2010 US Presidential Election

[disputed]

nbs.com, Wednesday January 10th

Thorn: "We've taken the first step in taking back the White House"

New York Senator Andrew Thorn thanked his supporters in Iowa this evening calling the result "historic" and saying that "the recovery of the middle-class starts tonight." Thorn appeared shortly after 9pm thanking his opponents and the people of Iowa for the result, he confirmed that they were headed to New Hampshire where polls this morning suggest he has a narrow lead over Sam Seaborn who he beat into second place last night. "We've got lots of work to do, but tonight, we've taken the first step in taking back the White House".

The final margin of victory appears to have been less than the Thorn camp were hoping for with California Senator Seaborn overperforming polling expectations, a result that will certainly cause some concern amongst Thorn supporters and advisors, inital analysis suggests late deciding voters broke very heavily for Seaborn and also for Indiana Senator Rudi Robinson who's third place result will likely re-energise his campaign.

All eyes will now turn to New Hampshire where polls have been tight for sometime. Seaborn will enjoy significant local support, he has been endorsed by Governor Liz Bartlet and has many connections to the state, but Thorn enjoys a significant cash advantage and may see next weeks Primary as a chance to land a knock out blow on Seaborn.

The Seaborn camp were showing signs of cautious optimism over the result. Campaign spokesman DeShaun Carrie told reporters that they were "very pleased" with the result and that it showed that they were well placed as the race goes forward "we have no expectation that the race takes place over a week in January, this will be a close, long contest as we let the people of the country have a decisive say on who should be the nominee."

 

[lord caedus]

Thorn wins the states 57 delegates

The Democratic Party's by-laws require primaries and caucuses to reward their delegates proportionately- even if Thorn dominated some caucus precincts to reward him with a slightly higher amount of delegates than his popular vote percentage would entitle him to, other candidates (Seaborn and Robinson at the very least) would win delegates.

 

[Marky Bunny]

The Democratic Party's by-laws require primaries and caucuses to reward their delegates proportionately- even if Thorn dominated some caucus precincts to reward him with a slightly higher amount of delegates than his popular vote percentage would entitle him to, other candidates (Seaborn and Robinson at the very least) would win delegates.

The show established during the Santos, Russell, Hoynes fight (2006) that in this world, all the delegates where awarded on a winner takes all basis. We have followed this and did so four years ago as well.

 

[Marky Bunny]

Wednesday January 10th 2018

NBS confirms Republican debate on Friday

NBS has confirmed that it will host a Republican debate between the four Republican candidates ahead of the Primary on Tuesday. The debate will take place at Dartmouth College in Hanover, and will start at 9.00 PM (EST).

CNN will host a Democratic debate from the President Josiah Bartlet Presidential Library, Manchester with all six remaining Democrats the following night.

 

[Marky Bunny]

Thursday January 11th 2018

Five Days from the Primary

Democratic Poll

1. Seaborn 31% (+1)
2. Thorn 30% (+2)
3. Robinson 15% (n/c)
4. Stray 15% (+1)
5. Kellner 7% (-2)
6. Carner 2% (-1)

Republican Poll

1. Clark 43% (+3)
2. Shallick 27% (-5)
3. Durham 25% (+3)
4. Gault 5% (-2)

 

[disputed]

nbs.com, Thursday January 11th

Shallick White House Bid “In Serious Trouble” After Iowa Loss

The campaign of former Missouri Governor, Henry Shallick is on the brink after the shock loss in Iowa to Kansas Governor Peter Gault according to Evan Drake, a man who, like Shallick served as President Walken’s Chief of Staff.

Drake, appeared on Capitol Beat this morning and suggested that the defeat in Iowa coupled with polls suggesting he is falling behind in New Hampshire may be the death knell to his campaign. The former Governor of Arizona suggested that the race had moved definitively in favour of Vice-President Elizabeth Clark. “It’s clear if the VP wins in New Hampshire she’s the front runner. Shallick had banked on Iowa but was out thought and out fought by Gault now he’s looking like a very long shot to win in New Hampshire – I’m not sure if he can recover from those loses.”

