which I frustratingly can't pinpoint, that suggest that they may not be running for President, I think I recall in an interview with Forilian for the EBC not too long ago, Kura did suggest they could be running in this election. This follows my reasoning above that people might be looking for a seasoned player, and Kura can surely give that to them. Having served multiple times as Chief of State, serving now as VCoS, and having experience on the candidate, they're no stranger to being at the top of the executive. They also polled pretty high in CSP's Smoking Poll -- strong second tier, which can easily make for a formidable campaign
Lime: Kuramia was always discussed as being a potentially formidable candidate and I don't think that's changed, if anything I think she's in a better place to win the Presidency than ever before. I agree with your reasoning, she has the experience particularly in FA and she can be that seasoned player that voters may be looking for. I think that, just as in the past, the biggest issue with a Kuramia campaign is that Kuramia herself has little intention of running for the Presidency. I don't think its impossible that Kuramia runs in this election, however after being in very senior positions for such a long time I think Kuramia is interested in a break right now. Then again Pichto said that he wanted a break but soon enough he was running for Senate again and now Vice President, so we just don't know what people plan to do until they actually do it.
Siph: This election does seem to have a theme of people putting their names down after previously wanting a break, so perhaps it is a possibility. I also could just want to see a Kura Presidency too much haha! Though yeah, with no obvious signs at the moment, this is purely just speculation. If they were to run, what type of person do you think would be a good VP for them?
Lime: Given Kuramia's extensive experience I think like Sopo, the best pick for her would be a newer player, or even perhaps just a less experienced player. I think Kuramia could pick someone like Monkey who may not be a newcomer but still has very limited executive experience. I'm not sure however if Sopo would have the same leeway just because of the potential scaring he's had from his recent resignations
Siph: Yeah I agree. I think Monkey would make a fine VP pick here, with the SM mini-term as relevant immediate experience. But yeah, one may wish for a Kuramia presidency, but I don't know how likely that is
Lime: Ok my turn to suggest a name and I'm going to suggest McEntire. As the incumbent First Minister and the most recently elected Chief Executive I think McEntire has the best "claim" to the Presidency. (Obviously the Presidency isn't a crown to be pass around by veteran Europeians but you get my point). I think he's going to come out of this term looking positive and he could easily run on a campaign promising to "finish the unsolved business" from this truncated term and that could be compelling to a lot of voters. Aside from that, he is a very experienced Europeian with a long history in the region and he's said he is open to the idea of running for President.
Siph: Definitely a good point, and one I, for some reason, didn't consider. This is a short term, and if McEntire pulls this off spectacularly well it's a spring board to use in the presidential election. And the unfinished businesses narrative is one I have heard before; pretty effective a lot of the time. This does make this term incredibly crucial if McEntire's looking for a presidential run; if he can't pull off a half-term, how could the voters expect him to do so but with a full term?
Lime: Yeah that's a very good point you've raised there, the stakes for this term are definitely very high if McEntire wants to run for President after this term. Perhaps visibility might be an issue for McEntire. You mentioned that you hadn't thought of him initially and many of the comments in CSP's poll talked about a lack of visibility from McEntire, even one, a joke I presume, saying that he hadn't heard of McEntire at all. Could a lack of visibility be a real issue for a McEntire campaign? Ultimately it doesn't matter if your term is fantastic if people don't know how fantastic it has been because of poor communication and/or visibility from you
Siph: As a member of his Cabinet, visibility is hardly an issue for myself. Cannot speak for others, but he is putting in effort (naturally) to make this term pretty damn good. I think I thought running for FM would have sated his Chief Executive office appetite, but it could be that he finds the taste sweet and wants a fuller term too. I assume the visibility joke about McEntire is a complete troll - maybe even I can recall Vert owning up to that comment? Regardless, visibility is a huge thing for all administrations, and it could be why it hurt people like Mal's favourability ratings. It is of course a big thing for campaigns, but that's usually covered by things like debates, events we know McEntire hasn't struggled in
Lime: That is true. Okay do you want to give another name?
Siph: Sure. I think the last name I'll throw out, just to get the Frontrunners' tier completely covered, is Calvin. I'm choosing an older player for my last pick because I believe having so many well-respected and experienced names announce their candidacy earlier will probably scare off some younger and less experienced competition, despite any efforts to the contrary, Poll numbers don't lie, and with Calvin tying Sopo in the flamin' poll, it's clear to see that the region considers him a favourite.
