Presidential Debate

[Chris]

Hi,

This is the space for Ben to post his questions for the debate. Here are the rules:

1) Edward C. Murphy will supply all the questions. Everyone else, including the candidates, should refrain form asking questions.

2) Only Malcom Neil, Cecilia Spartozza, and Daniel Loyola may post answers to the questions. Others may chime-in, but keep it to a minimum so folks have an easier time reading the real answers through "background chatter." (Edward may supply seperate questions solely for the VP candidates, either as a group or as individuals, and if so I will answer those, too).

3) To simulate the time limits of a debate, individual answers for each question should be kept to 150 words or less. (Use a word processor if you're not sure, but 150 words is a lot). Any words given past 150 words will be cut off by the moderator and will not be heard (and may cost you points in the general view of things).

4) Answers for the question directed specifically at you may go up to 200 words.

5) Do not respond to the other candidates' responses. I know this is a bit off from a normal debate, but without a good or easy way to manage answering order, we'll have to all pretend that everyone answers simultaneously. So, just answer the question posed by Edward and do you best to ignore any previous candidate's replies in this thread. (Of course, you can still let your answers degenerate into ad hominem attacks if you wish, just make your answers based on previous knowledge of the other candidates and not the answers in this thread).

Alright! So, let's wait for Ben's questions and let me know if you have any questions.

Oh, and this isn't a seperate downtime action really, so everyone else can just sit tight until next game.

[EdMurphy]

As I don't have the debate questions finalized yet due to the formation of the Loyola - Pierce super ticket (fuckers) I am going to post the general questions for all candidates first then a round of individual questions once they are complete.   

1.  First I would like to allow each candidate to briefly outline their platform.

2.  What direction do you think the fleet should take in regard to long term settlement?

3.  Since the Cylon attack the military has taken a more active role in civilian life.  This has required some adjustment on both sides.  What would you do as president to improve the relationship between the military and the civilian fleet?

4.  Do you believe convicted felons should maintain their right to vote?

5.  What should the policy be for the treatment of Cylon prisoners, combative or cooperative, and how, if at all, should intelligence from Cylon sources be utilized?


I will have the candidate specific questions up soon.

[Chris]

Hi,

I'm not sure if we'll get more questions or if Andy even has internet access where he is out of town right now, but I'll go ahead and answer the questions we have here for Senator Loyola:

1.  First I would like to allow each candidate to briefly outline their platform.

My campaign is about the people of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. I do not want to be a voice speaking over the fleet. My wish is to be a mouthpiece and an extension of the will of the people of this fleet. I will work to preserve the freedom and futures of everyone, regardless of origin or social standing. If this means standing up to the Quorum to do so, then so be it. But I must stress cooperation over competition in our situation. We all need help and I am equipped to help us all help each other with guidance from the gods and the wisdom of our forebears. I wish to give us all a safe, permanent, and realistic future under the stars, not within it, but I will not do so without compromising the wisdom of those who came before, or those who will come later.

2.  What direction do you think the fleet should take in regard to long term settlement?

Three choices lay before us: deep space, an unknown planet of even more uncertain potential, and our origin planet Kobol. Let there be no mistake: Centaurus 49 is Kobol. Scriptures describe it in such a location, but science also confirms this fact. According to astronomical calculations, it is virtually statistically impossible that a once-inhabitable planet is coincidentally this close to the described location of Kobol. This planet is Kobol, and it represents our hope. It is ruined now, but it also stands as  evidence that humanity once struggled as we do and persevered. If elected, I will launch a concerted inquiry into Kobol to determine its authenticity and to search its surface for evidence of our lost brethren: the Thirteenth Tribe, Earth. Kobol and Earth's stories represent the greatest future to us all, and I intend to give the fleet the best chance it has for a bright future.

3.  Since the Cylon attack the military has taken a more active role in civilian life.  This has required some adjustment on both sides.  What would you do as president to improve the relationship between the military and the civilian fleet?

