- Pronouns
- He/Him
Just over two weeks before the upcoming presidential election, 29 Europeians were polled on their views pertaining to the impending contest. These are the results.
How long have you been active in Europeia?
6 months to 1 year - 27.6%
2 to 5 years - 27.6%
5+ years - 24.1%
1 to 2 years - 13.8%
Less than 6 months - 6.9%
51.7% of respondents have been active in Europeia for 2 or more years, a slightly younger sample than the last time we asked this question last August, when 62.9% of respondents fit that demographic. We also see a 9-point bump for those here less than 6 months. These figures probably aren't statistically significant, or at least we can't know if they are, but fun to look at nonetheless.
Which of these statements best describes you as a player?
I am substantially more interested in political gameplay than social gameplay - 27.6%
I am slightly more interested in political gameplay than social gameplay - 27.6%
My interest in political gameplay and social gameplay is equal - 27.6%
I am slightly more interested in social gameplay than political gameplay - 10.3%
I am substantially more interested in social gameplay than political gameplay - 6.9%
Only 17.2% of those polled indicate they are more interested in social gameplay than political gameplay. It can be reasonably assumed that respondents in polls such as this one represent the most plugged in portion of our population so these numbers shouldn't be viewed as a direct challenge to the data showing our community is becoming less politically-focused and more preoccupied with social interaction. The sample, though, does represent roughly half of expected turnout so these numbers are significant in terms of how candidates should be thinking about their outreach.
How satisfied are you with last year's passage of the referendum pertaining to the adoption of the Executive Modernization Act?
Very satisfied - 58.6% (+2.6)
Somewhat satisfied - 31% (-1)
Unsure - 6.9% (+2.9)
Somewhat unsatisfied - 3.4% (-4.6)
Very unsatisfied - 0%
Satisfaction with the unified Executive Branch remains more or less constant from our October results.
How satisfied are you with Pichtonia's performance as President?
Very satisfied - 58.6%
Somewhat satisfied - 37.9%
Unsure - 3.4%
Somewhat unsatisfied - 0%
Very unsatisfied - 0%
To this humble correspondent's recollection, we haven't seen this kind of approval (in a Smokin' Poll) since the days of Writinglegend who is largely regarded as Europeia's all-time best and most popular president. This is a stunning accomplishment in and of itself. It's impossible to make an apples to apples comparison across eras but it goes without saying that Pichtonia has set himself up for the strongest re-election bid in recent memory. He is not, however, viewed as infallible by any means. Comments below cite an overwhelming feeling of contentment but not one of inspiration or excitement. That said, if anyone is to launch a successful challenge to the sitting President, they will be forced to draw a contrast with him and his administration rather than rely solely on positive campaigning.
- Excelled in the role as he always has
- I think Pichtonia is an effective bureaucrat. He is very competent and extremely well liked. I think he, like many modern Europeians, struggle with the distinction between simply running ministries well and running them as part of a larger, long-term strategy. I don't think Pichto or leaders like him have a vision for what Europeia might be like 6 months, 1 year, 3 years from now. That doesn't make him a bad president but it keeps him from being a great one.
- He has led a great team and provided some great boosts to the region, but I think he's played things very safe.
- It's been okay. Nothing too out of the box.
- I think Pichto's term has gone smoothly and with high approval.
- No obvious foul-ups, but nothing to get excited about.
- He seems to be holding his ministers accountable, fulfilling his campaign promises, and communicating effectively with the citizenry.
- Drama-less, effective.
- I think Pichtonia is an effective bureaucrat. He is very competent and extremely well liked. I think he, like many modern Europeians, struggle with the distinction between simply running ministries well and running them as part of a larger, long-term strategy. I don't think Pichto or leaders like him have a vision for what Europeia might be like 6 months, 1 year, 3 years from now. That doesn't make him a bad president but it keeps him from being a great one.
- He has led a great team and provided some great boosts to the region, but I think he's played things very safe.
- It's been okay. Nothing too out of the box.
- I think Pichto's term has gone smoothly and with high approval.
- No obvious foul-ups, but nothing to get excited about.