Lime: Calvin is a solid choice
Siph: He has a very strong history as I've been informed; consistent activity and a tendency to excel in whatever ministry he finds himself in. His term recently in Radio was one of the best it's had, and he has strong executive experience to backup any bid he wants to make for the Presidency. He does find himself an issue though -- many people can rely on him, and expect from him, a great term, but they have raised complaints about his opinions and methods of implementing them
Lime: Calvin has very strong experience and as you mentioned, polls show he's popular. Recent controversies with him however, such as the EO and the AIC might have harmed his perception among voters however. Voting for Calvin might have once been easy, but maybe now people will find it harder to vote for him, will voters be concerned about his judgement? I think his popularity and previous experience should override any concerns people have, but they could still potentially be an issue for him.
Siph: Indeed. Though the AIC is mainly a legislative issue and should arguably be thought of as such, any controversy can be a stain, especially if it was recent. The EO is a remnant from the last time Calvin took the head office, and that might be in the back of peoples' minds too. He is popular for good reason, but as I said before, it's hard to find a spotless record here, not that one is necessarily required.
Lime: I agree yes. Calvin has been teasing about a run so its certainly possible, plausible even, that we see a Calvin candidacy. Do you think he'd also aim for a newcomer as his VP pick?
Siph: Quite possibly, yeah. I think the side Calvin might need the most help on is FA, as, at least in my time here, I don't recall him hanging out too much on that side, but it can be hard to find someone who's somewhat versed in FA and new. Maowi could be a choice -- Peeps? Both have some strong credentials on that front, and could be good choices for that VP spot
Lime: I think Maowi would be an excellent choice for VP, she has experience on both sides of government and is widely regarded as a likeable and competent figure. Peeps would also be a good choice, although I wonder if his lose in the FM and Senate election has cost him political capital? His role as CoC won't have recovered very much capital for him, in my opinion
Siph: Maowi did recover pretty well from the WAA drama, and I think their increased dedication to their work after that incident shows someone willing to learn from mistakes. Peeps I think might have actually gained capital by losing those elections; he's tried so much, and people can see that, they might want to reward him. I don't think the top spot is open to him, but VP Peeps could be something people want. Plus though CoC is still a little controversial, people do recognise he's trying hard in that role
Lime: That's all very true. Okay so before we stray onto other discussions, I'm gong to give the final potential candidate we're going to discuss tonight. There are loads of candidates to select from, but I think we should discuss a Malashaan candidacy. Malashaan has served as President before and is widely regarded as having been one of the "great players." He's currently serving as CoS and like McEntire has one of the strongest "claims" to the Presidency. He too could argue that he has "unfinished business" to attend to, although the CoS term has only been shortened by around 10 days, so Mal would in many ways be fighting for his "re-election" here with the addition of the domestic ministries.
Siph: Malashaan is a very strong name, and unlike Sopo, they come straight from office -- from Goldenblock itself. Though I wonder if Mal will do a bid like this, especially because I haven't seen Mal recently socially, which seems to be ever more a requirement for higher office. Will that lack of activity and perhaps visibility impact a potential presidential bid?
Lime: I think with the increase in the number of social players, not being active socially makes it very difficult to be elected, particularly for high office such as the Presidency. It's not impossible - look at McEntire, but its defiantly going to make it harder.
Siph: I completely agree! Plus, I'm unsure if Mal would run for the Presidency. We haven't had any hints yet(edited)
Lime: Yeah without any hints it’s impossible to know. Okay so to finish us off I thought we could have a quick discussion about what we expect the next Cabinet to look like. Will most of the current Ministers/Councillors remain in their roles or will we see some major changes?
Siph: Well for one, Comms will be getting a new Minister. I have time constraints into the last month of that term, so I have personally told the candidates I am not going for re-confirmation
Lime: Oh wow! Breaking news right here. And surprising news as well I might add, I was expecting to see you serve another term but RL always comes first of course. Obviously I don't want to ask too much as you'll likely have significant influence in the candidates choices, but who do you think could be a potential successor to you?
Siph: Well this is actually very funny - If asked, I would've put your own name forward. Apart from that, I expect there's quite a few successors in the ministry - Fori for one, as well as older hands who are ready for the role if needed, such as Maowi or Nate.