It would be deluded to doubt that the Galactica is the center of our fleet. But we should not lose sight of the Articles of Colonization: the Galactica depends on us. True, she needs our help in providing help and resources, but more importantly, the Galactica depends on civilians for sanction. Military personnel and civilians alike must remember: we are all in this together. The crew of the Galactica live in the same fleet as the rest of us and we should have no pervasive fear about their intentions. As president, I would use the expertise of Alan Pierce to advise my own temperate   judgment about the utilization of military resources. But we must not squander these resources or needlessly endanger this beloved ship. We must establish a judicial panel that is prepared to judge emergencies that only the Galactica could have resolved, such as aboard the Astral Queen.

4.  Do you believe convicted felons should maintain their right to vote?

Some use our difficult situation to raise alarm about the citizens aboard the Astral Queen. Some would have you believe that our small population could not afford to let these citizens vote. I propose the opposite: the people aboard the Astral Queen should be given equal franchise, precisely because we are so few in number. In these difficult times, we must stay vigilant of what it means to be human and what it means to be a member of our society. The constant threat of Cylons reminds us, perhaps, of loss, uncertainty, and those loved ones we left behind. We ought to treat those we have left with the dignity and respect we all deserve as human beings. The recent actions of Jake Finnegan, among others, stand as proof that the citizens aboard the Astral Queen are as willing to help as anyone else.

5.  What should the policy be for the treatment of Cylon prisoners, combative or cooperative, and how, if at all, should intelligence from Cylon sources be utilized?

I propose a subcommittee, including Galactica's experts, civilian scholars, and senators, to discuss this and to draft permanent laws. Some hostile agents have been negotiators and some have been belligerent. The line is further blurred by an apparently cooperative Cylon, but a standard of conduct must be maintained. For the sake of future negotiations with a race we know to be sentient if not very similar to humans in physiology, I propose treating Cylons as human enemy combatants as per the Articles of Colonization. Regardless of what we don't know, the Cylons are sentient and respond negatively to mistreatment, and treating even an uncooperative agent as anything less than sentient and living is counter-productive, at best, and uselessly cruel at worst. Besides, Cylon intelligence should be not be used until more research is conducted into their programming. Doctor Finn should be assisted more if this is to succeed.

[EdMurphy]

Spartozza:  In your campaign and your time in the Quorum you have been a strong proponent of fleet security.  How do you defend the choice of a running mate who either can't or won't enforce the rule of law on one ship?


Neil:  You have been the president of the Colonies since the Cylon attack.  What have you done in your time in office to deserve a second term?

Chris:  I sent you an email about what I want to do with Loyolas question. 

[Chris]

Hi,

Hopefully someone other than me responds to these questions, otherwise the debate is going to sound pretty fucking one-sided. Senator Loyola will say his peace, and anyone who doesn't respond is going to issue the equivalent of a low-tone droning sound for ten minutes (not literally, of course, but it'll have a similar effect on the voters). If Andy doesn't have internet access where he is, he'll get a pass, but there isn't anything I can do to help him help himself in this race in that case.

As for Edward's question for Daniel Loyola, he has sought assistance from within the press corps and the following question is asked of the senator from Saggitaron:

"Despite your best efforts and your choice of Vice President, you are percieved both within the Quorum and within the public as one of the more partisan politicians. Senator Loyola, how do you personally intend to reconcile your own radical doctrine of non-violence in an increasingly and obviously violent conflict with the Cylons?"

His answer:

I firmly believe in my own ideals, but I recognize that the Quorum and the Presidency are both elected offices and my decisions should be a reflection of my constituency. However, if I am elected president, I would swear the oath while enjoying the support of a great deal of the fleet. Election carries a responsibility to the people, but it also means holding the mandate of the people. Mandate allows for some flexibility, but I wish to be as forthright as possible at this moment and make my beliefs clear: I will always oppose violence in any form or scope, and that includes the current conflict. If a peacful or at least non-violent respolution presents itself, we should consider it, cautiously but earnestly. We have lost so many loved ones that I feel a moral imperative to end the violence before irreprable damage is done.  I am no stranger to violence, which is why I oppose it, but let there be no mistake: until such time as a peaceful resolution can be reached, I will draw from my own knowledge and that of my Vice President to continue to protect the people of the fleet.