Asked what he thought had gone wrong Drake questioned Shallick’s willingness to engage in the kind of retail politics needed in early states. “He thought through his connections in Iowa that he had the Vice-President beaten there, he just didn’t see Gault coming and by the time they did they didn’t seem to want to engage on the ground. He’s raised a lot of money – they need to start spending it pretty quick.”

On Gault, Drake said he deserved significant credit. “He’s represented traditional conservative values without falling into the trap of looking crazy, he’s very folksy and that’s played really well in Iowa and he’s clearly won over the Capel’s who are pumping money into South Carolina and Florida, I think it’s Clark race to lose but Gault’s going nowhere and if Shallick falls don’t expect all of his supporters to line up behind the VP, a lot of them absolutely loathe her.”

 

[Marky Bunny]

Friday January 12th 2018

Shallick heads to New Hampshire debate with his back against the wall

Henry Shallick heads to the New Hampshire debate tonight on the back of terrible poll numbers following his shock defeat in Iowa on Tuesday.

Most polls have him trailing Vice-President Clark in New Hampshire by around fifteen points, and fears that a heavy defeat on Tuesday could swing Michigan against him two days later (Michigan has been polling for him since the race started a year ago), then if it was followed by defeats in Nevada (Clark has a healthy lead) and South Carolina (where Gault is throwing everything he has at him) five days after that Shallick's campaign will be effectively over.

 

[disputed]

nbs.com, Friday January 12th

Concern for Vice-President After Debate Incident

There was concern tonight for Vice-President Elizabeth Clark after she failed to return to the second of the Republican debate as the result of a heated interaction with a member of the audience.

The debate was heated from the start as Vice-President Clark, Congressman Will Durham and Governors Peter Gault and Henry Shallick battled over a range of topics in the aftermath of Tuesdays shocking Iowa caucus where Gault won a narrow victory over Shallick and Clark.

Gault started the night on offence attacking Shallick and Clark as “establishment insiders” who were “totally incapable of carrying on the successes of President Walken”. Shallick, who has been fairly restrained in previous debates was far more aggressive suggesting the Vice-President had very few achievements in office and mocked her experience as “little more than conferences and ribbon cutting”.

If the first half the debate was much as expected what followed was absolutely not. As host Taylor Reid moved to a section based on questions from the audience the Vice-President was asked by a man named Ron from Indiana whether she “approved of her son’s choices or considered him a sinner”. Clark, initially seemed shocked before another member of the audience aimed a volley of abuse at her, including a homophobic slur targeted at her son. Security stepped in but the VP was clearly shaken, didn’t speak again until the break.

When the debate returned from the break, the Vice-President was absent, host Reid confirmed she would not return. The remaining participants spoke in Clark’s defence, Shallick said the actions of the man had been “reprehensible” adding that “What we have seen tonight is the epitome of what is wrong with our politics. Our place is not to judge other people, it’s to debate issues and see how we can help, what we seen tonight was horrible. I have known Vice-President Clark for many, many year, she is a wonderful woman, a great public servant and she didn’t deserve what we seen earlier.”

Shallick’s comments were mirrored by Gault who said “comments like I heard earlier have no place in this campaign. Yes, these races get personal and heated and, yes they are important but we must never let them become personal grudges. The Vice-President has served this country faithfully for three decades, I’m disgusted with what happened here tonight.”

The remaining participants continued the debate, but all three focused mainly on reciting stump speeches to the various questions and refrained from any attacks.

 

[Marky Bunny]

Saturday January 13th 2018

Tom Clark takes to YouTube after Republican debate disappearance

Tom Clark, the son of the Vice-President took to You Tube in the early hours of this morning to defend himself, his Mother and attack who had "used me to attack the greatest Mother in the world".

Clark added "My private life which I know some people don't like should not be used as a reason against my Mother should not be the next President of the United States" and in a pointed remark he added " to all those who want to question me about my life, come and debate me, anytime any place, because it has nothing to do with my Mum".