Lime: Forilian could be an interesting pick in three ministries that I could think of; Comms, Interior and Culture. He's definitely one to watch
Siph: Definitely a rising star. Presidential tickets probably have their eye on him
Lime: I think it would be foolish not to. I think most, if not all the Ministers are safe in their role. On the FA side however, I think we could see some major changes. CSP won't be GA for one, that we know. I don't think Kuramia intends to serve another FA term and I very much doubt the CoC position will exist after this term. Maowi I think, is the only one who is safe in her position.
Siph: Agreed. I think this could be a real chance for some new blood in the FA scene
Lime: We can hope so! Alright then, any final comments about anything we've discussed?
Siph: Nope! I think this has been a pretty in-depth conversation and I truly enjoyed having it with you. Whatever happens in this election, we have a clear field of capable candidates
Lime: Agreed! This is looking to be an exciting election and I hope we see at least one more ticket join the race. And I've very much enjoyed having this conversation with you as well!
Siph: Might hit you up some other politically appropriate time and have another chat
Lime: I look forward to it!
.Lime: Shall we start with the first announced pick, Lloenflys?
Siph: Definitely seems like a good place to start. I was a little surprised to see Lloen throw his hat into the ring, especially so early, but considering he did the exact same thing with his successful FM election, it's not unusual for him haha.
Lime: Ah I wasn't around for his FM term so I didn't know that. I was also surprised that he announced he was running so early, I can't think of anyone else who's ever done that. There's been candidates where its been a very open secret that they're running for President, but no one openly admits straight away that they're running
Siph: This has been a very strange election to see 2 Chief Executive candidates and 1 full ticket already for the top spot, before standing has even opened. Definitely shows that people are excited for this first Presidential election, and I can see why. This one could be a defining term for many of our newer members who have never seen what a Presidential term looks like, and for that job, Lloen is not a bad pick. Though he's not ancient like the two other confirmed candidates, he has a very solid track record and incredibly high popularity in pretty much every position he's been polled for. And with that one aforementioned First Minister term giving him experience in the top office, he's no newcomer to managing a lot of the executive
Lime: As I said, I wasn't around for Lloen's FM term, however from what I've heard it was a bit meh. Europeians do have a notoriously short memory though so that may not affect him very much. What I think might be a harder hurdle for him to overcome is his relative lack of executive experience particularly in FA. Lloen is probably best known for his work in the Senate, particularly as Speaker. Serving as FM definitely shores up his credentials in the domestic ministries (although even here he's only served as Culture Minister) but he's never held any roles in FA outside of a deputy position. According to CSP's poll FA is what voters are most concerned about - does his lack of FA experience harm his chances?
Siph: You do make a valid point there. Something I find interesting about these candidates is that, though they are all of course strong and influential people, their records are not spotless. In Lloen's FM term, though he maintained great popularity, he sort of mismanaged the Ministry of Culture by not replacing minister shufordbrian when he resigned, and instead doing the role himself. I believe he mentioned in the Senate after that he wished he would've been given more scrutiny for such a choice. It was by no means an overall weak term, but it wasn't the strongest definitely and definitely -- he does seem to fall short in FA experience. But I think that's why choosing Pichtonia was such a crucial choice for him. Pichto has served in FA pretty well. After all, he did win an election to become the Chief of State, and served as Vice Chief of State and Councilor of Foreign Affairs before that. He has a pretty strong resume for that side of the executive, and I think this makes this a classic pairing I've heard tale of from the President days; A domestically-focused FM, and a FA-focused VP. This choice has definitely made this ticket a very strong one. If Lloen had gone for someone who was more known for domestic work, I think it might've come back to bite him.
Lime: I definitely agree. Finding a "balance" between domestic and FA is always key for any Presidential ticket. I also agree that Pichto is a strong choice and a very smart choice for Lloen. He definitely shores up the FA credentials Lloen is lacking, and Pichto also has domestic experience which doesn't hurt their ticket at all. Pichto would also be a formidable Presidential candidate himself and so Lloen picking Pichto does mean he has one less candidate to run against. I think CSP's poll showed Pichto was the candidate who preformed best against Lloen, so that further proves that selecting Pichto was a smart move by Lloen
Siph: Yeah I believe the poll split them even, the only matchup for Lloen to do so. I also definitely agree about Pichto's own credentials; though he was not in the highest tier in the Smokin Poll, he would've always been a strong candidate if he puts enough time into his campaign. I don't foresee any major barriers for this ticket. Though they will have strong opponents, I can't think of one issue which would trump their ticket-- they simply compLiment each other very well
Lime: I agree, there is no smoking gun against this ticket. Talking of their opponents, shall we move onto Sopo?
