2016 Election Game - Game Thread

[Senator Clarence]

Senator Hagel's spokesman-
"Senator Hagel congratulates Senator Gillibrand for choosing a running mate with military experience- even if he was a reservist, Governor Beebe answered his call. Compare this to the Republican ticket- a syphilitic and a human hot air balloon- neither of whom have served their nation in uniform. Senator Hagel looks forward to debating these chickenhawks..."

[SirNick]

CNN: Breaking News - Senator Chuck Hagel has checked himself into an asylum and will be dropping out of the race for President of the United States.

[NHI]

Christie: Town Hall Exeter, NH

"I'll love forward to debating Gov. Beebe. I don't see how we're on the defensive, despite his statement. The electoral map is in our favor at last glance. Now I know we shouldn't put a lot of stock in the polls, it is early, but the fact is the American people are fed up with the past eight years and are ready for a new beginning. That new beginning is with Brian Sandoval as President of the United States, and with your help we will win in November."

[Jayhawker]

Brian Sandoval: Campaign Rally in Jefferson City, Missouri

Look, Senator Gillibrand can say what she wants - we're not trying to divide America by promising to hold the South. The fact that she even made that statement is truly puzzling. This campaign isn't playing on the defensive, either. We're leading in the polls. In fact, just about all of the states we're campaigning in are states that haven't voted Republican in many cycles. I had no clue that campaigning in Maryland, a state that gave Obama over 60% in 2008, was "defensive".

During the primary, I promised to be competitive in every single state; never ignore a state simply because I thought I had an uphill climb there. I fulfilled that promise. Here we are in the General Election, and we're going to keep that strategy. I have a regional jealousy all right, and that region I want to take is the entire United States of America! That's why our campaign will have a presence everywhere - just this week Governor Christie will be making stops in Connecticut and Maryland, two states considered to be "Strong Democratic".

What has divided this country, though, is the failed policies and leadership of President Barack Obama. Back in 2010, we saw "Obamacare" passed. Despite the fact that polls consistently showed Americans opposing Obamacare, and we saw just how much it was opposed in the 2010 midterms, President Obama, with the help of Senator Gillibrand, rammed through a bill the people didn't want. These are difficult times in America, and instead of working together to achieve greatness, we have an administration that continues to play politics and work in a partisan way.

Friends, America needs...let me correct that: America deserves a President that is honest and ready to work for the people. Over the past few administrations, our nation has lost trust and hope in the government - we despise government. It's the norm now. That's not what I want - if I could guarantee one thing in my first term, it would be that American's can once again have faith in our government. That, unfortunately, isn't something I can guarantee, but it's something I'll do everything in my power to achieve.

In order to achieve that, we have to put in leadership, not just at the executive level, that is trustworthy - no more greedy politicians. We also have to implement solid principles - the belief that government should not spend more than it intakes. We need smart policy implemented in Washington, policy that includes lowering our tax rates, reducing the size of government, and creating creating a social policy that is both tolerant and respectful.

America, Missouri, I firmly believe that our best days our ahead of us - I'm running in this race because I passionately believe in the American dream - I've lived it! I believe in the American dream, and I want to America to have a future that our forefathers would be proud of and that future generations will appreciate. We can achieve this, and we will achieve this! Thank you, God Bless Missouri! God Bless America!

[Senator Snowstalker]

Governor Beebe's Campaign Schedule-July 10th to July 17th, 2016

July 10th:

Appearance via satellite on Meet the Press
Town Hall in Youngstown, Ohio
Campaign Rally in Steubenville, Ohio
Campaign Rally in Wheeling, West Virginia

July 11th:

Campaign Rally in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Speech at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Campaign Rally in York, Pennsylvania
Fundraiser in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

July 12th:

Town Hall in Trenton, New Jersey
Campaign Rally in Clifton, New Jersey
Fundraiser in New York City, New York
Appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

July 13th:

Campaign Rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Town Hall in Altoona, Pennsylvania
Town Hall in Huntingdon, West Virginia
Campaign Rally in Roanoke, Virginia
Campaign Rally in Danville, Virginia

July 14th:

Campaign Rally in Durham, North Carolina
Speech at Duke University
Town Hall in Athens, Georgia
Fundraiser in Atlanta, Georgia

July 15th:

Town Hall in West Mephis, Arkansas
Campaign Rally in Amagon, Arkansas
Campaign Rally in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Fundraiser in Little Rock, Arkansas
Appearance via satellite on The Rachel Maddow Show

July 16th:

Campaign Rally in New Madrid, Missouri
Town Hall in Kansas City, Missouri
Campaign Rally in Independence, Missouri
Town Hall in Columbia, Missouri

July 17th:

Campaign Rally in Davenport, Iowa
Town Hall in Des Moines, Iowa
Campaign Rally in Sioux City, Iowa
Town Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Campaign Rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

[NHI]

Christie on Sen. Hagel's Statement

"I have tremendous respect for Sen. Hagel. He has served this country well, but there comes a time when windbags, such as himself need to learn that there is a time and a place for comments. By wearing or not wearing an uniform does not make Brian Sandoval any less patriotic, or less fit to serve as President. The fact is he has served his family, his church, his states as both Attorney General and as Governor and now he is running for President, because he wants to serve the country he loves. Service comes in all forms, and I would just like to clue Sen. Hagel into that. For Gov. Sandoval and I both love this country and for Sen. Hagel to attack us on military service is downright silly and illustrates what a desperate campaign he is trying to run."

[mondale84]

Sen. Gillibrand on Sen Hagel's Remarks about the Republican Ticket

"I am in complete agreement with Gov. Christie. I think Sen. Hagel's remarks were entirely inappropriate to this campaign and I hope he retracts such destructive and distracting comments. Military service is a wonderful thing that people choose to give to their country and it is specifically that: a choice. An honorable choice which we as Americans hold in the highest esteem. I think I speak for both the major party tickets when I praise the patriotic service of our fellow Americans. Nevertheless, I don't think military service is a pre-requisite for the office of the presidency and I think that both Governor Sandoval and I have served our country and our respective states and are qualified for the Presidency. Let's focus on these issues and refrain from such distracting comments."

[SirNick]

Two states per day (in the game), remember

[NHI]

Christie: Town Hall, Derry, NH

Voter: Gov. Sandoval wants to repeal the President's historic health care law, or as you call it Obamacare, what does he intend to replace it with?

Christie: By your tone I can say you have some objections to the repeal of the law?

Voter: Yes, I have some reservations to it.

Christie: My belief is that it is unconstitutional and aside from that we can't afford it. Gov. Sandoval believes that in order to fix our health care system it is best left to the individuals states and allow for markets, not government driven markets to prescribe the solution. Look to the solutions enacted in Utah, that was done without a mandate, without government intervention.

[Senator Snowstalker]

Two states per day (in the game), remember

OOC: Should I go back and change my schedule or should I just change next week?

[SirNick]

Two states per day (in the game), remember

OOC: Should I go back and change my schedule or should I just change next week?

Just do next week.

I've been busy today, I'll give you a few states, national polls and narrative tomorrow if I don't get to it tonight

[SirNick]

Sorry. I got caught up with  a few things at school. Reading your posts and making an update now.

[SirNick]

Narrative:

Donald Trump ends his campaign for the Presidency of the United States.

No major news on the home front --the media primarily focuses on campaign coverage and uninteresting local events.

California:

Gillibrand/Beebe: 55%
Sandoval/Christie: 30%

Pennsylvania:

Gillibrand/Beebe: 43%
Sandoval/Christie: 45%

South Carolina:

Gillibrand/Beebe: 38%
Sandoval/Christie: 49%

New Hampshire:

Gillibrand/Beebe: 44%
Sandoval/Christie: 47%

Texas:

Gillibrand/Beebe: 40%
Sandoval/Christie: 47%

*We'll have tomorrow start week 3, July 15 through 21.

[Senator Snowstalker]

OOC: TBH, with a pro-choice Hispanic Republican, the election in CA should be closer. This election is practically teetering on a mini-realignment.

And given that our schedules go to the 17th, could you extend Week 3 to September 24th?