The Vice-President didn't return to the stage after the break during the Republican debate in Dartmouth, New Hampshire last night, following a question over her son's sexuality, before a second member of the audience used a homophobic slur against Tom Clark. Campaign Manager Colt Merchant told the press in the spin room afterwards "The Vice-President was very shocked, upset and angry by the question and the verbal attack on her son". In the few minutes after the incident Social Media, had been awash with rumours and counter rumours over the Vice-President's reaction, but Colt Merchant made clear "The campaign continues, the Vice-President will be resting before returning to the campaign trail on Saturday".

The 2006 Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Ray Sullivan who famously had issues with his own son, Owen, during the 2010 primary campaign was watching the debate with NBS said afterwards "Having been through something similar with my own son when running for President, you question everything as a parent, but also have to listen to people who don't know you or your family launch personal attacks on them without knowing them, it hurts, it really does, so I can 100% understand the actions of the Vice-President tonight. It was a disgraceful incident, and questions have to be asked over the security and who was allowed into the audience".

 

[Marky Bunny]

Sunday January 14th 2018

Democratic debate dominated by Vice-President's debate walk out

The Democratic Presidential debate from the Josiah Bartlet Presidential Library in Manchester last night was pretty much dominated by the story from the Republican debate the previous night which saw Vice-President Clark and her son abused by a member of the audience.

The Democratic front-runner Senator Andrew Thorn said "on a policy level me and the Vice-president don't agree on much, but that is politics, on a personal level, she has always been professional, personable with me in our dealings, I like her, no parent when running for the highest office in the land, should have to go through what she did last night". The same feelings where echoed by the other contenders, but Maine Governor Paris Stray turned it into a attack on Governors Gault and Shallick "I think the level of hypocrisy displayed by Governor's Shallick and Gault was breath-taking, they have subjected the Vice-President to a torrent of personnel attacks, but now because it was done on prime-time and in-front of them, it's suddenly "she's always been a nice person, we respect her", yeah right, give me a break".

Away from the Clark issue, it was a standard Democratic debate, the middle class, gun control, Education reform and equal marriage rights although once again a big issue raised was Senator Thorn's tax returns which he had promised he wold release after the last debate something brought up by Senator Rudi Robinson who joked "I think when the Senator finally releases his tax returns, I think they should be on parchment, because we have been waiting that long for them" which got a big laugh. Senator Seaborn has certainly changed his style in this debate, he was much more low key, he knows now that he is not the front-runner, but he is still a formidable contender, he was more focused on policy detail especially on Education reform than in the previous debates.

For what ever reason, the contenders stayed away from Governor Michael Kellner's Mafia links, and Kellner himself didn't bring them up, despite many believing that he would try and clear himself. As for the other Democratic Governor on the stage, Kurt Carner of Montana, he looks like he knows the game is up, New Hampshire on Tuesday is his last stand, and he is not likely to save himself based on the polls or this performance.

 

[disputed]

nbs.com, Sunday January 14th

President Attempts to Keep Clark in the Race as VP prepares to withdraw

Rumours have been rife in Washington all day that Vice-President Liz Clark was poised to withdraw from the Presidential race with some going as far as to suggest a press conference had been scheduled for 5pm EST.

The latest reports suggest that the Vice-President has spoken with both Governor Peter Gault and former White House Chief of Staff Henry Shallick and confirmed her plan to leave the race. Shallick is believed to have convinced her to speak with President Walken and that conversation is currently underway.

The President is believed to extremely concerned that the impact that the Vice-President withdrawing will have on the party as a whole and believes it would end any chance of Clark running again at a later date.

If the Vice-President chooses to follow through with her plan to withdraw it will throw the Republican Primary into chaos. Clark has been enjoying solid polling leads in New Hampshire since early last week, she would remain on the ballot paper so logistically a withdrawal would be hugely problematic, it could result in Clark withdrawing and still, remarkably winning the primary. It could also open the door for California Congressman Will Durham who is tied in second place with Shallick.