[Corax69]

These are my responses to the debate questions. I might be a bit brief as I'm over in Wales and on someone else's computer. I trust this will be filtered through Celia's 12d political skills. This isn't as polished as I'd like but time seems to be an issue. Please take that into consideration with word count and such things.

1.  First I would like to allow each candidate to briefly outline their platform.

My campaign has three core values. Strength. Unity. Security. We must be strong in the face of the cylon threat. Each of us has suffered losses would have been unimaginable before our current crisis. We must have the strength to carry on, the strength to defy the cylons, and destroy this threat so we can have a better tomorrow. As we are one people, we should stand united against the cylons and work with each other to strengthen the human race. Lastly, we must establish our security by working to form a bulwark, both military and civilian, that will extinguish the threat against our species.

2.  What direction do you think the fleet should take in regard to long term settlement?

Permanent settlement is a important goal we should all be working towards. The fleet is not our new home but a vehicle to our new destiny. The search for a new home should rank just below our duty to defend ourselves and our loved ones from the genocidal machines. If we cannot find fully habitual planets, we should attempt to  establish outpost that can be defended and used to bolster the fleets resources. As a people, we must run towards a secure planet that we can defend should a threat arise. If the planet is indefeasible, we will determine what resources can be used to bolster our fleet. A new settlement is the only way we can repopulate so the human race can florish once again.

3.  Since the Cylon attack the military has taken a more active role in civilian life.  This has required some adjustment on both sides.  What would you do as president to improve the relationship between the military and the civilian fleet?

I have been one who has taken measures to establish a security council. This council would establish security forces to defend the individual ships. Every person who is able should be trained to fight in a civilian fighting force. Like it or not, we are all at war now and we should make sure every person, to the best of their ability, is ready to aid the wartime effort. With regards to the military, the military has been under terrible stress since the attack on the twelve colonies. The military has had a stellar performance, and I think that should have a moratorium on the military's anti-fraternizing codes. I think this would help boost morale and would show how much we value our military men and women.   

4.  Do you believe convicted felons should maintain their right to vote?

I believe we need to stand united in order to succeed in these trying times. There are some who have been convicted of crimes against our society. We cannot ignore the things that some have done, but there is an even graver crime that has been committed against us as a species. I am to offer a pardon to those who are willing to unite with us in our quest for survival. There is already a merit system in place that will allow prisoners to earn back their rights. I fully support this system. It would be a unpardonable insult to ask someone to help us in our survival and then deny them a voice in our society.

5.  What should the policy be for the treatment of Cylon prisoners, combative or cooperative, and how, if at all, should intelligence from Cylon sources be utilized?

The cylons have killed over thirty billion of us(ooc: I think that's the correct number.) Each and every one of us has lost loved ones to these genocidal monsters. I would be highly suspect of any help a cylon would offer. After all, they still attack us relentlessly. If there are traitor-cylons, if that is possible, then any information that comes from them would only be utilized if we could know for a fact that it would ensure the future safety and prosperity of the fleet. We must survive, and we must make sure that what happened to the twelves colonies never happens again. Never again!

[Corax69]

Spartozza:  In your campaign and your time in the Quorum you have been a strong proponent of fleet security.  How do you defend the choice of a running mate who either can't or won't enforce the rule of law on one ship?