Siph: Indeed, Mr Sloth himself. The second person to announce his candidacy in this election. A very old name and one with a lot of prestige already, having been President previously and I think it's here where I'd like to expand on a previous point. I think this term will be a trendsetter, especially for those newer, but also with the changed President/Vice President dynamic with portfolios. I think, based on that, some voters might prefer an older name to take the top spot, an experienced hand who can help define this position in Modern Europeia and clear the way for newer names down the line. This would seem to favour Sopo against Lloen in this election, who is, by comparison, a lot younger in Euro age.
Lime: Yes I defiantly think we could see people who are craving "an older hand" to guide this trendsetting or transition term, and in that sense Sopo definitely stands to gain. As you say, he's served as President before, has a great deal of experience in many areas and could easily be seen as a "safe choice" for a lot of voters. While that could benefit him, it could also be a potential weakness. Maybe people don't want a "boring" first term, maybe they actually want an exciting and different first term and if Sopo is seen as the "safe choice" this could harm him. Hence why I think Sopo is going to pick a new and rising star in the region as his VP choice, to inject some excitement into his campaign.
Siph: I think you could definitely be right here. Calvin's in-depth article did say that ancient/ancient pairings aren't known to be successful at all, and though I think there could be an allure to grab some older player who's interested in this special first election, Sopo could definitely choose a newer, active, and bright pick. That is never a bad choice for a VP. I think "active" would be the key word here; not just active in general, but someone already active in government. Because Sopo is coming into this election without any immediate roles to show off, executive or otherwise, it could be advantageous for him to grab someone who is very much alive in recent memory. Moreover, he also doesn't have a spotless record. Though he has had very strong terms in the past, especially "recently" with being Lloen's inactive SM and the whole FM resignation debacle, he might have a secure hold on some older votes but the newer people who don't remember those glory days will need some extra swaying. With his VP pick yet being unannounced, we have no way of knowing. But if he's smart, it's someone new-ish, active, recently in government, and someone who could spice the ticket up a little bit as you mentioned. "Safe choice" could be an advantage for a first term, but bright and bursting ideas could come to dominate the debate.
Lime: I think that's a good point you've raised, in that Sopo might be vulnerable when it comes to newer members who might be influenced more by the resignation memes than older members are. Newer members haven't seen Sopo excel in a leadership position so they might be more sceptical of him.
Siph: It does really gamble on that crucial VP pick. He's obviously a strong candidate by himself, but against a killer ticket like Lloen/Pichto his choice needs to be well suited to fill the gaps he does have.
Lime: Definitely. I think this will be an election where VP picks really matter
Siph: Agreed. And with a political climate full of pretty new people with good potential, no ticket would be starved for choice here
Lime: Absolutely. Now that we've discussed the two confirmed candidates shall we move onto the speculation?
Siph: Sure, I truly think a huge range of people could run for this election
Lime: Want to give the first name?
Siph: Kuramia. Now, I've heard some things, which I frustratingly can't pinpoint, that suggest that they may not be running for President, I think I recall in an interview with Forilian for the EBC not too long ago, Kura did suggest they could be running in this election. This follows my reasoning above that people might be looking for a seasoned player, and Kura can surely give that to them. Having served multiple times as Chief of State, serving now as VCoS, and having experience on the candidate, they're no stranger to being at the top of the executive. They also polled pretty high in CSP's Smoking Poll -- strong second tier, which can easily make for a formidable campaign
Lime: Kuramia was always discussed as being a potentially formidable candidate and I don't think that's changed, if anything I think she's in a better place to win the Presidency than ever before. I agree with your reasoning, she has the experience particularly in FA and she can be that seasoned player that voters may be looking for. I think that, just as in the past, the biggest issue with a Kuramia campaign is that Kuramia herself has little intention of running for the Presidency. I don't think its impossible that Kuramia runs in this election, however after being in very senior positions for such a long time I think Kuramia is interested in a break right now. Then again Pichto said that he wanted a break but soon enough he was running for Senate again and now Vice President, so we just don't know what people plan to do until they actually do it.