 

[disputed]

thehill.com, Sunday January 14th

Stray Faces Twitter Backlash to "Hypocrisy" Comments

Maine Governor Paris Stray has enjoyed a successful run for President, she has raised her profile and even been mentioned as a potential Vice-President candidate, but she has managed to spark the wrong kind of attention following her performance at last nights Democratic debate.

Stray attacked Kansas Governor Peter Gault and Henry Shallick for attacking Vice-President Liz Clark and then crying "crocodile tears" upon news of her potential withdrawal. Unfortunately for Stray she seemed to have suffered some memory loss and Twitter users took great pleasure in replaying Stray's own criticism of Clark as, amongst other things "the most ineffective Vice-President in this country's history".

Governor Stray attempted to defend her comments saying that she was referring specifically to the personal attacks on Clark's son but social media seems little inclined to listen to her protests.

 

[disputed]

nbs.com, Sunday January 14th

Vice-President Withdraws From Presidential Race; Calls Shallick “Only Choice” for GOP

After a weekend of wrangling within the Republican Party, Vice-President Liz Clark has landed a bombshell on the Presidential race by confirming that she is withdrawing from the contest to crown a Republican nominee.

Clark appeared at a press conference outside Blair House in Washington, the Vice-President’s official residence flanked by her husband and children. The Vice-President said this was “the hardest decision of her life” heaping praise on the President who she had spent the day speaking with “President Walken is a great man, it has been my honour to serve as his Vice-President I will be eternally grateful for the time he spent with me today but I have realised over this weekend that there are occasions when there can be no compromise, you must put your family and your health first.”

The Vice-President confirmed that along with Friday’s events she has been taking prescribed medication for anxiety for sometime and that it was clear that “this was not consistent with the demands of either the intensity of the primary race or the job that it may lead to.”

She surprised many by offering a full throated endorsement of her long time rival Henry Shallick who she said was both a great man and a potentially great President adding that had she not been running she’d have endorsed “Henry” a long time ago and that now he was the “only choice” that could win a General Election and continue the legacy of President Walken.

The White House released a statement moments later expressing “deep regret” at the Vice-President’s decision but offering glowing praise of her record of public service and “legacy as Vice-President”.

 

[KingCrawa]

@disputed Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression the Vice Presidents official residence was No 1 Observatory Circle?

 

[disputed]

@disputed Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression the Vice Presidents official residence was No 1 Observatory Circle?

You are correct, but it's currently undergoing renovation in TTL so Clark has used Blair House.

And, in case you are wondering, yes I did just make that up to avoid changing the previous article.

 

[disputed]

nbs.com, Monday January 15th

Candidates Scramble For Advantage As VP Withdrawal Throws New Hampshire Race Wide-Open

In the aftermath of the stunning announcement by Vice-President Liz Clark that she was withdrawing from the Republican Presidential primary race the remaining contenders have spent today attempting to take advantage of last night’s developments.

It’s nearly impossible to get a hold of where polls now currently stand. For the last few weeks, Governor Henry Shallick’s level of support has been following whilst Clark and California’s Will Durham have been in the ascendancy. Shallick spent today barnstorming through areas where Clark was expecting strong support. Durham, for his part, continued to stay the course with his existing strategy appearing at rallies and saying that he was now the “only sensible conservative” left in the race.

The Granite State primary has been reduced to an effective two horse race with Iowa victor Peter Gault skipping the state to focus on South Carolina. Spirits in the Shallick camp were described as “buoyant” with the view that their man has been given a second chance after his shock defeat in Iowa last week, his team were rushing a last minute media blitz onto the airwaves in an attempt to swing the race their way. Shallick is favourite to win Thursday’s primary in Michigan so if he can secure a win on Tuesday he will suddenly be well placed for the battle with Gault.

 

[disputed]

nbs.com, Monday January 15th

Thorn & Seaborn Clash Over Tax Returns As New Hampshire Race Races To Dramatic Conclusion

The leading Democratic contenders for President clashed today as they threw themselves into the final few hours of campaigning before what could be a decisive primary vote on Tuesday.