Several weeks ago, Lorn Algernon came to me because he supported my attempts to make a safer, more secure civilian fleet. Since then, I have come to see that Lorn Algernon, like so many of us, is devoted towards taking steps to build a stronger fleet. He believes in people, and it is because of that that I believe that he should stand by me as my vice president. There was an incident on his vessel, that is true. I believe that the sudden and unnecessary arrival of armed military personal made anxious civilians truly fearful. I do not blame Lorn, nor do I blame the marines who were attempting to carry our their orders. I personally stood between the civilians and the marines. Yes, I could have been injured or killed from either side. But that didn't happen. We must stand united as a people. We must be have security against those who would seek to harm us. We must be strong, in our fights and all our struggles.
Strength
Unity
Security
Vote for Spartozza/Algernon

[Chris]

I am surprised Andy's response is even legible what with it coming from Wales and all. I'm surprised the faeries over there didn't change it all to "Lyyyrddwyssdaeffaeyyn stoorfuffinnnn knuegaelsyyrrrrdddddddouff"

But excellent job getting the reply through. It has been taken into consideration. Thanks!

[Corax69]

The Welsh language was successfully recreated once when a cat fell asleep on someone's keyboard. It's like their version of 100 monkeys on 100 typewriters. True story.

[Chris]

Here is Matt's reply. He's at work and can't remember his password here. This will, as all of the candidates' answers will, factor into the election.

1.~ First I would like to allow each candidate to briefly outline their platform.
   As the final remnant of the human race our top priority should be the search for a new habitable planet.  We need to establish a permanent settlement when we can rebuild our glorious civilization, and defend ourselves from the Cylon threat.  As a means to those ends, and to ensure our continued safety and security we need to focus our efforts on finding viable scientific solutions to the Cylon threat.  To either wipe out the Cylon or to permanently ensure that any new home world we settle on it safe from further attacks.  Furthermore, in this time of crisis it is of the utmost importance to maintain continuity of leadership.  Changing leadership at this vital juncture in our people's history could have grave and unforeseeable consequences.  Together we have gotten this far let us continue on towards a brighter future and the rebirth of the human race.

2.~ What direction do you think the fleet should take in regard to long term settlement?
   I favor settling on Vega 303-081 over the planet we have been referring to as "Kobol."  The danger of Cylon attack is to great on Kobol for us to seriously consider it for our new home.  Regardless, our stay on either planet must be brief we should continue to search for other more hospitable planets to establish a more permanent settlement farther from Cylon influence.

3.~ Since the Cylon attack the military has taken a more active role in civilian life.~ This has required some adjustment on both sides.~ What would you do as president to improve the relationship between the military and the civilian fleet?   
   The healthy working relationship between the military and the civilian government is vital to the continued survival of the fleet and the human race as a whole.  Until now we have worked well together, but there is always room for improvement.  Therefore, I propose that a permanent Military Liaison position be be establish to further improve communications between the Military and the Presidency.

4.~ Do you believe convicted felons should maintain their right to vote?
   I support the right of all colonial citizens to participate in the electoral process.  During this time of crisis we can not afford to exclude anyone of possible value to our collective survival even if they have questionable pasts.  The first step to reintegrating some of our wayward citizens into our society should be their inclusion in one of our most important traditions, the democratic process.

5.~ What should the policy be for the treatment of Cylon prisoners, combative or cooperative, and how, if at all, should intelligence from Cylon sources be utilized?
   As President I have always and, if reelected, will continue to support the search for a scientific solution to the Cylon threat.  To that end any Cylons taken prisoner would be turned over to our Cylon research division headed by my good friend and my Vice-Presidential candidate Dr. [first name] Finn.  Dr. Finn will take all necessary steps to discovering any weaknesses the Cylons have and the means by which we can exploit them.  Because of the extreme danger posed by the Cylon one of Dr. Finn's most difficult challenges will be balancing the search for possibly vital intelligence against the ever present danger of having active Cylons in the fleet.  It is a challenge that I have the utmost confidence she is more than prepared for.

Neil:~ You have been the president of the Colonies since the Cylon attack.~ What have you done in your time in office to deserve a second term?
   I have, and will continue to do so until my last breath, kept us alive.