[Derp4CP] Electioneering
Paul Proteus
Obviously this is a reaction to Derphoof's article, which if you haven't read, you should read posthaste.
Mood Musik
Goodbye Blue Monday: Election Edition
Alright so, it's been a while. Not literally, but in a less obvious way. It's been a while since I've written something that I wanted to write. It's been a while since I've written anything worthwhile. Not that this article is going to be revolutionary. Aramec is correct in discerning my aims, but hopefully this time I can expand the scope. After all, Hadrian is back, perhaps media deserves some effort again. The title perhaps gives away my intentions, however, let's start abstract:
We'll get there. Also savor the 5 year old graphics.
What makes a POTUS great
We've grown accustomed to mediocrity. We have good presidents every so often, but as our population dwindles, we have fewer each year. It takes less and less to be elected President, and in turn we expect merely competence, when we could, and absolutely should, demand something more. When Frost was President, when Vanek was President, when any number of the people worth remembering were President, the game felt elevated, temporarily no longer static, but alive. Great Presidents achieve this effect through different methods, but every leader worth a damn has given everyone in the eUS some hope of fun in a game which increasingly is unwilling or incapable of delivering any semblance of fun on its own. Who, recently, has given us that? Israel tried to run a eUnited States from a bizarro Universe where it was still 2013, and expected his cabinet to actually put effort into their work, and it was electrifying, regardless of how you feel about his decisions, I can actually remember that month. Aramec achieved that something through a massively accessible and dynamic domestic program, something which is infinitely more valuable than anyone seems to recognize, and which has confusingly never been replicated. Finally, we have leaders who shine through quiet competence, like Tyler. Still, while Tyler has exemplified leadership through example, we have blinded ourselves to the limit of this approach, and have begun the fetishize "quiet" to a degree that has harmed our understanding of both leadership and competence. Recently, we've seen articles indicating that seeking fun is at the cost of competence, and that leaders who value the community somehow must be less able than those who do not. To do so catastrophically misses that there can be no "competence" in leadership without equal engagement, particularly in the deserted and wrongly maligned media. I say this out of no malice, a similar critique was leveled at my own failures of leadership, however, three Presidential articles in a term is unacceptable. The WHPR can never replace direct engagement, nor is it institutionally designed to do so. And when, of three articles, one is a joke, and the other appears to be somewhat of a foreign policy blunder, it becomes depressing. Presidents who are direct with media can feel like a breath of fresh air, but Presidents who refuse to engage are directly responsible for accelerating the apathy that pervades our online society.
I mean, at least it's something.
So,
What it means to be a leader
Clearly leading in a social game involves more than a rudimentary understanding of mechanics. That should be assumed. There are certain things we expect from our leaders. To start at perhaps the most basic level, we expect competence. A good President should never publicly err, act rashly or appear weak. This, however, is the easy part: building a team that will work well together, making the executive's will clear and unified. These are tried and true methods that have been executed to different degrees of success for years. And we value these things because, well, it's embarrassing when the system doesn't work. When our allies and enemies control the media, and the international narrative, it's embarrassing. When every executive is forced to reverse course on USAF, it reeks of unforced errors and indecision, and it's embarrassing. To want to avoid this, to chase competence, is an understandable reaction. However, in our quest we have led ourselves in the wrong direction. When Israel compares his favored candidates to Vanek, it is a compelling argument. Vanek undisputedly was a once in a generation President. However, what's easy to forget is that Vanek actually wrote articles. A ridiculous amount. They're concise, but also expertly control the discussion, and contain exactly the information that's needed. What we forget is that being "good" at any aspect of this game, even being a generational talent, simply isn't enough. It's not nearly enough. Presidents who cannot communicate, with Congress, with their cabinets, but especially with the general populace, not only are limited, but they cannot lead. Hell, even communication isn't enough. We've let ourselves become accustomed to the bare minimum. Being able to communicate is not the mark of a great leader, it's the mark of a fairly well evolved mammal. And it certainly isn't a box to be checked on the path to greatness. What should be increasingly clear, based on even the most rudimentary evaluation of the evidence, is that great leaders don't react to events, they create them. Great presidents are the players who can build narratives, through media, but through actions as well.
We need a hero
...just for one day
This is getting long winded, so I'll begin to circle back towards the conclusion. It's rare that a President actually upsets the status quo, and it's rare that we have a President that can be considered anything close to great. It's even rarer, as our best players continue to leave us, to have a chance to actually feel excited to cast a vote. But now, we have that chance. This election, we have a candidate not only worth voting for, but worth playing for. To me, that's a fairly big deal.
And that candidate, is Derphoof.