New York Senator Andrew Thorn, the front runner and winner of last week’s Iowa caucus came under fire from his chief rival, California’s Sam Seaborn over his refusal to release his tax returns and over reports that his father’s firm The Thorn Corporation use of number of tax havens to minimise their tax payments.

Seaborn said that Thorn should “utterly condemn” this time of “complicated, self-interested approach to tax” adding that “it’s really time that billionaire’s like Senator Thorn’s father paid a little bit more for the good of the country that has supported their success.”

The Thorn campaign hit back. Accusing Senator Seaborn of stoking resentment against many hard working Americans and “misunderstanding the American dream”. “

New Hampshire has become a critical contest for Seaborn who knows that a second straight primary loss could doom his campaing. The Thorn team, equally aware of this challenge, are treating the state as an opportunity to land a knockout blow on the man who served in both the Bartlet and the Santos administrations.

 

[disputed]

townhall.com, Monday January 15th

Republican Grandees Flirt with Florida Governor As Field Trims to Three

A delegation of leading Republicans reportedly met this morning with Florida Governor James Ritchie amid suggestions that they were trying to convince him to throw his hat into the presidential field in the wake of Vice-President Clark’s withdrawal.

Governor Ritchie, the son of 2002 nominee Rob Ritchie, had previously ruled himself out and latterly endorsed former White House Chief of Staff Henry Shallick. It has been suggested that the group of veteran leaders are concerned that Shallick may not be able to close the deal with the party’s base and hand the nomination to Kansas Governor Peter Gault, a man many in the Republican establishment think of as a populist liability.

Amongst the group that reportedly met with Ritchie are former Senate Majority Leader Robert Royce, former RNC Chairman Mack MacKinlay and Ritche’s predecessor as Florida Governor Eric Swenson. The meeting took place at the Longboat Key Club in Sarasota.

A source close to MacKinlay said “the group have been supporters of Governor Ritchie for some time. They believe he should have run in the first place and are now extremely worried that the party could end up with Gault as the nominee, they don’t think they can win with such a conservative flagbearer.”

 

[KingCrawa]

nbs.com, Monday January 15th

Thorn & Seaborn Clash Over Tax Returns As New Hampshire Race Races To Dramatic Conclusion

The leading Democratic contenders for President clashed today as they threw themselves into the final few hours of campaigning before what could be a decisive primary vote on Tuesday.

New York Senator Andrew Thorn, the front runner and winner of last week’s Iowa caucus came under fire from his chief rival, California’s Sam Seaborn over his refusal to release his tax returns and over reports that his father’s firm The Thorn Corporation use of number of tax havens to minimise their tax payments.

Seaborn said that Thorn should “utterly condemn” this time of “complicated, self-interested approach to tax” adding that “it’s really time that billionaire’s like Senator Thorn’s father paid a little bit more for the good of the country that has supported their success.”

The Thorn campaign hit back. Accusing Senator Seaborn of stoking resentment against many hard working Americans and “misunderstanding the American dream”. “

New Hampshire has become a critical contest for Seaborn who knows that a second straight primary loss could doom his campaing. The Thorn team, equally aware of this challenge, are treating the state as an opportunity to land a knockout blow on the man who served in both the Bartlet and the Santos administrations.

Sorry me again. How does the Seaborn campaign's criticism of Thorn senior's tax payments (specifically the rhetoric used) tally with this opinion of Senator Seaborn's?

 

[ajm8888]

BBC.COM

Monday January 15th, 2018

Chinese Sub violates Japanese waters.

Earlier today in Tokyo Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuki told the press that the Maritime Self Defense Force spotted and pursued a Chinese submarine operating in Japanese territorial waters near Miyako island. The destroyer launched its SH-60K and it dipped a sonar from the helicopter and recorded the sounds it made. The destroyer pursued but no weapons were used.

The submarine is believed to have been a Kilo class or a Type 39A.

The US State Department denounced the violation as a blatant act of aggression.

Prime Minister Ayeka Junichiro claimed the act was a preamble for future trouble. She urged President Walken and his successor, "Stand up to Beijing before they start a war on accident. We must show Beijing these actions aren't tolerated in the 21st century."