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“… I am announcing Bastion as my new Vice Presidential candidate for the June 2009 election.” - Scrabman

Wow. I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little surprised when Scrabman approached me about the possibility of running as his VP pick for term 3.5. Sure, I’ve served a Term in Congress representing the BlueGrass state and all of its amazing citizens (shout out to http://www.erepublik.com/en/citizen/profile/1421647>Macho Man Randy Savage… former resident of Kentucky! OOOHHH YEEEAAHHH!), yeah, I’m pretty active in my party (CvP: vote Mattoze5 for PP in June!), and yes, I’ve risen through the ranks of the military to the level of General of Mobile Infantry within the last month. But Vice President of the eUSA? It certainly caught me off guard.

I mean, what would I wear to the inaugural ball? I don’t even own an eTux! Perhaps Rhane would loan me one of her gowns? I suppose I could go in full military dress; that would probably be appropriate. But how would I be able to handle the tremendous amount of in-game responsibilities that come with the job – the buttons, the wars, the MPPs… I'm sure it can all be quite overwhelming.

What’s that? VP doesn’t get any of those cool buttons? It’s not an in-game role? Clearly, you are mistaken! How is the VP supposed to step in should POTUS become incapacitated in any way? He doesn't step up? What do you mean the runner up in the election assumes the position? Oh, right – that’s how Scrab got the .5 term at the beginning there. So (presumably) Kyle or Emerick would become President, and I would fade away into political oblivion. Got it.

Well, what would I do as VP?

“… I have asked the Vice President to work to strengthen our Military. I think that Bastion will be able to continue this tradition and that his background will be perfect for that task.” - Scrabman

Gotcha. Now THAT makes a lot of sense. I have plenty of (cough) recent (cough) experience in the ranks of eMilitary Leadership. I’ve served as a Guardsman in NG2, a Platoon XO in NG2, a Platoon CO in NG3, the Division CO of NG3, and now the Branch CO of MI. My current role affords me a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as recently as today I was asked to stand in as Acting Assistant Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff… or was it Assistant TO THE Deputy… I don’t recall exactly, but I know that if like 20 people become inactive or eDie, I’m the man. Or the Assistant to the Man, maybe. Whatever… it’s a new title for the signature.

And I will say that the Military, as a whole, is definitely on its way up. The Marines have always been an awe-inspiring force of damage-dealing prowess, no questions. But in recent weeks, additional branches of the eUS Armed Forces have stepped up to shoulder a share of the burden. Mobile Infantry spun off from the National Guard as its own, stand-alone branch of deploying, fighting men and women. The remnants of the Guard have divided into two additional branches, each with a unique mission: the Training Division is responsible for bringing in and, well, training the rawest of recruits, and the Home Guard houses eAmerica’s non-deploying fighting elite. The Army has been undergoing a simultaneous gutting and facelift. It’s a leaner, prettier, more organized, better led fighting monster, and the men calling it home have an even greater reason to be proud. We’ve even seen the creation of the Airborne… kinda like mini-Marines (but don’t call them that to their faces!), these soldiers drop in, rain the pain, and pull out so fast that if it weren’t for battle logs (and the piles of bodies strewn across the battlefield), you’d never know what hit you.

So aside from continuing to serve in my post as CO of MI, what can I do as VP to help on the military side of the house? Well, I will serve as a liaison, for sure. Commandant Harlot interfaces with the President as CJCS, but he’s only one man (a big, mean, tough as nails, almost omnipresent man, yes, but just one). I will also serve as Scrabman’s eyes and ears in the military world, and try to be his voice to those folks, as well. I will advise him on matters related to not only the military, but also on matters of national security.

"Both are also significantly older than the average player of eRepublik which has proven to be a successful formula in bringing a level of professionalism to running the government." - Scrabman

I think he just called me old! I joke, but the bottom line here, is this: Scrabman is a mature, level-headed, leader. He surrounds himself with individuals who offer wise, mature counsel. Yes, he has fun, and yes, he can appreciate the "lulz" with the best of 'em. But when it comes to leading the country, he does so in a manner that is steady, unshakable. And listen, I'm not all that different myself. Perhaps it comes from being in my 30's, perhaps we're just cut from the same cloth. Scrab, Harlot, Loft, etc... guys like us work hard and play hard, but it's all done with style that's pretty level-headed and well-thought-out. I see it like this: Scrab's led the country solidly for the last couple of months, and he'll do the same when he's elected for a final time tomorrow.

So tomorrow morning when you cast your vote, I urge you to do so for Scrabman.

Bastion
General, Mobile Infantry
Former Congressman, Kentucky
GenMod/Secret Service, eUS Forums
Acting Assistant UnderDeputy to the Chairmain of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Former General Manager, Stronghold Travel & Stronghold Petroleum
XboxLover, even though I don't have the twitch reflexes of a 14-yr old and get blown away all the time.