Siph: This election does seem to have a theme of people putting their names down after previously wanting a break, so perhaps it is a possibility. I also could just want to see a Kura Presidency too much haha! Though yeah, with no obvious signs at the moment, this is purely just speculation. If they were to run, what type of person do you think would be a good VP for them?
Lime: Given Kuramia's extensive experience I think like Sopo, the best pick for her would be a newer player, or even perhaps just a less experienced player. I think Kuramia could pick someone like Monkey who may not be a newcomer but still has very limited executive experience. I'm not sure however if Sopo would have the same leeway just because of the potential scaring he's had from his recent resignations
Siph: Yeah I agree. I think Monkey would make a fine VP pick here, with the SM mini-term as relevant immediate experience. But yeah, one may wish for a Kuramia presidency, but I don't know how likely that is
Lime: Ok my turn to suggest a name and I'm going to suggest McEntire. As the incumbent First Minister and the most recently elected Chief Executive I think McEntire has the best "claim" to the Presidency. (Obviously the Presidency isn't a crown to be pass around by veteran Europeians but you get my point). I think he's going to come out of this term looking positive and he could easily run on a campaign promising to "finish the unsolved business" from this truncated term and that could be compelling to a lot of voters. Aside from that, he is a very experienced Europeian with a long history in the region and he's said he is open to the idea of running for President.
Siph: Definitely a good point, and one I, for some reason, didn't consider. This is a short term, and if McEntire pulls this off spectacularly well it's a spring board to use in the presidential election. And the unfinished businesses narrative is one I have heard before; pretty effective a lot of the time. This does make this term incredibly crucial if McEntire's looking for a presidential run; if he can't pull off a half-term, how could the voters expect him to do so but with a full term?
Lime: Yeah that's a very good point you've raised there, the stakes for this term are definitely very high if McEntire wants to run for President after this term. Perhaps visibility might be an issue for McEntire. You mentioned that you hadn't thought of him initially and many of the comments in CSP's poll talked about a lack of visibility from McEntire, even one, a joke I presume, saying that he hadn't heard of McEntire at all. Could a lack of visibility be a real issue for a McEntire campaign? Ultimately it doesn't matter if your term is fantastic if people don't know how fantastic it has been because of poor communication and/or visibility from you
Siph: As a member of his Cabinet, visibility is hardly an issue for myself. Cannot speak for others, but he is putting in effort (naturally) to make this term pretty damn good. I think I thought running for FM would have sated his Chief Executive office appetite, but it could be that he finds the taste sweet and wants a fuller term too. I assume the visibility joke about McEntire is a complete troll - maybe even I can recall Vert owning up to that comment? Regardless, visibility is a huge thing for all administrations, and it could be why it hurt people like Mal's favourability ratings. It is of course a big thing for campaigns, but that's usually covered by things like debates, events we know McEntire hasn't struggled in
Lime: That is true. Okay do you want to give another name?
Siph: Sure. I think the last name I'll throw out, just to get the Frontrunners' tier completely covered, is Calvin. I'm choosing an older player for my last pick because I believe having so many well-respected and experienced names announce their candidacy earlier will probably scare off some younger and less experienced competition, despite any efforts to the contrary, Poll numbers don't lie, and with Calvin tying Sopo in the flamin' poll, it's clear to see that the region considers him a favourite.
Lime: Calvin is a solid choice
Siph: He has a very strong history as I've been informed; consistent activity and a tendency to excel in whatever ministry he finds himself in. His term recently in Radio was one of the best it's had, and he has strong executive experience to backup any bid he wants to make for the Presidency. He does find himself an issue though -- many people can rely on him, and expect from him, a great term, but they have raised complaints about his opinions and methods of implementing them
Lime: Calvin has very strong experience and as you mentioned, polls show he's popular. Recent controversies with him however, such as the EO and the AIC might have harmed his perception among voters however. Voting for Calvin might have once been easy, but maybe now people will find it harder to vote for him, will voters be concerned about his judgement? I think his popularity and previous experience should override any concerns people have, but they could still potentially be an issue for him.
Siph: Indeed. Though the AIC is mainly a legislative issue and should arguably be thought of as such, any controversy can be a stain, especially if it was recent. The EO is a remnant from the last time Calvin took the head office, and that might be in the back of peoples' minds too. He is popular for good reason, but as I said before, it's hard to find a spotless record here, not that one is necessarily required.
