[1678] Presidential Campaign Thread

[Seydlitz]

Good evening, my fellow Aldurians!

It's great to be here in Fontainebleau, in the great state of Napoleon!

My name is Gerhardt Eugen Seydlitz, proud member of the Liberty and Democracy Party! 

I was honored to have been granted the high and heavy responsibility of being your Secretary of the Interior, and Member of Parliament.

I've been asked to clear up some scurrilous rumors that have been raised time and again by our friends, and not-so-friends in the media: Yes, ladies, I have to confess, I am presently single - and looking!

But no, I must also say, duty to the country comes first before my personal life.

I am pleased and honored that I have been invited here, and it has been a treat to have been able to spend some time with your community.

You know, it's interesting. When one is in politics, one gets used to hearing all sorts of things. You hear all sorts of rabid name-calling. You'll hear scurrilous words like godless, gutless, losing touch with the common Aldurian, arrogant, conceited - scared, even!

Where is Seydlitz, they ask? Seydlitz is RIGHT HERE - WITH THE ALDURIAN PEOPLE!

Isn't it amazing to see how petty people can be in the absence of true, authentic, STRONG leadership? I SAY that THAT is a disservice to the Aldurian people. We should expect more, not less, from those who would seek to lead us!

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that politics is the end-game of who throws mud the most. Well, I'll not have that. We should talk ideas. We should talk platforms. We should talk the nitty-gritty specifics of governance!

The party of which I am a member espouses two fairly significant ideals - Liberty and Democracy. What does this mean? Freedom and a Government of the People, for the People, and by the People. 

Let me tell you what I represent:

I want to have a Strong Alduria.

I believe in a Strong Alduria, and a Strong Alduria will only happen if we have strong institutions, and more importantly, strong Aldurian citizens.

We want Aldurians to have a home of their own. We believe in public and civic spaces, and will ensure that there is sufficient funding and support for public parks and public libraries. We will encourage the establishment of more schools, and support quality education. We will make state funds available for scholarships, and we will support the sciences and innovation.

We will promote and support inclusive and alternate mobility, and shall make quality mass transit a priority in a Seydlitz administration, with emphasis on moving people instead of contemporary cultural norms of prioritizing cars. We will ensure that there are protected bicycle lanes, and we will support pedestrianization. We will make support for renewable energy and mass solarization a national policy. 

We will support microinsurance initiatives, as well as in giving a greater voice to labor, senior citizens, youth, persons with disabilities, the LGBTQ community and minorities in national and local policymaking. Every Aldurian’s voice matters, and I will protect every Aldurian’s right to be heard, in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

We will ensure that election day is a national public holiday.

We will secure the necessary legislative reforms, such as a national police act and a courts reorganization act, to ensure that justice is truly served in Alduria.

Alduria stands as the light of the world. We will make it national policy to stand for free, fair, and democratic elections, everywhere in the world, and promote the consideration of human rights, as a matter of Aldurian foreign policy.

Now, many may say that this is all hot air, and empty bluster. The beauty of a democracy is that people can believe whatever they like, and I respect that.

The one difference between me and them, however, is that I've already done it, while they merely speak of it.

As your Member of Parliament, I helped make the Criminal Code part of the law of this land. We helped fix our most serious crisis to date with the passage of the Water Crisis Act. I ensured stability by the enactment of the Continuity of Government Act. We did our part to contribute to the National Defense by making sure that our armed forces are well-armed and well-equipped for the important task of keeping Aldurians free and safe. I authored and helped secure the passage of the Aldurian Heritage, Culture, and the Arts law, and most importantly, the Local Government Act - which gives YOU, the sovereign Aldurian people, among other things, your right by law to gather and assemble in your Civic or Youth Assembly, discuss and debate policy, and keep us all honest.

In this Aldurian Republic, WE work for YOU. In this Aldurian Republic, I believe that YOUR voice matters.

In the coming days and weeks, I will continue to listen to what you have to say, and believe me, we will do what we can to ensure that your concerns are not just heard, but immediately acted upon! A Strong Republic is a responsive republic, and a Seydlitz Administration will embody that.

We are the people. We are the nation. Let us work together in a Seydlitz Administration!

Seydlitz waves and shakes hands all around the stage as new upbeat music begins