[Senator Snowstalker]

Governor Beebe's Campaign Schedule-July 18th to July 24th

July 18th (MI, OH):

Campaign Rally in Warren, Michigan
Campaign Rally in Flint, Michigan
Campaign Rally in Toledo, Ohio
Town Hall in Dayton, Ohio
Appearance on NBC nightly news via satellite

July 19th (OH, PA):

Town Hall in Ashtabula, Ohio
Campaign Rally in Erie, Pennsylvania
Campaign Rally in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Speech at Penn State University
Fundraiser in Carlisle, Pennsylvania

July 20th (FL):

Campaign Rally in Talahassee, Florida
Campaign Rally in Apalachicola, Florida
Fundraiser in Gainesville, Florida
Campaign Rally in Tampa, Florida
Interview with The St. Petersburg Times

July 21st (LA, TX)

Town Hall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Campaign Rally in Shreveport, Louisiana
Campaign Rally in Houston, Texas
Campaign Rally in Galveston, Texas
Fundraiser in San Antonio, Texas

July 22nd (NM, CO)

Campaign Rally in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Town Hall in Carlsbad, New Mexico
Campaign Rally in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Campaign Rally in Pueblo, Colorado
Fundraiser in Denver, Colorado

July 23rd (IA, MO)

Town Hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Campaign Rally in Waterloo, Iowa
Barbecue in Kansas City, Missouri

July 24th (AR)

Campaign Rally in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Campaign Rally West Memphis, Arkansas
Town Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas
Fundraiser in Fayetteville, Arkansas

[OldDominion]

Great timeline so far but to be honest, Sandoval even though he would make a great pick for the GOP nod would not be able to make it out of the primary in the current GOP political climate. He is a pro-choice Governor who just extended tax rates and isn't going for education cuts in NV. Also he is firmly against Yucca since 2010 and was instrumental in having the project shut down especially after EnSec Chu shot it down in 2009 on the federal side. So on abortion, environmentalism, and govt reform he is a moderate to liberal Republican. There's literally no way he defeats Rubio in a GOP primary.

My 2c.

[Ray Goldfield]

Great timeline so far but to be honest, Sandoval even though he would make a great pick for the GOP nod would not be able to make it out of the primary in the current GOP political climate. He is a pro-choice Governor who just extended tax rates and isn't going for education cuts in NV. Also he is firmly against Yucca since 2010 and was instrumental in having the project shut down especially after EnSec Chu shot it down in 2009 on the federal side. So on abortion, environmentalism, and govt reform he is a moderate to liberal Republican. There's literally no way he defeats Rubio in a GOP primary.

My 2c.

Yeah, I don't think Gillibrand has much of a chance to win the nomination either. Cuomo would pretty much close off a lot of her chances, and I doubt she'd run against him. But this is a game, and it's totally determined by how much effort the players put into their pick, and these two players really deserve to be here.

[Senator Snowstalker]

OOC: Gillibrand is more rural/populist than Cuomo, who will be hit hard for his right-wing economic views.

[Jayhawker]

Republican Campaign Schedule: July 18th-24th

Governor Brian Sandoval:

July 18th:
Townhall in Odessa, Texas
Meet and Greet in Pacos, Texas
Meet and Greet in Haskell, Texas
Campaign Rally in El Paso, Texas

July 19th:
Townhall in Roswell, New Mexico
Luncheon in Alamogordo, New Mexico
Townhall in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Townhall in Silver City, New Mexico

July 20th:
Breakfast in Cliffton, Arizona
Meet and Greet in Tombstone, Arizona
Campaign Rally in Tucson, Arizona
Campaign Rally in Mesa, Arizona

July 21st:
Meet and Greet in Overton, Nevada
Townhall in Beatty, Nevada
Townhall in Bishop, California
Campaign Rally in Fresno, California

July 22nd:
Meet and Greet in Modesto, California
Campaign Rally in Stockton, California
Campaign Rally/Fundraiser in Sacramento, California
Townhall in Yuba City, California

July 23rd:
Breakfast Fundraiser in Medford, Oregon
Campaign Rally in Eugene, Oregon
Campaign Rally in Gresham, Oregon
Townhall in Kelso, Washington

July 24th:
Appearence on FOX News Sunday
Campaign Rally in Olympia, Washington
Townhall in Tacoma, Washington
Townhall in Wenatchee, Washingotn
Townhall in Chelan, Washington

History will be made in 2016 - America will elect either the first female President or the first Latino President. We also could see a massive reallignment happening in this election - just this week, both Governor Christie and I are spending much of our time in states that usually vote Democratic, but we beleive we can win.
- Governor Brian Sandoval

Governor Chris Christie:

July 18th:
Campaign Rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Touring of "Hershey's Chocolate World Attraction" in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Townhall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Appearence via satellite on Sean Hannity

July 19th:
Townhall in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Townhall in Reading, Pennsylvania
Townhall in Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Townhall in Norristown, Pennsylvania
Appearence on ABC's WPVI out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

July 20th:
Townhall in Trenton, New Jersey
Townhall in Freehold, New Jersey
Townhall in Red Bank, New Jersey
Campaign Rally in Camden, New Jersey


July 21st:
Campaign Rally in Dover, Delaware
Townhall in Bridgeville, Delaware
Townhall in Ocean City, Maryland
Townhall in Snow Hill, Maryland

July 22nd:
Meet and Greet in Wheeling, West Virginia
Townhall in Morgantown, West Virginia
Townhall in Parkersburg, West Virginia
Townhall in Marietta, Ohio
Townhall in Cambridge, Ohio

July 23rd:
Meet and Greet in Newark, Ohio
Campaign Rally in Columbus, Ohio
Townhall in Circleville, Ohio
Fundraiser in Cincinatti, Ohio

July 24th:
Appearence on Meet The Press
Campaign Rally in Arlington Virginia
Townhall in Winchester, Virginia

It doesn't matter if you live in Dover, Delaware, or Tulsa, Oklahoma - American's across this nation are struggling with high tax burdens and living paycheck to paycheck. The policies of smart, fiscal policy Governor Sandoval and I will get implemented aren't just going to help a select few - they're going to be beneficial to the entire nation...except the lobbyists in D.C. we'll be kicking out!
- Governor Chris Christie

[SirNick]

OOC: TBH, with a pro-choice Hispanic Republican, the election in CA should be closer. This election is practically teetering on a mini-realignment.

And given that our schedules go to the 17th, could you extend Week 3 to September 24th?

I'll extend this week to July 24. I wasn't going to b/c I messed up but sure.

[Senator Snowstalker]

Governor Beebe in Ashtabula, Ohio:

"...You know, we're seeing a rebound of manufaturing here and all over the Midwest. Part of this is thanks to the rescue of the auto industry in 2009, and part is due to the generally improving economy. But we don't want to reverse that progress. Sandoval believes we should bring manufacturing back by lowering the corporate tax, which I would accept as long as we also crack down on tax evasion through the use of loopholes and tax havens. He also thinks that we should also sacrifice wages and the right to organize because it benefits his friends. As Vice President, I'll work with both labor and business to find the best balances between workers' rights and business interests."

[NHI]

Christie Rally: Columbus, OH

As I campaign across this country for the man who will be the next President of the United States I keep meeting people who ask to bring us together, bring us together. That is what this nation is about, reuniting the United States of America, after eight years of division, eight years of pitting Americans against Americans. It is time to stop the nonsense, it is time to bring this country back and with Brian Sandoval as our next President we will once again have a united people looking to the future with confidence and pride!"

[SirNick]

Mondale is out of the country til the 25, so Snowstalker will be posting for him in the meantime.

[Senator Snowstalker]

OOC: Looks like my work is cut out for me.

[Jayhawker]

Brian Sandoval Campaign Rally in Tucson, Arizona: July 20th (Accompanied by Jan Brewer and John McCain)

Good afternoon!

I have spent this election campaigning for smart, conservative principles. Principles that I firmly believe will put America back on the right direction. The policies applied by President Bush, policies that were backed by Senator Gillibrand and Governor Beebe, are not policies that encourage growth - they gave government more control and slowed down a recovery.

When announcing his first stimulus plan back in 2009, President Obama promised that it would speed up the recovery, when it actually slowed it down. My friends, I believe in America, and I believe in promoting economic prosperity in America, and that's what I'll do as President. We'll lower taxes so middle and lower class families can live with more peace. We'll cut the corporate tax so businesses can become more competitive and create new jobs. Even my opponents Vice Presidential candidate agress with that! It is not just the government's responsibility to create jobs - it is also the government's responsibility to create a business-friendly environment so the private sector can create jobs. President Obama and Senator Gillibrand seemed to have missed the boat on that point.

Under a Sandoval administration, America will once again be open for business. Our smart, fiscally conservative policies worked in Nevada, and I firmly believe they will work on a national level as well.