Lime: I agree yes. Calvin has been teasing about a run so its certainly possible, plausible even, that we see a Calvin candidacy. Do you think he'd also aim for a newcomer as his VP pick?
Siph: Quite possibly, yeah. I think the side Calvin might need the most help on is FA, as, at least in my time here, I don't recall him hanging out too much on that side, but it can be hard to find someone who's somewhat versed in FA and new. Maowi could be a choice -- Peeps? Both have some strong credentials on that front, and could be good choices for that VP spot
Lime: I think Maowi would be an excellent choice for VP, she has experience on both sides of government and is widely regarded as a likeable and competent figure. Peeps would also be a good choice, although I wonder if his lose in the FM and Senate election has cost him political capital? His role as CoC won't have recovered very much capital for him, in my opinion
Siph: Maowi did recover pretty well from the WAA drama, and I think their increased dedication to their work after that incident shows someone willing to learn from mistakes. Peeps I think might have actually gained capital by losing those elections; he's tried so much, and people can see that, they might want to reward him. I don't think the top spot is open to him, but VP Peeps could be something people want. Plus though CoC is still a little controversial, people do recognise he's trying hard in that role
Lime: That's all very true. Okay so before we stray onto other discussions, I'm gong to give the final potential candidate we're going to discuss tonight. There are loads of candidates to select from, but I think we should discuss a Malashaan candidacy. Malashaan has served as President before and is widely regarded as having been one of the "great players." He's currently serving as CoS and like McEntire has one of the strongest "claims" to the Presidency. He too could argue that he has "unfinished business" to attend to, although the CoS term has only been shortened by around 10 days, so Mal would in many ways be fighting for his "re-election" here with the addition of the domestic ministries.
Siph: Malashaan is a very strong name, and unlike Sopo, they come straight from office -- from Goldenblock itself. Though I wonder if Mal will do a bid like this, especially because I haven't seen Mal recently socially, which seems to be ever more a requirement for higher office. Will that lack of activity and perhaps visibility impact a potential presidential bid?
Lime: I think with the increase in the number of social players, not being active socially makes it very difficult to be elected, particularly for high office such as the Presidency. It's not impossible - look at McEntire, but its defiantly going to make it harder.
Siph: I completely agree! Plus, I'm unsure if Mal would run for the Presidency. We haven't had any hints yet(edited)
Lime: Yeah without any hints it’s impossible to know. Okay so to finish us off I thought we could have a quick discussion about what we expect the next Cabinet to look like. Will most of the current Ministers/Councillors remain in their roles or will we see some major changes?
Siph: Well for one, Comms will be getting a new Minister. I have time constraints into the last month of that term, so I have personally told the candidates I am not going for re-confirmation
Lime: Oh wow! Breaking news right here. And surprising news as well I might add, I was expecting to see you serve another term but RL always comes first of course. Obviously I don't want to ask too much as you'll likely have significant influence in the candidates choices, but who do you think could be a potential successor to you?
Siph: Well this is actually very funny - If asked, I would've put your own name forward. Apart from that, I expect there's quite a few successors in the ministry - Fori for one, as well as older hands who are ready for the role if needed, such as Maowi or Nate.
Lime: Forilian could be an interesting pick in three ministries that I could think of; Comms, Interior and Culture. He's definitely one to watch
Siph: Definitely a rising star. Presidential tickets probably have their eye on him
Lime: I think it would be foolish not to. I think most, if not all the Ministers are safe in their role. On the FA side however, I think we could see some major changes. CSP won't be GA for one, that we know. I don't think Kuramia intends to serve another FA term and I very much doubt the CoC position will exist after this term. Maowi I think, is the only one who is safe in her position.
Siph: Agreed. I think this could be a real chance for some new blood in the FA scene
Lime: We can hope so! Alright then, any final comments about anything we've discussed?
Siph: Nope! I think this has been a pretty in-depth conversation and I truly enjoyed having it with you. Whatever happens in this election, we have a clear field of capable candidates
Lime: Agreed! This is looking to be an exciting election and I hope we see at least one more ticket join the race. And I've very much enjoyed having this conversation with you as well!
Siph: Might hit you up some other politically appropriate time and have another chat
Lime: I look forward to it!