"When I am king, you will be first against the wall"
-Radiohead, but possibly also Derphoof
Now, everyone knows who Derphoof is. That's not an accident, Derphoof has done a lot. He's done a lot a lot. When I was bumbling around in the Oval Office, it was Derphoof in the Secretary of State chair making sure everything didn't go off the rails. That was a long time ago, and since then Derphoof has helped shape this eCountry. Now, in the process of educating himself, there's one thing Derphoof hasn't been, and that's President. And that's a damn shame. Not for Derphoof, but for the rest of us, because Derphoof is exactly the kind of leader I'm talking about. Derphoof is competent, that much is clear, but what's even more clear (and, in my view, convincing) is that he's not quiet. Anyone who doesn't understand Derphoof's skill with a pen probably is illiterate, or lives under a particularly depressing rock. Either way I'd invite them to check out Derphoof's paper and skim through the highlights. It's worthwhile. What Derphoof promises isn't just something different, it's something better. It's not just a Dioist America (though it certainly is that), it's an America that cares and is worth caring about. Those who criticize that entirely miss the point, or perhaps they are an integral part of the point.
Also he's not a heretic, so that's a pretty big plus
What's crystal clear, to me, however, is that there aren't enough candidates like Derphoof, and there aren't enough players like Derphoof. To return to the beginning of this article, I don't write nearly enough, in part because there aren't nearly enough players to make this game worth writing for. Derphoof is one of those players. To not vote for him is to rob the eUS, and yourself, of an incredible opportunity. An opportunity to make something.
tl;dr I'm voting for Derphoof and so should you
Let's make something. Together
Comments
ilu, Paul
Our destiny is greatness. We cannot fall short. Pick up the banner of this nation and join the march towards greatness with me, together.
what a wall of text...
only skimmed but like the fact you are throwing so many recent CP's under the bus 😃!
skimmed? Did no one teach you how to read? Explains a lot....
care to elaborate?
Your obviously angry and ignorant. You also have a terrible taste in avatars.
>two articles in a term
>https://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-potus-first-7-days-2601707/1/20
>https://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-potus-russia-2602803/1/20
>https://www.erepublik.com/en/article/-potus-quality-media-2603376/1/20
>still 10 days left in a term
lol
Okay, three. When I was CP I wrote 6 articles. When Tenshibo was CP the month before he wrote 7. That wasn't acceptable then, in fact, it was ridiculed. What I think the eUS deserves is someone who writes seriously, sure, but also someone who uses that awesome platform to build narratives. This isn't targeted at you, this is targeted at what we've come to define Presidential media as.
But Yui, it isn't JUST the lack of articles that has people looking elsewhere. It's the lack of leadership.
That's something that requires a specific kind of effort that nobody thinks you put forward this month.
This isn't an indictment against your character, it's merely a review of your time in the captain's seat.
maybe i'm just more of a war time president
Or that you're not an any time President. There's a difference between being a competent administrator and being a competent executive.
"This is your "regularly" scheduled Presidential Media, known for its' pristine quality and class."
wow, really setting a high standard
So, this month wasn't what we were expecting from the game admins. That's fine, and should have been foreseen.
What I find frustrating is that for nearly three weeks we have sat around waiting for someone to do something. Why couldn't we have started doing something, without waiting for a cue?
And, before anyone asks, yes I'm a part of the executive. I've written in cabinet about what I'm trying (still) to achieve. Other than "noted" type responses only one person has actually engaged with me to influence the details. Thanks, Rainy. You're one in a million. 🙂
What was your opinion on AMSP?
I liked it a lot. Took a few listens though.
Although the Russian mistake, I think I'll vote Yui again, cause he's a good CP.
For what it's worth, I don't think he's terrible, but if he is reelected I hope he works on communicating with the country and with Congress, cuz there definitely is room for improvement lol
I'm not really sure what quietly competent means. I'll never be confused with some of the more literarily gifted in this game, but I believe I'm a decent writer, and a pretty good communicator both with Congress and the nation as CP. That said I'm not taking it as criticism of any kind just a tad curious. Also I love you Paul Proteus. Always have and always will.
Yeah your articles as president are honestly great Tyler, this isn't a criticism of your term and if it is it wouldn't be a fair one
It's a broader rhetorical point more making the point that I also don't really understand what competent means. It is said about you thus you found your way into the article. I love you too man, don't take my stream of conscious articles too seriously haha
triple the text space slamming Yui as promoting Derphoof.
So?
Also, 763 words for my first few paragraphs, in which maybe three sentences really connect themselves to Yui, 418 words in the second which is entirely about how Derphoof is my preferred candidate, so not quite.
Yui has been a pretty terrible president. Derphoof is just awesome I will definitely support him for our parties endorsement.