- He seems to be holding his ministers accountable, fulfilling his campaign promises, and communicating effectively with the citizenry.
- Drama-less, effective.
How satisfied are you with Kuramia's performance as Vice President?
Very satisfied - 51.7%
Somewhat satisfied - 20.7%
Unsure - 27.6%
Somewhat unsatisfied - 0%
Very unsatisfied - 0%
As is expected, historically, the sitting Vice President slightly underperforms their boss and people are more unsure of how to characterize their performance given the managerial support role many number twos settle into which most people don't get a good close look at.
- I can appreciate the difficulties of visibility around being the DCE, but Kura is both active & incredible in front of and behind the scenes
- Haven't seen her around much these last couple weeks. I would prefer to see a vice president seize a public niche for themselves that wouldn't otherwise be filled. It doesn't happen very often so it's not really a knock on Kura that that doesn't appear to be happening. I'm not in Tomlinson so I don't know how present or effective she's been in terms of staff management or team building.
- Kuramia is a rock star
- Kura has performed the role of the VP. It's not exactly a visible role, though.
- Although I think Kura may be less visible, I have no doubt that their work behind the scenes is invaluable.
- Who? (The curse of the Vice President)
- Haven't seen her around much these last couple weeks. I would prefer to see a vice president seize a public niche for themselves that wouldn't otherwise be filled. It doesn't happen very often so it's not really a knock on Kura that that doesn't appear to be happening. I'm not in Tomlinson so I don't know how present or effective she's been in terms of staff management or team building.
- Kuramia is a rock star
- Kura has performed the role of the VP. It's not exactly a visible role, though.
- Although I think Kura may be less visible, I have no doubt that their work behind the scenes is invaluable.
- Who? (The curse of the Vice President)
How satisfied are you with President Pichtonia's executive and judicial appointments?
Very satisfied - 51.7%
Somewhat satisfied - 34.5%
Unsure - 6.9%
Somewhat unsatisfied - 6.9%
Very unsatisfied - 0%
Despite some recent mild criticisms of individual members of Cabinet, namely the Culture and Interior ministers, the President's judgement in terms of selecting a team does not appear to be in doubt.
- No issues noted, lots of great ideas & in all ministries
- I think we're seeing pretty much what we expected to see from this slate of nominees. Lots of "okay" performances, nothing really inspired. A lot of the ones that caused controversy to begin with like Lime and Vor are still underperforming today.
- I'm slightly concerned about Lime's reactions to oversight, but it's not that big of a deal. Other than that, this Cabinet is very strong.
- Some choices were "weird" but I think most nominees have performed well.
- The executive this term has had high approval and is running well.
- Seems like a good team.
- He took some risks with his selections, but it has seemed to have paid off.
- Should avoid nominating Senators as Ministers.
- I think we're seeing pretty much what we expected to see from this slate of nominees. Lots of "okay" performances, nothing really inspired. A lot of the ones that caused controversy to begin with like Lime and Vor are still underperforming today.
- I'm slightly concerned about Lime's reactions to oversight, but it's not that big of a deal. Other than that, this Cabinet is very strong.
- Some choices were "weird" but I think most nominees have performed well.
- The executive this term has had high approval and is running well.
- Seems like a good team.
- He took some risks with his selections, but it has seemed to have paid off.
- Should avoid nominating Senators as Ministers.
Is Europeia on the right track?
Yes - 93.1% (+25.1)
No - 0% (-12)
Unsure - 6.9% (-13.1)
Another indicator of just how difficult Pichtonia will be to defeat, we see a positive movement on this question since October.
What is most important to you when considering a candidate for President? Please rank your choices from 1 (most important) to 5 (least important).
Which policy area do you view to be most important when choosing a President? Please rank your choices from 1 (most important) to 5 (least important).
Would you consider voting for someone in a presidential election with whom you did not have an existing social relationship?
Yes - 86.2%
No - 10.3%
Unsure - 0%
- Yes but it would be more difficult; I get a measure of someone's ability from interacting with them a lot.
- I don't care about this at all.
