[JUDE4PREZ] One Voice

Day 2,629, 17:54 • Published in USA USA • by Jude Connors
FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE: Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

"That's it! Campaign's over! Pack it up, Folks! Time to tuck my tail in between my legs and scurry along back to the peasants. Supporters, go support someone else. Federalist Party and We the People Party, please remove my name from your primaries. Friends, team members and those I spoke to that have agreed to serve in a Connors Cabinet, I am sorry that I let you down. It's all over now!"

I'm guessing that the paragraph above is the expected reaction for the news that Wild Owl once again went back on his word and declared his intentions to run for Country President for the FOURTH time?. I'm assuming that concession is what I am supposed to be doing, right? Forget finishing this out. Forget seeing this to completion. Quitting is the only standard metric for this and immediate termination of this crazy idea is not only expected, but thew only viable option here, right? After all, it's would everyone does when faced with certain defeat. Why change anything at all?

If you think this is the way it's going down, you have obviously missed my first article and my message as a Presidential candidate: IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE, eAmerica!!!

But change won't just magically happen if I am elected Country President. That is why I am presenting to you my four point plan to keep eAmerica moving forward into the future. With each ideal, I am also going to introduce a member of my team to lead the nation in a Connors Cabinet.
First and foremost in any successful Presidential term is DEDICATION. Let's face the simple fact that all it really takes to successfully do anything in life is dedication. This is especially true in eRepublik. Any other obstacle can be overcome if one has the dedication to succeed. Despite being told that there is no way I can win this election, I am dedicated to continuing to campaign and fight until the election is over. If elected, it is this same dedication that will help me to overcome what is called by some, including one competitor, my "inexperience on a national stage" (despite the fact that I have prior experience in every Cabinet department). It's also a simple truth that it really isn't that hard to be CP. DMJ himself stated that on an episode of eNPR when he was President. What it really takes is dedication... from the player serving as CP and especially from his or her Cabinet. This is the type of dedication I see in my choice for Vice President, Wookyjack (AKA 5AM Saint).

I know very few people who are as dedicated to the eUSA and the game as a whole as Wookyjack. He has done and continues to do many things with the Federalist Party and S.H.I.E.L.D. When he went oversees to the eUK, he attempted to open the eyes of the player community there and work towards helping to restore the previously good relations the eUK recently had with the eUSA and also to help with its defense by creating S.T.R.I.K.E. He is active, hard-working, smart, and dedicated. Those characteristics, coupled with the simple fact that I trust him more than most people in this game and consider him a friend, made my decision to ask him to be my Veep very easy. Thankfully, he accepted.
As eRepublik ever evolves and changes into a new game at Plato's every whim, diplomacy has overtaken defense as the most important aspect of game play. Thanks to recent diplomatic actions in foreign affairs, the eUSA has seen full bonuses for quite awhile now. This stems from actions - some popular and others widely disliked - that has strengthened the eAmerican position on the world stage, putting the eUSA on the forefront of international affairs. Even Resource Wars was primarily won in the diplomatic arena before any battle was started.

It goes without saying that I want a strong Secretary of State. To these means, I decided to ask the legendary Artela to serve in this capacity. For those who live under a rock and may not know, Artela was the mentor and teacher of Wild Owl, who has been dominating foreign affairs since being taught by her. He has often stated that she taught him everything he knows about foreign affairs, and it is that knowledge and diplomacy that the eUSA needs moving forward into the future. Her expertise and experience in foreign affairs made her another simple pick. Luckily, she also accepted, turning down an opportunity to be one of my opponent's Vice President in order to join with Team Connors. In addition, since she is my very dearest friend in this game, Artela will also serve as First Lady and Goddess of the eUnited States.
eRepublik is still a political-simulation/war game, so defense will always be an important job in all successful governments. With the aforementioned recent success in Resource Wars by the eUSA, we will need a smart and capable person to serve as the Secretary of the National Security Council. With this in mind, I went to the man who helped orchestrate massive wins on the battlefield that helped the eUSA win Resource Wars in the military module, Kevin Sheridan. A man who I expect to be Country President in the near future, Kevin has often worked as the quiet, behind-the-scenes guy that helped recent Presidents look so good. Again, he was my first pick for the position, and again I was lucky that he accepted.

I cannot say how awesome Kevin is and how close I have grown to him in my work as Quartermaster General of S.H.I.E.L.D. He is a great player with a bright future ahead of him. I am lucky to have him as a member of my staff.
Every good team needs an operational manager. With this in mind, I wanted a Chief of Staff that could motivate and manage the daily operations of the Cabinet in a way that makes each position effective. I have no question that the man I chose for that position would be successful in every way. Having seen the work he has done in the past, including his work in the federal government as Secretary of Interior, I went with another trusty friend, Dave Gulya.

Another superstar of the future, Dave is a born leader. His direction has been documented in many of his past positions, in government, party, and military unit. As far as hardworking, dedicated, active players go... few can match with Dave. I look forward to great things form him in the future, and am grateful he accepted the position.

eAmerica...
I WANT TO BE YOUR PRESIDENT!!!

It is time for a change. Staring certain defeat right in the eyes is nothing new to me, and like Tom Petty, I won't back down. I was certain of this when the only challenger was Evry, who is a great and noble competitor; and I am still certain of this with the addition of Wild Owl, a man who many believe is unbeatable. I ask each of you now, as you vote now in your party primaries and in the future when you vote for Country President to consider voting for me. With a team of aces, some mentioned in this article and others to be named in the near future, I know that we can lead this nation into the future, bringing a change in the process.

As Sheryl Crow sang, "A Change Would Do You Good". Do you think it is finally time for change in eAmerica? If so, you know how to vote!

Salutations, my Fellow Americans... and Ajay Gipper Hut!

Listen to the Magic Carpet Ride with Jude Connors - LIVE every Friday Night 19:00-22:00 eRepublik time on RadioStar.FM. You'll be glad you did!