- It's easier to vote for someone if you have a personal relationship with them.
- Even though personal relationships are a factor, I think it is important to evaluate the candidate's vision for the region first.
- I don't have strong social relationships with many people anyways, it would make my selections far too restricted!
- I don't care about this at all.
- It's easier to vote for someone if you have a personal relationship with them.
- Even though personal relationships are a factor, I think it is important to evaluate the candidate's vision for the region first.
- I don't have strong social relationships with many people anyways, it would make my selections far too restricted!
Which individual(s) would you encourage to run for President?
These numbers don't tell us who is most likely to win the presidential election. They do give us a solid indication of the level of initial support these potential candidates could expect before we know anything about running mates or their policy platforms. Pichtonia is the only candidate who has stated his intention to stand, to date.
We needed another category to tell the story of where our candidates are starting out in this contest. To no one's surprise, Pichto must be viewed to be in his own category until someone emerges as the consensus challenge candidate. This is an historically large number.
There aren't many surprises here in what is traditionally our 'Frontrunners' category other than the fact that, as we've established, none of them will be frontrunners upon entering the race. A credible challenge to the President will require a heavyweight at the top of the ticket and possibly another at the bottom. Look to these gentlemen for that challenge.
There is a plausible, if unlikely, scenario in which a popular President's popular Vice President could make things very difficult for him should they be ambitious and brave enough to make a move. Kuramia has the political clout to attempt such a maneuver if she is in any way disillusioned with the direction the administration is taking, whether at the top of her own ticket or on the bottom of another. Again, plausible but unlikely. Many are looking to the other occupants of this second tier, Monkey and SkyGreen as candidates of the (near) future. The time may not be right to shoot their shot for the top job but they would be extremely attractive options for VP on a challenge ticket or, at the very least, central figures in the next Cabinet.
Could a reluctance to step out of line and challenge a massively popular President make a run from our Dark Horse category more likely than one from a higher tier? Quite possibly. These folks showed enough strength in this poll to be credible but the climb will be a long and daunting one. This is a diverse and intriguing group. Don't count them out just yet.
If the election were held today, who would you vote for?
Pichtonia - 58.6%
Darkslayer - 24.1%
Undecided - 17.2%
Pichtonia - 62.1%
Sopo - 20.7%
Undecided - 17.2%
Pichtonia - 62.1%
Calvin Coolidge - 27.6%
Undecided - 10.3%
Pichtonia - 55.2%
Istillian - 27.6%
Undecided - 17.2%
No one in this tier stands out as being much stronger than the other in a hypothetical matchup with Pichto. Maybe the right combination of two of them teaming up would move the needle?
Darkslayer - 24.1%
Undecided - 17.2%
Pichtonia - 62.1%
Sopo - 20.7%
Undecided - 17.2%
Pichtonia - 62.1%
Calvin Coolidge - 27.6%
Undecided - 10.3%
Pichtonia - 55.2%
Istillian - 27.6%
Undecided - 17.2%
No one in this tier stands out as being much stronger than the other in a hypothetical matchup with Pichto. Maybe the right combination of two of them teaming up would move the needle?
Pichtonia - 65.5%
Kuramia - 24.1%
Undecided - 10.3%
Pichtonia - 55.2%
Monkey - 34.5%
Undecided - 10.3%
Pichtonia - 62.1%
SkyGreen24 - 27.6%
Undecided - 10.3%
Shout out to Monkey who performs better here than anyone in his own (or any) tier of candidates. If he were to swing the undecideds, you're looking at a very close race.
Kuramia - 24.1%
Undecided - 10.3%
Pichtonia - 55.2%
Monkey - 34.5%
Undecided - 10.3%
Pichtonia - 62.1%
SkyGreen24 - 27.6%
Undecided - 10.3%
Shout out to Monkey who performs better here than anyone in his own (or any) tier of candidates. If he were to swing the undecideds, you're looking at a very close race.
This polling and subsequent analysis does not seek to disqualify any potential candidates, included or not. I used my own personal judgement and included anyone I viewed to be a serious candidate based on a number of factors.
